Episode 26 of Matt Likes Beer features Electric Mainline, a West Coast IPA from Grimm Artisan Ales, a Brooklyn-based brewery Matt knows primarily through retail purchases rather than firsthand taproom experience. With limited personal history to draw from, the episode leans heavily into technical judging, exploration, and education, making it one of the most analytically driven installments of the season. Matt opens by exploring Grimm’s extensive and stylistically diverse beer catalog, noting the brewery’s wide-ranging output across IPAs, lagers, stouts, sours, and mixed fermentation beers. While researching Grimm live during the recording, Matt discusses the brewery’s dual-level taproom layout, contrasting its polished upstairs space with a more industrial downstairs brewery setting—an aesthetic that strongly appeals to his personal tastes. Before judging begins, Matt reads the brewery’s own description of Electric Mainline, which declares the beer a West Coast IPA featuring Luminosa hops, supported by Mosaic, Citra, Columbus, and Simcoe. With the style clearly defined, Matt evaluates the beer strictly as BJCP Category 21A: American IPA. Appearance is a standout, with the beer pouring a brilliant, unmistakable yellow, a large, persistent white head, and excellent lacing. While visually striking, Matt notes an interesting guideline quirk: BJCP color descriptors list medium gold to light amber, making pure yellow technically outside the expected range—an example of how modern IPAs sometimes outpace written standards. Aroma earns a full 12/12 score, delivering expressive notes of orange zest, mandarin citrus, lemon brightness, subtle pine, and a faint grainy malt backbone. Matt explicitly follows advice from a fellow judge—“don’t fear the 50”—choosing not to deduct points where the beer fully delivers stylistically. Flavor presents a more mixed picture. While citrus character remains vibrant and layered, bitterness is strongest on the tongue rather than in the finish or aftertaste, falling short of the firm, lingering bitterness expected in a classic West Coast IPA. Malt presence is detectable but subdued, leading Matt to score flavor at 14/20. Mouthfeel is spot-on, with a medium body, high carbonation, and smooth texture earning a perfect score. Overall impression balances enjoyment with technical critique, resulting in a final score of 39 out of 50, placing Electric Mainline solidly in the “Excellent” range—even with noted flavor shortcomings. With no one-star reviews available, the episode transitions into a long-form educational soapbox prompted by a conversation with a non-judge friend: Why do Double and Triple IPAs often taste sweeter than regular IPAs? Matt breaks down the concept using brewing fundamentals, explaining fermentable versus non-fermentable sugars, increased body, alcohol’s impact on sweetness perception, and why higher-ABV IPAs inevitably drift away from the crisp bitterness drinkers expect. The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming IPA-focused discussions and reinforces one of the show’s core missions: helping everyday beer drinkers understand why beer tastes the way it does, not just whether it’s “good” or “bad.”
