Stone brewing co. - Thunderstruck double IPA 19thAnniversary

With fall and winter quickly approaching I'm running out of time to constantly talk about ipa's. Soon I'll be spouting off about browns and stouts and porters and oktoberfesters, but before I do all that I have to tell you to go buy Stone's new Anniversary ale. Of course it's a giant hop bomb, that's expected. What's new and awesome here is the use of 100% Australian hops. Malt too. 4 hops specifically: topaz and galaxie but also newcomers ella and vic secret. The use of these make this beer one intense tropical fruit tasting, super sticky and dank ipa. To no surprise either as Stone is known for being kings of the ipa in my opinion. Sort of a heavy hitter at 8.7% abv this one is sure to please you hop heads searching for the new what's next. Cheers!

My Score: 98

Rate Beer:  97

Beer Advocate: 90

Deschutes Brewery - Fresh Squeezed IPA

welcome to michigan deschutes! i'm very happy to finally be getting this Oregon brewery on the regular. having just tried this beer yesterday i can happily say i'm eager for more. this year round ipa offers such a juicy, citrusy flavor given to it by the citra and mosaic hops. two of my favs. great malt balance, this beer doesn't have too big of a mouth feel. very easy drinking at 6%abv. this is one of those ipas that has such a balance and just the right amount of sweetness that is going to make you want one after another. pair with seafoods, red sauce pastas and cold cuts. duh. cheers!

my score: 100

rate beer: 98

beer advocate: 95

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BLACKROCKS BREWERY 51K IPA

This one is for my Michigan beer geeks who read this, however few there may be. Yes, another IPA. I had the pleasure a few months back of trying a delicious canned brew from Blackrocks brewery out of the great north... the Upper Peninsula! Blackrocks brewery has now acquired distribution into the lower half of the state, which means elsewhere soon enough. As of this week you can start finding their great canned line wherever finer beers are sold. The first one I'd recommend and the first I've tried was the 51K IPA. It has all the wonderful floral and citrus notes you'd expect from a midwestern IPA. Nice alcohol at 7%. Some might be reminded of a certain beer with a couple hearts, but this beer stands on its own. A great balance of malt and hops, I sure can't wait to try the rest of their beers. I can tell Blackrocks is going to be around for quite a while with flavors like this. Cheers!

Stone Brewing IPA

Hops? Yup, lots. Malt? It's in there, promise. Alcohol? Yeah, that's there too at 6.9%. One of the best selling IPA's is brought to you by Stone. First introduced in 1997, this perfect example of the west coast IPA is bursting with citrus and floral hop flavors and aromas. Notes of pine explode from the glass. Fitted with Magnum, Chinook & Centennial hops Stone IPA is a dry biting beast. Nice body and nice carbonation, nothing about this beer is offensive and honestly it's a very refreshing IPA. Pair with cheese, salads... fuck, it's bbq season. Grill some chicken and fish and keep these as handy as the lighter fluid. Cheers!

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My Score: 1oo

Rate Beer: 1oo

Beer Advocate: 94

Great Lakes Brewing_Chillwave Double IPA

Yup. More IPA's. I can't help it and I just love when one of my favorite hops gets shown off. Chillwave is a blend of Mosaic and Nugget hops. There's a nice sweetness in there from the honey malt too. This is a great hop bomb. Upfront bitterness to a nice dry after taste. Citrusy and floral. Formerly called Alchemy Hour, paying homage to the icy cold lake Erie surfers who brave the freezing temps to shred the gnar. This seasonal IPA always comes around right as spring starts to push it's way out of winter's butthole and its timing is impeccable. Chillwave also clocks in at 9.4%abv so the buzz I currently have is telling me that I've done my work here. Cheers!

My Score: 1oo

Rate Beer: 1oo

Beer Advocate: 95

Sierra Nevada _ Hop Hunter IPA

If I may quote (be lazy) the Sierra website: "Hop Hunter IPA harnesses the complex flavors of just-picked hops through an all-new method of steam distilling wet hops before they even leave the fields. This revolutionary technique captures and intensifies the natural flavors, creating a unique and intensely aromatic beer. Our custom process gathers pure hop oil which, when combined with traditional whole-cone hops in the brew kettle and in our Hop Torpedo, makes for an incredible IPA experience." I have a source that says they hired the guy at Crest toothpaste who distills the mint leaves. Who knows!

That being said, not only does this beer push new boundaries for brewing, the owner of Lagunitas was trying to sue Sierra over label likeness. Claiming Hop Hunters label looked too similar to the flagship Lagunitas IPA. You be the judge. The lawsuit was dropped because of all the negative feedback from the beer community. Either way, this shit is amazing. It smells like weed. That's always good. Cheers!

My Score: 98

Beer Advocate: 91

Rate Beer: 97

Omnipollo _ Fatamorgana Imperial IPA

This is some low key, headbanging shit right here I'm letting you in on. Don't you fucking tell nobody. This "brewery" was started by two Swedish gents back in 2011. They think up these ridiculously wonderful brews in their native land, then travel all around the planet to make them with other brewers. It's what's referred to as a nomadic style of brewing. This specific beer is insane.

Drawing inspiration from saisons, this oat/wheat IPA is unlike most any others you've tried. Pours so murky and smells so sweet and citrusy. Hops include colombus, citra and centennial. 8%abv so on the lower side of a double IPA. This thing is in a league of it's own. Plus, the bottle is dope as fuck. Made right here in the US. Find this! Drink this! Cheers!

My Score: 97

Beer Advocate: 97

Rate Beer: 98

Lagunitas Brewing - Night Time Black IPA

I wish more breweries made them, or at least made them this good. Black IPA's are in a league of their own. With all the characteristics of an IPA, juicy and citrus flavors and bitter, sometimes dry, but with roasted malts. Taking your palate to a whole different place.

First came the Lagunitas Day Time, which is a great session IPA. Low abv and extreme drinkability was the idea behind that one. Well, every yin has it's yang. Night time is the dark, dinner beer. Bigger abv at 7.9% yet hardly noticeable. Last year it was available in 22oz bottles but this year it has been put into 6 packs. Cool. More for less. This beer is available in Jan/Feb. Cheers!

My Score: 100

Rate Beer: 99

Beer Advocate: 92

Bell's - Hopslam Double IPA

It's back again. That time of year I wait very impatiently for. The return of the ever-dank, Hopslam. I suppose I could chalk it up to my taste buds having the memory of a hamster, but this year it's just ever so delicious. Not that it isn't every time I have it, but I'm just glad it's around again. This 10% American Double IPA is brewed with honey and dry hopped with Simcoe. Not to mention the 6 other hop varieties it's actually brewed with. It's a very floral and fruity hopped brew. You only get Hopslam once a year so good luck fighting the hop hoarders for it. Though I hear there was an abundance of the stuff made this year and even grocery stores are carrying it. Hopefully you like in an area that gets Bell's, otherwise you should consider beer trading. Google that shit and get with the times. Your mouth wants you to put this in it and your genitals want to piss it out. Cheers!

My Score: 1oo

Rate Beer: 1oo

Beer Advocate: 99

Victory - Hop Ranch Imperial IPA

I think I said I was going to write about stouts all winter. Or maybe just toyed with the idea. Either way, I changed my mind. I opened and inserted into my face Victory's Hop Ranch just a bit ago and decided I wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying this juicy bitch. It's an Imperial, so already I expected big. But what this beer looks like, and what this beer tastes like, are two different things. The lightest straw yellow I've ever seen in an IPA with this much flavor. In my light it almost looks like an unfiltered pilsner. Good carbonation, mid to light. Crisp on the tongue. Very citrus and bitey bitterness. Doesn't really dry the mouth out. I'm stoked on this beer. I don't know that I've had it before and I really enjoy it. Oh, it's also 9% and I don't think I realized it before I smashed through a glass. Certainly can't taste that. Bravo, Victory. Another one crushed. Cheers!

My Score: 97

Rate Beer: 99

Beer Advocate: 94

Kuhnhenn - Dripa

The ever elusive Dripa. Once found all around Michigan at all times has now been brought down to, maybe they have it, maybe they don't. Even it's consistency is inconsistent. Yet, it remains one of the best IPA's I've ever had. Double Rice IPA. Someone once argued with me that rice doesn't belong in beer. That it's left for the Bud's and the Miller's to fuck up beer that way. I farted in that persons general direction. Rice does belong in beer. The gold medals they have won for this beer proves it. Rice allows the character of the hop to walk right up to your lips and punch your tongues face. Finishes so clean without any hop residue. Insanely easy to drink, which may pose a problem since it's 9.5%abv. I think the worst part about this beer is that it's rarely bottled and absolutely never distributed. You can usually find it on draft either at a bar or at the brewery itself, though. Thankfully growlers of the stuff as long as they have it. So, if you haven't already, go visit Kuhnhenn. They also own a bed and breakfast across the street should you get blitzed. Don't for get to order some amazing Vincenzo's pizza while you're there! Cheers!

My Score: 100

Rate Beer: 98

Beer Advocate: 98

Odd Side Ale's El Dankerino

A lot of people try to mimic the bold style of a west coast IPA, and few get it right. Odd Side kind of nails it. As far as I'm concerned, it's the mid-west equivalent of Pliny the Elder. Had that beer before? Think my claim is ridiculous? Suck it. I've done the taste test and they're not far from each other. Dankerino is a juicy double IPA with notes of citrus, pineapple and a nice pine bite. Just bitter enough but still smooth drinking. Packs a sly punch at 10% too. The name just seals the deal for me. It really is a "dank" beer and the artwork is great. OVER THE LINE!

My Score: 90

Beer Advocate: 89

Rate Beer: 92

Southern Tier's Warlock stout

All pumpkin everything. So, I already covered Pumking, why not keep it going? All you pumpkin haters can suck it, don't drink it if you don't like it. Still haven't gotten your fix? Southern Tier offers another pumpkin-packed brew for your throat hole. This time, a stout. Expect big, bold flavors commonly offered by Southern Tier. Don't leave out big abv's. Dust off those ugg boots because it's time to get white girl wasted on the tasty fall nectars. There isn't much to say separate from what I had said on Pumking, just this time it's darker, more bold and still delicious. This treat comes in 22oz bottles only or draft if you're lucky. Pair it with some chilly ass weather and your favorite boo thang. Cheers, babes.

My Score: 89

Rate Beer: 97

Beer Advocate: 89

Lagunitas Sucks

So I've probably written on more beers from Lagunitas than anyone, but, it's sort of hard not to talk about all of their work when it's some of the best around and certainly one of my top favorite breweries. For so many reasons beyond beer, too. So they have this seasonal release called Brown Shugga' and at one point in time they were setting out to make another yearly batch, but something didn't turn out quite right and what they had was an entirely different beast. They decided to call it Sucks, mostly as a joke that Lagunitas can't get anything right. Bunch of damn stoners. But, alas, as an accident they just so happened to create one of my favorite beers. But even it too, was to be released seasonally, Not anymore. Ladies and Gents, I give you the year-round, 32oz (that's 1 quart) of liquid gold. Sucks can now be found everywhere, forever. Thanks to the new Chicago brewery Lagunitas can keep up with their ever increasing demands. If you ever find yourself in Chicago with a spare several hours, do yourself a favor and go to the brewery. I promise you'll be blown away. Sucks is a cereal medley of grains; barley, rye, wheat and oats. Liberally dry hopped for dankness. I can't tell you what hops they use because, well, they don't tell anyone. Jerks. Just trust me, go drink a lot of this beer. Cheers!

My Score: 99

Rate Beer: 100

Beer Advocate: 97

THREE FLOYD'S "ZOMBIE DUST"

American Pale Ale. Not quite an IPA, but some come damn near. If you live near Indiana you're fortunate enough to get a hold of one of the better representations of the style. Three Floyd's Zombie Dust. This beer showcases the Citra hop and while it's only 50 ibu, it's still very full bodied, aromatic and hoppy. Citra hops are just what they sound like, giving off orange and grapefruit aromas. Three Floyd's doesn't have a far distribution, as they are still a fairly smaller brewery, so if you're ever travelling to the Chicago area I'd suggest making a detour. They make other amazing beers but this is made year round and it's worth the trip. Drink This beer for breakfast.

Cheers! -Dave

Beer Advocate: 100

Rate Beer: 100 

STONE'S SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS BLACK IPA

Hoppy and roasty. Think big coffee porter style but also with a large focus on the hop profile. American black ales or, black ipa's, when done well can empart a huge amount of flavors. Stone's Sublimely self-righteous black ipa nails this style and luckily it's available year round. Roasted malts give the toffee, coffee notes while the large amount of hops bring out juicy grapefruit. Big abv at 8.7. This beer hits every time and pairs great with damn near anything barbequed. Most places that carry Stone's beers can get this if they don't already carry it. You should probably already be drinking this. Cheers! -Dave

Beer advocate: 94

Ratebeer: 100 

Thirsty Thursdays with Dave: Lagunitas IPA

Most people hear IPA (India, not Indiana pale ale) and think of the most overwhelming bitterness and it turns them off. Maybe they just haven't had the right one. Here in the Mitten, we've had Bell's two-hearted shoved down our throats. I do mean that in the best way possible (it was, after all, rated one of the best IPA's in the world. Twice.) but some may not know that IPA's aren't always tongue crushing. For instance, Lagunitas IPA. The west coast has a very distinct style of IPA's which are more citrus-based than anything, as the mid-west and east coast offers more earthy or floral styles. Lagunitas is everywhere finer beers are sold. Pair with cheeses, fish or chicken taco's or, the sun, the beach and a fat joint. Cheers and mahalo!

-Dave