Wow. This is a freakishly good beer. And odds are by the time you’re reading this post it is long gone.  As of yesterday, there were only 2 or 3 kegs left.  I sampled this one at the brewery about three weeks ago and knew it was something special. On this return trip was I able to take in an entire pint.  Tamarack released this beer on Oct. 1 in celebration of HB 400, the Montana legislation that significantly raised the permissible content of alcohol in beer, thus opening up a wealth of creativity for Montana’s breweries and beer drinkers.

Everything about this beer is big.  Big malt, big hops, big mouth feel.  It is complex and incredibly interesting. Unfiltered and cloudy, it is a dirty brown color with hints of red with a white head.  It isn’t the prettiest beer, but you quickly stop caring. Good hop aroma kicks this beer off, but immediately transitions into a strong malt taste. Oddly, I did not detect a strong alcoholic note despite the high abv.  At 91 IBUs I braced myself for an expected slam of hop bitterness that never came.  Oh, don’t get me wrong. That strong malt taste is followed by a very full hop taste and plenty of bitterness.  But there’s never a tongue splitting bitter moment you might expect with 91 IBUs.  In reality, it isn’t all that surprising given the amount of malt necessary to reach 9.1% abv.  That much malt does a good job of balancing out the high IBUs. This beer takes you on a trip across a range of flavors.  It is one to savor and discuss.

Name: Headwall Double IPA
Brewery: Tamarack Brewing Co., Lakeside, MT.
Style: Imperial IPA.
Color: golden brown with hints of red; white head.
Packaging: draft only.
Stats: 9.1% abv, 91 IBU.
Bought: Tamarack Brewing Co., Lakeside.
Ruling: Five out of Five Hops. Freakishly good beer.