25 September, 2006

More Bitter Than Death

This weekend I got a change to try Tyranena's Hop Whore. It's part of one of the latest trends in brewing which is to be like sports and go extreme. In this case, the object is to make the hoppiest beer possible. Good examples of this trend are the 60-Minute, 90 Minute, and 120-Minute IPAs from Dogfish Head. Hop Whore is an Imperial India Pale Ale and, as you can imagine, it is really fucking hoppy. If even a slight bitterness in your beer sends you running, then, by all means, avoid this beer. On the other hand, if you like the bitter, then make a date with the Hop Whore.

Personally, I found the stuff to be great. To paraphrase the early Christian apologist Tertullian, "More bitter than death is the Hop Whore". Sure, there's that initial blast of bitterness, but, once you get beyond that, well, hops are just full of bright flowery, herbal goodness. While I wouldn't make this my session beer, I found that it complemented richer food well, especially soft, mild cheese. Even my roommate Stevie, who is usually found drinking Corona or Bud Light, found it to be tasty. Get the stuff while it lasts to make room for Tyranena's next seasonal, a barley wine.

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