A while ago, Miracle Max paid us a visit. During an evening of drinking and good company, I had expressed my disappointment with the Firestone Walker Fifteenth Anniversary Ale. There was nothing really wrong with the bottle. It was just that is leaned a little too heavily on barley wines in the blend and I am not a big fan of barley wine. Fortunately, Miracle Max never arrives empty-handed and he is always looking to make a trade. So, for a bottle of Fifteenth, I received a Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA and a bottle of Uinta Hop Notch IPA. I have finally gotten around to trying the Hop Notch. This is one of the many beers produced by the Uinta Brewing Company. This Salt Lake City brewer began production in 1993 and has developed a reputation for fine craft beer named after cultural icons and geographic locations in Utah. They are known for the Dubhe Imperial Black IPA (named after Utah’s centennial star) as well as the Labyrinth Black Ale and the Cockeyed Cooper (both from the Crooked Line) and the Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

Here is what Uinta has to say about the Hop Notch:

A play on “Top Notch” with a hoppy twist … setting new trends for beer vocabulary, “this IPA is Hop Notch.” Bold and refreshing, this IPA combines an abundance of hops with a smooth malt profile.

I found this beer to be…

Appearance: Golden amber with nice foam and lacing.

Golden amber with nice foam and lacing. Aroma: Sweet Malt and Pine.

Sweet Malt and Pine. Taste: Not a lot of carbonation. Very well-balanced. Good flavor, front to back with a hoppy tang finish.

Not a lot of carbonation. Very well-balanced. Good flavor, front to back with a hoppy tang finish. ABV: 7.3%

This was a very nice IPA. While Max may be happy with the Firestone XV, I still think I got the better of the trade with the Up the Creek Extreme IPA and Hop Notch.