DESCHUTES HOPZEIT

Deschutes Brewery continues to fascinate and intrigue me with its stellar selection of beers—a solid stable of year-round beer and seasonal brews to which it has recently added to in abundance. And it has done so without sacrificing quality.

Here is one of the new seasonals, and easily a new favorite beer for me...

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Hopzeit Autumn IPA, an American IPA by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce bottle served in shaker glass.

7.0% abv.

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The pour is a clear golden-orange, capped with a finger-thick off-white head.

The nose is fruity—more so than I expected, primarily because of the "IPA" of its name.

The tongue is a bit of unsalted pretzel (or perhaps lightly salted pretzel) + caramel + a light spicy bite in the middle + some light hoppy bitterness and fruit notes. The latter are mostly a light citrus flavor and some hint of melons (honeydew? musk?).

The mouthfeel is medium, with a slight bite.

This is subtler than I expected, likely due to the "IPA" that I keep expecting. The "IPA" is there, in subdued form, as is the "Autumn." It really is a best of both worlds.

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This really is more Märzen/Oktoberfest than IPA for me, but less watery and weak than many of the former that I've encountered over the years. It reminds me a bit of my "gateway" beer, Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen Amber, which makes it an even better drinking experience for me.

This is an excellent all-around beer that will pair well with most everything. I need to stock up!