Devils Backbone Beta Max
Back in early December, the wife brought home a Devils Backbone Adventure Pack (variety twelve pack) following a recent grocery shopping trip. Three of the bottles wrapped in that cardboard container were labeled as an “Old School Double India Pale Ale.” Brewed with a blend of Chinook and Cascade hop varieties, Beta Max certainly has a flavor that is more “old school” when compared to the fruit-forward DIPAs that are flooding the market as of late.
The 8% (and 85 IBU) Beta Max doesn’t present itself as anything other than a plain and simple hop bomb. Grapefruit and pine dominate the flavor while a good amount of warming alcohol wraps up the experience. A light malt sweetness and heavy cloud of yeast contribute as well, but it’s all about the hop character here. There’s nothing at all fancy about this one.