A couple of years ago on a beer/media trip to Yakima, Washington, I’d picked up a bottle of Jameson Caskmates IPA—the Bale Breaker Brewing edition where Topcutter IPA was conditioned in casks that were then used for Jameson Irish Whiskey. So, whiskey finished in casks that were seasoned with IPA.

Part of the novelty and fun was in drinking a specialty beer-inflected whiskey. After all, in order to make whiskey, you go essentially follow the same mashing and fermentation steps to make beer, so the DNA is already there. Crossovers like this just make sense (a là Deschutes Black Butte Whiskey).

Then of course I conceived the idea to start up a review series where I pair up a whiskey with a beer—a boilermaker, in other words. Naturally the first one had to be the Topcutter Caskmates with Topcutter IPA, though this all really started several years ago with Double Mountain Hopped Whiskey, which was paired up with Vaporizer Pale Ale.

So here we are, the first (really second) in such a series. I pour a beer and a shot, and write down my impressions as I sip. My boilermakers are simply that; I don’t drop the shot into the pint, or add the whiskey directly, or shoot and drink all at once. I sip.

Here are the tasting notes for the Jameson (from the press release linked above):

• Nose: Rich in hops with delicate floral notes
• Taste: Citrus notes with some spices and vanilla throughout
• Finish: Rich, lasting finish with hints of hops fading to notes of oak and spice
• ABV: 40% Alc./Vol. (80 proof)

Topcutter IPA is Bale Breaker’s flagship ale, one of the Pacific Northwest’s best IPAs. It’s 6.8% ABV with 70 IBUs, and the brewery writes:

Our flagship IPA is a well-balanced yet aggressive West Coast IPA that showcases Yakima Valley hops at their finest. Late additions of Simcoe®, Citra®, Loral™, and Mosaic™ give this beer its complex citrus, fruity, and floral aroma and flavor. Named for a unique piece of farm equipment that removes hop vines from the trellis during the annual hop harvest, Topcutter IPA delivers loads of hoppiness all year long.

Here are my notes (free form):

The whiskey is smooth and boozy with a spicy note that could evoke hops—which when followed by the beer you definitely get an amplified herbal character, with caramel notes tempered by resinous bitterness. Topcutter is great as always, a citrus-resin-tropical fruit showcase. It’s interesting how the Jameson draws the herbaceousness from the beer. Don’t really get the oak.

The combination of the two works, maybe through the power of suggestion or maybe the beer barrel-finished whiskey picks up enough hops to complement the beer—regardless, it’s a smooth herbal cocktail. Because of the theme I’m really focusing on the hops, but the soft, vanilla notes from the whiskey are there too.

The Bale Breaker Caskmates edition isn’t on the market anymore that I’m aware of (though perhaps you might still be able to find a bottle out there), but I suspect the regular Caskmates IPA would work just fine.