Bearded Iris Offbeat Double IPA

Nashville’s brewing scene has some pretty tasty destinations, but Bearded Iris Brewing might be the most intriguing. A friend recently brought me a can of one of the brewery’s designated to-go brews, that being Offbeat Double IPA, hopped with Simcoe and Citra.

Let’s just say I was fooled from the get-go on this one. I expected something a bit more dank, but this hazy orange beer didn’t have that malty thickness I was prepared for – it was more medium-bodied, and looked like a cross between an American IPA and a Northeast IPA. The aroma screamed something similar, with exuberant notes of mango, pineapple and orange.

The flavor and body were ridiculously tempered in the context of a double IPA, as well. The soft mouthfeel was almost velvety, and the malt sweetness was balancing but never prevalent. The ease of the finish belied the notion that this was double-hopped, and honestly, to get this one in at 7.5 percent alcohol by volume, I’m not sure how the Bearded Iris brewers managed to achieve such balance.

I’ve not yet visited Bearded Iris, but if they’ve got more like Offbeat, I might be staring down a road trip. Soon.