#313: Sixpoint Brewery » HiRes (3xIPA)

Sixpoint Brewery » HiRes (3xIPA) | ABV: 10.5% | IBUs: 115

Having missed the inaugural batch of Hi-Res last year, I grabbed a 4-pack back in January in a restock of the beer fridge, for what's been a bitterly cold winter. In between bouts of sub-zero temperatures, my partner and I have been cozy indoors with regular respites full of wonderful beers.

This massively hopped skinny can from Sixpoint barrels out of the gate with huge aromas of pithy grapefruit and rind, coupled with weighty pine and tropical fruit notes.

Hi-Res packs a tight, bitter punch, that eases off in the initial finish. Sticky pine and hop resin flavors make way for a touch of heat, swiftly moving on to a sweet finish of the liquid, followed by a long, dry, hop-heat remnants on the tongue.

This deep amber brew is rich and packed with non-grapefruit citrus flavors. Under-ripe mango and Gin-like juniper and other herbal characteristics glimmer through the dense hop-cone bitterness and throat heat.

Overall, an enjoyable big-hop brew.

#305: Bandwagon Beer » Tuesday Night Circus (Triple IPA)

Tuesday Night Circus (Triple IPA) | ABV: 13% 
Starting the "What's on Tap?" weekly news posts has gotten a bit dangerous, now that I generally know what's on at all my favorite spots. As soon as I got wind of this hop monster, I knew I'd kick myself if I missed out.

As expected, it's a hop bomb in the nose. Piney and resinous, packed with aromatic notes of passion fruit and blood orange.

It's unexpectedly smooth up front, which deviously turns bitingly bitter with an unabashed booze heat. A hot and earthy brew with strong notes of citrus rind, rye whiskey, and soft caramel.

Timid tasters shouldn't leave just yet, though. Tuesday Night Circus has plenty of bite out of the gate, but it hits it's stride several sips in, becoming deviously drinkable. But, that could just be the 13% talking.

#175: Founders Brewing Co. » Devil Dancer 2012 & 2013 (Triple IPA)

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Devil Dancer (Triple IPA)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Limited)
ABV: 12% | 112 IBUs

The Story? At the end of 2012, I'd realized I'd dragged my heals on picking up one of Founders boldest releases, Devil Dancer. But, low and behold, one lonely bottle remained at Ithaca Coffee Company. The neck label had somehow slipped off and adhered itself right over the barcode, which made the transaction a bit interesting. Arriving home, I felt there was something special about this bottle and decided to cellar it until the following year. Normally, I wouldn't age an IPA, but with such a high ABV and hop content, I figured it was worth a shot.

Flash forward to this past holiday season and my good friends at The Westy have a bottle of 2013 waiting for me. Time for a comparison to see how things change.

2012 | Rating: 9.4/10
The Beer: This Devil wastes no time kicking the gate down with a huge, pungent nose full of sweet raisin and fruitcake... and booze, of course. A ring of ivory head caps the deep, murky copper body.

Massive mouthfeel, dense body with plentiful flavors of dates and hot hops. Even with over a year of aging, firm hop bitterness is still present throughout. Awesomely boozy, silky, and sticky, heading into barleywine territory, but drier and more burly. All that wrapped up with a nice dry finish. Wonderful.

2013 | 9/10
The Beer: This year's Devil is similarly represented, but the ring of head is white and the body more of a murky light brown, neither having darkened with age yet. The nose is similar, but with more of the dry hop shining through and not nearly as pungent and boozy. Sweet raisin aromas are still quite present.

Flavor-wise, 2013 bursts out much brighter with a pine and resin finish. There's still distinct raisin notes and high malt and booze presence, but with more bitter and bright and less spice and depth.

Overall, fresh or aged, Devil Dancer is in the top of Founder's 12 oz. offerings, but in this bloggers opinion the aromas, spice, and sweeping complexity is worth the wait.

#140: Green Flash Brewing Co. » Green Bullet (Triple IPA)

Green Flash 9th Anniversary offering hits seasonal rotation...

The Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
The Brew: Green Bullet (Triple IPA)
Availability: 12 oz. & 650 mL Bottles
ABV:  10.1
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Back in 2011, Green Bullet was Green Flash's celebratory, 9th anniversary beer, which was met with fan acclaim and a bit of cult status. For 2013, this Triple IPA is available throughout the U.S., having been bottled for the first time.

The beer takes it's moniker from its namesake, one of two New Zealand hop varieties used in the brew. If you like single and double IPAs, why not keep going, right?

The Beer? I poured Green Bullet into my favorite wide-mouth wine glass (I really need to get a tulip glass) to a hazy, translucent caramel appearance and as slim amount of white head.

Bright citrus, candy sugars, lemon, and grapefruit are notable in the nose, which is more earthy than bitter. Alternatively, the taste is highly bitter. Tart, lemony, grass bitterness dominates with a parching finish.

Pungent, piney, and spicy - this triple delivers along with plenty of boozy esters that don't hide the 10.1%. All that said, it's highly enjoyable the whole way through the glass and never tiresome.

Overall, a solid hop-bomb that's worth checking out.