Union Double Duckpin
Back in June, I posted a couple of reviews that Union Craft Brewing collaborated on: Yonder Cities and Partner Ships Olde Ale. Those was my first experience with the Washington, DC company, but it was with this can of Double Duckpin that I was really introduced to the brewery — without the backing of another company. Double Duckpin is a double IPA (8.5% ABV and 90 IBU) that not only delivers a good amount of hoppy goodness, but also officially sets the tone for what I hope is a long and prosperous drinking relationship.
The big IPA is crafted with an array of hop varieties — Cascade, Mosaic, CTZ, Amarillo, Galaxy — that present a tasty and layered flavor profile of grapefruit, resinous pine, orange peel and pineapple. Floral hints persist as a touch of caramel and bready malt help keep everything in check and provide a solid backbone with which to support a strong hop flavor and moderate amount of bitterness. The higher alcohol content will eventually catch up to you, but is masked quite nicely as the crisp Double Duckpin goes down with deceptive ease.
The sixer of this double IPA didn’t last too long in the fridge. Double Duckpin hits just about all the right marks for my personal preferences in the style. It’s got a solid hop flavor with just enough of a malt profile to reign in the bitterness just enough. The brew isn’t quite as dynamic as the other two projects that I have enjoyed form them, but it’s one that I will most certainly pick up again.