Untouchable

To stand out from the IPA crowd, brewers are increasingly looking to different hop varieties and combinations to bring new flavors to the hop-forward ale. Many breweries now produce a few different takes on the style. The Speakasy Untouchable IPA is one of four beers currently part of the San Francisco brewery's Limited Series of small-batch releases, and one of at least six IPAs in its portfolio. “Armed with a heavy dose of Nelson sauvin and centennial hops,” this is one bold yet well-balanced IPA that really does stand out. The overall character is not quite as juicy as one might expect from something starring the normally tropical-tasting Nelson hops (grown in New Zealand), but there is a bit of a white-wine fruitiness in the mix. There's also a some grapefruit and, for me, an unexpected spicy bite that provides a pleasing contrast to the somewhat sticky sweetness of the copper-colored brew. Untouchable is a very unique and well-executed beer, with a full body, big flavors and a clean finish. Not your average IPA.