Proudly brewed in Nisswa, MN.
9% ABV. 100 IBU.
$12.99 for 6 12 oz. cans at South Lyndale Liquor. That's cheaper than Sticker Fight, and a whole hell of a lot cheaper than the trendy ones, the milkshakes and the hazies and such.
But, how's it taste?
First, though, how's it look?
Clear, bright golden hue, pure white head, lasting long. Looking great.
In the nose: Pine and citrus present and accounted for. A little on the shy side, though.
In the mouth: Hops blast the palate from first sip, growing as we go. Big fruit, juicy, spilling out orange and grapefruit, turning bitter and dry. Right amount of bitterness here, fresh and lively, definitely downable and downright delicious. And getting delicious-er and delicious-er, while the alcohol rises up. Everything is in it's perfect place.
Man, I'm digging this one. The first five cans went down so nice, and I saved the last can for the torturous task of taking notes. This is delivering everything I want in a double IPA: clean, mellow, full of hop flavor, tons of bitterness, not too much malt. And just enough booze, if not more than enough. I'm going to keep adding it to the fridge. Big Axe Axe Kicker, you're in the repertoire.
This 6-pack is actually the second time I've had this beer, the first being nearly four years ago when I saw the brewery in Nisswa. I ended up not writing a blog post about that visit, for reasons still unexplained. It vexes me to this day. That was a hell of a fun day: Roundhouse in Brainerd, then Gull Dam and Big Axe, and then a fourth one. Who was it? It'll come to me, I'll figure it out...
(Just checked my data: Jack Pine in Baxter was the second stop. What a day!)
Loads of Amarillo and Citra Hops are heaped into this one. A crisp, light malt bill lets the juicy citrusy, tropical hops flavors and aromas shine through. The smooth bitterness balances the rich hop flavors.
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