20 Years India Pale Ale
Two Brothers Brewing Company + Tap House

Well, the morass of the past few days is finally behind me! The CANQuest's backlog is lighter, the reviews heavier, the reefer emptier & I am drunker. Well, the latter is kind of tough to quantify, but my tolerance must be sky-high by now. My county (Lancaster) is pushing to reopen in defiance of our governor's orders, so I am laying low & staying in even harder than before. This means increased opportunities to drink beer, especially since the backlog is still quite extensive. My next horizontal is of/from Two Brothers from Illinois. Either I got these in one of excursions or local, in-person trader @tone77 dropped them off at some point. Hmm.

From the CAN: "Celebrating Twenty Years of Chicago Craft"; "77 IBU"; "Over the past 20 years, Two Brothers Brewing Company has strived to create high-quality, well-balanced beers that push the boundaries of flavor and innovation. Our 20th Anniversary IPA is no exception. Brewed with the new experimental Denali hop, our anniversary IPA offers a unique signature that our fans have grown accustomed to with our beers. Remaining 100% family owned and staunchly independent through it all has allowed us to brew this way and without compromise. We thank you for your support through our 20 Years of Chicago Craft brewing."; "Twenty Years and Just Getting Started [-] Cheers! Jim Ebel Co-Founder Jason Ebel Co-Founder".

I got some fizzing & foaming through the vent when I initially Crack!ed it open, so I went into emergency Crack! & Glug procedures to get things back under CANtrol. I ensured that the tongue was fully disengaged, Glugged about a half-a-glassful & allowed it to foam on its own. I got two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with good retention as a result. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose was rich with pineapple and caramel. Liquefied pineapple upside-down cake! Mmm. Mouthfeel was big, full & creamy, like a dollop had been scooped into my mouth & onto my tongue. The taste was almost CANdy-like in terms of its pineapple quality & if not CANdy, then dried pineapple. Either way, it was very fruity with a slight alcohol burn. 8.2% ABV?!? I didn't realize! Holy … It was much too smooth. Needless to say, I was really digging this blast from the past! The pineapple flavor carried through the entirety of the drink. Finish was surprisingly semi-sweet & entirely dangerously drinkable. Phew. YMMV.

 

The definition of an all around good dipa. Nice hop spiciness to go with grapefruit, orange, and lemon. Malt is balanced in well, body is prototypical to style. Aromas are balanced and pleasant. No glaring weaknesses

 

 

Better than I thought it would be, to be honest. Very drinkable at 8.2%. Glad I was able to try it and a big thanks to my friend for the free can!

 

 

 

12oz can
A - huge ivory head holds excellent retention atop a hazed amber colored ale
S - earthy and herbal nose with some citric hops and caramel malt
T - bitter, zesty hops own the palate; notes of orange and grapefruit, some passion fruit and mango, caramel malt and honey
M - fuller body, semi dry & bitter finish
O - not my favorite DIPA. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.

Slightly hazy yellow-orange body, fizzy solid white head, plenty of carbonation, dots of lace. Nose is dank, lemony, mineraly, orangish, mango. Taste steps back and offers a good mix of hops but less nuanced and clear. Bitterness is mild, perhaps overly balanced by the malt sweetness which has stealthy flavor (read: next to none, just a toasty hint). I miss that dank element, it's one of my favorites. Body is medium, slightly coarse carbonation, a bit syrupy.
Well made IPA with good potency and a strong advocate for experimental hops. Especially for an anniversary beer, this was not bold nor original, but it was tasty and crafty. Cheers, congratulations on 20 solid years!

 

 

Tasted in a 12 oz snifter from draft at The Vine on May 12, 2017.