I recently acquired a bottle of Hoppy Man from Twisted Pine Brewing Company out of Boulder, Colorado. Considering they don’t distribute to PA, it’s no surprise I’ve never heard of them before. The Hoppy Man bottle has a label display of a Jesus looking figure, and claims to be a dry-hopped 10.5% ABV Double IPA.
Dogfish Head and Sony have teamed up again to bring another “tribute” beer, much like they did last year with Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. This time, Hellhound on my Ale, an Imperial IPA brewed with lemons, is in tribute to bluesman Robert Johnson’s 100th birthday. Interestingly enough, the fact sheet is staggered with 100’s – 100 IBUs, 10.0% ABV, “10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length.”
Russian River Brewing Co. out of Santa Rosa, CA is known in part for two highly sought after beers: Pliny the Elder (Double IPA) and Pliny the Younger (“Triple” IPA). With the latter Younger released only once a year, in very limited quantities (draft only), it’s become one beer craft beer enthusiasts seek out to try. Capone’s Restaurant, just outside of Philadelphia, tapped a keg of Pliny the Younger this past Saturday, and we were lucky enough to sample some.
One of the biggest benefits, and really the reason why I started trading, is getting to sample beer you otherwise couldn’t. Such is the case with Surly Abrasive, a 9% ABV tall-boy canned Double IPA from Minnesota. In a market of hundreds of different Double IPAs, my hope and suspicion is that Abrasive can stand on its own and prove that there’s more to Surly than Darkness.
Ever since I had my first Firestone Walker beer, the 14th Anniversary, I’ve been hooked on a brewery that unfortunately is not easy for me to obtain, though that is changing soon enough. The most recent tick I’ve made to the Firestone line-up is their Double Jack Double IPA that I received as an “extra” in a trade with John on Beer Advocate. So, thanks again John – let’s crack this one open.
