Cascaderade

Cascaderade is an India Pale Lager (IPL) by the Sudwerk Brewing Company of Davis, CA.

The IPL style is still emerging and I think it'll take a bit to work out nuances, but I like the idea. While quite a number of breweries are putting out this style, lagering is a challenge for most small breweries, so don't expect this style to explode. Sudwerk has been doing lagers for 25 years, so they have the ability to make them.

I bought this at Bel Air, it has an ABV of 6.6%. I recommend when serving to do a gentle pour, unless you like a lot of head.

I had seen this beer around for awhile, but hesitated on trying it. Sudwerk has been going through an evolution, for the better, over the last few years, so I wanted to give them some time to work out new recipes before writing reviews. I like the direction they're going in.

The aroma has the cascade hops with faint whiffs of malt. The taste has some hop bite up front with citrus hops and light pine flavor through out. This bitterness continues to linger enjoyably after the finish. There are hints of pilsner malts. The body is medium light, with higher carbonation then an IPA, but it still maintains a smooth finish.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, tasty beer. If I didn't know it was an IPL, I probably would have just thought it was an ale. The body is lighter than you'd expect for a 6.6% ABV, but not exactly sure what the lagering adds. I recommend you Try It.