We all should have seen it coming…Portland’s love of the PDX carpet has spawned some fun carpet-printed items ranging from coffee mugs and beer cozies to neckties and bike jerseys. Adidas released some pretty kicky-looking sneakers and the Portland Timbers have PDX Carpet soccer scarves. All fun things to wear or display, but Rogue Ales stepped it up with their PDX Carpet India Pale Ale. Now we can kick back with a nice brew and drink in all that the carpet represents. For some it may be a representation of the quirkiness of this great city? Or for others maybe the excitement of a major international airport with all the travelers embarking on interesting adventures or arriving to explore our beautiful state? I know that as a kid stepping onto that teal and purple carpet was a magical experience, that’s when the fun began! And it also served as a warm, comforting blanket when you returned to PDX after a long, tiring journey – you were home. Would the beer be on it’s way to becoming as beloved as it’s well-trod namesake? I wanted to put it to the test!
I finally tracked down a bottle while out running errands (the fact that I had to search made it feel exclusive!), brought it home, and then actually ended up saving it for the next night when I knew I’d have more time to give it the proper attention and savor it. I was pretty stoked about this beer since it had the trifecta of all that I love in beer: a local brewer (Rogue), my favorite beer type (IPA), and it had a fun hook (PDX Carpet!). I had high hopes for this one, so I cracked it open and poured. It plainly had a nice medium-amber color, slightly cloudy. I did notice that the yellowish head on it was fairly thin, but I have to admit that I did kind of flub the pouring, maybe I was overthinking my steps? Either way this IPA literally had no lace, though I can’t tell you if that’s a bad thing or normal for some beers, there’s so much to learn if I’m ever going to sound legit! It did, however, have an intense hoppy aroma which is just what I like to smell – nice and bitter! And there was also a certain tanginess to it as well, kind of like grapefruit – refreshing?
Now, the moment I had been waiting for – the first sip! Obviously it was bitter straight out of the gate and that bitterness lingered on the tongue. And the taste of the hops were there along with the grapefruit again. I was surprised at how thin it felt in terms of mouthfeel, particularly for an IPA, though the 6.4% could maybe play into that. It also seemed more carbonated that normal for IPAs, it felt fizzy on my tongue and I did notice that the little bit of head that was left was bubbly. Again, could this be normal for some IPAs? Another thing I’ll have to look into! Regardless, a few good swallows in I started to dig it more. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t what I expected and that’s what caught me off guard. The description on the bottle does state that it is a “non-traditional IPA”, so that could explain the anti-climatic feeling I had. I feel so guilty for writing that! I love the Rogue brand and all that it stands for! I love Rogue beers, I love other Rogue IPAs, so I hate that this one didn’t knock my PDX Carpet socks off. This must be what can only be described as beer guilt. I guess I just like my IPAs more traditional and that’s so un-Portland of me. *sigh*
