Starr Hill Double Platinum
I’ve had a few of Starr Hill Brewing products in my time. They’ve always been one of the more accessible local breweries in the area for quite a while now. I just can’t believe that this is the first time I’ve ever done a formal review of one of their beers for the site. Shame on me.
The company’s Double Platinum is, as you may have already guesses, a Double IPA that is dry-hopped with Simcoe and Centennial hops. It’s quite an aromatic beer that is also full of tasty hop character on the palate. It certainly lives up to its “double” billing with an 8.6% ABV and plenty of hop bite.
Appearance
Double Platinum pours golden amber in color with a slight haze and a one finger, off-white head.
Aroma
A ton of pine resin, grapefruit and tropical citrus fill the nose as hints of a malt base peek through.
Taste
Just as you would expect from a beer of this nature, it’s packed with a solid fruity citrus and pine resin character from start to finish. There’s a good amount of up-front hop bitterness that fades rather quickly to a light tingle in the lingering finish. The brew leaves a subtle malt sweetness on the lips. For the higher alcohol content, it’s hidden well and never really impacts the hop presence within the beer.
Overall
I enjoyed this brew. It had a solid balance between the malt sweetness and the earthy hops, making for a fairly drinkable DIPA. It’s a big beer with big hops, but it’s not completely over the top. The alcohol is hidden well, probably too well, as it will catch up with you later on in the bottle. I’d happily drink another bottle of this Starr Hill offering.
Rating:3.75/5