Sawtooth Brewery - Tandem

Tandem pours a clear bright gold color which is capped by a thick white head. Deep dank hop aromas abound with lots of fresh pine needle and orange peel, grapefruit, pineapple, and hints of field herbs. There’s an underlying melon and stone fruit vibe as well, plus more tropical expressions the farther we dive in. Nicely toasty Vienna malt and flaked wheat give a lightly grainy warmth as a balance to the fruity and floral hops. As we take a sip, the aromas are well defined as flavors, in the form of crushed pine needles, expressed orange peel, pithy grapefruit, and freshly sliced pineapple. Hints of herbs, grass, and hop spice contribute another layer and the experience is enhanced by grippy and firm hop bitterness locking in the flavors on the palate. This full-bodied double IPA drinks easier than the 8% ABV would suggest, perhaps due to the excellent balance between the hop flavors and the well-executed malt structure. Toasty caramel from the Vienna malt and the smoothness of the flaked wheat makes for a long lingering finish. Since we’re indulging in the delicious DIPA, we recommend pairing it with duck confit poutine. Cheers!

Founded by friends Paul Holle and Kevin Jones, Sawtooth Brewery opened for business on 11/11/11 in the Clarion Hotel in Ketchum, Idaho. Paul and Kevin realized the local scene was lacking in craft beer culture, so the duo envisioned Sawtooth as a manifestation of their passion for creating beer to meet the needs of Sun Valley and the surrounding areas. Sawtooth is dedicated to brewing locally inspired premium beers that reflect the beauty of the recreational and wilderness areas of Sun Valley, Idaho. Paul brought his extensive home brewing experience and expertise while Kevin added his business acumen to make Sawtooth Brewery the leader in craft beer culture that it is today.

They put their passion to work opening the Public House in Ketchum and the Hailey Brewery and Taproom, where they also moved their brewing operations after they quickly outgrew their original spot in Ketchum. Additionally, Sawtooth offers catering services, and they also run the Outpost Food Truck and an eight-tap draft trailer. Their success has led them to produce over 1,000 barrels of delicious craft beer per year and expand their distribution throughout Idaho.

In 2015 Sawtooth Brewery became the first Sun Valley brewery to can their beers, which protects the beer from damaging light, and also makes the beer lighter for transport and requires less additional packaging. In addition to their lineup of year-round, seasonal, and limited-release beers, Sawtooth also now produces the Atmos brand of non-alcoholic beers, as well as the Creekside line of hard seltzers. We are pleased to introduce Sawtooth Brewery to our club members and hope you enjoy these beers as much as we did. For more info, visit them at www.sawtoothbrewery.com.