Some would say the best beer in America is Pliny the Elder, from Russian River Brewing in California, and they might be right, but damned if Georgetown Brewing Company’s Lucille doesn’t give it a run for its money. On a visit to their brewery in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, WA, I had a chat with one of the brewers while enjoying a few tasters. I mentioned that it reminded me of Pliny the Elder, and was told that Lucille is also double IPA (meaning double the hops and sometimes referred to as an Imperial IPA).
In the case of Lucille, their seemingly over-the-top hop drop is made up of Columbus, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, and Comet hops (a couple in common with Pliny the Elder, as it happens). You might think this would make for one of those overly bitter stunt beers–don’t get me started–but Lucille is a remarkably balanced beer, especially if you’re a lover of the IPAs, which you should be. As a kid, you were undoubtedly told by some very responsible adult that beer puts hair on your chest. What they were really talking about was hops. And yes, they were encouraging you to drink when you were twelve, but that’s beside the point. The real point is that hops are what make beer beer. Embrace the hops. Love the hops. And when you’re man enough, when the hair on your chest merges with the hair on your face and your balls (assuming you haven’t gone there) go for a great IPA, like Lucille.
International Smoking Jacket 