Video by: Gabe Pocrass, CTV 11.
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Before you read the title and think that I’m speaking in some sort of code, let me explain … 2×4 is the name of the beer and DIPA stands for double IPA. This beer, to say it modestly, was amazing! It is one one of my favorite beers now (let alone favorite IPA’s).
I also thought this review came at just the right time for spring. 2×4 had a lot of fruitiness in it and it primarily consisted of a nice floral flavor-profile. And since “floral” means “flowers,” this beer was meant for spring and the sunshine! As far as the fruitiness went, I got a lot of tropical fruits: mainly passion fruit, citrus and a slight pineapple sidekick. 2×4 DIPA is 10 percent ABV, but you would never be able to guess.
Now for some backstory … 2×4 comes out of Melvin Brewing, which started in 2009 from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was quite surprised to see such a new brewery make such a solid beer, but upon trying other beers in their line-up, it became clear to me that these people know what they’re doing.
Additionally, 2×4 won a Gold Medal in 2012 at the Great American Beer Festival and another Gold Medal in 2014 at the World Beer Cup. Needless to say, this brewery is making some noise. I also like their overall branding and identity too, so lets just say I have some high hopes for them.
The overall drinking experience of this beer was really enjoyable. Right from the start, it hit me with those bold tropical/floral notes; this made it really easy for me to become fully indulged in the beer. I found that the floral profile was very important for this beer because it brought the beer down to Earth. Without it, the beer may have gotten too sweet by the end.
As I continued to drink, getting about halfway done, I started to pick up on the malt in the beer. This was crucial to me because it is a double IPA, which should have a strong presence of malt in it, and the timing could not have been any better. By letting the beer warm up and release it’s “malty-ness,” it also helped ground the beer as well (like the floral notes did). This characteristic brought a nice element of complexity to the beer that really helped it become one of my favorites. Overall I gave it a 9.55/10 and The Mayor of Old Town gave it a 9.6/10.
Collegian Beer Reviewer Gabe Pocrass can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com or on Twitter at @Gpocrass.
