Another walk down memory lane with this one. Ballard Bitter was a standby when I first moved to Portland. I was already familiar with Red Hook, as it was one of the few West Coast micros that was reliably available, even in Iowa (the Blackhook Porter was also an early favorite). Even then, it was a relatively cheap choice for well-made beer, but I’ll bet I paid as much for this bomber as I did for a six-pack back in those days.
Ballard Bitter has been taken off the market, apparently renamed as “Long Hammer IPA,” but the vintage look to this label, and its pine-y, no cedar-y contents bring back memories of a new city and new friends.
Beer Name: Big Ballard Imperial IPA
Brewer: Red Hook Brewery
Price: $4.95/bomber
Sampled: August 27, 2010
Rating: 3/5
Notes: Some aspirin on the nose. Weedy green bitter hops, and sweet, somewhat butterscotch and crispy, astringent mouthfeel. Pretty alcoholic tasting.
ABV: 8.6% abv
IBU: N/A
OG N/A
TG N/A
Serving Type: Bottle.
No Comments on “239: Big Ballard Imperial IPA”
You can track this conversation through its atom feed.