Naparbier Sandokan

Origin: Spain

Type: Imperial IPA

Color: Amber

Alcohol content: 8%

Recommended serving temperature: 10ºC/50ºF

Brewery: Naparbier

I am a big fan of imperial IPAs. Even more so than I am a fan of IPAs. Because let's face it, imperial is better, at least when it comes to beer.

No, seriously, I prefer imperial IPAs over regular IPAs because they normally have more alcohol, yes. Because they have more hops, sure. But also because a lot of them are more balanced, allowing you to enjoy all the hoppiness in a beer that is also easier to drink in quantity without drying out your mouth too much. Naparbier's Sandokan is the perfect example of this.

This double IPA is an amber colored ale with a nice white head of foam that lasts an impressive amount of time, leaving behind it lots of lacing.

Its aroma is full of mango, passion fruit and resin from the hops, all of it nicely balanced out by caramel from the malts.

The flavor largely follows suit, with the fruitiness of the mango and passion fruit leading the charge and the resin placating them and serving as a bridge for the roundness of the caramel, which balances the bitterness just enough to make this beer dangerously easy to drink. It is also quite full-bodied, but the carbonation is not so excessive that the mix of the two factors hampers its drinkability.

Its drinkability and its 8% ABV make sure that an evening spent with this Sandokan is no less enjoyable and full of adventures than one spent with Emilio Salgari's books or watching the TV show.

I would suggest trying this with a tuna, mango and jalapeño ceviche, which will be strong enough to hold its own against a double IPA, but the beer will at the same time bring out the fruitiness and spice in the dish. Besides, I can think of few things better suited to have with a beer named after a pirate than fish. Maybe a parrot, depends on how desperate things get.