Some say the greatness of “Area 13” lies in its surrounding visual birthplace grandeur, the sparkling blue spectacle, the nautical eye candy encompassing all waters south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Others have pointed out how “Area 13” itself is exoticism wrapped in virile prowess slipped into a shiny black sheath of sexy green alienhop. It would appear that head brewer Mike Davis, manager Mary Asami and the Narrows Brewing Co. crew of brewhounds probed every nook and cranny and orifice of extraterrestrial fantasy handbooks to invent the imperialist 9.8 percent ABV lustcreature imaginable.

Evidence? Plenty.

Let’s start with the ABCs. “A” is for the green alien shaped like a hop commanding the Narrows Brewing Area 13 Experimental Imperial IPA label. “B” is for Special “B,” the darkest of the Belgian caramel malts, which builds the beer’s base along with other malts Maris Otter 2 Row, Great Western 2 Row and Carafoam. “C” is for the hops: Columbus, Chinook, Cascade and Citra. ABC, do-re-give-it-to-me.

The amazing thing is, despite its tremendous strength, Area 13 Experimental Imperial IPA is not gangly alien or slow alien or heavy alien. It’s phenomenally graceful and fluid. It pours like featherweight gazelles when others pour like lumbering gibbons. Mmm, tasty.

Of course, Area 13 Experimental Imperial IPA has a deep, deep gold color. It’s not yellow. Yellow is too creepy and urinary. Amber is too Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Black is too nasty licorice. But everyone likes gold. It’s jewelry, it’s money, it’s very old happy grandparents surrounded by family. Deep gold is downright dreamy.

Did you know nearly every human on the planet wishes and dreams he/she could be “Imperial” so as to be more dominant and godlike and walk into Abercrombie with confidence? Well, they don’t. I just made that up. But I bet it’s not far off.

But wait, we haven’t hit the best part yet. The Narrows Brewing Area 13 Experimental Imperial IPA is on tap, right now, in the brewery’s taproom, as well as taprooms around the South Sound. You can enter into Area 13 and actually fuse your DNA to the beer forever and ever. It’s just like “Cocoon,” only far less creepy.

NARROWS BREWING CO., noon to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, 9007 S. 19th St., Tacoma, 253.327.1400

LINK: Narrows Brewing