2nd Degree IPA²
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Called "Vengeance" when I was there yesterday but this is the beer.

Pours a clear copper amber with a thin white head and little lacing.

Smell is dominated by citrus hops with a very nice malt sweetness. Very well balanced.

Taste is extremely well balanced. Lots of bold citrus hop bitterness mixes well with a strong malt backbone all the way through. Big on flavor.

Mouthfeel is very nice and remarkably light. Very drinkable for a DIPA. The 10 oz. pour is perfect.

No real evidence I could taste or smell of Belgian yeast as noted in the description but that's not a complaint. This is almost certainly the best IH beer I have had ever. Great job!

HV

Hand bottle courtesy of hopdog. Thanks Steve!
Pours a nice medium amber with a lasting offwhite colored head. Smell is nice and fruity with a good sweet hop nose, but balanced and not ridiculously hoppy. Some very light metallic notes and alcohol in the nose perhaps. Smooth and very slick in the mouth, with a good piney and fruity bitterness that lingers. Kind of a strong, lasting odd bitterness the more I drink. Nice hop flavor, but still with smooth and sticky malt behind it and a bit of an overly chalky lasting bitterness. Nice beer overall.

Pours with a frothy, light tan colored head that starts out about a half-finger thick, but it remains quite persistant for a long time and even is able to produce some lacing patterns on the sides of my glass as I take each sip. the beer is a clear, deep, red-amber color that shows a brilliantly clear, deeply red stained, vibrant copper color when held up to the light. The aroma, sticky with hop notes, is noticeable as I am pouring this brew. At first smell the beer is very herbal, but an inspection of the aroma yields much more fruit-like hop notes. Massive tropical fruit notes of lychee, apricot, and light pineapple are accented by notes of bergamot syrup, and über-ripe tangelo are the dominant note at first. But then a substantial malt character starts to become noticeable, more towards the finish but with ample notes of toasted malt, biscuit-like grain and a powdered bread crust note mix in with the more noticeable fruit notes. Strangely the strong herbal notes that were noticed at first now only play a boosting, back-drop of a role that adds a touch of spice / edge to the other hop notes.

The first sip is much more herbal than the bulk of the aroma might have suggested. Piquant, herbal notes reminiscent of hemp oil, aromatic almost zesty menthol, substantial pine sap and a huge, biting bitterness serve as the dominant flavor notes. The hop fruit notes are still noticeable in the flavor, but play more of a supporting role (though they still play a substantial role); flavors of lychee, candied orange peel, ruby red grapefruit and tangelo all are noticeable from the beginning through to near the finish were the herbal, astringent, aggressive hop bitterness drowns them ultimately into submission. This has a fair amount of carbonation to it, it is prickly, with a zip to it that keeps it from being creamy and full. The body is full, lightly viscous, but not so heavy that I feel like this is a sipping brew (which is a good thing).

As the beer warms up a ways from its initial 50ºF / 10ºC temperature, the hop flavors become much more fruit balanced. The aggressive (they weren't overly so in the first place though) herbal notes become softer and superseded by zesty, tropical fruit and citrus flavors. Overall the beer becomes much smoother, more easy drinking and even less bitter on the palate.

A great example of a Double IPA, one that is thoroughly enjoyable and as an often-times hop-head, one which I can't put down. This doesn't break any new ground, but does have my preferred balance of punchy hop fruitiness balanced by a supporting cast of herbal hop notes and biting bitterness that I like best in my Double IPAs. Probably loses a couple enjoyment points for no other reason than not being original, which I objectively realize is completely unrealistic in a Double IPA for the most part. I would happily drink this all night though.

This beer came a predominately brown amber that was quite clear with a thick white film that left a mess of lace behind.

Smells of a big hoppy cocktail with a dry base of dry stringent bitterness that unfolds into a floral and aromatic hop with orange and pines. The base is a sweet caramelized sugar and cotton candy.

The taste starts off with a sharp bite of hops that puckers my mouth, but then reveals a sugary sweet barley that moves onto the floral elements of the hops with some grapefruit, orange and a sharp pine. This awesome blend finishes off dry; a bit too much for its own good.

Feels slick and smooth that finishes really clean, but overly dry.

A nice hop assault but a little too puckeringly dry.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this growler...
Appears a transparent orange with a small white head that fades into a mild cap and collar. Spotty lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is creamy, with orange, citrus, candy, flowers, and earthy, mineral notes.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with plenty of citrus, and sweet melon featured in the flavor.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, hoppy, malty, and decently balanced.

''Very strong, super hoppy double IPA was brewed by our own Jenn ''The Hawk'' Hawkins, with 40 pounds of American hops used, this is a ''hop heads'' dream. Jenn suffered 2nd degree burns when some hot wort splashed onto her arm, hence the name."

Served into my 24oz ''Mug Club'' mug.

Smell, Citrus hops, and a profound sweetness.

Taste, Ample bitterness and huge citrus hop flavors. Balanced beautifully by a hefty malt presence. Balance reigns supreme here, with big and bold hop flavors fighting for dominence over the malts. Thankfully the hops win.

Overall, great freaking beer. Make it year round. But with the hop shortage, that would be a dream. If you love hops, order this beer when you see it.