I must admit that I tend to be a bit leery when it comes to companies that donate to charities. It seems to be the “in thing” to ride the coattails of a charity or cause. The skeptic in me wants to know if they are jacking up prices only to have me cover the cost of their generosity? Are they doing it just for their own self image?

I’m bringing this up only because this @pikebrewing Pike Brewing No. 4 Session IPA used a chunk of precious label real estate to let me know that a portion of the sales were going to researching a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). So I followed the link on the label to alesforals.com and much to my pleasant surprise it was an honest to goodness, non-partisan, no-nonsense website dedicated to furthering the cause of one thing and one thing only… A CURE FOR ALS.

Good on ya!

So what about the beer?

Meanwhile, back to less important things…. This brew really knows how to build a strong head. I had to put my big-boy-patience-pants on and wait until the ocean of froth had subsided before savouring the golden liquid below.

It has a warm, complex, fruity scent that was pleasing to the olfactory sensors. Which was a good thing considering the foam wasn’t going down anytime soon.

Again, with time on my hands, I spent some time reading the bottle.  It has an ABV of 4.2%, an IBU of 26 (quite low for an IPA but this is a session so there are no rules), and, with an OG of 1.048,  there was a good chance this would be a pleasant beverage – eventually.

However, what went totally over my head with the label design was the use of the picture of the ball player and the “pin striped” bottle to further draw attention to the cause for ALS / Lou Gehrig’s Disease (Lou Gehrig being a NY Yankee great). Wow, didn’t have to hit me upside the head with a #32 Louisville Slugger.

Definitely worth the wait

Having had my mouth attacked by IPAs trying to burn off my taste buds, there is something to be said when a brewery really puts some effort into creating a balanced IPA that’s enjoyable and not downright shocking.

Don’t get me wrong this is definitely a PNW IPA, and carries with it that citrus / grapefruit twang but also has a warm, mellow smoothness that makes it easy drinking.

This beer would settle in quite nicely on a warm summer’s night at the ballpark with a foot-long.

That’s it for now, gonna go quench that panda sized thirst… cheers eh!