Pour Me: Brew Dog's Hardcore IPA

IPA's are dead. Long live IPA's.

Some days I feel as though I have had every IPA there is, only to try new ones. There are just so, so many. West Coast, East Coast, Central Texas, there are like a million IPA's from a million different places, though, strangely, I have never had an international IPA. Well, that changed with Brew Dog's IPA.

Brew Dog is a Scottish craft brewery, but judging by this bottle alone, I would have assumed it was a West Coast, big-hop IPA. That is the reason why I always glossed over it. Well, I am so pleased I tried it, because it was much different than most of the standard IPA's out there currently.

Hardcore is bold in it's fruitiness. This is not a bad thing. The fruits are complex and interesting, and lend to a very enjoyable beer drinking experience. Hardcore pours a nice, dark amber color, with a nice creamy head that actually sticks around. The top note is bright and crisp, followed by a nice, tasty maltiness, then yields to a fantastic fruity finish.

Hardcore IPA is a pretty great beer. It is an affordable 22oz, but I wish I could get it in a six-pack. Brew Dog has turned my perception of IPA's around a bit: I plan on trying them out a bit more often. They are not all built the same.