Spring is officially here, but does it really feel like it? That answer can change as quickly as the early spring weather. March and April in many parts of the U.S. can bring snow one day and 65 degrees the next. It makes sense then that American craft breweries put out spring seasonal beers that are all over the map. There are a few distinctly spring styles, but I've noticed that most spring seasonals cover a broad spectrum of flavor profiles. One beer that's excellent this time of year is G'Knight Imperial Red IPA by Oskar Blues Brewery.
G'Knight is brewed year-round, and, truthfully, it's a great beer to enjoy any time of the year. Oskar Blues first launched this beer as Gordon Ale. It was a tribute to Gordon Knight, who was a homebrewer, Colorado craft brewing advocate, Vietnam vet and helicopter pilot. Knight died in 2002 in a helicopter crash while fighting a wildfire near Lyons, Colorado, the town where Oskar Blues was founded. Oskar Blues rebranded the beer as G'Knight in 2011 after receiving a cease and desist letter from Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. Oskar Blues was able to turn a potentially contentious situation into a positive by smartly renaming the beer in a way that continues to honor Knight, and creating new buzz around an excellent beer.
G'Knight is the type of beer to select if you can't decide between something more on the malty or the hoppy side. It has a large amount of both, but the flavors are well-balanced. G'Knight pours a deep copper color with a moderate head. Sweet malts mixed with citrusy hops dominate the nose, and the flavors that follow in the taste are what you'd expect from the aroma. A caramel-like sweetness, grapefruit, pine, and earthy spiciness come through, leaving a bitter finish. It's hard to believe this tasty brew is 8.7 percent ABV because it goes down very easily.
G'Knight throws a lot at you, a bit like the spring-time weather. Give it a try soon if you have the opportunity.
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