(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

... is not here.

But it's here!

Go read!

(Read it!)

The clock is ticking down. You've received the invite, and tomorrow it'll all go down at 4pm at the Porch.

And nerves are running high:

& is so certain of their greatness they haven't decided which beer to enter yet.

On the other side, last year's winner, Berenstain Beers, is panicking, asking for special consideration for a beer certain to have gone wrong.

Hops R Us is stressing out to the point of self-mutilation, not knowing how the beer has turned out.

And, of course, the mighty Interrobang‽ is just smirking at the competition. These beer artists know perfection when they see it, and they're seeing it.

The list goes on, and tomorrow it will become clear who will be... The #SpoBREW2 Champion.

We haven't talked much about Iron Goat, have we? That just doesn't seem right, as the brewery is doing some nice things. Their Impaler, an imperial IPA, might be the best example of their current batch of beers, and it's one you probably want to check out, be it at their taproom or any other spot around town that carries it. 

It pours a deep copper color, with about a finger's worth of head. A sniff reveals a gentle, sweet scent of hops, with just a bit of citrus toward the back. It's straightforward in that sense, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe "focused" is a better word? Either way...

Flavor wise it is very good. Some might even say excellent, though as IPA doesn't tend to be my favorite style, I'm probably not one of those some. Not entirely, at least. The hops hit early on, and while they're certainly very noticeable, they don't overpower the supporting flavors. There's a bit of citrus here, flanked by malts that linger for quite a while.

Some breweries will add something special to their imperial IPAs, probably to make them stand out or whatever. I don't feel Iron Goat did that with the Impaler, and that's just fine. In a sense this reminds me of Nøgne Ø's imperial IPA -- straightforward, but very good.

I like the Impaler a lot. It's a well crafted beer. Those of you who like IPAs more than me might just end up loving it, and I'd respect you for it. Good one, Iron Goat.

So really, what's going on here? There seems to be an abundance of craft distilleries opening -- or at least planning on opening -- around town. The latest: Savage Boar. Who knows exactly how it'll all turn out, but it's an interesting shift we're seeing in locally produced booze. A lot of breweries and craft distilleries are coming down the line in a town once dominated by wineries.

Remember Wojo Works? We're fans of the store, and you should be too, but if you haven't had the chance to make it down there, you might be interested in checking out their new website. It's a project by Handknit Webs -- who also designed the #SpoBREW2 mascot -- and we think the site looks great.

Craigslist Stalker is working again.

And if you need an excuse to check out Jones Radiator, you now have one: Stone 16th Aniversary IPA is on tap there.