My pour from a fresh growler of Country Boy Brewing Knotty Pine DIPA produced a hazy light peach colored body with a tight and white, creamy head. A thin cap remained throughout and left spotty lacing inside the glass.
The smell reminded me of cut papaya and maybe honeydew. Definitely sawdust, some yeasty and hoppy spiciness. Maybe I was dreaming, but it made me think of the sugary filling in my grandmother’s chocolate covered cherries that she gave me as a kid – fruity, tart and sweet. There were some sourdough bread notes in there too. Some sort of vegetal aroma that I could not identify – celery or cucumber maybe? There were so many elements of the aroma that kept unfolding as I drank this one.
The taste reflected the aroma well. Juicy tropical fruits, sweet oranges, and melon-like hops, with a lingering bitterness. There was a fruity sweetness that stretched out into a drying citrus rind finish. The alcohol is warming and it becomes more evident as the beer warms up. With a name like Knotty Pine I expected a more resiny, pine needle type of hops presence. Those characteristics were there, but the tropical notes overshadowed the pine. The beer was so palatable, dangerously so – the 9% ABV can sneak up on you.
The body of this one was pretty rich and creamy, just like the dense silky head. Despite the medium to full bodied texture it remained easy to drink. Big flavors, a big body, and a big aroma make Knotty Pine my favorite DIPA made in Kentucky.
