This week, we’ll delve into domestic craft beers with high alcohol content and hops, which provide bitterness in beer. They were all purchased at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op with the help of head cashier Jeremy DeChario, and they are all available locally. 

 

Tröegs (Pa.)

Nugget Nectar (Imperial Amber Ale, 7.5 percent alcohol) (5/5)

Boasting a floral aroma with a touch of sweet toffee, this beer has a cult following. Only brewed once a year and distributed in late February, its release is highly anticipated nationwide and most stores sell out quickly. With sweetness from the roasted malts on first taste, this complex brew quickly becomes bitter at the finish, reminiscent of a double India Pale Ale. The alcohol stays relatively dormant, but finishing a six-pack in one sitting will definitely make the drinker feel the effects of its 7.5 percent alcohol content. It rates around 93 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) and features more than five hop varieties. It can still be found at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, but not for long.

 

Sixpoint (N.Y.)

Resin (Imperial IPA, 9.1 percent alcohol) (4/5)

Smelling like a combination of pine trees and caramel with mild floral notes, Resin comes in a four-pack of Red Bull shaped 12-ounce cans. The taste, just as strong as the nose, follows suit with a flavor leaning toward hoppy (bitter) more than malty (sweet). Named because it ‘celebrates the extraction of hop resin,’ this 103 IBU brew is bitter but medium-bodied, making it easily drinkable. It’s easy to find and plentiful in these parts because Sixpoint’s brewery representatives promote heavily in Central New York.

 

Dogfish Head (Del.)

120 Minute IPA (Imperial IPA, 18 percent alcohol) (4.5/5)

To make this beer, hops are added continuously during a two-hour boil. Post-boil, the brew is dry-hopped for 30 days, then aged on whole-leaf hops for another month before it’s sent out for distribution. Relatively rare, 120 Minute IPA costs $10 for a 12-ounce bottle and rates at 120 IBU, making it highly bitter. Plus, the alcohol content ranges from 15 to 20 percent, usually hovering around 18 percent. It smells boozy and slightly of apples and grapefruit. The flavor has less grapefruit aroma than the nose and gradually gets sweeter with a hint of malt shining through. It’s followed by a bitter bite and mild burn on the finish —not for entry-level beer drinkers, but it’s a rare treat nonetheless.

—Compiled by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

Published on March 6, 2012 at 12:00 pm