I sampled Double Jack before giving this one (the base) a try, but here in IL, Dubs was the first IPA of FW to hit the shelf.  Double Jack rocked my world causing me to keep my fridge well stocked with it for at least 3 months straight.  Wanting to sample their Pale Series beer, I was naturally excited when I found Union Jack on the shelf.

It pours a clear, light bronze hue with a dense ivory head.  Honestly, it looked lighter than some APAs I’ve had – my kind of IPA.  The orange hues were most dominant, but for the most part this looked close to the IPAs that 3 Floyds and Founders brew.

The aroma was all about the hops.  Floral, citrus, dank, resinous, pungent, herbal, grassy, honey, piney, woodsy, earthy and fruity notes were all present in this beer.  While there was more focus on the fruity aspects there is something here for every hop head to enjoy.  Not as grapefruit-like as expected, but the citrus aromas are more tangerine, orange, and peach.  There is a nice light caramel touch to the malt providing some sweetness that compliments the honey’d hop characteristics well.

The flavor is phenomenal!  FW does hoppy beers well and it shows.  Union Jack is a hop lovers dream.  Seriously, a few months after I finished my first 6 pack, I had a dream I was enjoying a pint of this on a tropical island.  Even though this beer is full on hops, it is well-balanced with a sweet caramel, biscuit-like malt backbone aid to sugar coat the front of the palate.  From there it becomes an all on assault on the taste buds (in a good way).  The hopping is crisp and clean…like a good IPA should be.  It seemed the bitterness amplified the abv a little as there were times this beer seemed like an Imperial IPA.  It as packed with resinous flavors…that if for sure!  The back half of the sip reveals the pungent dank high alpha hops used for bittering.  Wow!  It is intense.  The aftertaste is that of peach, mango, some apple, and light bready caramel.

Overall, I give this beer the highest grade for many reasons.  It is a quality beer that deserves more attention.  Compared to most IPAs on the market, I’d argue that this is as good as Bell’s Hopslam and Founders Double Trouble…if not in the same vein.  It is that good!

I’m a sucker for these seasonal beers that utilizes wet hop cones.  They provide a very interesting look into the aroma and flavor of the hop without having an insane about of bitterness.  Additionally, I’m not much of a New Belgium fan, but I’m trying to overcome some self induced preconceived notions and giving them another try.  Boy, did it pay off.

This beer is chalk full of yummy, juicy hop flavor!  Both the nose and taste are bursting with citrus and floral hop layers.  The color was a light bronze hue that looked like a very drinkable APA.  There was a fluffy dense head that left rings after ever sip.  Pretty close to Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA as far as the aroma goes.  Citrus notes of pineapple, apple, slight grapefruit, lemon, pine, honey, and herbs made up the hop profile.  It was bright and lively.  Not dank or pungent despite the fact that wet hops were used.  There are some sweet light caramel notes that help to slightly balance out the hops.

The flavor was much the same.  Light sappy hop notes cascaded over my palate in a clean and refreshing way.  Towards the end there was a bitter pop which I assumed was from the Target hops as they were the only variety that was not freshly picked.  This bitterness did have a resinous, pungent aspect to it.  Until that point, the hop profile was mellow and juicy.  Some spicy notes danced around the malt sweetness which heightened the floral components of the hops.  Overall, this was a very good brew which I would like to try again next year.

Lucky Bucket is a lucky find. It pours a cloudy amber and with a full, lacy head that disappears in a few minutes. The nose is very balanced. I expected a more hoppy smell and flavor but was not disappointed by the hop/malt first impression. Whether it’s the aroma or the taste, you can choose which taste you want first, hops or malts. Very interesting! If you go with the hops you’ll notice piney and fresh herbs with a nice bitterness that stays around. If you go with malt you’ll notice the caramel background. After the hops and bitterness this brew gives a sweeter than normal malty taste. Being a sweeter beer guy I like this. The mouthfeel is medium and oily. The finish is subtle and forgettable.

Getting to know the owner of your beer store has so many advantages. Good beer being only one. Thanks Watson, I’ll be back.

Epic Brewing out of New Zealand as not let me down so far.  After trying their strong APA, I thought I’d up the stakes.  Pouring this clear beer reminded me of Odell’s Myrcenary to some degree with its similar gold hue.  A head that laced capped this brew in a dense fluffy way again reminding me of some great double IPAs I’ve had in the past.  While Armageddon is not a I2PA and the abv only clocks in at 6.66% the hop profile on this sucker is huge.

The aroma and taste were both exploding with flavorful hop qualities.  The varieties used are high in alpha acids making for a very bitter beer satisfied the hophead in me, but also allowed me to drink comfortable.  The smooth malt characters are close to their APA Mayhem.  Light caramel notes with touch of toasty grains lay the foundation for a stellar beer.  The finish clean, resinous, and bitter (as expected).  The war I thought my taste buds would have to fight was not as grand as I thought.  Rather, the hops invaded quickly.  Another fine brew from Epic that demands attention.

My first thoughts after taking my first sip were, “This is close to Founders Double Trouble, Stone Ruination, Three Floyds Arctic Panzer, and Lagunitas Hopstoopid” and “Port does their IPAs well, nay outstanding.”  This latter thought is very much true.  Whether it is this beer, Mango, Wipeout, Hop 15, or High Tide, they make some of THE best IPAs on the market.

The malt profile it light and bready sweet.  The hops…huge and in your face and all up in your palate.  Seriously, this beer breaths hops.  When the creamy off white head settled on this clear yellow-golden colored beer all I could smell was hops.  Resins and oils took the offensive!  My nose was filled with the sticky hop quality from the dry-hopping that consisted of Amarillo and Columbus.  These hops brought an aggressive pungent grapefruit aroma along with orange and lemon.  The ABV was evident big time as it stung my nostrils.  Definitively on the fruity side yet piney earthy notes could be found.

Towards the end of the bottle the sediment (probably hops) poured out, but seems to intensify the hop presence (like a built in Randall).  The abv and bitterness combined to almost make me sneeze.  This beer has some heat behind it not to mention a punch.  I’d say the term “bitter” is an understatement.  My breath smelled of hops for hours.  Some malt sweetness lent a minor honey’d quality while the hops coated my tongue, teeth, and roof of my mouth.  More piney now than in the aroma with a slight citrus character.  The finish is dry and rather harsh, but you get a wonderful hop focused aftertaste.  A must have beer for the insane hop junkie.

I can tell you that this beer does not disappoint a year later (I’m sure it would still be good 2 years out if kept in a fridge).  At first pour this beautifully copper-Bourbon beer fell into the glass providing sparks of a vibrant orange as is swished around.  The head that was created boasted a light orange cream color as it was fluffy, dense and formed semi-quickly.  After a year sediment does collect at the bottom so if you are careful you can get two clear glasses when decanted.

I’m not sure if this is dry hopped, but the nose hints towards it.  Even after a year, a huge hop nose rose from the bottle and glass to greet me.  Pine notes prevailed as secondary hints of peach and mango were present.  The abv was minor, yet noticeable.  It, combined with the citrus hop qualities, lend that pineapple syrup smell you get when opening a can of Dole pineapple rings.  Toasty caramel notes are found on the malt side of things. These aromas are all brought together by the abv/tannin dryness.  The French and American oak lays down an earthy dimension without being overpowering (like Two Brothers Heavier Handed was).

With regards to the mouthfeel I’d say it was moderate.  The oak aging added some depth and body even though it was pretty clean.  The hops were earthy, somewhat dank and pungent, and piney.  Tasted like a Northwest Pacific type of hop.  When compared to Rumble, this beer does not have as much of a hoppy punch or pop to it.  The caramel notes provide some deeper flavors that envelop the palate and aid in alleviating the abv intensity.  If you sample some of the sediment in your glass it will possess a bready quality which adds mouthfeel and body.  There is a sharp resiny bitterness towards the finish that reminds you this is a Double IPA.  Overall, I’d say this was an fine oak aged IPA worth getting every year.

Just reading that makes me want to scramble up an Oregon mount and gaze into the summer’s sun. Oh, and drink Inversion. This nice little number from Deschutes pours almost like an amber ale, a nice copper, clear and clean. There is a great off white head that, by the time I started to sip, streaked down in a splotchy lace. The surprising piece upon my first taste was just how malty this brew was for an IPA. There is an accentuated sweetness layered with the citrus and piney hops. While the lingering finish is definitely bitter, the incredible maltiness gives it a sweet note that both coats initially and stays on the back of my tongue, even past the last bite of bitter.

Deschutes has been solid for me, I’ve loved every beer I have tried. They typically have seemed a bit more on the traditional side, which I can appreciate, but with this IPA, it seems as though they’ve gone as far away from the typical as you can. From what I tasted, Inversion is a sweetened, malt-loaded IPA, more reminiscent of a hoppy amber than an IPA. Surprising, but still good. For style, I would have rated it lower, but since I liked it, I’ll happily give it a B+.