Review: Paddock Wood Loki Double IPA

I haven't had any beer by Saskatoon's Paddock Wood Brewing since I tried Bête Noire back in February. Thanks to Stephen, who is undeniably the #1 fan of Paddock Wood's beer (especially since his beer-based twitter account is dedicated to it! @PaddockWoodGuy), I get to try four of their beers, and not only that, he sent me Paddock Wood glassware and coasters! Thanks Stephen! I'm unbelievably excited to try the beers. I would have reviewed them sooner, but I'm a bit of a beer hoarder as it is.

The first one of the collection I'm trying is their Loki Double IPA, which has an ABV of 8.7%. The label has drawings of Loki fish.

Appearance: The beer pours a very nice honey-copper red with a slight amount of transparency. The head is a bit of a beige-off white colour.

Aroma: I still have Minhas' Imperial Jack Double IPA stuck to me somehow so I can somewhat compare it. A nice amount of citrus hops, I can smell bit of strong & sweet malts, pineapple, grapefruit and other citrusy fruits. Pretty decent and welcoming.

Taste: Certainly lighter tasting than Minhas, but comparing anything to Minhas is an insult so I'll stop. It's not overwhelming at all. A fair amount of bitterness coming from the hops, really hits the middle of the tongue. If you don't like a bitter IPA, you won't like it. I enjoy it. There's also a bit of a pineapple sweetness. Nice amount of spiciness thanks to the malts, hops and citrus added. Half way through the beer, there was another aspect of the beer - smokiness. I honestly thought I was getting a bit buzzed, but nope, there was a bit of a smokiness in the beer I could taste, reminiscent of Rogue's Chipotle Ale, but without that hotness.

Overall thoughts: I'm not sure if this a seasonal or a regular beer at Paddock Wood as Double IPAs are usually a seasonal thing. I would buy this if I saw it at the MLCC, or even if I see at SaskLiquor the next time I go to Saskatchewan. It's not overpowering (unless if you count the bitterness from the hops, which doesn't bother me one bit), has a nice amount of grapefruit & pineapple citrusness, and very enjoyable for a lazy Thursday. I'm looking forward to trying the next three! I can already tell that Paddock Wood is likely the best brewery in Saskatchewan, especially if compared to Great Western!

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