Mammoth IPA 395
After a full day on the slopes, there are few things more rewarding than cracking open a bomber of Mammoth Brewing’s 395 Double IPA. This is a big, hoppy IPA brewed with sage and juniper. If the alchemists at Mammoth Brewing were trying to create a beer whose flavor personified the Eastern Sierras, 395 IPA is a resounding success.
As you raise the glass to your lips, the fresh, floral aromas meander up like an old 2-man ski lift going to the far side of the mountain. Luckily, with a hop profile like this, you’re in no rush to bomb down the slope and squeeze in as many runs as possible. No, you’re going to want to take your time with this one.
This beer is to be sipped and enjoyed, and like any good ski trip, it’s best when shared with friends. Get greedy and drink too much of it, you’ll swerve into the trees. When you wake up, you’ll find yourself in a basket behind a snowmobile, head throbbing with a mouth full of pine needles. We’ve all been there before, folks, and it’s a great way to ruin a beer forever (the same reason I have sworn off Old Viscosity).
Best to keep this a nice leisurely slalom through fresh powder. You won’t inflict yourself with any debilitating injuries, and you’ll stay appreciative and longing for next season.
Yes, that was a snowboarding analogy in the middle of July. What, you never heard of Christmas in July?
Had that beer at the Mammoth festival — a really enjoyable beer & blues fest - in August. I was so surprised how much I liked it. That sage is like rain on high desert in the background. Herbs along with high hops character — who’d have guessed that wold work?
@Gail -
What a great beer. Next time I see it, I’m buying a case.