Last Night at Barclays Restaurant & Pub on College Avenue in Berkeley, 21st Amendment brewer and co-owner Shaun O’Sullivan tapped a firkin of his new Double Trouble Imperial IPA. One of several new beers for Strong Beer Month, the Imperial IPA is 10.1% abv and an absolute delight on the firkin. It’s brightly amber colored and begins with strong alpha hop aromas. I detected the obvious Cascade aromas (which Shaun later confirmed, along with Amarillo, Simcoe, Stygian and Goldings and others). The lush flavors have a big hop presence but it’s enchantingly smooth with a great mouthfeel. Overall it’s creamy and delicious and lingers pleasantly on the tongue for many minutes. Highly Recommended.

Shaun O’Sullivan (at left) mugs for the camera with James Costa of Moylan’s Brewing, my local pub in Marin County.