I’ve got even more local beers to write up, which I bought myself for this purpose, to go with the “Previews” of beers sent to me. So let’s reach into one of the cases in my cellar and…
BuckleDown Brewing of near southwestern Lyons has had a Double IPA called Clencher pretty much since it opened in 2014. It hits at 8.1% abv. It was one of the beers they put into cans for retail sale, at which point it had Simcoe and Centennial hops. They’ve also had a variation called Citra Clencher, replacing Centennial with Citra, a newer hop varietal with more tropical fruit notes. The cans are the same, the only way to be sure is to check for the word “CITRA” with the date code on the bottom.
There is indeed some fruit in the nose when I pour. A big foamy head helps bring pomegranate and earthy hop notes to the fore. The body is golden, and hazy with plenty of tiny hop particles. As the head settles, it leave a sudsy and leggy residue at the top of the glass.
The first impression is warm with alcohol, but not too hot. The fruity hop smell stays in my stemmed glass to soothe my nose as I drink it. Tangy hop bitterness just overcomes some biscuity malt. The alcohol comes in pretty smooth in contrast to the hops, and it leaves a nice bit of stickiness on my lips. It is a nice, strong hoppy IPA, and one you should enjoy at home or if you have a driver.
