Ah, my first Crash Boat IPA. I remember it like it was yesterday, in fact, I remember ordering it with crystal clear precision. I had just bellied up to the bar at Cutz Steakhouse at the El Conquistador Resort. I was ordering dinner to take back to our room as my wife was not feeling 100% and we decided on takeout. A beer was just the thing to enjoy while I waited for our order to be prepared.
John: Hi, do you have a beer list? Or is it in here? (Points to menu)
Bartender: I'm sorry?
John: Beer? Beer list?
Bartender: Uh, what did you want?
John: I'm sorry?
Bartender: Did you say beer?
John: Yeah (nods head).
Bartender: I have Corona, Michelob, Medalla...ummm IPA (John misses last one)
John: Do you have anything local? Anything from here, Puerto Rican beer?
Bartender: Yeah, Medalla. Or Crash Boat, it's IPA.
John: Is that from Ocean Lab, or...?
Bartender: No...(walks to cooler, brings bottle over and holds it up)...IPA.
John: OK, let's do that.
Bartender: OK.
I remember this in such detail because I have hyperthymesia and can recall everything in....OK, I can't support that. In reality, I accidentally turned on my phone's camera and recorded the conversation. It was a Friday night, you see, and the restaurant had just opened. It had been advertised to our group that reservations should be made here, but the place was empty and I snapped a photo to send to the team in case anyone was interested in dinner at Cutz. Apparently, I turned on my camera somehow when I did.
The other amusing thing here was my dinner order. I ordered a 16-ounce New York Strip ($75) for myself plus a side of Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($18) for us to share. My wife requested the Herb Airline Chicken ($42) which was marinated and seasoned and accompanied by a roasted zucchini, squash and mushroom blend tossed with almonds and a cilantro vinaigrette. Oh, and of course, the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake ($13). What was amusing about this was that after I had ordered the steak and potatoes and ordered the chicken, the bartender started to grin. She almost lost it when I ordered the cheesecake, and I had no idea what the joke was all about. Usually, I'm the one telling the gags. All became apparent when she started setting a plate and silverware before me and I had to remind her this was a to-go order. She must have thought all that food was for me. Too funny.
While I waited for the food to arrive, I sipped on my Crash Boat IPA. For food pairings, Boqueron suggests:
This beer pairs well with any local food fare, but also pairs perfectly with cheese, meats, burgers, fish and pizza....
It also pairs well with waiting for steak, but I could also see it pairing well with a steak. I should have got an extra bottle to go back to the room with.
Crash Boat IPA has an alcohol content of 6.9% by volume with 55 IBUs.
Boqueron calls this beer an English Style Ale with a Caribbean Twist which means is not too malty nor too bitter. I found it to have both malt and hops in good quantities.
About Boqueron Brewing
Boqueron Brewing Co, was founded in 2011 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico by Juan Carlos Torres Monllor as the first Nano Brewery on the Island. Los Morrillos Lighthouse (A.K.A. El Faro de Cabo Rojo), a historic lighthouse, was designed and built in 1882 using minimalist architecture and superb craftmanship. To this day, Los Morrillos remains a significant landmark, guiding passing ships through the treacherous Mona Passage which connects the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The craftmanship and significance of this landmark inspired the creation (and logo) of Boqueron Brewing Co, and guides our vison and journey to create the highest quality Caribbean Style craft beer.
Tasting Notes
My bottle of Crash Boat IPA poured a bright orange amber color with a thick creamy white head and a nose of grassy, citrusy hops. Taking a sip the beer is medium in body with a fair amount of chewy caramel malt. It quickly pops with the very grassy, earthy herbal and slightly citrusy hops, then meanders nicely into a well balanced but not overpowering bitter finish.
Value & Verdict
I paid $7 for my bottle at Cutz. Pueblo supermarkets in Puerto Rico sells it for $9.99 a six-pack in cans, a very good deal indeed.
I didn't need the brewery website to tell me this was a classic English IPA; the hops screamed that to me from the very first sip. If I lived in Puerto Rico, Crash Boat IPA would definitely be a frequent visitor to my beer refrigerator.
