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Founders Brewing - Double Trouble Imperial IPA

A little bit sweet, a little bit bitter, a little juicy and dank, a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. Oh, how I love me some seasonal releases. Especially from Founders. Also, ya know... IPAs forever. Weighing in at 86 IBU's and 9.4% abv so it's a big juicy bitch and I love her. This one never disappoints and honestly will hold it's own with any other highly touted DIPAs. Definitely some citrus hops in there but unfortunately I can't tell you what else is in there because they just don't tell ya! I'm just here to tell you that if you've been neglecting your local beer store, stop that right now. Go grab what's left of these majestic four packs and fire up a giant blunt. Prepare for your favorite summer day. Cheers!

My Score - 1oo

Rate Beer - 99

Beer Advocate - 94

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Dogfish Head - Festina Peche Berliner Weisse

Considered a bit of a neo-berliner, Dogfish Head's Festina Peche is one of my favorite summer seasonals. This year seems to be a bit more on the tart-side which, for my money, is great. Peach sugars are included in the fermentation process so the yeast is farting all that nice peachy flavor right into the brew. It's a light peach too so this isn't really that overly sweet type of brew. Extremely drinkable and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year. It almost has a pinot grigio essence to it and would pair great with the same things a white wine would pair with: fish, chicken and salads. A hazy straw color with a fluffy white head, the nose upon first pouring reminds me of what your sock would smell like after cutting the grass. I mean that in the best way possible. It's a little sweet on the nose but the funk is there. Berliners are meant to be drinkable and this one rings in at 4.5%abv so you can have more and more. A nice alternative to the overly sweet shandy beers that tend to find their way around this time of year. Cheers!

say hey to dogfish head! Twit - Insta

My Score_80

Rate Beer_60

Beer Advocate_83

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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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Green Flash - Silva Stout

Ever since trying my first Green Flash brew when I had met their marketing team, I knew these guys had a penchant for big flavors. Just one sip of that west coast IPA and they had a fan for life. Now, I've had their double stout, and while it is delicious, it is not what I expected out of the Silva. Silky and creamy, and this amazing butterscotch flavor I have never tasted from a barrel-aged stout. Even on the nose you get that burnt sugar smell, like a crème brûlée. As far as I've read this is a blended stout. They first age the double stout for 17 months(!) in bourbon barrels, then blend in fresh stout as to not overwhelm the palate with whatever happened in those barrels. Sure there's the usual roasty-chocolatey niceness that comes with stouts, but this one has that little something else that I've just never come across in an aged beer. Which makes for a very unique and desirable brew. Cheers!

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Flying Monkeys Brewery: The Matador version 2.0 - El Toro Bravo

Have you ever been inside of a humidor? It's a very distinct smell. Ever wonder what it would be like to burn one down and then use the ashes to make a beer that tasted just like it? Wonder no more. This version of Flying Monkeys The Matador dark rye ale is aged on a bed of Spanish Cedar. This process marries the beer with the flavors of the wood and, with the spiciness of the rye malt, leaves this beer with an amazing flavor and mouth-feel. A little on the beefier side in the mouth, along with a huge 10.10% abv Flying Monkeys is no stranger to gigantic flavors and huge beers. This beer is no exception. I can only imagine chewing the perfect medium-rare steak and sipping this in unison. The flavors were almost meant to be. Drink it now or cellar this beast for up to 2 years and see where it goes. Cheers!

My Score: 97

Rate Beer: 95

Beer Advocate: 87

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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