The waiting room. I hate when they make you wait in the room. 'Cause it says: "Waiting Room." There's no chance of not waiting… And then, they finally call you and it's a very exciting moment. You stand up and you kinda look around at the other people in the room. "Well, I guess I've been chosen. I'll see you all later." You know, so you think you're going to see the doctor, but you're not, are you? No. You're going into the next waiting room.
Sorry. I’m currently watching Seinfeld all the way through for the first time.
As you might expect from a hazy IPA featuring Galaxy, Citra and Cashmere hops, this Waiting Room is better than most. Instead of Reader’s Digest and one of those wooden bead maze toys, there’s canned peaches aplenty, and instead of going into another waiting room you walk into a cloud of dankness. It’s got that sweet-but-not-sweet taste – I believe "an impression of sweetness" is the more common phrase – being pulled through by some light alcohol notes, and there’s the soft underlay that Cashmere hops seem to bring. (“Is this cashmere? …what’s that red dot?”)*
Step out into the Street Lights and you’re surrounded by the darkness that is a Cascadian dark ale. While that may just be a fancier name for black IPA (don’t argue with me), and Street Lights contains the classic hop varieties Chinook and Cascade, this one carries a few flavours less common among its dark hoppy cousins.
The loose and wispy latte-coloured head gives off the smell of pithy citrus and Bundaberg Sarsaparilla, along with a hint of brown sugar. But don’t expect any soft drink sweetness: this beer is dry on the tongue right from the get-go, with minerally notes and a spice you can attribute to the rye malt. A burnt sugar, almost brown rummy flavour tumbles together with roastiness in the dry and bitter finish, and you’re left thinking: “Huh. I thought I knew what to expect from a Chinook and Cascade black IPA. Live and learn.”
Mick Wüst
*Oh my goodness I’m sorry – Seinfeld has infiltrated my subconscious. “These PRETZELS are making me THIRSTY!”
Published July 6, 2023 2023-07-06 00:00:00
