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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

This river runs deeper

Rick Bonino

River City has been getting more adventurous with its beers as of late, and now it’s starting to indulge its creative side on a regular basis.

The downtown Spokane brewery today tapped the first in its new, occasional Experimental Series: Exp-IPA-30 (6.8 percent alcohol by volume, 74 International Bitterness Units), so named because it contains the equivalent of 30 pounds of hops per barrel.

And the hops are unlike anything River City has used before – a combination of Citra and Palisade (plus some Bravo for bittering), which combine for a big tropical fruit nose, apricot flavors and floral notes.

There’s only a quarter-barrel (about 8 gallons), so it won’t last long. But be prepared: Next up, probably next week, will be Exp-IPA-60, with the same hops in twice the amount.

If hops aren't really your thing, River City also is serving its Oako-Coco – the seasonal Midnight Marmot imperial stout (8.8, 78) conditioned over oak chips and cacao nibs – through a brand-new nitro tap, which provides a creamier pour than the typical carbon dioxide dispenser.

The chocolate comes more to the fore compared to an oakier non-nitro version that was on last week, and the smoother texture makes the big beer deceptively drinkable.

It will be available for a while in the tasting room, and kegs also have gone out to the Flying Goat and Saranac Public House.