Pike Brewing Monk's Uncle

Monk's Uncle poured a hazy, golden yellow color with a paper thin, small bubbled, white head. The aroma is flowery, slightly sweet with a malt base. The body is pretty sweet up front, backed by a thicker malt base that dies out. It is a little thin on the backend, with the hops peeking though a bit.

Overall, an average tripel. The nose and first impression are great but it fades out. This needs some balance for the huge sugar bill up front as well as a little bit more depth. The finish is ok. An ok beer, but I miss the complexity here that I love in tripels.

Pike Brewing IPA

Pike's IPA poured a hazy amber color with a finger width, off white head. The nose is really nice, perfectly balanced amount of malt and hops. The body has medium to low carbonation, and nice depth. The first sip has a touch of fruity sweetness and a nice malty backbone that lays underneath a heap of very clean, bone dry hops that lead towards a lingering, very dry finish.

Overall, this is a very, very good IPA. The huge hops are not just balanced out by the thick malt base, but everything meshes well together. This beer is impressive from the aroma right to the finish. Pike's version stands out in a very crowded field of American IPAs. A great buy.