For many of us, Six String’s Dark Red IPA was the first red IPA we could consistently get our hands on. It’s a beautiful, balanced drop, with the hops and malt intertwining masterfully and with intensity. When Six String brought out the double, they amped it up, put a tiger on the label, and we all raced to try it. The increase in malt was more prominent than the increase in hops, which was a little surprising, considering they’d doubled the malt but tripled the hops. The result was a little less balanced than its predecessor, but no one was really complaining about the rich caramel oozing through our red IPA.
Enter the Triple Dark Red IPA (brewed originally for GABS 2019) and Six String have slapped Cerberus on the label to let us know what to expect: a monster of a beer that’s bitey as hell, and makes a tiger look like a kitten. This puppy will knock you over and jump on your chest.
While there’s resiny hop character to be found if you go looking for it, the overwhelming impression of this beer is huge, boozy malt. Syrupy caramel and toffee make themselves known as boldly as the alcohol, letting warmth and sweetness make their way through your nose, mouth, throat and chest. Then, just when you think this beer is sitting firmly in barleywine territory, it bares its teeth, clamps down on you with an aggressive bitterness, and doesn’t let go.
Mick Wust
Published June 15, 2019 2019-06-15 00:00:00
