Half Acre Hallow Double IPA

 Half Acre Hallow Double IPA. 

8% ABV, Half Acre Brewing, Chicago, IL.,

Observers of this blog know a few things to be true. I greatly enjoy a double IPA. Also, I do not care very much for the hazy style of IPA. Further, I do admire Half Acre Brewing of Chicago. I thought I could trust them. I mean, only five of their beers have appeared here so far, so I really don’t know them that well. I felt that I could trust them. Because I wanted to. I wanted to believe in the makers of Daisy Cutter. 

And I bought a four pack of this one because it wasn’t $20, it didn’t say it was hazy, and I wanted a new Double IPA to add to my regular rotation. Another Ninja vs. Unicorn, Sticker Fight, Big Little Thing. And I got this. 

Hazy, cloudy, bright golden hue, small white head, leaving a little lace.

In the nose: citrus and pine, with a side order of fuzz. Orange and lemon, behind guaze.

In the mouth: bold, zesty bitter blast, juicy mouthfeel, citrus aplenty. Also, murk and muck. It’s not that bad, actually, but when I want is clarity and crispness, getting this is disheartening. I’ve learned this lesson over and over, and keep getting burned. 

Hallow is the result of many other double IPAs, all leading to one that we felt collected the qualities we wanted to share in a year-round double IPA. Just over the IPA equator line of ABV into northern territory of higher impact hoppy beers. Hallow has all the covet hops – Nelson, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe — bent toward the way we understand hazy DIPA, big aromatics, full and round flavors with apparent bitterness.