Judge's Review: 93 Rating - Double Dust by Pure Project Brewing

Double Dust by Pure Project Brewing is a sneaky strong Double IPA from the good folks in San Diego, California. It weighs in at 8.7 percent ABV! When poured into the glass, you know you have released a citrus bomb. The hop bouquet is very citrusy and quite intense. I don’t pick up a lot of malt in the nose, but that not surprising given the style. The aroma finishes very clean indeed. In the glass, some haziness is evident, but given the amount of dry hops this beer was subjected to, I’m not in the least bit surprised. The color is medium golden, and the head is thick and lingers. My first impressions of the flavor were of lychee and stone fruit. Given the intense hop bouquet and flavor, I found the malt/hops balance surprisingly even. While I’m sure there is a healthy dose of hop IBUs, the base malt doesn’t play second fiddle. There is an explosion of hop flavor mid-to-late on the palate. Given the amount of base malt required to support 8.7 percent alcohol, I get almost a doughy flavor in the finish. Body is medium-full to full. Carbonation is excellent and it helps deliver the hop bouquet. Yes, the beer is warming! Heck, it’s pushing 9 percent ABV! Very low hop astringency in the finish, which is somewhat surprising given the intensity of the late hop additions.

Overall, this is a very nice Double IPA. The lush fruit is quite appealing. The slight haze is inconsequential. I love the hop bouquet, but wouldn’t mind a few more IBUs. That would lend a little more balance on the sweet/bitter spectrum.