Archive for December, 2012

Review: Three Creeks Hodag Cascadian Dark Ale

Author: Jason Harris
December 29, 2012

I’m a huge fan of Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters, Oregon. As I frequently travel from Salem, Oregon to Bend, Oregon, I go past Three Creeks a lot. I’ve tried a few of their creations in the past, including Knotty Blonde.

Hodag

Hodag

Today’s beer is a special one – in honor of Hoodoo Ski Area’s 75th anniversary, the team at Three Creeks Brewery have created a special limited edition brew called Hodag Cascadian Dark Ale, which is a Black IPA.

Weighing in at 6.2% alcohol, Hodag is described this way:

Three Creeks head brewer says the Hodag CDA is 6.4% ABV and pours near black in color, while featuring the generous hopping of an IPA. Munich and Crystal Malt provide a solid Malt backbone while Midnight Wheat and German Caraffa malts stain the beer black in color. Hopped with Bravo, Crystal and Columbus hops, Hodag has a nice piney hop aroma while the flavor balances hints of roast with citrus and mint hop flavors all rounded out by a dry finish.

When I pour Hodag, it’s black in the glass – as black as the night. There’s a decent lacing around the rim of my glass and it leaves a medium beige head. The hoppy flavor is apparent at first sip until the intense malty smoothness kicks in. There’s an amazing balance of the hop intensity and roast malt flavor.

Overall, this is a very smooth beer with lush flavor and excellent aroma. This is the perfect example of a cascadian dark ale, a beer style I’ve become a huge fan of in recent months.

What’s your favorite cascadian dark ale so far?