Sand City Infinity Minus One + 2

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.2%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.38/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.51/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Double India Pale Ale, double dry hopped with Galaxy and Mosaic hops."

Pours out golden orange in color with a murky body and a finger of white head.

The aroma is filled with sweet juices of tangerines and clementines with a nice spicy twist of black pepper. Raw, dank hop juice tends to dominate and adds a pure hop juice presence to the entire aroma.

The taste follows the nose well. The juiciness of the hops leans heavily to the sweeter side with the aforementioned tangerines being immediately noticeable with hints of grapefruit and Mandarin orange. Absent from the nose, but noticeable here, are some grassy notes with bits of pine. The sweetness is broken up by the hefty bitterness which announces itself with a thud of dankness. The bitter bite lingers on each sip and is the most prominent flavor on the back end as it is the lasting sensation on the finish.

Mouthfeel is full with a soft texture. At over 8% abv, you cannot taste that alcohol at all. The bitter flavor noticeably sticks to your tongue long after each sip has come and gone, but the sweet juice flavors help combat this.

Infinity Minus One + 2 serves its purpose as a big Double IPA with big contributions from juicy and dank hops. Drinkability remained high thanks to the sweet citrus, but the dank hop juice was what really pounded the palate into submission and left the lasting impression.

Rating
8.4/10

Sand City International Playboy

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.22/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.5/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"8% IIPA double dry hopped with a risky amount of Vic Secret & 007 hops."

Pours light orange in color with a completely hazy body and a finger of white head.

The aroma has a good pop of dank bitterness and grapefruit. Sweeter notes of tangerine are also big, but that dankness is overpowering at every turn.

The taste is more balanced with the dank hops and citrus and they each pack a punch. Strong bitterness envelopes the front of my tongue and seems to spread over my entire palate much like a thick stout does. The fruity notes are just as strong as I still get the sweet citrus from the aroma, but big lemon zest is now starting to shine. The flavors are sweet, but also crisp and refreshing. Some touches of flowers and grass are hidden deep down and then a dry malt taste mixes things up. The back end is more of that bitter bite, and not surprisingly, it is what remains in the aftertaste with pure hop juice and resin sticking around for days.

Mouthfeel is full, but also refreshing with some minor drying moments. The abv is hidden well and drinkability is high.

International Playboy let the Vic Secret really shine in this one. Dank notes with tart grapefruit and a zesty kick combined the best of bitter and fruity hops. At the same time, it was balanced out with good sweetness and a dry finish. If you have a Golden Eye for good IPAs, then you should keep an eye on Sand City Brewing...oh come on, you had to let me have one Bond pun!

Rating
9.0/10