Stillwater Artisanal / Tired Hands - "Smoking Buddies" smoked DIPA

I'm a big fan of savory, smoky beers, so naturally I had to pick up this four-pack of IPAs from the shop. It's called "Smoking Buddies" and is an 8.00% ABV double IPA made with malted barley aged on Spanish cedar. This beer is a collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal, a gypsy brewery founded by electronica DJ Brian "Stillwater" Strumke, and Tired Hands Brewing Company based in Ardmore, Delaware County, PA. I actually can't find much about this beer beyond the description and some reviews online - normally, were this the case, I'd call the brewer to hear the story behind it, but that's hard to do now so failing any additional anecdotes I'll have to see for myself.

Medium amber color in the glass, quite pretty. Thick cap of white, fizzy foam. I was most interested to see the aroma, as it could be super smoky or not at all. It's somewhere in the middle - a hint of smoke but majorly hop-forward. Hmmm.

There's a big burst of pineapple at first, with a nice showing of juicy West Coast hops and a strong dash of grapefruit. Not super bitter, but definitely has a bite, which slowly develops into a very noticeable and welcome flavor of soft, aromatic wood and oranges. Not smoke, mind you, but a very pronounced cedar savoriness. The finish is quite fresh, and the flavor doesn't last too long in the mouth after swallowing.

There's an interesting juxtaposition here - I like the full, juicy flavors that traditionally come with a double IPA, somewhat similar to Alchemist Brewing's famed "Heady Topper", but it's also nice to see that tang mitigated by the "base" quality of the wood aging. It lacks the heavy, wet maltiness of a rauchbier like Aecht Schenkerla, so it's easier to show off the more delicate flavors. By its name, one can be forgiven for expecting this beer to be similar to a rauchbier, but here, the "smoking" doesn't refer to smoke itself, but the aged cedar that make up cigar boxes and contribute to the wood aging of the beer. Presumably the guys at Stillwater and Tired Hands came up with this idea while sharing a fine cigar one day!

The beer costs $19.99 for four pints, so on the medium-higher end of the spectrum, but I think it's worth it. I'd buy it again.