Mission

Shipwrecked

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This bottle sez: “Double India Pale Ale. A style of beer curiously born on the foggy shores of Father Junipero Serra’s first founding mission.” I can’t really find any historical evidence about DIPAs being born in old Spanish Missions, but it’s easy to see why a brewery that calls itself “Mission” would use Serra as their inspiration. As near as I can tell, Serra was never actually shipwrecked either, but on the other hand, it was the 18th century. I’m sure anyone traveling on the high seas back then got into some pretty hairy situations.

Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA

Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA – Pours a nice amber color with a finger of head and some lacing as I drink. The smell is a nice combo of citrusy hops and caramel. Taste is very sweet with just enough bitterness to balance it out, but otherwise not much going on here, and given that it’s a double IPA, I was expecting a bit more bitterness here. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more prominent, though never overpowering or anything. It’s got a medium body and a relatively smooth and slick mouthfeel. Overall a decent entry in the overcrowded DIPA field, but it’s got some balance issues. B

Beer Nerd Details: 9.25% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank out of a tulip glass on 7/3/11. IBU: 75. Hops: Cascade, Magnum, Centennial and CTZ.

This beer is perhaps more interesting than a “B” implies, which is similar to my reaction to Mission’s Blonde (which I gave a B-). So Mission is indeed an interesting brewery that shows a lot of promise… I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of their brews.

Mission Blonde Ale

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I picked this up mostly because it had a nice label and I associate the term “blonde” with Belgian style pale ales, which I enjoy. When I looked at this a little closer, I realized that it was a Kölsch. I’m not terribly familiar with the style, but it seems to be to be a whole lot closer to “yellow fizzy beer” that exemplifies the macros than something I’d really want to try. My only recent exposure to the style was Flying Dog’s Tire Bite Ale, and it’s my least favorite offering from that brewery. This is not particularly encouraging, is it? But then, maybe setting the bar so low will lead to an unexpected surprise!

Mission Blonde Ale

Mission Blonde Ale – Pours a slightly cloudy (but mostly clear) golden yellow color with a finger of quickly disappearing head. Some fruitiness and maybe sweet candi aromas in the nose. I got a distinct candy/bubblegum aroma feeling out of this, but I can’t quite place it. Interesting and definitely the best part of the beer. Taste is pretty straightforward and a bit sweet, with just a little bitter dryness in the finish. Very crisp mouthfeel though and a surprising amount of body. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly delicate beer, and it didn’t quite stand up to, well, the pizza I was eating at the time. Is that unfair? Maybe. It strikes me as the sort of beer that could be quite pleasant or thirst quenching after mowing the lawn or something… but it doesn’t seem to hold up to competition (whether that be from other beers or food). B-

Beer Nerd Details: 5% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank out of a tulip glass.

Despite the relatively low rating, I have to say that I’m now a little more open to the style. There’s enough interesting stuff going on with this beer that I’m sure a better version exists somewhere. Not to bag too much on Mission – they seem like an interesting little brewery, and I have another of their brews on my shelf that I hope to check out soon.