DRAFT Magazine

Grand Teton’s Cellar Reserve series has produced two previous double IPAs, XX Sweetgrass and the plainly named Double IPA. The brewery’s latest release, Lost Continent, will easily satisfy hop-heads, but you’re heading for disappointment if you’re expecting a monster beer. It pours a beautiful, deep gold with a big, tan head that releases substantial hop aromas, though not as powerful as expected in the style. The nose exudes citrus, flowers, a bit of tea, and a slightly harsh alcohol tinge; it leads nicely into flavors of sweet caramel and Pacific Northwest hops. Though it’s brewed with three pounds of hops per barrel and dry-hopped with an additional pound of whole-flower Nugget Hops, Lost Continent is unmistakably a hoppy beer, but the overall taste isn’t as large as we’d like. And the big-up-front, small-in-back body and a slightly inappropriate alcohol heat makes the whole drink a tad incomplete. While it’s a little low on the double-IPA scale, it certainly quenches a thirst for hops, and it makes a good pairing with Indian food and chili. Lost  Continent is on shelves through September.