Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale, the winter seasonal offering from Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, WA, poured a copper hue in the glass, with orange highlights broken by a medium carbonation and topped with a thin, fizzy off-white head. The nose made good on the promise of the name, with hops and oranges standing out over lesser notes of cinnamon and coriander.
Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale opened with a crisp, unbitter hoppiness over a light, toasted malt. The hops and (to a much lesser degree) spices were the stars of the show, and it was clear the spices were meant to compliment the hops, not fight for even footing. Only as the ale ended did the sweetness from the malt come through and give much attention to the spices.
Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale deserves a nod for bringing a full-bodied, flavorful beer to the table as a winter offering without loading it with alcohol. At 5% and a low IBU, this holiday offering comes off more as an introduction to light IPAs than anything else I've tried.
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