Watermelonlimebasil!
Watermelonlimebasil!
Watermelonlimebasil Double THAT! What the heck is that? I mean THAT!? It’s the next installment of our double THAT! series complimented with a trio of adjunct flavors. Our buddy Josh Fiedler got the idea to add watermelon, lime, and basil to the citrus haze flavor maze. Tim, and his cellarman Dean, were both on the fence with the idea almost up to the beer’s completion. Who could blame them? A hazy IIPA with watermelon, lime, and basil? Not only a whacky proposition but a tricky one to boot; “balancing act” is an understatement. But never one to back down from a challenge, Tim went about the task of making the flavors play nice, getting each of their respective flavors to shine. Plus, in spite of our doubts, we trust Josh and his culinary talent. He knows good beer.
The beer is a doozy! To me, the spice from the basil accentuates the hop characteristics of the beer providing the flavor foundation. The watermelon and lime dance across the top providing further citrus summertime. The result? A flavor profile I can honestly say I’ve never tasted before.
Beer with dimension tells a flavor story. And any story benefits from a soundtrack. A few weeks back, we tapped Double Peanut Butter Coffee Stout. While bringing said tapping to the world’s attention via social media, I quoted a song lyric from 90’s seminal Chicago post-hardcore band Cap’n Jazz from their song “Little League.” Hey coffee eyes. You got me coughing up a cookie heart. For whatever reason, perhaps laziness, I keep coming back to this song. It seems to accentuate the beer, at least for me, rather nicely. It’s zingy, fun, dynamic, energetic, fun, clever, familiar, but with a twist that seems obvious, but only after the fun fact. Gentle in some regard but only because it’s ready to burst. I can’t promise you’ll like the song just like I can’t promise you’ll like the beer. Well, I’m pretty sure you’ll like the beer. Give the song a chance.
Listen to “Little League.”
Thad