Here in the Pacific Northwest, the craft brew scene is dominated by a particular style of India Pale Ale, known for strong hops and little malt. Most are not pleasant, in my opinion, with breweries eager to ride the bandwagon just throwing in bitternes. Yet sometimes it actually works. Meet the Dagger Falls IPA from Sockeye Brewing of Boise, Idaho.
The hops hit hard with 100 IBU of citrus, pine, and bitterness. It's a good balance, though, so if you like being hit by an herbal hammer with each sip, this is a solid choice. Here's an overview of what International Bitterness Units are, but in short, while this is near the high end, a well-balanced brew like this can be bitter yet palatable.
Alcohol content is 6.5%, so while it's a bit more than cheap lager, it's not extremely strong, either. This isn't a beer for chugging by the case while watching sportsball anyway. Meanwhile, carbonation is perfect. Not too aggressive, not flat and watery.
Idaho is known mostly for potatoes and being North Utah for Mormonism, especially down toward Boise. I am more familiar with the panhandle where tourism, timber, silver, and gold are the major industries. Maybe Sockeye Brewing can help add decent beer to that collection of perceptions?
