2X Ultra IPA

In Miami, there is a restaurant called Titanic, which is also a bar and brewery. They have a couple of seasonal brews alongside their regular offerings, as well as what they call "guest beers" or something like that, basically beers that they didn't brew on the premises but that are supposed to be pretty awesome. Their meatloaf is also a winning item, made in the typical fashion but with the addition of chorizo to give it a kick. But I digress.

One of their seasonal beers, brewed in house, is the 2X Ultra IPA. I gather that it is only for a limited time, so if you are in the area, hurry up and get some. Eric says it is the fruitiest IPA ever, with a sweetness and a mango flavor that gave him pause. It is also very hoppy, with malts you can taste but that are nonetheless overpowered as expected by the hops. As the resident IPA lover, he enjoyed it very much and would drink it again. Be warned: it has a high alcohol content, which I think was in the vicinity of double digits but I cannot recall and it is not posted anywhere that I can find.

Just the facts, ma'am: 2X Ultra IPA, Titanic Brewery, Florida, American Double / Imperial IPA, high alcohol content.

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA

The name of this beer intrigued me because, well, I had no clue what it meant. Namely the "Ottin'" bit, which I kept reading as "otter" because let's face it, otters are adorable. And so it was that I found myself on the website of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, which is located in a place called Boonville, which has its own language. Boonville is in California, which as we know is practically a foreign country, so I was not entirely surprised. But I was amused that the language, called Boontling, was allegedly created "to use in their private conversations, both for their own amusement, and to confound anyone who might overhear them harpin’ (talking). They created new words as they went, trying to shark (stump) their companions." My new goal in life is to use this language whenever possible. I will undertake its study post-hate.

But you are perhaps wondering about the beer itself. I am pleased to report that it was well-received. A dark amber color, it was hoppy as it should be, with some floral undertones that gave it an almost tea-like taste according to Alex. It has a medium body for an IPA and is about as bitter as you would expect. The drinkers compared it to a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA but more brutal, though not quite at the level of a 90 Minute. They very much enjoyed it and would definitely drink it again and seek it out.

And if you were wondering, "Hop Ottin'" means "hard working hops" in Boontling. Grab some chiggrul and this steinber at a tidrik and you're in for some bahl hornin'. Just nee boarch the heelch horn and moshe or you'll end up at the shoveltooth.

Just the facts, ma'am: Hop Ottin' IPA, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, California, American IPA, 7.0% alcohol by volume, 80 IBU.

Victory HopDevil

Once upon a time, there was a beer festival in Fort Lauderdale. And lo, many new beers were tried that day, but the brewery that amazed above all others was, fittingly enough, Victory Brewing Company. Alas, their beers were not available anywhere for the sad drinkers to enjoy again, or at least to test to ensure that they were in fact delicious, and not merely delicious when already very drunk on beer.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is Whole Foods, which has now begun to carry Victory beers. While several options were available, for Eric, lover of IPA's, the choice was clear: HopDevil, the hoppiest beer in the land.

HopDevil is an IPA that goes to 11. Its flavor is a combination of hops, hops, and more hops, with some floral notes somewhere, tooting almost in embarrassment. The bitterness is also cranked up, leaving a sharp tang on your tongue, and there is a relatively high amount of carbonation. Even the smell is very strong; people in the vicinity will know an IPA is being imbibed nearby.

If you do not like IPA's, you absolutely should not drink this beer. If you like IPA's, you may still find this beer overpowering. If you love hops as much as Eric does, you will probably love this beer. Regardless, don't start with this one or almost everything else will taste weak by comparison.

Just the facts, ma'am: HopDevil, Victory Brewing Company, Pennsylvania, IPA, 6.7% alcohol by volume.

Ribbit! Definitely hoppy.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

While not an IPA, which as previously noted is the preferred style in this household, the Sam Adams Boston Lager is probably the second most purchased beer (next to "something new that looks tasty"). Brewed by the Boston Beer Company, which technically produces most of its beer in Cincinnati, it's the original offering that the company's founder concocted in his kitchen using his great-great-mumble-great grandfather's recipe.

I've had the pleasure of visiting their brewery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, which is where I discovered my body's unfortunate aversion to hops. The Jamaica Plain brewery is their testing facility, where thousands of eager beer drinkers line up for a free tour that includes a tasting of three different beers. Few things are more shameful than drinking IBC Root Beer with a bunch of minors while everyone else around you is tasting beers, including one that likely won't make it to market called the California Common (a steam beer, like Anchor Steam or Flying Dog Old Scratch).

But I digress. The Boston Lager is a Vienna style lager, developed in Austria and eventually exported to random places like Mexico, where it became Dos Equis. Among lagers, which is a pretty big category, the Boston Lager is relatively hoppy, and also a bit sweet, even complex, almost more like an ale. Our friend Liz feels patriotic when she drinks it, more American somehow. We must note that the brewers have no familial connection to Samuel Adams, brewer and patriot, but picked him as a mascot to lead Americans in a revolution away from crappy beers. At least, that is the story we tell ourselves.

Just the facts, ma'am: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Boston Beer Company, Massachusetts, Vienna lager, 4.75% alcohol by volume.

There are elves in Vienna, right? They probably like beer.