Call It A Day Double IPA by Moat Mountain Brewing Co
Don’t you just love surprises? Like when you forget it’s your birthday and someone important in your life says ‘Happy Birthday dear.’ Or when you are getting up to start your day and your sweetie brings you a cup of coffee, unrequested. These things help make your life just a little better. And so it is, when you discover a brewery that comes out with a beautiful beer that you just weren’t expecting. This is why we focus on Moat Mountain’s newest offering, Call It A Day Double IPA.
Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Company are located in North Conway, NH. Their food is great with a spectacular menu and worth a visit. Although they still brew on premises where their eatery and original location are (smaller batch seasonals for the restaurant and growler fills), their newest brewery upgrade is a state-of-the-art “barn” and artfully done. This place is their main 20 barrel brewery created in 2013. They added the canning line in the following year. It is not open to the public though. You can find out more about their offerings with a name search on Facebook or at their website: www.moatmountain.com
I personally love double IPA styles because it’s a great format taken a step bigger. India Pale Ales generally are a bit more hoppy than a pale ale. Hops help preserve beer which is why England started producing beer with more hops for the early colonists in India. A double IPA style is not just more hops but more malt backbone against the hop profile.
Call It A Day is a slightly hazy, straw-colored beer with a pillowy white head. The hop character can be found in the nose as you approach your first sip. Citrus, grapefruit, and tropical fruit, possibly orange are immediately present while you also notice caramel malt character lingering in the background as well. Your first introduction leaves you deciding between hop and malt. Those that are not well versed in hoppy beers may find this beer too much to pallet. But for those who enjoy dry-hopped beer will find an attractive addition to the Moat line-up. At 8% you will know why they sell this offering in 16 oz four packs.
Make sure and also try the other offerings from Moat Mt such as Iron Mike Pale Ale, Bone Shaker Brown, East Intervale IPA and Hell Yes! Helles Lager, all in 16 oz cans.
You can purchase Moat beers at Hanford Markets and Case-n-Keg, Meredith and Laconia just to name a few locations… brewed in New Hampshire for the love of the beer!
Jim MacMillan is the owner of WonByOne Design of Meredith, NH, and is an avid imbiber of craft brews and a home brewer as well. Send him your recommendations and brew news to wickedbrews@weirs.com
