Brewmaster Jack Hoppines Is A Warm Pun Double IPA: Brewed in Northhampton Massachusetts, this beer comes in at a strength of 8.2% abv and contains 100 IBUs worth of Moteuka and Galaxy hops. I admit, I’ve never ever heard of Moteuka hops before, but some quick googling revealed that it’s a cross breed of Saaz and unspecified New Zealand hops that’s supposed to give off a lime like mojito flavour (click here for more information). I received this beer as the first day selection of my Advent Calendar swap with my father, an annual tradition that we’ve started each December as a fun way to welcome the holidays.

Flavour: Initially it features a sweet honey beginning accented by notes of fresh honeydew melons that lead into a caramel malty middle encompassed in gooseberries and lychee fruits. As it leads into the finish there’s a distinctive passion fruit presence followed by nuances of citrus rind bitterness that linger ever so slightly on the aftertaste.

Overall Impression: Surprisingly low bitterness for the IBUs and a rather interesting fruity flavour, I’ve never had a beer with the Moteuka hop before so I thought it was quite unique and rather tropical in nature. The only thing I was hoping for was just a bit more of doughy a malt presence that I crave in Double IPA’s, but this was still very enjoyable nonetheless

Rating: Very good at 7.5/10, worth a try!

Food Pairing: If you were to ever use an IPA to make an ice cream float, this would be a great candidate. Otherwise, pair it up with some grilled pork chops smothered in a tropical pineapple or mango salsa.

It seems like they have an interesting barrel program going on at the brewery, just look at these old barrels and what they are filled with. If I ever get a chance, I’ll see if I can track one of these down!