Two Brothers Brewing Company- Hop Juice: And on the 4th day God said, “Let there be hops!”

Anyone who knows Jason personally knows how persistent he can be if he likes something. Well he likes Hop Juice and he made sure that I got a bottle to take home as well. This was not a problem because I am in love with a couple of beers that I have tried from Two Brothers Brewing out of Warrenville, IL.  Let’s hope Jason’s bragging and proselytizing is justified, because I have been looking forward to this for a while.

A couple quick things you should know about hop juice. First of all is a double IPA and it is limited release. So if you don’t have a bottle sitting at home your probably f-----d. Sorry. I guess you can always live vicariously through this review. Hop Juice poured a burnt orange and actually had almost no fizz or foam. Within a minute of sitting in my glass there was no bubbles to be found. The aroma was actually slightly sweet with subtle hints of pine and citrus. It is actually intriguing how light and crisp the scent is for a beer that rocks 100 IBU’s, strange times in beer city.

Hop Juice has a remarkable flavor. I am on a run of good beers right now that makes me want to fly to Vegas. The hops flavors shine through but without any bitterness or oily hop resin. This is not Hop Wallop of Hop Stoopid. Instead the hops complement a sweet and strong base ale by adding notes of piney deliciousness. Unlike other beers in the hop wars, this brew builds a complex and nuanced body of flavors. For some reason it reminded me of a gin and tonic, but in a good way. Two Brothers notches another hole in the proverbial beer belt. If you can track a bottle of this stuff down it is a must try. Good luck beer hunters!

ABV: 9.9%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Buy a case (good luck)

Two Brothers Brewing Company- Hop Juice: This Juice Is Worth The Squeeze

Today I reach a milestone, my 100^th beer reviewed.  I almost missed the count but luckily I got on yesterday to do some site work and realized that I was on the cusp of the century mark.  This poses a bit of a dilemma for me…how should I celebrate the 100^th review and what Craft Beer should it be?  As they say timing is everything and fate is on my side today as yesterday I got to attend the For The Love Of Hops Festival at Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, IL for the release of their Hop Juice double IPA.  The Craft Beer Goddess, Pam, at Finnegan’s started telling me about Hop Juice back in March and I have been patiently waiting for June 12^th since.  So, I’m going local for my 100^th review and seeing that I have an IPA bias it only seems appropriate that Two Brothers Brewing Co’s Hop Juice will be my official 100^th Craft Beer reviewed.

Two Brothers Brewing Company classifies this Craft Beer as a Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) and their website describes Hop Juice as, "Hop Juice is a powerful Imperial IPA.  It is brewed to 9.9% ABV, 100.1 IBU's, and dry hopped with a pound of hops per barrel.  Hop Juice has a very strong aroma of pine and citrus.  This hefty beer is balanced at the start with some nice caramel and brown sugar notes.  Then it has a massive hop flavor and bitterness with some complex fruity characters."  The bottle label goes into a little more detail than the website and reads, "HOP JUICE is one of a series of special limited run beers in styles that are more extreme or unusual.  This one is a real hop blast; dripping with the resiny soul of fresh Northwestern hops.  Don’t come crying to us it it’s too much for you; this one’s for hopheads only!  And get it now, ‘cause when it’s gone, it’s gone.  Boo hoo."

Hop Juice pours a translucent amber/copper color with a ½” wheat colored head and has a massive floral hop aroma with some citrus and fruit scents and is a big 9.9% ABV.

This was a great choice for my 100^th review!  Pam was spot on; this is a phenomenal Craft Beer.  Aside from its striking beauty the aroma is mesmerizing and the flavor is huge.  There is no trace of Hop Juice being a 9.9% ABV brew, no alcohol taste whatsoever.  The fresh hops really dominate the flavor of Hop Juice which is my book is as good as it gets, as I love that fresh hop taste.  Hop Juice is extremely balanced and super hoppy; it starts with a sweet malt flavor and climbs to a huge hop crescendo then transitions to a beautifully sweet finish.  This is easily a top 10 DIPA.  Two Brothers Brewing Company makes some really sweet brews but Hop Juice is by far their greatest creation.  For all you hopheads out there, this is a can’t miss Craft Beer.

ABV: 9.9%

Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy A Case