Home Brew Dirty Balls Cascadian Dark Ale (365 Day 312)

By scot in 365 Days of American Craft Beer, Beer on Sunday, October 9th, 2011

Day two of the weekend of home brew. This time around it is Dirty Balls Cascadian Dark Ale. If Cascadian dark ale doesn’t ring a bell, some call it a Black IPA. In my opinion there is no such thing as a Black IPA. An American and English IPA have a defined style guidelines that do not include the color being dark. So stop yourself before you call for it by an incorrect name. Cascadian Dark Ale.

Dirty Balls is named for having to wash a member’s golf ball on the green or before the next tee off: golf balls get dirty. Get your damn mind out of the gutter.

Since Cascadian dark ales are synonymous with hops, this one has its fair share and then some. Almost 100 IBUs (International Bitter Units), Dirty Balls doesn’t have a bitter bite but has a ton of pine, citrus, and tropical fruit aroma and flavor from the hops. Simcoe, Centenial, Citra, and Amarillo all make their mark while Warrior makes for the clean and non-lingering bitterness.

I am usually harsh on my beer but probably the second best beer I brew next to the beer I will have tomorrow: new favorite 🙂 Enjoy!

Useless Fact: Cracking your knuckles does not actually hurt your bones or cause arthritis. The sound you hear is just gas bubbles bursting.