First off, they have some of the best labels and bottle art around as far as I am concerned. I really like the eyes logo, the feel of their tap room, names and logos, etc. Marketing works, I admit it.
So, Big Daddy is: 6.5%, 60 IBUs using Columbus, Cascade, Centennial.
Baby Daddy is: 4.7%, 35 IBUs using Citra, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade.
Again, back to the art - I LOVE the can. It's a black can and the colors they use are just visually striking. Even the lid it black and they used the "eyes" on it, too. Nice touch.
I had one of these last night with a pretty spicy dinner and it paired perfectly. It poured pretty clean with a light, almost Pilsner color even though they so use a bit of Munich in the grain bill. The aroma is somewhat tropical and fruity but is definitely present. No searching for the wonderful aroma we like IPAs to have. The taste is clean an crisp, with the hop-forward flavor from the 4Cs letting you know they are there without taking the enamel off your teeth. It finishes dry and crisp reminding me of my own IPL a bit but with a tad more bittering on the finish. If you've had Stone's GoTo IPA it's not THAT bitter, but similar in taste IIRC.
It had enough body to be satisfying without being too light like some of the SIPAs I've had can be.
I still hold Firestone's Easy Jack as the Gold Standard, but this rates as very good in my book. And at 4.7% it's a bit stronger than some other offering that hover in the 3.8% - 4.2% range, too. Not that the ABV matters to me, but it might explain the bit more body. I suppose that could be achieved with a higher FG too but I digress....
I have 2 more at home and I'll try the next one with a much more neutral food so I can fully appreciate the beer and see if my thoughts are any different at that point.
Oh yeah, the combination pacifier/brass knuckles logo can't be overlooked. It's fits perfectly with the name of the beer, relationship to Big Daddy IPA and fits their overall theme. Well done.
