hop henge

a few weeks back I mentioned that I went to the Deschutes in The Pearl. the place was packed and the food was great, and I especially enjoy the beer. Deschutes has some pretty spectacular seasonals, aside from their regular year round beers. the Bond Street Series is a collection of seasonal beers inspired by the original Deschutes Brewery & Public House on Bond Street in downtown Bend. the series highlights a handful of beers that began at the original pub and are brewed in small batches a few times a year. with great names like Hop Trip, Hop Henge, and Broken Top, the beers are quite good and quite original.
last night dlb and I tasted Hop Henge, a big aroma wafting imperial IPA. I was preparing dinner when dlb opened and divided the 22 ounce bottle into two glasses. I was amazed at how intensely floral it smelled, from even 3 feet away! the flavor was just as pleasant as the aroma, complete with hints of citrus, honey, pine, and sweet flowers. at 8% abv, the alcohol is well hidden. I rated this one a 4.2 out of 5 and can't wait to taste it again.

:: pairing suggestion ::
hops tend to be pretty over powering on your taste buds. they can cut through most foods, so when looking for a perfect pairing, drink an IPA or Imperial IPA with spicy Indian food or food prepared with cajun or jerk spices. if spicy isn't your thing, pair an IPA with something good and greasy, like fried seafood.