Beer Me: Deviant Dale’s IPA

I’m a big fan of an IPA, or two, after a long day of riding or building trails. The resurgence of tasty canned beer has made it much easier to bring a few along for a trailside toast. Oskar Blues is one of the American brewers at the forefront of the good beer in a can revolution.

In the world of IPAs, Deviant is no slouch at 8 percent ABV. Crack that boy open and you’ll be rewarded with a luscious aroma of pine and citrus. Pour it in a glass and you’ll find a thick head and moderately dark amber/copper body—all good things in my world. While its 85 IBUs stack it pretty close to my ideal hoppiness quotient, Deviant doesn’t come off as extremely hoppy to me. There isn’t that massively bitter bite that I’ve come to expect with big IPAs. This all makes for a crisp, well-crafted and flavorful experience. Just be careful, that 8 percent will sneak up on you!

This seasonal brew is available from January through March. If you dig American IPAs, and love cans as much as I do, you should give Deviant Dale’s IPA a try. Of course, it’s available on tap as well, but I find carrying a keg in my hydration pack a little more problematic.