Backlash Declaration Belgian-Style IPA [Beer Review]
As I believe I’ve mentioned about twenty times on this site lately, 2011 was a huge year for beer in Massachusetts. We saw the release of so many new breweries that it was tough to keep up! One of those was Backlash Beer Company, a Boston-based but Holyoke-brewed beer that, with this release, counts three Belgian styles under their belts. The latest, a Belgian-style IPA, has come with a lot of hype on the back of Backlash signing a state-wide distribution deal that will expand their reach from the Boston-area to all of Massachusetts.
Clearly unfiltered, Declaration is a dark, hazy tawny beer! Crowned with one of the biggest, sturdiest eggshell colored heads I’ve ever seen, this brew stands a solid 2 fingers taller than the pint glass that is trying to contain it. It seems that the beer is much in line with the ethos of the brass knuckles on every bottle of Backlash. The real question, though, is does the taste stand up to the imposing appearance?
Citrusy hops and very-well-complementing Belgian yeast aromas are definitely getting us started in the right direction! I’m looking for the malt, but all I come back with is the spiciness of the yeast and those damned hops! They’ve seemingly Houdini’ed any smell of the base grains away...eh, to hell with it. Who needs malt in a Belgian IPA anyway?
I read on the Backlash Blog that they claim this is the hoppiest Belgian IPA they know of. Is that true? I don’t know...there are definitely contenders out there who I’d have to try at the same time to really know (after all, beer is super subjective based on the experiences going on all around you...that’s one reason it’s so great!). The important question, though, is: “Is this a good beer?” My answer! I sure as hell think so! I have a checklist (OK, I don’t actually have a checklist, but now that I’m thinking about it, here are the things I think make a great Belgian-style IPA): (1) Big hop bitterness, taste and aroma, (2) dry malt (3) Belgian yeast spice notes, (4) none of that oily hoppiness that many American brewers have put out lately...the Belgians are more sophisticated than that (they’re European after all). This beer nails that in spades! It’s bitter, but balanced, with a great hop taste and a funky Belgian/hoppy nose; it’s super dry; and it’s completely devoid of the oiliness that works in some American IPAs but not in this style (in my humble opinion). The conclusion? Delicious beer! And, luckily, Backlash just inked a statewide distribution deal in Massachusetts. That means all you people in Western Mass can finally find out what us Easterners were talking about (and what’s been being brewed in their own back yard).
Jeff’s Note: Normally I’m a big opponent of wax on bottles. It doesn’t make the beer taste better and it’s a pain to open. That said, Backlash founders Helder and Maggie hand dip each bottle, then hand stamp each, so I had to include that in the picture! Also, it’s really not hard to open. You guys are doing something right even with the packaging!
I bought a 22oz bomber of this craft beer at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont.
