Double Blizzard
Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American Imperial IPA
Ranked #2,859 - ABV:
- 8.3%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #15,302 - Avg:
- 3.97 | pDev: 5.29%
- Reviews:
- 12
- Ratings:
- From:
- Tröegs Brewing Company
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Avail:
- Winter
- Wants
- 0
- Gots
- 1
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Notes:
Reviews: 12
| Ratings: 37
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3.72/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Years ago, Blizzard of Hops from Troegs was one of my favorite beers of it's type as it was something fun to have during the colder months of the year. Flash forward to last Christmas and this was given to me by my cousin who's now residing near the Troegs brewery in Pennsylvania. This wasn't quite what I hoped it would be but then again, it had been a *very* long time since these guys were one of my favorite breweries and although they don't quite measure up to what I'm accustomed to drinking now, this was a fun beer that was well-crafted and easily enjoyable.
Surprisingly, this was *not* a hazy gold as the label stated but was much more brassy and clear than I expected. While not a bad pour, there could have been more head and a lot more lacing as there were very few bubbles that didn't stay behind as I took my sips. Not a strong aroma to this but there was plenty of honey sweetness, agave nectar, and wheat in the understated nose as it was quite pleasant, for being so muted. Sweetness from the malts, dank hops, turbid melon and cantaloupe rind, and mild weed were in the taste as this turned out to be surprisingly heavy-handed on the palate. Grassy in nature, the aftertaste had some white grape and pine but didn't have that winter crispness that I was expecting out of something with "Blizzard" in it's moniker.
There was enough alcohol in this but with so many hops and so much sweetness and underlying dankness here, it was on par with everything else that was going on. Stamped with a freshest by date of 4/2/20 on the bottom of the can, this held up well as there wasn't any sediment to be seen whatsoever. While not a bad or unbalanced beer, there was too much going on here as this wasn't an improvement over the original. The tingle left on my palate served as a reminder that this was hoppy, but was capable of being so much more. Enjoy it once for the muddled depth and subtle kick that it provided...
1,934 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Years ago, Blizzard of Hops from Troegs was one of my favorite beers of it's type as it was something fun to have during the colder months of the year. Flash forward to last Christmas and this was given to me by my cousin who's now residing near the Troegs brewery in Pennsylvania. This wasn't quite what I hoped it would be but then again, it had been a *very* long time since these guys were one of my favorite breweries and although they don't quite measure up to what I'm accustomed to drinking now, this was a fun beer that was well-crafted and easily enjoyable.
Surprisingly, this was *not* a hazy gold as the label stated but was much more brassy and clear than I expected. While not a bad pour, there could have been more head and a lot more lacing as there were very few bubbles that didn't stay behind as I took my sips. Not a strong aroma to this but there was plenty of honey sweetness, agave nectar, and wheat in the understated nose as it was quite pleasant, for being so muted. Sweetness from the malts, dank hops, turbid melon and cantaloupe rind, and mild weed were in the taste as this turned out to be surprisingly heavy-handed on the palate. Grassy in nature, the aftertaste had some white grape and pine but didn't have that winter crispness that I was expecting out of something with "Blizzard" in it's moniker.
There was enough alcohol in this but with so many hops and so much sweetness and underlying dankness here, it was on par with everything else that was going on. Stamped with a freshest by date of 4/2/20 on the bottom of the can, this held up well as there wasn't any sediment to be seen whatsoever. While not a bad or unbalanced beer, there was too much going on here as this wasn't an improvement over the original. The tingle left on my palate served as a reminder that this was hoppy, but was capable of being so much more. Enjoy it once for the muddled depth and subtle kick that it provided...
1,934 characters
3.81/5 rDev -4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Gifted to me. Pours nearly clear yellow with almost no head and no lacing, just a ring. Aromas are sweet and citrus-pithy. Flavors follow, only mild bitterness, but I just don't enjoy that pith note. Very smooth, with a surprisingly light mouthfeel. It's okay, but glad I only have one.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Gifted to me. Pours nearly clear yellow with almost no head and no lacing, just a ring. Aromas are sweet and citrus-pithy. Flavors follow, only mild bitterness, but I just don't enjoy that pith note. Very smooth, with a surprisingly light mouthfeel. It's okay, but glad I only have one.
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3.99/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very pale color with not much lacing. For an Imperial IPA it's leaning heavily on a malty nose. Plenty of malt on the palate with a hint of agave sweetness. Bits of fruit here and there as well as a pinch of pine but I'd say this beer leans heavily on the sweet malty side.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very pale color with not much lacing. For an Imperial IPA it's leaning heavily on a malty nose. Plenty of malt on the palate with a hint of agave sweetness. Bits of fruit here and there as well as a pinch of pine but I'd say this beer leans heavily on the sweet malty side.
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4.35/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Really nice frothy head with great retention. Leans towards a sweet IPA but is really nice and silky smooth. Reminds me of Torpedo. Good beer, highly recommend. Only blemish is the aroma is pretty dull/muted.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Really nice frothy head with great retention. Leans towards a sweet IPA but is really nice and silky smooth. Reminds me of Torpedo. Good beer, highly recommend. Only blemish is the aroma is pretty dull/muted.
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3.69/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Best by 4/2/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a yellowish golden with a subtle haze but still has some clarity to it; small white head that fades leaving decent retention and lacing. The aromas have a nice balance between tropical, citrus and floral notes. Some bread and crackers. Malts are there. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. Lemon seems to lead the way. Some orange and peach along with some hints of grapefruit and apricot. Lots of fresh grass. Moderate bitterness. Malts do their thing without dominating. Finishes dry. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp, slick and smooth.
This is a solid DIPA. It's clean, crisp and refreshing. It might be mind blowing, but it's simply enjoyable stuff. Not bad at all. I like it.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Best by 4/2/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a yellowish golden with a subtle haze but still has some clarity to it; small white head that fades leaving decent retention and lacing. The aromas have a nice balance between tropical, citrus and floral notes. Some bread and crackers. Malts are there. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. Lemon seems to lead the way. Some orange and peach along with some hints of grapefruit and apricot. Lots of fresh grass. Moderate bitterness. Malts do their thing without dominating. Finishes dry. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp, slick and smooth.
This is a solid DIPA. It's clean, crisp and refreshing. It might be mind blowing, but it's simply enjoyable stuff. Not bad at all. I like it.
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3.71/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The pour isn’t hazy at all however, the taste isn’t too bad. I don’t think the double blizzard is as juicy or citrusy as the single blizzard but, is still solid. The mouthfeel is super thin and definitely should have more of a backbone for a DIPA. Solid beer overall just an odd DIPA.
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look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The pour isn’t hazy at all however, the taste isn’t too bad. I don’t think the double blizzard is as juicy or citrusy as the single blizzard but, is still solid. The mouthfeel is super thin and definitely should have more of a backbone for a DIPA. Solid beer overall just an odd DIPA.
290 characters
4.26/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A shoutout to Ryan for this unavailable-to-me beer.
Pint can - BB 04/02/20 - poured into an RC IPA glass at about 42F.
Pours a light honey golden colour with a slight orange cast, and only just enough haze to obscure fingerprint detail. A very short white head begins to build before quickly dissipated, leaving nothing but a razor-thin collar. Some slow effervescence can be seen.
Nose: Really nice, simple malt bill here. Pale, with lots of sweet golden malted barley. It brings mostly honey, with a hint of biscuit, and just the faintest hint of blonde toast. The aroma is very subtle, and perhaps it needs to warm up. My refrigerator is making all my beer much colder than normal, so to be fair, I'll take my time with this. Currently, I detect lots of ripe melon, particularly honeydew and a touch of cantaloupe. There's a bit of sweet ripe papaya, tangerine, noble fir, and a whisper of blue raspberry as well as wintergreen. Very interesting. I dectect no overrule peachy/apricot notes from Galaxy, and though the Centennial was only used in boil, it actually reminds me of Centennial dry hop aromas. Warming up, I'm starting to get noticeable pineapple and lychee on the front end. It's still a quiet nose, but it's very pleasant.
Palate: The beer greets the palate with that honey malt sweetness. While the malt is extremely honeyed, and lightly bready, it isn't extremely sweet. Definitely sweet, but not cloying like the nose could lead one to believe. The super clean ale yeast used really plays well with this light, simple malt base, as it's so clean, it needn't hide. Next comes the hops. Ever since my love-at-first-sight with Nelson, I've been waiting to find a hop varietal that is equally indescribable. While there are several different hops in this one, whatever they did when they got together is something greater than the sum of their parts. Centennial is contributing these really unique hard candy flavours. Chinook is lending its resinous pine forest character, El Dorado, some sweet tropical fruit, and Galaxy finally shows up in the finish with some dusty peach and dried papaya, as well as its unique bitterness. Single notes are difficult to describe, as this just doesn't taste like most other beer. There's definitely some white grape in the mix, some naval orange, some fresh fig, and that little hint of wintergreen is still tucked in. I'm actually getting a very defined fruitcake flavour, which is really giving it that winter vibe to match the name and can art. The beer finishes with a bright pineapple note that quickly transforms into a biting bitterness - quite resinous and oily - with some classic Chinook bite and some Galaxy peach pit. This bitterness has a very slow fade, with some honey and bread notes peeking through intermittently.
Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is definitely full-bodied, but that's almost all just malt weight. It isn't a fluffy, soft, thick kind of full-bodied, and for 8.3%, it's actually quite crisp and drinkable. Effervescence is absolutely spot on, and much more lively than the typical 8+% IPA. Soft, fine, plentiful bubbles give this just the right amount of life to give it that refreshing fizz. The hops are delightfully oily, and that oil quickly spreads throughout the palate, clinging to every inch, and does a great job at keeping that hop flavour going, long after the finish. Some nice resinous drying closes it out.
Overall: This is a rather unique DIPA. The mix of hops is something I've never seen done in any other beer, and it works beautifully, creating flavours beyond each individual hop's capability. The malt base is fantastically quirky and unique, and makes for a light, crisp, gently sweet and simple platform for those hops. This beer wouldn't be as drinkable without that grist bill. It's a,unique beer, and in a market that is over-saturated with IPAs, unique is something to really strive for. Fans of the Bright lineup will almost certainly enjoy this one. I sure did.
3,977 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A shoutout to Ryan for this unavailable-to-me beer.
Pint can - BB 04/02/20 - poured into an RC IPA glass at about 42F.
Pours a light honey golden colour with a slight orange cast, and only just enough haze to obscure fingerprint detail. A very short white head begins to build before quickly dissipated, leaving nothing but a razor-thin collar. Some slow effervescence can be seen.
Nose: Really nice, simple malt bill here. Pale, with lots of sweet golden malted barley. It brings mostly honey, with a hint of biscuit, and just the faintest hint of blonde toast. The aroma is very subtle, and perhaps it needs to warm up. My refrigerator is making all my beer much colder than normal, so to be fair, I'll take my time with this. Currently, I detect lots of ripe melon, particularly honeydew and a touch of cantaloupe. There's a bit of sweet ripe papaya, tangerine, noble fir, and a whisper of blue raspberry as well as wintergreen. Very interesting. I dectect no overrule peachy/apricot notes from Galaxy, and though the Centennial was only used in boil, it actually reminds me of Centennial dry hop aromas. Warming up, I'm starting to get noticeable pineapple and lychee on the front end. It's still a quiet nose, but it's very pleasant.
Palate: The beer greets the palate with that honey malt sweetness. While the malt is extremely honeyed, and lightly bready, it isn't extremely sweet. Definitely sweet, but not cloying like the nose could lead one to believe. The super clean ale yeast used really plays well with this light, simple malt base, as it's so clean, it needn't hide. Next comes the hops. Ever since my love-at-first-sight with Nelson, I've been waiting to find a hop varietal that is equally indescribable. While there are several different hops in this one, whatever they did when they got together is something greater than the sum of their parts. Centennial is contributing these really unique hard candy flavours. Chinook is lending its resinous pine forest character, El Dorado, some sweet tropical fruit, and Galaxy finally shows up in the finish with some dusty peach and dried papaya, as well as its unique bitterness. Single notes are difficult to describe, as this just doesn't taste like most other beer. There's definitely some white grape in the mix, some naval orange, some fresh fig, and that little hint of wintergreen is still tucked in. I'm actually getting a very defined fruitcake flavour, which is really giving it that winter vibe to match the name and can art. The beer finishes with a bright pineapple note that quickly transforms into a biting bitterness - quite resinous and oily - with some classic Chinook bite and some Galaxy peach pit. This bitterness has a very slow fade, with some honey and bread notes peeking through intermittently.
Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is definitely full-bodied, but that's almost all just malt weight. It isn't a fluffy, soft, thick kind of full-bodied, and for 8.3%, it's actually quite crisp and drinkable. Effervescence is absolutely spot on, and much more lively than the typical 8+% IPA. Soft, fine, plentiful bubbles give this just the right amount of life to give it that refreshing fizz. The hops are delightfully oily, and that oil quickly spreads throughout the palate, clinging to every inch, and does a great job at keeping that hop flavour going, long after the finish. Some nice resinous drying closes it out.
Overall: This is a rather unique DIPA. The mix of hops is something I've never seen done in any other beer, and it works beautifully, creating flavours beyond each individual hop's capability. The malt base is fantastically quirky and unique, and makes for a light, crisp, gently sweet and simple platform for those hops. This beer wouldn't be as drinkable without that grist bill. It's a,unique beer, and in a market that is over-saturated with IPAs, unique is something to really strive for. Fans of the Bright lineup will almost certainly enjoy this one. I sure did.
3,977 characters
3.99/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can into a pint glass. Best by 04/02/20, very recent release.
Slightly hazy dull yellow body, small white head dissipates to a ring and faint covering. Not much in the way of lacing.
Nice aroma of non citrus tropical fruit.
Upon tasting, very little bitterness, smooth, fruity, extremely drinkable. The abv is well nigh undetectable.
Mouth closer to full than medium, finish smooth and clean.
Overall, the late dry hopping pushes it into ne IPA territory. Nice drink, goes down way too well.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can into a pint glass. Best by 04/02/20, very recent release.
Slightly hazy dull yellow body, small white head dissipates to a ring and faint covering. Not much in the way of lacing.
Nice aroma of non citrus tropical fruit.
Upon tasting, very little bitterness, smooth, fruity, extremely drinkable. The abv is well nigh undetectable.
Mouth closer to full than medium, finish smooth and clean.
Overall, the late dry hopping pushes it into ne IPA territory. Nice drink, goes down way too well.
501 characters
3.85/5 rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can poured into an imperial can-shaped glass.
Appearance
Blonde. Good clarity. Loose white head. Light carbonation.
Nose
Pine, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, honey, and candy sugar.
Taste
Pine resin, dank, and wintergreen. Pineapple, grapefruit zest, and orange pith. Honey and candy sugar sweetness with a dry, bitter finish.
Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth, oily, creamy, dry, and moderately bitter.
Overall
You think I'd know what to expect, but put "double" in from of any beer and I'll buy it regardless if I like the standard.
543 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can poured into an imperial can-shaped glass.
Appearance
Blonde. Good clarity. Loose white head. Light carbonation.
Nose
Pine, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, honey, and candy sugar.
Taste
Pine resin, dank, and wintergreen. Pineapple, grapefruit zest, and orange pith. Honey and candy sugar sweetness with a dry, bitter finish.
Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth, oily, creamy, dry, and moderately bitter.
Overall
You think I'd know what to expect, but put "double" in from of any beer and I'll buy it regardless if I like the standard.
543 characters
4.36/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
This one seems to be a bit of a rarity so when I heard that Reiker Brew Works had some in stock & were selling it as singles, I hied over right quick to grab one. No need to be greedy since all that is needed for the furtherance of The CANQuest (tm) is one.
From the CAN: "Handcrafted by the Troegs Bros."; "Serve in a Chalice[;] Color: Hazy Gold[;] 1 Pint 16 Fl. Oz.[;] Malt: Pilsner, Unmalted Wheat, White Wheat[;] Hops[:] Centennial, Chinook, Galaxy, El Dorado"; "This is Blizzard of Hops turned up to 11. For Double Blizzard, we used a cooler temperature for the kettle hop additions, softening the character of the Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado. On the cold side, we dry-hop with four pounds per barrel of Chinook and Galaxy. At 8.3% ABV, we’re into semi-hazy Double IPA territory, and we like it here. We taste: huge citrus and pineapple notes and soft pine."
I was CANurious so I Crack!ed open the vent & gave it a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. It foamed nicely to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was … Hazy?!? Little Annie's fanny! Color was a gorgeous Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity, summoning forth The Gelt Gang of Midas, Mammon & Croesus for a taste. Nose was redolent with grapefruit & pine with some pineapple thrown in for good measure. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, a little light for the style. The taste beCAN by putting me in mind of a liquefied pineapple upside-down cake until everything suddenly turned upside-down & sideways & the CANbination of grapefruit & pine started CANming with the ol' 1 - 2, 1 - 2 in rapid succession. Whew! I needed my asthma inhaler in response. Finish was cool and dry as the blizzard raged on. YMMV.
1,774 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
This one seems to be a bit of a rarity so when I heard that Reiker Brew Works had some in stock & were selling it as singles, I hied over right quick to grab one. No need to be greedy since all that is needed for the furtherance of The CANQuest (tm) is one.
From the CAN: "Handcrafted by the Troegs Bros."; "Serve in a Chalice[;] Color: Hazy Gold[;] 1 Pint 16 Fl. Oz.[;] Malt: Pilsner, Unmalted Wheat, White Wheat[;] Hops[:] Centennial, Chinook, Galaxy, El Dorado"; "This is Blizzard of Hops turned up to 11. For Double Blizzard, we used a cooler temperature for the kettle hop additions, softening the character of the Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado. On the cold side, we dry-hop with four pounds per barrel of Chinook and Galaxy. At 8.3% ABV, we’re into semi-hazy Double IPA territory, and we like it here. We taste: huge citrus and pineapple notes and soft pine."
I was CANurious so I Crack!ed open the vent & gave it a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. It foamed nicely to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was … Hazy?!? Little Annie's fanny! Color was a gorgeous Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity, summoning forth The Gelt Gang of Midas, Mammon & Croesus for a taste. Nose was redolent with grapefruit & pine with some pineapple thrown in for good measure. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, a little light for the style. The taste beCAN by putting me in mind of a liquefied pineapple upside-down cake until everything suddenly turned upside-down & sideways & the CANbination of grapefruit & pine started CANming with the ol' 1 - 2, 1 - 2 in rapid succession. Whew! I needed my asthma inhaler in response. Finish was cool and dry as the blizzard raged on. YMMV.
1,774 characters
4.13/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Clear orange with a modest off-white head. Initial impression is a flavorful DIPA with notes of grapefruit, pine, pineapple, and possibly some mango - balanced by roasted malts. Mouthfeel is nice and chewy, but not NEIPA pillow-y. Finish is slightly sweet and a tad dry, inviting the next sip. I prefer it to Blizzard, but that's just me.
342 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Clear orange with a modest off-white head. Initial impression is a flavorful DIPA with notes of grapefruit, pine, pineapple, and possibly some mango - balanced by roasted malts. Mouthfeel is nice and chewy, but not NEIPA pillow-y. Finish is slightly sweet and a tad dry, inviting the next sip. I prefer it to Blizzard, but that's just me.
342 characters
3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Best By: 4-02-20
A - Medium orange gold color with beautiful clarity (with just a hint of haze) and a consistent layer of bright white foam on top. Carbonation is moderate and steady.
S - Peach, pine, and citrus on the nose.
T - Consistent from start to finish: citrus, peach, pine, spicy, grapefruit, with a little bit of mango and pineapple buried below the surface. Most dominant is: pine and spicy citrus.
M - Thick and viscous texture with some carbonated pricklies and dry on the back of the tongue.
O - Solid but not a huge fan of how these hops play together.
575 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Best By: 4-02-20
A - Medium orange gold color with beautiful clarity (with just a hint of haze) and a consistent layer of bright white foam on top. Carbonation is moderate and steady.
S - Peach, pine, and citrus on the nose.
T - Consistent from start to finish: citrus, peach, pine, spicy, grapefruit, with a little bit of mango and pineapple buried below the surface. Most dominant is: pine and spicy citrus.
M - Thick and viscous texture with some carbonated pricklies and dry on the back of the tongue.
O - Solid but not a huge fan of how these hops play together.
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Double Blizzard from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
37 ratings
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