Jack's Abby trIPL

The Stats
Style: Triple IPL/Imperial Pilsner
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.36/5
- RateBeer: N/A

The latest release from Jack's Abby is their first ever Triple IPL. Brewed with Columbus, Chinook, and Citra, this is definitely the first Triple IPL I've ever heard of. If anyone can blow you away with one, it's Jack's Abby.

Pours a hazy dark orange/yellow with two fingers of white head.

Well, with just one whiff I can say that has got to be the most hop-forward IPL I've ever experienced. It's not bitter hops, but rather hop juice with orange, pineapple, and peach. It has that distinct yeast smell to let you know it's still a lager.

Juicy on the smell, but the taste brings something new to the table. The front of the tongue is assaulted with bitter, grassy, herbal hops that have some serious bite. Behind that those juicy flavors make a comeback with a wave of tropical fruits which bring a balance to the bitterness of the hops. It actually has the taste of a lot of great Double IPA's. The finish is resinous and even a bit piny.

At 10.00%, you might be expecting a somewhat syrupy mouthfeel, but this drinks like most of Jack's Abby double IPL's. It has a medium body with some good carbonation. The overall feel and finish is refreshing as it has no lingering bitterness and feels relatively clean. Alcohol can't be found, but there can be a warming sensation in the throat on the occasional sip.

A Triple IPL that drinks like a Double IPA, trIPL showcases a diverse set of hops that bring the best of herbal and juicy notes to a bitter, resinous IPL. The 10.00% won't register on the taste, but considering it's high level of drinkability, the abv will catch up to you eventually as you casually slug this down. Probably the hoppiest lager I've ever had and of course Jack's Abby was not only behind it, but made it stellar.

Rating
9.1/10

Founders Dissenter

The Stats
Style: Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pilsner
ABV: 8.70%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 4.1/5

The 10th beer in Founders infamous "Backstage Series" is the first lager they've brewed in over a dozen years. Dissenter is an Imperial IPL coming in at 8.70% brewed with "a variety of tropical, citrus-forward hops". Being from Massachusetts and having year-round access to Jack's Abby has opened my eyes to what you can do with a lager, so Founders has to do some work to impress with a style they aren't familiar with.

Pours to a gorgeous, glowing orange. It's very clean and clear and gave a one-finger head which sticks around nicely.

This is a very hoppy lager. Tons of tropical juices explode on the aroma.

An explosion of bitter hops and citrus on the taste. It has such a hop presence that it could compete with a lot of IPA's. the citrus notes make it an easy-drinking lager. The mouthfeel is slightly thicker than I had anticipated and the finish, while bitter, is rather clean.

Founders Backstage series has become hit-or-miss as of late, but I really enjoyed Dissenter. It's clean, it's fruity, it's hoppy, and it's drinkable. There's nothing more you want in a finely-made lager. If this was a year-round offering it would find regular rotation in my fridge.

Rating
9.0/10