Inbound Fruit of the Double Loop West Coast Double IPA

 Inbound Fruit of the Double Loop West Coast Double IPA.

9% ABV, 90 IBU, Inbound BrewCo., Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Clear, bright golden hue, small white head. 

In the nose: floral, fruity, hoppy, citrusy with a drop of the tropical.

In the mouth: bitterness and dank fruity flavors set the palate ablaze. Slightly sticky icky. It’s got the hops. Tantalizing. Full-bodied, generously flavored, a true hophead’s delight. 

So, congrats, Inbound, on nine years, though I can’t condone the spelling error on the label. (“Fruit Loop-esk”? Oh, brother!)

This is one I will probably return to before it disappears. 

9th Anniversary double West Coast IPA. We took our Fruit of the Loop recipe and jacked it up to 9%. We then applied the same quantity of hops we’d add to a 30bbl batch and crammed them in to a 15bbl tank. The result is absurdly hoppy and dangerously easy drinking.

Fulton Hop Kingdom Imperial IPA

 Fulton Hop Kingdom Imperial IPA.

9% ABV,  Fulton Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

Clear, golden / amber hue, large, lasting, lace-leaving ivory head. 

In the nose: big citrus, grapefruit, orange, tangerine. Bit o’ pine. Slight sweetness to match the bitter. 

In the mouth: bursting with big hop flavors. Citrus, pine and dankness permeate the palate. Full-bodied, lush, hop bitterness popping out all over. Big booze starts to shine over all, but hops won’t let it hog the spotlight . 

(This can has a little age on it. I’ve had it fresher, and it’s a different a animal. I like it new and at six months.)

A Midwest take on the Imperial IPAs of the Northwest. Mosaic hop extract creates just enough bitterness to cut through the large quantity of malt used in this 9% IPA. Fermented with a clean West Coast ale yeast and heavily dry hopped with Simcoe and Talus; this beast of an IPA creates a delicate synergy of flavors including grapefruit, pine resin, floral, & citrus rind.

Pizza Port Mongo Double India Pale Ale

 Pizza Port Mongo Double India Pale Ale.

8% ABV, 100 IBU, Pizza Port Brewing, Carlsbad, CA. 

This is my 18th Mongo. Six-packs of 16-ouncers for fifteen bucks. That’s a bargain for a double IPA. Every time I bought a 6-pack, I held on to one for the note taking, then drank it and bought another. This time for sure! And then I’ll buy another. 

Mostly clear, with a chill haze, bright golden hue, large ivory head. 

In the nose: big citrus and pine, with a twist of sweet, a touch of candy, a little stone fruit.

In the mouth: hoppy, fruity, and thick. Medium bodied with a long, lingering bitterness hanging hard on the palate. Citrus explosion all the way. Grapefruit, pine, orange and mango. And the booze rides in and it won’t quit. Me, I am digging it. It works for me. 

Mongo is a big wave of big flavor. This DIPA bursts with classic hoppy character thanks to additions of Columbus, Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops. You can expect massive aromas of citrus with notes of piney bitterness on the finish.

Boulevard Space Camper Quantum Hop IPA

 

Boulevard Space Camper Quantum Hop IPA. Imperial India Pale Ale. 

9.5% ABV, 70 IBU, Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City, Missouri. 

Clear, golden hued, slim white head.

In the nose: dank, citrus, ovenproof, sharp.

In the mouth: starts out big and boozy, nothing subtle here, dripping with gooey, sticky dankaliciousness. Powerfully potent and riddled with hoppy flavors. A bit ostentatious, perhaps, but I enjoy that now and then. 

The Space Camper IPA Saga has traversed the far reaches of aroma and flavor, protecting the mind and palate-bending alternate universes of intergalactic India Pale Ales. From the remote corners of these alternate realities, Space Camper has taken a jump, a leap, a hop through time and space itself and has emerged as a bigger and bolder hero. Astronomically approachable at 9.5% ABV, a powerhouse of Citra and Mosaic hop flavors, offering infinitely interesting notes of grapefruit, pineapple, peach and berry. 

Hops 

Magnum

Citra

Mosasic

Citra Incognito

Moasic Incognito 

Dry Hop

Citra

Mosasic 

El Dorado 

Destihl Evel Knievel Imperial IPA

 Destihl Evel Knievel Imperial IPA. 

9% ABV, 60 IBU, Destihl Brewery, Normal, IL. 

Clear, bright golden hue, lush ivory head.

In the nose: bold citrus and pine. 

In the mouth: big flavor, juicy with tropical tones to match my the citrus. Orange and mango and grapefruit. High bitterness and large and in charge alcohol come roaring in. Hop bitterness lays long upon the palate and all is pleasing to this hophead. 

Can four from the 4-pack. I may go back for more. 

And now observe the beer description most filled with pins, references and word play EVER: Evel Knievel Imperial IPA is a daring West Coast-style brew that is ramped up with a thrilling burst of hoppiness, fruity aromas and perfectly balanced bitterness. Citra, Mosaic & Chinook hops take center stage, soaring through the flavor profile, while a vintage malt backdrop adds a touch of nostalgia. Cheers!

Green Flash Imperial West Coast IPA

 Green Flash Imperial West Coast IPA.

8.9% ABV, 

Largely clear, with some chill haze, bright golden hue, milky white froth atop.

In the nose: citrus and dank. Deep hoppy goodness. Grapefruit rind meets lupulin oil. 

In the mouth: bitterness grips the tongue as citrus and pine flavors splash the palate. Medium bodied, easy enough drinking. Slight sweet, but overwhelmingly sticky, with bitter never losing it’s hold. This one does everything right. 

Imperial West Coast IPA (8.9 % ABV), an amplified version of the classic WEST COAST IPA® beer, featuring an epic wave of hops, delivering grapefruit zest bitterness supported by notes of dark caramel and finishing easy with floral and dry woodsy hop notes. Imperial West Coast IPA is also available in 19.2-ounce cans nationally.

Three Floyd’s Cat Date Double IPA

 Three Floyd’s Cat Date Double IPA.

9.5% ABV, 86 IBU, Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, Indiana.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim mush, milky white head. 

In the nose: a cornucopia of citrusy delights, with a healthy dose of tropical. Lemon peel meets papaya. A little bit grapefruit, a powerful pinch of passion fruit.

In the mouth: a jolt of juice with a blast of bitter. Heavy dank and a a roar of oncoming alcohol. Ripe with resin, peeling of citrus and bitter, oily hop drippings. Medium bodied and extra potent. Glides down the gullet with both menace and ease. 

This is surely my kind of a beer. I can heap on praise and it won’t be enough. 

A categorically big Double IPA brewed to honor our little friends and their clandestine meetings. Intensely bitter with notes of citrus, grapefruit, and orange marmalade.

Pipeworks Ninja vs. Unicorn vs. The Cryo Double IPA

 

Pipeworks Ninja vs. Unicorn vs. The Cryo Double IPA.

Clear, bright golden hue, large and lasting snow white head.

In the nose: soft, floral, slightly citrusy. Nice. 

In the mouth: more soft, more smooth. A bit of juicy, while still remaining dry. Not as fierce and bitter as regular. Plump with citrus, pine, a dose of tropical, without the deliciousness, punishing bitterness. Medium bodied, delightfully drinkable. Pales in comparison to the original, though. That’s progress, I guess. 

Ninja vs Unicorn Double IPA but with Cryo hops. Do you feel that? It's a chill... It's a freeze... IT'S THE CRYO! The Ninja and The Unicorn have teamed up against their coolest mutual enemy... THE CRYO! Will the be able to overcome, or will they be iced out of a win...

"Cryo hops" more or less refers to a process of processing fresh hops that uses very cold temps which shatters the hops and hop oils resulting in an extremely fresh hop aroma. This beer is basically our Ninja vs Unicorn Double IPA but with a cryo hop twist! 8.0% ABV

Revolution Imperial Anti Hero Imperial IPA

 

Revolution Imperial Anti Hero Imperial IPA.

10% ABV. 70 IBU. Revolution Brewing, Chicago, Illinois. 

Clear, bright crimson coloring, slim, lace-leaving head. 

In the nose: dank supreme. Resinous Maximus. All the dark fruit, citrus and otherwise.

In the mouth : big, bold, almost chewy. Grassy meets deeply resinous and redolent of all things gobsmackingly hoptastic. 

Big booze rings in early. Here we have a triple IPA in the real sense. Stone fruit and citrus intersect, embiggened malt turns monstrous, and the result is a ripper. Drinkable, to a point. Only to be enjoyed when one is in stumbling reach of the bedpost. 

Witness the tremendous power of the American hop assault empowered to Imperial proportions. A vast and mighty double dry hop marshals all the citrus, pine, and floral notes possible toward a crisp, bright finish.

BlackStack Who Put You On? DIPA For Otis

 BlackStack Who Put You On? DIPA For Otis.

8.3% ABV. BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Clouded, golden, long lasting ivory head, leaving lace.

In the nose: citrus-y and floral.

In the mouth: brief bitterness blazes the palate. Mostly soft and juicy. Very soft. Like chewing on a pool toy stuffed with feathers. Little bit of lemon with a swirl of grapefruit. Light in body, blah, blah, blah. Here comes the booze...

I drink these when they’re free, I can’t pay the $18-20+ per 4-pack you’ve got to drop for them. I’ll just go back to Sticker Fight ...or Ninja vs. Unicorn, that’s a good one, too.

One of our dearest friends of many years and former coworker recently passed. Otis loved many things, including, but not limited to: his family, his friends, his French heritage, his dog Bootsy, First Avenue & Paris Saint-Germain. But few things gave him more joy or satisfaction than taking credit for having been the first one to have shown you any musical artist, song, film, book, tv show, comedian, ramen shop, cocktail bar, vintage store or place to buy Jordans... regardless of whether this was factual or not. Overly exuberant additions of our hand selected Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Experimental HBC 630 & Strata. Rest easy borther, we're gonna miss you dearly.

Outstate Edge Catcher MN Hazy IPA

Outstate Edge Catcher MN Hazy IPA.

8.2% ABV, 77 IBU. Outstate Brewing, Fergus Falls, MN.

Lightly clouded, bright golden hue, long-lasting, lace-leaving, snowy white head.

In the nose: beautiful blend of citrus and tropical notes. Orange peel and pineapple, with a touch of apricot.

In the mouth: intense bitterness from the start. Hazies are supposed to avoid the bitter, that’s why I hate them. This, though, revels in it. Gratuitous citrus and pine, boosted by the high alcohol. Juicy mouthfeel. Big bitterness and big booze cling to the palate. 

This is hazy in appearance, but in no way resembles the typical hazy, which is smooth over all, hardly ever  bitter, and not usually this strong. If this was by BlackStack and their like, it’d be called a DIPA and would be a lot hazier and wouldn’t have a single note of bitterness and I wouldn’t like. 

I think this is a terrific beer, but misleadingly labeled. 

Pairing West Coast’s bitterness, with East Coast’s soft mouthfeel, we call this Double IPA a Minnesota Hazy. Double dry hopped with Mosiac and Cascade hops, tropical fruit and citrus flavors dominate the palate, with a light maltiness in the background.

Top 20 in the Alpha King Competition whose criteria is to identify beers 60 IBU that are highly balanced and drinkable. 

Hoppy, Tropical, Citrus, Apricot, Bitter

Odell Tree Shaker Imperial Tangerine IPA

 Odell Tree Shaker Imperial Tangerine IPA.

8% ABV, Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, CO.

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, sizable white head.

In the nose: fresh and zesty, brimming with citrus. Bold tangerine notes to match the hoppy blitz.

In the mouth: brilliant hop blast on the palate. Lush, fruity, delicious. And up comes the booze. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Nice and juicy. Yum a dum dum. 

It’s time to shake the senses with Tree Shaker Imperial Tangerine IPA. Bright tangerine fruit mixes with massive amounts of juicy, citrusy hops to create a mammoth-sized IP A with intense hop notes of ripe orange and stone fruit. Available April through July.

Lupulin Radiant Roadrunner Double Dry-Hopped Triple IPA

 Lupulin Radiant Roadrunner Double Dry-Hopped Triple IPA.

11% ABV, Lupulin Brewing, Big Lake, MN. 

Nearly clear, hardly any haze. Bright golden hue. Fine layer of ivory froth atop.

In the nose: bold citrus with a sidecar of stone. Some sweetness. Overripe fruit notes hint at oncoming high alcohol.

In the mouth: Boom! Bam! This one is not shy in the slightest. Barley-wine-esque. Rich and potent. High hops, big bitterness. Chock full o’ hoppy goodness. Malt is also in full effect, big and juicy, ending nice and dry. 

 This is exactly how a triple IPA should taste. I love the way it’s hot hoppiness nestles on the palate. Sublime.

Meep Meep! Back up octopus, Radiant Roadrunner is here to drop an anvil on your head!

Simcoe dankness blends with the tropical pineapple and coconut notes of Sabro, while El Dorado adds notes of melon and citrus, all backed up with a soft and smooth malt base of spelt and 6 row.

Surly Shutter Shades DDH Double IPA

 Surly Shutter Shades DDH Double IPA. Citrusy. Intense. Bright. 

9% ABV. Surly Brewing, Mpls/ B.C., MN. 

This beer arrived in the store today. Happy to see it was merely $11.50, a bit low for a double IPA.I looked on line to make sure it wasn’t a hazy, took a six-pack home, and will now review can #1 from the six-pack. Something new I’m trying out.

Lightly hazed (the pictures I saw from the brewery looked positively clear), bright golden/orange hue, slim white head.

In the nose: heavy on the dank, big pine and citrus, with a wee bit of stone fruit on the side. Slight tropical tinges, too. 

In the mouth: begins with bold bitterness clutching the palate, with deep resinous hop flavors along for the ride. Sharply scintillating. Medium bodied, swiftly encroaching high alcohol, thrilling barrage of hop bitterness. Just a little juicy, ending dry. Burnished tangerine and grapefruit continues to blaze the senses.

I’m liking this. It’s no Abrasive Ale, but it’s not too shabby there, nonetheless.

A blinding DDH blend of Vic Secret, Citra, and Mosaic shades this intense, fruit-forward double IPA.

Surly Permanent Echo Double IPA

Surly Permanent Echo Double IPA.

9.2 % ABV. Surly Brewing, Minneapolis, MN. 

I like to try out all the double IPAs, you all know that, if you know me at all. I also still want to give Surly a shake once in a while, especially when it comes to that style. Finally, this 6-pack was only $11.49. Can't pass that up. I've vanquished five of them with no problem, time to take notes on #six.

Slightly hazed, bright golden hue, large, vibrant, ivory head. Looking good.

In the nose: Screaming out citrus. Orange, grapefruit, tangerine. Dankness supreme. Also, candied apricots. Because, sure. 

In the mouth: Big, bold hoppiness coats the palate. Bitterness is moderate for this style. Just a little juicy before the heat comes in. More citrusy/ fruit flavors abound, flanked by layers of dank. Alcohol burbles on the palate and bubbles in the brain. This one hits me right where I want to be hit. Yum a dum dum. 

Like sound waves bouncing back to your ears, Permanent Echo’s aggressive hop flavor resonates and reverberates. Brewed with Strata, Cascade, and Mosaic hops for a citrusy, fruit-forward flavor that’s impossible to isolate, this beer leaves your head ringing.

Lupulin/ Drekker Operation Cohoperation Double Dry Hopped Triple India Pale Ale

Lupulin/ Drekker Operation Cohoperation Double Dry Hopped Triple India Pale Ale.

10% ABV. 10 IBU. Lupuin Brewing, Big Lake, MN. Collaboration with Drekker Brewing, Fargo, ND. 

Highly clouded, bright golden hued, large, long lasting ivory head. 

In the nose: Outsized aromatics. Big citrus notes abound. Largely lemon, orange, a hint of grapefruit. 

In the mouth: Starts out slightly sweet and tropical, with some juicy business on the palate. Pineapple and passionfruit joins the citrus. Soft and slightly fuzzy. Got to be all hazy with these two at the helm. Once again I am reminded that the Double Dry Hopped Double IPA from the fashioners of the fuzz, any of them, is not for me. They deliver some kind of pleasure, but keep the bitterness that I crave completely at bay. There's alchohol, hoppy flavors, and big juiciness, but it's all a bore to me. 

Too thick, too yeasty, too chock full of unwanted, unneeded proteins, too, too not what I want in a double IPA. But, the kids seem to dig it. 

Think about it. 10 IBUs in a so-called "triple IPA"? No way. 

Is it wrong for me to wish for just a bit of bitterness from a double IPA? They are trying to rid my favorite style of beer of all of it's joy. Why do they do this? Why? 

More Brewing West Coast Double Dusty IPA

More Brewing West Coast Double Dusty IPA.Notes

8.3% ABV, More Brewing, Huntley, IL. 

Clear, with slight chill haze, bright golden hue, large and lasting cloud-white head. 

In the nose: Hops, hops, hops. Big time lemon and lime, orange and grapefruit. 

In the mouth: Crisp, and clean....and not. Lacks proper crispness, fails in the clean department, if the truth be told. And that's all I'm here for, telling the truth. There's something off in the mouthfeel and it carries through in the finish. Something that doesn't mesh. Is this another case of a brewery that traffics in hazies and tries out a West Coast, then messes it all up? 

(I'll note here that I did enjoy my last More beer, and it was not a hazy, so I may be incorrectly characterizing this brewery.)

This falls flat where it should shine. Not pleasant. Dreadful, even. 

Well, they can't all be good. 

Actually, toward the end, it redeemed itself. Those weird flavors I found at first went away, and the crisp and the clean that I wanted seemed to survive. So, take the first 80% of this post with a grain of salt. 

A West Coast Double IPA version of our all-Citra Pale Ale, "Dusty"

Three Floyds The 50 Million Dollar Man Double India Pale Ale

Three Floyds The 50 Million Dollar Man Double India Pale Ale.

9 % ABV. Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN. 

Uncharacteristically hazy, with numerous floaties...(why?), bright golden color, large white head. 

In the nose: A blast of citrus, bold and bright. Orange, grapefruit, and lemon with a sliver of pine on the side. 

In the mouth: Smooth stuff at the start. Hop delivery is prompt, persistent and powerful. Juicy on the palate. Bitterness is a touch more muted than I prefer. But, I can't argue with the results. Tasty as heck. Indomitable hop presence, just plain delicious. 

After diligently battling evil on behalf of The Order of The Black Phoenix, our hero Michael San Antonio has returned after a harrowing journey in need of an upgrade to his robotic body parts. Previously hailed as the 25 Million Dollar Man, San Antonio's upgrade has made him an even more formidable foe to evildoers. Juicy, bright tropical fruit amidst a cloud of haze is his new calling card, coupled with a 9% ABV - BEHOLD, THE 50 MILLION DOLLAR MAN!

Bear Republic Double IPA Big-n-Juicy

Bear Republic Hop Shovel Double IPA Big-n-Juicy.

8.8 % ABV, 80 IBU. Bear Republic Brewery, Robert Park, CA. 

Here's a glimpse inside my maniacal mind. You have perhaps noticed that I sometimes pose the beer can or bottle and the glass I am about to consume upon coasters from that brewery, if I can. These are not from my collection, for I don't wait to spill on them or distress their condition in any way. Those are the extras that I keep just in case I need them. 

Today I was at a bar that was utilizing Bear Republic coasters. I examined them and decided that I already had the exact same one and had no need for tucking one away to add to the collection. Except that when I came home and decided that the next beer I should drink and review should be a Bear Republic beer. And that was when I regretted not grabbing a few of their BR coasters, stuffing them in my pocket and bringing back home to add to the pictures. Which nobody notices, anyway, if you can actually see them. 

I need to see a psychiatrist, I think. 

Anyway, let's drink a beer. 

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, large and brilliant white head. Looking good. 

In the nose: Dank and resiny. Ripe fruit aplenty, citrus and tropical. Grapefruit rind and orange pulp meet juicy guava. 

In the mouth: A bolt of bitterness to the senses and a jolt of juicy on the palate. Bright citrus dominates the flavors, bitterness hangs in hard and sticks around for the finish. Medium bodied, rich in happiness and abundantly rewarding. Dank and delicious. I can always count on great West Coast breweries like Bear Republic to knock it out of the park when it comes to great double IPAs. It's too bad they also have to use current buzzwords like "juicy" to attract customers. 

Big additions of Azacca, Mandarina Bavaria, Meridian, and experimental 13459 give massive juicy hop aromas of Orange and Tangerine with a hoppy West Coast Double IPA finish.

BlackStack Ales for ALS

BlackStack Ales for ALS. TIPA.

10% ABV. BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 

Ever so hazy. Bright golden hue. Sizable slab of ivory foam.

In the nose: Soft and hoppy. Citrusy and sweet. 

In the mouth: Fruit blast on the palate. Virtually no bitterness. And the booze starts to boom. Citrus and tropical flavors on the tongue. Juicy stuff, cloudy and soft. Like all of the hazies. I can see why some of you love this stuff, but my feet and firmly stuck to the ground on this issue. They just don't taste like IPAs, not like double IPAs, and certainly not what I know as triples. 

If you ever see a review here of a beer from BlackStack that is not a hazy IPA, it's quite possible that I bought it with my own money. If you catch me giving out the same old complaints about the hazies, more than likely a sample can from the brewery drifted down to me and I can't hold back. I could refuse the gift, but that goes against my principles. 

Put together by the fine folks at Loftus Ranches for ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This blend features an extremely juice forward combination of Citra, Mosaic, Talus, Ekuanot, HBC 630, HBC 344 & a dash of Sabro.