Blast!

It's almost a cliché at this point to shake the pom-poms and cheer for an incredible Double IPA, but sometimes it's absolutely called-for. That's the case here: Blast! is one of the best IPAs I've ever had.

It pours a quite clear bright gold with a fine white head. The aroma is dominated by a pronounced citrus and tropical fruit blend (blood orange, pineapple, mango and lemon) with a low grainy background note. The result is almost candy-like, but never cloying.

One sip reveals the ridiculous level of bittering, but it's not at all harsh. The resiny and piney hop flavor is supplemented by more hop flavor (orange), with a faint balsam note as you work your way through the multitude of hop-derived flavors. It finishes medium to medium-dry -- depending on where you are in the de-carbonation process -- and never sweet. There's also a mild perfumey alcohol in the aftertaste to let you know there's a decent ABV there. The medium mouthfeel is characterized by mild carbonation, minimal warming and a resiny, mouth-coating hoppiness.

At the end of the day, this is an outstanding example of what a hoppy beer can be. It's decidedly hop-centric, but not hop-exclusive. There's plenty of light malt character to support and accentuate the hops and bitterness, and it doesn't rip your teeth out with IBUs -- each element has its place, and serves its purpose to perfection. Get yourself a bottle or six and keep them on hand for a reminder of what a Double IPA can do.