Today I’m talking a little break from my streak of saisons and reviewing a double IPA. Backlash Brewing company has made a name for themselves with bold beers and big attitude, along with one of the most bad-ass logos in local craft beer. In addition to their arsenal of year-round releases, they brew runs of one-off beers that follow specific themes. They recently finished a set of beers named after the four horsemen of the apocalypse, using four different styles to represent the different horsemen. Backlash has also relased the Uprising! series, a sequence of double IPAs brewed with different recipes that showcase blends of American hops. Uprising was initially going to have three beers, but after brewing Catalyst, Outbreak and Riot to rave reviews Backlash decided on one more beer. The fourth Uprising beer is a double IPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, Mosaic and Galaxy hops and named Chaos. Backlash Chaos is a limited release in 22 oz bottles and on draft.
Backlash Chaos pours a clear amber tinted gold with a mild white head that leaves nice lacing on the glass. The smell is a huge burst of pungent American hops, strong scents of citrus and resin with a little tropical fruit mixed in. The taste also starts with the hops, bold notes of grapefruit, lemon, pine, peach and guava. The hop flavor is balanced by a solid malt backbone that contributes touches of grain and caramel to the flavor. The beer is pretty easy to drink for a double IPA, there is some bitterness but it’s not overly strong. That being said, this isn’t a light beer at 8.5% ABV. The finish is quite clean with a little lingering hop bite on the tongue. Overall this is a flavorful and drinkable DIPA showcasing the great qualities of American hops. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Previous Backlash Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
