Summer is off and running. My son had his first golf lesson tonight, and as we waited, several parents grabbed Coronas from the clubhouse. So, when I got home and my daughter threw a fit because I bought a Happy Meal for my son and nothing for her, I grabbed this big beer. I was excited to find a six pack of this beer at the local liquor store around the end of April. My only challenge has been trying to keep them away from my wife – who tried one and loved it.
Location: Poured into a goblet style pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 11.9% ABV, 100 IBUs, ~400 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s golden-orange in color and a little bit hazy. It had a decent head that fell after a minute to a very thin layer over the top. It has a strong dank hoppy aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body is full and the mouthfeel is oily from the hops, yet a bit crisp from the carbonation. Up front is a very dank, earthy flavor with a little bit of citrusiness. The hop flavor is quite juicy in the middle, and the bitterness comes in at the end. The finish is a mix of dank hoppy bitterness and flavor that lasts a couple minutes in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This beer has mostly earthy and dank hop flavors and bitterness. It seems only right to pair this beer with Cheetos, but seriously, I think it would work together. I had it with buttered popcorn and it worked pretty good. I think the dank flavors would also go good with a lot of cheese, so maybe a 4-cheese pizza.
Overall Impression: This beer was brewed for April 20 or 4/20 in honor of marijuana day. I can’t say that I could tell if it tastes or smells like marijuana, but it does have a pretty dank hop flavor, bitterness and aroma. On top of being a pretty good double IPA, it’s pretty strong, so it doesn’t take more than a couple to feel pretty good. Overall, it’s a good, hoppy imperial IPA with a unique hoppiness… just be aware that the hoppiness is pretty dank, and not your typically citrusy or piney flavor.
My Rating: 
Recent Comments