Little Juice IPA
Three Magnets Brewing, Olympia
Style: NW-style IPA
Stats: 6.6 percent ABV, 65 IBU
Available: On draft or in 22-ounce bottles available at Ale Spike, Norm’s Market, Central Market in Mill Creek, The Hop and Hound, Special Brews, Brews Almighty and McMenamin’s Anderson Market.
My thoughts: One of the hottest Puget Sound breweries outside of Seattle is this Olympia gem. Our family stopped in for a visit last summer to kill some time on our way back from Portland and I was amazed at the quality and breadth of beer.
So when I heard that Stanwood’s Ale Spike was hosting a Three Magnets brewers night last Friday I knew I had to stop by for a taste. Ale Spike had five of Three Magnets’ beers on tap and three in bottles, including Little Juice, Smoked Porter and Old Skook Barleywine Style Ale, which won a bronze medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival.
I ordered up a schooner of the Big Juice IPA, Little Juice’s big brother weighing in at 8.5 percent ABV and 100-plus IBU, and purchased a 22-ounce bottle of Little Juice to drink later. I sidled up to Three Magnets sales rep Lionel Espinoza and started peppering him with questions while I enjoyed the big, fruity IPA.
The Big Juice was brewed in December of 2014 as a counter to Three Magnets’ other two IPAs, the grassier and earthier, Rain and Sun. At the first tasting for Big Juice, a brewer’s apprentice remarked that it tasted like juice and the large nature of the beer led to the name. A few months later, a smaller version of the beer was created and was called Little Juice. Both beers have a flavor profile highlighted by succulent, juicy, tropical and citrus flavors that pack a punch — obviously the Big Juicy is a bit bigger knockout.
Three Magnets was started by Nate and Sara Reilly in the summer of 2014. The two own the iconic Olympia restaurant, Darby’s, and wanted to open a family friendly brewery in the downtown. Head brewer Pat Jansen is a former mail carrier who has been home-brewing for many years.
If you haven’t tried Pat’s wares I suggest you do so quickly. I’m thinking of picking up the barleywine next.
From the brewery: This tropical India Pale Ale starts with intense aromas of papaya and dried apricot with a slight dank edge, followed by notes of dry citrus flavors that mingle with a touch of soft maltiness on the tongue.
— Aaron Swaney, Special to The Herald
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