Stone Ruination 2.0

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Enjoy By 07/05/2015)

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 8.5% 
Reported IBUs: 100+

Earlier this year, Stone announced that they were killing off their Ruination IPA. No one in California blinked, and Tony Magoo smoked a bowl. But Stone's Ruination is back. Version two point oh. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

The Ruination 2.0 is brewed with Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, and Azacca hops. And the rest is pretty much Stone.txt. 

Stone Ruination 2.0

This has clear golden-orange tones, with dotted carbonation and a sea foam white head that is hanging around like your loser kids and leaving webs of lacing that would impress Peter Parker and Peter North. Kudos to Stone for putting on the Enjoy By date, but I feel like this is going to a very different beer in July. I would not want to be popping this on July 5th.

Stone's Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By series all have a similar vibe with dank hops on top of aggressive, sugary caramel malts. The Ruination 2.0 smells like a departure with a thinner, cracker malt base, and lots of tropical fruit hops. I'm getting mango, pine, honeydew/melon, peaches, passion fruit, some resin, pine, pine sap, and some sweet hemp. The nose is fairly subdued, and leans towards the hops.

The taste matches the nose, which a nice departure from the insanely sweet hops and insanely sweet malt/caramel base that Stone was delivering in their Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By. This beer wears its 100+ IBUs, with an intense hop note that cuts right through the beer that is raw as hell. I don't even know what it is...I've never tasted it before in a beer. I'm guessing it is from the Azacca hop? I'm getting a ton of melon, pine, shades of peach/mango, some resin...and that sharp hop note. It's kind of earthy, and kind of pithy....if I had to reach for a description, I would compare it to tobacco, grass, lawnmower trimmings, or unsmoked weed in a bag.

This is really solid, and a welcomed departure from the sugar bombs that Stone has been cranking out for the past few years. This reminds me of Stone's IPA, which has held up well over these years. This is medium-bodied, and doesn't feel too bitter or too boozy. Palate depth is good, with long duration that cuts into nice dryness. This never gets too woodsy/woody/dry, but you definitely feel the punch of the pine and the 100+ IBUs. This is moderately complex. The thin malt profile is welcomed, with lots of melon and sweet fruit up front that gives way to bitter pine and resin and hemp, with nice drying on the back. Also, this is affordable. Nice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Light Above-Average. I would buy this again, and I think Stone nailed this beer. This is a big, hoppy, hop-forward Double IPA. The malts don't get in the way of this experience, and this isn't sweet. I would pair this with strong, spicy foods. 

Random Thought: DAE DARK LORD DAY?!?! I'm so happy I will be embracing my warm bed, the forecast calls for rain and cold. 

Spiteful The Whale Tickler Mango IPA

Brewed By: Spiteful Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Batch #246)

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA/Fruit Beer, 9.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

About Spiteful: 

Spiteful Brewing was founded in January 2010 by Brad Shaffer and Jason Klein. Like many brewers, the duo started out homebrewing. As of today, the brewery houses a 2.5 BBL Brewhouse and 5 BBL Fermenters. Currently, as a nanobrewery, Spiteful Brewing is hand delivering to stores and bars. For more info, check out Spiteful's website, or their Facebook or Twitter. 

Whale Ticklers 

Tick tick tick.

"Late hours spent on the trade forums.

ISO: whalez.

FT: whalez.

The thrill of the hunt. At last, it's mine! Tickle now or tickle later? Maybe never, Whale ticklers, drink this on your hunt. Its tropical notes will brighten the most arduous whaling expedition. It's open season out there. Are you licensed to tickle?"

This is raw and cloudy in appearance, like real apple cider or any assorted juices. Head retention is surprisingly solid with lacing and foam, and there is carb abound. Look at this raw, murky ass execution. Beer uncut from a brewery that doesn't GAF except to make good beer.

Aromas are juicy with mango, pineapple, sweet citrus, sweet grass, agave, kumquat, and a basket of tropical fruit. This has some plantains as well, and rides some sweet and super juicy hop notes. This smells juicy, so if it tastes half as juicy as it smells mission accomplished.

This is raw and uncut, with juicy hops around every corner and tons of mango, citrus, some onion/garlic, juicy citrus, and juicy tropical fruit. The bitterness in this grows on the back end, and is heightened as your drink it. I'm not getting a ton of malts, maybe a faint caramel or cracker backing. 

At 9.2% I'm not getting any alcohol. This is juicy, medium-bodied, and juicy. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. This has a slight astringent bitterness that grows over time, and works a bit against the lush, juicy notes. This is mostly a tropical juice blaster...with tons of mango, some onion/garlic/grass, and lots of nice bitterness. Would tickle again.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Decent Above-Average. If not for the slightly astringent bitterness, this would be up there. It's a really solid beer, and I love the raw, uncut approach.

Random Thought: #whalez

Stone Enjoy By 4.20.15 IPA

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Enjoy By 4/20/2015)

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 9.4% 
Reported IBUs: ?

It's hard to believe it has been a whole year since I drank Stone's Enjoy by 4/20/14 IPA. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

4/20 BLAZE IT LIKE TONY MAGOO

The 2015 4/20 Enjoy By is a dark orange or deep gold color, depending on the light you have. This one looks clear/filtered in the glass, but my hunch is this is conditioned and Stone just knows how to get clear looking beer. There's lacing and a white head and all that crap as well.

You are here for the dank aroma and the hops and this delivers. This drops dank/phat hops that veer into hemp, pink peppercorns, bubblegum, intense resin, pine, and some nice citrus. This has that thick, Ruinition malt base, with caramel and sugars galore. And this drops some peach ring candies, ala my favorite Revolution beer of 2014, the Unsessionable IPA. 

This is dank but not a lot has changed since last year. This is still a blissfully straightforward West Coast Imperial IPA. This blasts your palate with massive amounts of sugar, resinous hop oils, guava, orange, candy citrus, grass, kumquats, and hemp.

This is still super drinkable at 9.4%, with a well-carbed medium-body and good depth and complexity. This doesn't do anything far out of the Stone wheelhouse, but you appreciate that it exists. This leans towards the sweet, dank hops, and Stone pretty much delivers.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm still stickign with my Strong Above-Average. If you see the Enjoy By beers, pick them up. Especially around 4/20. 

Random Thought: MMM IPAs.

Spiteful Working For The Weekend

Brewed By: Spiteful Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 16oz CAN bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 7.9%
Reported IBUs: ?

About Spiteful: 

Pffftt Midwest beer

Spiteful Brewing was founded in January 2010 by Brad Shaffer and Jason Klein. Like many brewers, the duo started out homebrewing. As of today, the brewery houses a 2.5 BBL Brewhouse and 5 BBL Fermenters. Currently, as a nanobrewery, Spiteful Brewing is hand delivering to stores and bars. For more info, check out Spiteful's website, or their Facebook or Twitter. 

Another Midwest IPA, another fantastic beer from one of the now dozens of Chicago breweries making beer. 

This is hazy and unfiltered and a shade too dark, but look at those foam caps. 

This has vibrant candy hop aromas, with guava, intense resin, grapefruit and citrus, and some subtle and more complex hints of white pepper, tropical fruit, and caramel malts.

Spiteful has yet to let me down, and this is stellar with resin, orange, guava, agave, and a shitload of raw mango. Pine.

Carb is spot on, with a medium-bodied mouthfeel that has good complexity and good palate depth. This is dry and finishes clean; this won't give you the beetus. This has the PERFECT balance between not-too-sweet but sweet enough hops. Unlike Finch's...

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is an easy Strong Above-Average. This is up there with some of Pipeworks' better Imperial IPAs, and this is the beer we need to bridge the gap between our Half Acre Senita. 

Random Thought: dae short reviews

Revolution Unsessionable Imperial IPA

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company (Revolution Beer LLC) in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Lounge in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA/Strong Ale, 10%

Reported IBUs: 100

Let's be real, the session beer fad sucks. Most session beers are American Pale Ales rebranded using the popular but equally obnoxious "IPA" tag. They are nothing new, and more often than not, incredibly predictable. Tonight's beer is a big fuck you to all the session IPAs...a big ass, all-American, Imperial IPA brewed with 6 hops, that punches in at 10%. Suck on that. About Revolution:

Revolution Brewing is a brewery and brewpub based in Chicago. Revolution's roots are tied to founder Josh Deth, a homebrewer who began working at Golden Prairie Brewing. A few years later, while working at Goose Island, Josh dreamt up the idea for Revolution Brewing. In 2003, Josh and his wife opened Handlebar, while Josh worked as an Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. While working for the Chamber of Commerce, Josh found an old building on Milwaukee Avenue, and the wheels began to spin to open up a brewery. After three years of raising funds, Revolution Brewing opened its doors on February 2010. In July of 2011, Revolution added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge. And in 2012, the company opened a new production brewery and tap room. The brewpub is located in Logan Squre on 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; the brewery is located on Kedzie Avenue at 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. For more information on Revolution, check out their history page here! 

The Unsessionable IPA is pretty ridiculous, and honestly, I am surprised this came in a 6-pack. This beer is brewed using 6 hops, including: Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo, Galaxy, Citra, and Cascade. Punching in at 10% and 100 IBUs, this beer rides that line between a Strong Ale, Barleywine, and American Imperial IPA. 

Revolution Unsessionable Imperial IPA

The appearance is everything you'd want: hazy orange, with a finger of caramel-tinged head that lasts forever thanks to the hops fueling it. This is clearly well-carbonated, and looks the part of the best American Imperials. It's like California girls and sunsets. Totally, Hollywood.

I can't remember the last time I smelled something this good coming out of Chicago. This challenges The Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom with ease, and makes Zombie Dust look like the mid-ABV IPA that it is. This smells like fat oranges, giant tangerine candies, and I shit you not: gummy peach orange ring candies. The sweet peach and tangerine notes flirt with peach iced tea, dank West Coast vibes, and tropical fruits...but it's all grounded in that sweet peach goodness.

This hits with your tongue with honey-like sweetness. The hops gloss over your palate leaving traces of orange, tangerine, and sweet peaches. This is insanely sweet, with hints of caramel sugars between the aggressively dank and resinous hop punch. This rides the imaginary line between an American Strong Ale or Barleywine...I'm reminded a bit of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA. I'm also reminded of the Pipeworks/Rock Bottom collab, Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom. This is just an insane fusion of intensely sweet hops propped up against a huge malt profile. The hops are equally fruity as they are bitter and dank. The bitterness provided much needed contrast to the sweetness. But this keeps things cool and sweet. It's very West Coast, and reminds me of Florida. 

Soak these in alcohol and walla

At 10%, this beer is way too fucking drinkable. I'm serious, I killed 12oz of this in like ten minutes. That's how you get wasted. Despite being drinkable, this is till heavy-handed and full-bodied. The carbonation and hops cut through a lot of the fat, but this is a curvy beer in every way possible. The palate depth here is outstanding, and this is about as complex as something like this is going to get. It's not quite the 120 Minute...but it's flirting with that Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom. I mean really, this unfolds with sweet orange, peach gummy rings, and tangerine up front; that gives way to intense caramel sweetness, rich sugars, and dank as hell hops lurking beneath; the back end trails with intense hop sweetness, resin, and a sticky-sweet finish. This is truly an aggressive, big, over-the-top interpretation of an American Imperial IPA. A true "fuck you" to all the session bitch beers out there.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. If Revolution can keep this around on a regular basis, well, then Chicago is going to finally have a coveted Imperial IPA. For all the good work that Pipeworks is doing, they aren't releasing beers on the regular. Chicago is seriously lacking in the Imperial IPA category, and this beer right here has potential. I'd also love to see this barrel-aged. Food pairings: spicy foods. Seriously. Get this beer to go with some over-the-top wings, and thank me later.

Random Thought: At 100 IBUs and 10%...you'd expect this beer to hold up to spicy foods. And it does! I've now paired this beer with homemade taco salad and nachos. In both situations, I piled on the hot salsa (homemade, with fresh habaneros, baby!). This beer cuts through the spice with ease. 

Stone 18th Anniversary IPA

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Bottled on 084/04/2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.5% 
Reported IBUs: 75

Oh man, I don't even know why I'm drinking this two months past the bottled-on date. I guess I'm just a beer hater, but whatever. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

How about that 18th Anniversary Ale? This one is brewed with El Dorado hops (they dry-hopped it with two pounds per barrel). This also features English Brown Coffee, Cara Munich, and Chocolate Wheat malts. This pours into a caramel-orange body that is surprisingly clear in bright light. It's very much a caramel-affair, with a finger of caramel-tinged head. There's good lacing and head retention, and carbonation. It looks very Stone. 

At 2 months past bottling, this has some faded iced tea hop notes. But it's not one-dimensional in that regard. I'm getting some earthy/herbal and medicinal notes, and big orange: orange juice, orange freezer pops, and big resinous pine. The big orange juice notes flirt with lemon. This smells dank as hell too. There are trace hints of some caramel/malt backings as well...although I'm not getting the coffee, cocoa, and roasted malts as described on Stone's website.

Stone 18th Anniversary IPA

This is very much Stone in the taste. The surprise here is the depth and complexity of the malt...the back end drops some really nice grain and malt characters on your palate. It tastes very much like how a brewhouse smells. And once you lock into that malty flavor, you can dig grain out of this, with biscuit, bread, and even some of the described coffee/toffee that was missing from the aroma. This is actually quite complex for an IPA, and if you served this to me blind and let me dwell on it, I would say/write very nice things. In a lot of ways, the malt complexity infuses a fresh, draft-like quality to this beer. I'm reminded of sessions at Solemn Oath. The hop notes in here lean towards orange, orange juice, lemon, and hints of pine/iced tea. This is balanced...not too sweet, not too bitter, not too dry. But it does finish relatively dry and clean. 

At 8.5%, this is pretty drinkable. Being an anniversary ale, and an anniversary IPA, you probably won't pick this up more than once. So this review is stupid. I realize that, but I'm mostly here for me. Anyway...this has good depth and complexity. Stone knows how to do many things well, but they mostly know how to cram a bunch of hops into a beer and make it taste solid. In that respect, this has above-average complexity thanks to the edition of the malts. This unravels with some good lemon, orange, and pine hops up front; that gives way to resinous pine and iced tea, with a little malt sweetness showing up; the back end drops the biscuit and bready malts, and subsequent sips unravel sweetened hops and malts, with fresh malts that add a nice touch of complexity. I can't fault this beer, but it's pretty par the course for Stone at this point.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. Yup, I'm gonna toss this an average. But it's really like an Average+. The "+" comes from that nice malt depth. I'd recommend passing on this at this point, since it is now 2 months out from bottling. Grab some Enjoy By or Stone's classic IPA instead. But I'm happy to have Stone around doing their thing...I'm pairing this with homework. Ah, the life of a grad student, amirite?

Random Thought: What the fuck is going on with the Chicago Bears? Holy drama. Holy suck. I'm a sports radio guy and you're damn right I'll be tuning in to Boers and Bernstein tomorrow. 

[EPIC THROW DOWN] #Midwest vs. Fucking Vermont

Rawwwrrr

IN CORNER #1 we have....Heyoka!:

Brewed By: Half Acre Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 16oz/1 Pint CAN bought at Half Acre in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: India Pale Ale, 7.0%
Reported IBUs: There's a cat hugging a dinosaur. It doesn't get any more bitter than that.

IN CORNER #2 we have....Vermont Whalez:

Brewed By: The Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont  

Purchased: 16oz CAN generously beer-mailed/gifted to me; 2014 

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: 120+????

When life gives you lemons, you have a lemon party. Tonight we are doing a throw down between these two completely overrated beers. Seriously, these beers suck, don't buy them. 

Appearance: 

Heady Tophers

Heady Topher is hazy like grandpa's memory with champagne bubbles, and orange juice comparisons are incoming. It figures that Vermont would basically ferment orange juice and call it beer. Heyoka! has less head, is a bit more refined, and goes to church on Sunday. It's basically the #Midwest. Winner: No one. Does anyone except neckbeard BJCP warriors give a shit about the appearance? NEXT.

Aromas: 

Toppling Tophers greets the olfactory with dank ass pine, resin, weed...this is basically That 70's Show. This veers into some weird agave and guava territory, and then lays out orange juice for days. You might get iced tea at colder temps but only noobs drink freezer beer. Hey Yoko smells super bright, like 5th graders in accelerated math. This is a zesty citrus show with some grass and citrus spice. There's also cracker malts to mix things up, I mean why not. And some grapefruit rind to remind everyone that the Midwest vicariously lives through Florida and California's fruit supply. Winner: me. I bench pressed like 215 this week.

Gag Reflex Potential:

Chiraq doesn't mess around, Hanukkah! is refreshing like lemonade, with razor sharp hops that assert dank lemon and orange zest on you like getting femdomed by citrus. It suggests grassy, tropical fruit notes, with water chestnuts (wut) and grapefruit rind. Minimal cracker character shows up like a snorkel to save you from the hypnotic citrus-thigh assault. Handy Tophers is expansive and full-body, truly a BBW in the world of 8% IIPAs. This literal whale is dank like weed, with tons of orange juice. You get some pine, guava, and agave, but this mostly drops that fresh OJ with no malt interference. Winner: OJ Simpson (relevant). 

Lemons. This was literally torture. 

Quaffabilly:

The Heady Doppler is clean and refreshing, but full-bodied. A rare trait that is mitigated just slightly by low complexity. Still, this isn't a moped. This is a dank, sticky weed affair. It rips a bong load of dank orange juice that will impress your stoner friends. Namely, Steve. The Midwest shelf turd, Hey-yo!, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It's also clean and refreshing, but has a cracker malt backbone that reminds me of a Pilsner. Both beers are bangable, but Hey-yo! is slightly brighter and more zesty. Can you fault the Midwest for trying to channel that grapefruit rind and tropical fruit vibe? Winner: mopeds. 

Rating/Winner: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0) for both these bangers. Both of these beers show up in clutch time, and deliver what they promise. Like a fresh corpse, you want to hit these when they are fresh. The Topher is a big-bodied, orange juice affair. The Halo, K?! is a zesty banger with citrus zest/rind, balanced sweetness, and cracker malts. Both of these beers come in a 4-pack. Both of these beers can be consumed out of the can, or in the can, or out of the can in the can, or in a glass, or wherever. Both of these beers excel in their respective category, and at this point Handy Topher is pretty much a classic staple of beer despite its status as a #whale. 

If you think this review is a cop out, it totally is. But between you and me, I'd probably take the Heyoka! to my deserted island because it seems to be slightly more refreshing. On the other hand, if you age that Vermont whale I hear it turns into a pretty awesome Barleywine. 

Random Thought:

The new Bongripper album is dope:

The Alchemist Heady Topper

Brewed By: The Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont  

Purchased: 16oz CAN generously beer-mailed/gifted to me; 2014 

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: 120+????

Honestly, I never thought I would be drinking Heady Topper in my immediate future. I don't really beer trade...I'm pretty happy with finding local IPAs (midwest shelf turds). And yeah. Tonight's beer was generously sent my way by a cool dude...so I guess I'm tributing these thoughts to him. I'm also going to do a Heyoka! vs. Heady Topper throwdown tomorrow (which makes no sense because one is an IPA and the other is an IIPA...but more on that tomorrow). About The Alchemist:

The Alchemist are a brewery based out of Waterbury, Vermont. The brewery is small, local, family owned, and famous for Heady Topper. The brewery has been cranking out Heady Topper since 2003, but up until 2011 the beer was a tap-only exclusive. In 2011, the Alchemist Cannery was built, and since then the brewery has been selling so much Heady Topper they hardly have time to brew anything else. The brewery is currently closed to the public, and the Alchemist Pub and Brewery was demolished in Tropical Storm Irene. For more info, Facebook it or whatever. 

Heady Topher

If you aren't familiar with Heady Topper I don't know what to say. Literally, I am not going to say anything else about it. Heady Topher. You know. This is a cloudy, unfiltered beer. It's well carbonated, and has a radiant orange juice body. It produces a wispy finger of cloudy, dense head...and it just kind of looks like the quintessential American hop bomb. It's pretty pale, and dresses well. At times during this review I noticed the beer had a smug smirk. Needless to say, I would definitely bang it, but casting it in Spider-Man 3 was a big misstep. Donna had nice boobs. DAE?

Obviously the aroma is hops, but where do they go? What do they do? How many fingers do they use? Honestly, this smells like super dank orange and pine. It dials up that West Coast sweetness, with hints of guava, tropical fruits, agave, and bongwater. It's in the realm of Maine or even Pipeworks. But that's just a comparison for me. I think a baseline West Coast double IPA is probably Green Flash's. You really need to start there. You should lift too. 

Yum...this is really tasty, and I see why this is immensely popular. This is really good shit. First off, this is a thick beer. At 8.0%, they managed to cram a lot of body into this. Second, this is really hoppy. Obviously. This dials up huge notes of pine, orange, guava, resin/hemp, and subtle notes that suggest tropical fruit, agave, and weed. There is enough sweetness in here to balance out the immense bitterness, so you end up getting a lot of welcomed resin notes. This is also pretty dank. The malt backbone is completely unobtrusive, as it should be. I think that is really what differentiates this beer from so many other Imperial IPAs. This beer doesn't have any malt notes or caramel sweetness...it's clean and hoppy, but it is still substantial through and through. 

Heady Toppler ftw or something

I dunno, there's not much to say. This is immensely drinkable at 8.0%. It is clean, full-bodied, carbonated, and it has good depth and duration. The one knock here might be complexity, but it's not an inherently complex style. Really, this is just a fantastic beer that lives up to its hype with huge orange, grapefruit, pine, guava, resin, and tropical fruit punching your mouth up front; the mids roll into orange juice, resin, weed, grassy notes, and more hops; the back end drops OJ, resinous dankness, and a dry clean finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This lives up to the hype. It really does. This is one of the better Imperial IPAs I have had. This is a huge beer that thrives within the confines of 8.0%. It's also super clean, with virtually no traces of malt. This is a hop-forward experience through and through, but it is also fairly balanced and drinkable. I would suggest pairing this with spicy foods, pizza, a burger, wings, or anything that benefits from tons of dank, juicy hops. This is an OJ explosion and I am happy to have tried it. 

Random Thought: I guess I can tick this whale off my list. Woohoo. Also, forget the whole "drink from the can" noise. This is going into a glass. 

Pipeworks Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #495/496) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 08.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

It looks like the Unicorn has finally hit Rock Bottom...pun intended. I guess it is only up from here with this "Imperial IPA brewed with honey and citra hops." About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The bottle of Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom reads: 

"(Read to the tune of the 'Cheers theme song)
Makin' this beer in the world today takes all the
Citra you've got.
Graining out with some buddies sure would help a 
lot.
Wouldn't we like to collaborate.
Sometimes the brewers at Rock Bottom want to go
Where everybody knows their name
And Pdubz is glad they came
You wanna brew where you can see
our troubles are all the same."

The bottle art here was done by Peter Wano. This pours into a deep orange body, kicking up two fingers of caramel/orange-tinted head. The body is hazy and appropriately carbonated, and the head is sticky, leaving lacing and retaining like the hop-fueled monster that it is. This is a nice looking beer, and a true testament to Pipeworks' IPA program. 

Pipeworks Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom

Let me just start off by saying that I have heard really good things about this beer. That is unusual because (1) this beer just came out a few days ago, and (2) this has really limited distribution. Anyway...I believe the hype every now and then, and this one smells like miracles. The aroma is an EXPLOSION of honey, white pepper, citrus zest, citrus spice, and huge grapefruit, tangerine, orange, mango, and tropical fruit. This is bursting at the seam with sweet citrus, resinous and zesty spice, and honey sweetness that backs this up with authority. It's like the child of Hopslam and Zombie Dust.

Like this needs a debriefing of the taste...this is a fantastic explosion of fresh Citra hops, mounted on this candy-sweet honey backbone that contrasts the juicy hops and resinous hop oils. I'm getting honey here that would make Hopslam blush, with giant waves of citrus, orange, zesty hop spice, resinous orange and grapefruit rind, and big tropical fruits and orange sweetness. This has that Lagunitas level of sticky-sweet-dank, while juicing the Citra hops like Zombie Dust. 

Never before has a 9.5% beer been so drinkable. But drink this fresh...this one is only going to drop off with time, although I doubt it will stick around on shelves for very long. I'm happy I opened this now, and not even two days later. Again, the juicy hops and honey sweetness make this incredibly crushable, even though it's sticky-sweet and slightly boozy. This is also one of the best attempts at carbonation from Pipeworks...I've had their under-carbed Citra Ninja and it really did suffer from lack of carbonation. This beer has divine palate depth, with a medium-bodied mouthfeel that is juicy and dank. This isn't exactly complex...it's basically a Citra and Honey hammer. Sometimes you just want to hit nails, though. Up front: dank and juicy Citra hops, resinous spice, tropical fruits, resinous pineapple/peach, grapefruit rind; the mids roll into more citrus, Citra bursting, honey sweetness; the back end trails with dank and resinous hops, white pepper, citrus zest, spice, and nice dryness. Wow...

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this...yup. This is the new ceiling for Pipeworks' Imperial IPAs. This is up there with Zombie Dust, is better than Hopslam, and pretty much rocks everything that Pipeworks has done in the Ninja vs. Unicorn series. I know those are fighting words, but seriously....you cannot top fresh Citra. I know it's like using cheat codes in SNES games, but still. This beer is bursting with ridiculous Citra and Honey notes, and begs to be paired with some deep dish pizza (dae Chicago?), or with some spicy boneless wings. If I see another bottle of this, I will not hesitate to pick it up, and you should do the same. But for real, drink this fresh....it's only going to drop off.

Random Thought: As a glassware whore...Pipeworks needs to replenish their online glassware shop.

Destihl Hoperation Overload Double IPA

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois   

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Schnucks in Urbana, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.6%
Reported IBUs: 85

I'm happy that Destihl is canning their beer, but I'm not completely sold on this one. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

The Hoperation Overload is an Imperial IPA that is overloaded with hops and malts. This won a bronze medal in the World Beer Championships Award 2011, and was first brewed on 06-19-2009.

Destihl Hoperation Overload Double IPA

This pours into a dark orange body, kicking up three fingers of caramel/orange-tinted head. As the head drops off, the beer deposits massive webs of lacing. The body itself is hazy, and this looks the part of a hop-fueled, American beer.

I'm really not sure when this was canned...but this still has a pungent, if not slightly fading, hop aroma. This leans towards those big pine and iced tea notes, with some citrus and marmalade thrown in. I'm getting pine, pine sap, wet leaves, a little maple syrup and pine nuts, iced tea, pithy lemon, and some orange and tangerine marmalade. Caramel malts also emerge on the aroma, and this has hints of boozy on the nose.

This is a beer where you the aroma pretty much matches the taste to a tee...I'm not gonna lie, this beer doesn't do much for me. The hops veer into the land of honey, thick pine sap, resin, orange, astringent/pithy lemon, guava, agave, and dank sap. The malts are huge and sweet, with caramel, brown sugar, and marmalade sweetness. It's a huge beer too, and you pick up some of that boozy 9.6%. 

This is full-bodied and boozy. Imperial IPAs can push that 9+ ABV, but I prefer when they go the sugary-sweet route like Lagunitas. Or...go super hoppy and dry like Palate Wrecker or Mikkeller's 1000 IBUs. That's okay though, that's just my opinion. This is full-bodied, has good palate depth, and has average complexity. At 9.6%, this is truly a sipper. Up front: pine, orange, pine sap, resinous hops, hints of tangerine and faint pineapple/tropical fruit, resin, iced tea; the mids roll into honey, thick caramel malts hinting at brown sugar, marmalade, lemon, guava, agave; the back end trails off with lingering hop sugars and malt sweetness. This eventually dries out on the finish.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this beer. This isn't bad, but it's not really my cup of tea. It's not my bag, baby. I doubt I'd pick this up again in the can format! But having said that, this is a nice beer to sip on, and would pair well with strong spices...throw some wings at this, the spicier the better. 

Random Thought: This beer should not be in cans. Or maybe it should...but I grabbed this beer for mobility, and drank it on the go. And while I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into (the whole 9.6% thing), I still question the whole can thing! With these strong beers, throw them in bottles...it makes a statement about the intention of the beer. Cans = portability, drinkability, etc. Then again, maybe I'm just being an old curmudgeon. After all, this is a hoppy beer so the can should theoretically preserve the hops better. I dunno.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Extra! Ale

Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Naperville, Illinois; 2014

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 8.5%

Reported IBUs: 64

Wow how about that blast-from-the-past review. Look at me talking about A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale.I also did A Little Sumpin' Wild. So tonight's beer was a logical must-tick. About Lagunitas (Pronounced: "LAH-goo-KNEE-tuss"):

Lagunitas is a brewery I dabbled with when I hit up their controversially named "Kronik" (Lagunitas Censored) back in November 2010. The Lagunitas website has some cool info on the brewery and the beer, and can be found here. The brewery was founded in 1993 out in Lagunitas, California, and has since moved to Petaluma in California. It seems like Lagunitas is run by a bunch of deviant madmen geniuses, and the brewery appears to be a true grassroots movement, if you catch my drift.

The A Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale is a hoppy American Double/Strong Ale thing, probably in the same wheelhouse as a Double IPA. This one is available in July, is brewed with "lots of wheat," and punches in at 8.5% and 64 IBUs. The bottle reads: "These words are the voice of the beer you are about to drink, they are an attempt to be understood. The beer beneath is more than just words. It is a promise. You are the promised. Revel in your times."

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Extra! Ale

This one pours into a transparent, golden-amber color, kicking up two fingers of sustaining, sticky, hop-fueled head. The head is golden-tinged, and leaves substantial lacing. The beer looks much the same in low light, and is sort of unassuming with its golden body. 

The aroma is anything but unassuming, with massive waves of grapefruit, zesty citrus, white pepper, tropical fruits, sweet peppery pine, and big bready sugar backings. It smells exactly like how I stereotype Laguintas: sweet, aggressively hopped with American hops, citrus-forward, and bold. Some really nice citrus does pop on the aroma, with tangerine, orange, grapefruit, and yeah. It's nice.

My friend commented that he prefers this to the regular A Little Sumpin' Sumpin', because this is "sweeter and easier to drink." That would be those malts, baby. Surprisingly though, this isn't that much boozier than your standard ALSS. This is delicious though, with cakey malt sweetness, brown sugar, caramel/bread, and an onslaught of tangerine, grapefruit, oranges, marmalade, tropical fruit cake, pineapple cake, and even some hints of grain-coconut. There's a lot of hop oils present here, and this veers into the land of dank. You do get a little hemp in here, but it's not super earthy or resiny. 

At 8.5% this is way more drinkable than it should be...or than it really is. You don't get much alcohol if any, so this is a sleeper. And the cakey malts are held in check by tons of hops and lots of carbonation. It's a recipe for getting drunk, and two or three of these will certainly do that. But if you have no place to go, this is a great beer to kick back with. It has amazing palate depth and somewhat limited complexity. It's also hard to say if this is a Double IPA or more of a Strong Ale...who cares, really. Up front: sweet malts, hops, tangerine, sweet orange, grapefruit, pine, sweet hemp; the mids roll into peppery spice, brown sugar, more hops, cakey malts, some grain, coconut-grain; the back end drops hop sugars, hop oils, sugar, cakey malts, and some sticky and dank kisses on the sides of your lips like grandma. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a delicious beer, and it is well-crafted. It doesn't break the Laguintas mold, but it doesn't have to. All of the Little Sumpin' beers are worth checking out, and this one stands on its own as a bigger, boozier brother to the standard Little Sumpin'. Pair this with spicy American food, wings, or even Mexican food.

Random Thought: I gotta hand it to Lagunitas, they have by far the best price to booze ratio.