The weather might not show it, but spring is on the way and that means it's time to try out some hoppy new ales.
As you know by now if youve been following along with LBLF, the first Tuesday of every month is Top Three Tuesday where I share my current favorite beers. I would pour these beers directly into your mouths if I could, but TTT is the next best thing.
As the weather warms (sorta), Im craving hoppy, drinkable beers. Were gonna do this months TTT by hop intensity starting with a new favorite of mine:
Two Brothers Sidekick Extra Pale Ale
Sidekick is a 5.1% Extra pale ale with 36.1 IBUs of bitterness. The beer is brilliantly clear with a beautiful, rocky, voluminous head. The aroma starts out floral with a light fruitiness and a very light, bready malt.
The taste kicks in with a clean hop bitterness and similarly floral and fruity hop flavor.
What makes this beer remarkable is its amazing drinkability. Its one of those beers you could easily sip on all day.
The beautiful (though fragile) Spiegelau IPA glass above work wonders to amplify the hoppy aroma and head retention for this lovely beer.
Next up! Rivertowns Lil Sipa, a 4.5% ABV session IPA
Lil Sipa brings a more aggressive hop bitterness than the Sidekick. The aroma is a complex hop profile, all together spicy, floral and notes of citrus and stone fruit due to the Citra, Galaxy, Columbus, and Cascade hops they use.
The flavor is peppery, dry and very hop forward. The malt melts to the background with just a hint of oyster crackeriness. The hop bitterness remains pleasant here despite the 55 IBUs of bitterness and light malt flavor.
This is another easy drinking beer worthy of its 16 oz. can.
Last, but certainly not least: Great Lakes Chillwave (used to be called Alchemy Hour) Double IPA
Compared to our other easy drinking beers, Chillwave comes in fierce with 80 IBUs and 9.4% ABV. Its got a heavenly aroma of pine and mango and is replete with flavors of passion fruit and citrus.
Despite the hop assault, its got a great malt/hops balance owed to the honey malt used.
Chillwave is perhaps my favorite beer from Great Lakes. It is only available this time of year so jump on it if you see it.
It is absolutely worth the $10 per four pack youll likely find it for, I promise. It may actually rival Bells mania-inducing Hopslam. Sacrilege, I know.
For the latest and greatest on local beer, dining and cooking, click here for LoveBeer, LoveFood.
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