Family India Pale Ale
Country USA (WA) ABV 6.7%
Producer Magic Hat
Price $$ Packaging 12oz/355ml, 22oz/650ml bottle
Characteristics Bitter, unusual, yeasty

Overview Pyramid’s origins are in small town Washington state, where they came to prominence with Apricot Ale, but today they operate pubs from Seattle to Sacramento.

Flavors and aromas Yeast character is a rare player in American presentations of beer. But when it does show up, it’s less often a sign of enlightenment or appeals to tradition as a sign of unanticipated hot fermentations. We were unclear which was the case with our sample of Pyramid Thunderhead IPA, with a nose dominated by fruity esters. In the mouth, this beer showed a lingering bitterness and low malt character, along with more yeast flavors. Our panel split on whether this was an intriguing evolution or a less-than-stellar development.