One of the downsides of being away from home is missing out on the local seasonals – like the new Alley Kat Yellow Dragon (see Canadian Beer News story). All I can do is hope there are a few bottles left when I return in a couple weeks. However, I don’t have to miss every beer that is coming out right now. It appears some beer angel (with the initials DG) was extremely thoughtful and mailed a bottle of the new Yukon Double Trouble Imperial IPA to me out here on the east coast.

The Double Trouble is, of course, the third in Yukon’s A.D.D. Series. All come in an elegant tube box and the labeling is almost as entertaining as the beer itself – with scrawled messages, jokes and anarchic feel overall.

After letting it sit for a few days to recover from travel shock, I popped it open the other day, looking forward to a little taste of the (north)west. It is a light orange beer with very little head to speak of and a touch of haze. The aroma is gentle and smooth. I detect soft pine and a distinct tropical character, like orange and tangerine. Underneath is a lovely biscuit and honey malt.

The sip offers a soft malt upfront – it feels a lot like the Yukon Gold character, only bigger. The beer sharpens mid-palate as the bitterness rises. It starts off somewhat earthy and transforms into citrus and pine. It seemed like it was going to finish with a rounded, balanced feel. But then it surprised me. Just as the beer finishes, right as it takes its southward turn to my stomach, it hits me with a blast of tropical hop flavour and bitterness. The linger is distinctly tangerine.

I suspect this is going to be a divisive beer. It will have as many fans as it will detractors, for two reasons. First, as an Imperial IPA it is more subtle and delicate than others. This will be an issue of expectations. The Double Trouble falls closer to Paddock Wood’s Loki than it does Half Pint’s Humulus Ludicrous. This is okay with me. I feel we need to allow for more interpretation within what is a very young style. I fully suspect this has the IBUs it needs to rate as an Imperial, but they have worked it into their patented Yukon Drinkable Index (I made that up). Yukon beer are always the kind of beer that leave you wanting another. Some will be disappointed with its overall balance and deceptive nature, but others will appreciate how easy it goes down.

The second reason, I predict, is the character of the hop. That surprising, pronounced tangerine/orange flavour will be loved by some, disliked by others. It is a key feature of the beer, and clearly demarcates it from other Double IPAs I have had recently. For me it shifted it away from the Double IPA profile towards something lighter and fruitier (not that the beer is “light” by any stretch of the imagination). Others may feel that fruity citrus hit detracts from the hophead-ness of the beer. We will see.

My overall impression? I enjoyed the glass. It is a very well made beer. It may not be a go-to if I am looking for a hop explosion, but it was a nice sipper on a gentle spring evening in Halifax.

Besides, it was nice to get taste of home.