Robohop Imperial IPA

For this, my 30th birthday, I wanted to review something that I really enjoyed. It's no secret: I love Imperial India pale ales. And I have a weakness for whimsical cinematic puns, too. Great Lakes Brewery's Robohop Imperial IPA has both, and a badass 8.5% alcohol buttressed with an almost unwholesome, outrageous 100 IBUs to boot. This beauty comes from  my home of Toronto, Ontario, where it's brewed by one of my city's elite beer builders. The 650mL bottle features a pretty badass hop-bodied and visor-sporting dude. This is another entry in GLB's extremely excellent Tank Ten Series.

As soon as I cracked this tub o' suds I got nose-punched by a mammoth hop scent. There was lots of grapefruit, supported by a serious coniferous backing band. This beer had an extremely dry mouthfeel. The brew is very bitter, but there was more to it than that. There was some sweetness in the form of a boozy passion fruit vibe. It was a aggressively hopped brew, and an agreeable one too. Strong bitter notes of citrus are its defining feature. This beer wasn't just brute strength--it had character to spare.

If you like your beers hopped to the rafters and stuffed with booze, Robohop is your ticket to paradise. Just remember: "Robo says drink this 2xIPA fresh".

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.