You’re probably sick of me talking about Taco Mac so much. OK, I get that but let’s face it: if you had one right around the corner, you would be talking about them, too. With much of the craft beer scene being draft only these days, this is the only way to get a number of the great beers being produced. Without driving to ten different breweries a week, that is. Anyway, I was at Taco Mac last week and saw that they had a keg of Jekyll Hoot'n & Holler'n Double IPA, a beer I hadn’t heard of before. Jekyll is located in Alpharetta, Georgia, not far from where I work actually.
Do you want to know more? I did, so I searched the Jekyll website for details on the beer. There weren’t any there, but I did find this post from April 22nd, 2014 on their Facebook page:
JUST TAPPED!! Jekyll Brewing's Hoot'n & Holler'n Double IPA! This double IPA that packs a punch and it has hops to spare. But what makes this brew exceptional is that it doesn't go overboard. IPA lovers will truly fall for this brew.
Intrigued, I dove into my glass. Not literally of course, but you get the point. Jekyll Hoot'n and Holler'n Double IPA, something local for me, has an alcohol content of 8% by volume according to Taco Mac, and cost me $5.75 for an 11 ounce short pour.
My glass of Jekyll Hoot'n & Holler'n Double IPA arrived a deep tawny amber color with almost no head and a soft fragrant nose of resiny pine. Taking a sip, I got a generous hit of thick caramel malt up front followed by candied fruits, resiny pine hop aroma and a seductive balancing grassy-herbal hop finish and alcohol warmth. This one is sneaky and too easy to drink I though as I sipped, and not the hop beast most double IPAs gravitate towards these days, but still very amazing all the same.
That made me think of Jekyll’s statement “what makes this brew exceptional is that it doesn't go overboard. IPA lovers will truly fall for this brew.”. In today’s beer geek world where brews are judged by their sledgehammer quality more than stylistic adherence, I’m not so sure about that. For my part, though, I loved this beer and I’m glad I found it. It’s a tasty, well-balanced double IPA that celebrates the glory off both malt and the hop, and you’ll be able to appreciate both here. In the final analysis, this is certainly a beer worth hoot’n and holler’n about…..
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft