Space Cowboy IIPA

Peoples finally released space cowboy IIPA (or DIPA, whichever you prefer) yesterday. I met up with a Zwierite, his roomy and a first year to partake in this brew I've been hearing about from the brewers.

This is a different recipe from Hop Killa, and uses a new cultivar of hop from New Zealand called Galaxy, thus the extraterrestrial name. It is also dryhopped like whoa hey on Amarillo and Centennials. This beer sits at ~95 IBU and a touch north of 9%. For the first time ever, Peoples has enacted a two snifter limit for this beer...and that was a good idea.

The aroma isn't dominated with the piney notes of bittering hops. Mostly all you get is the floral aroma of the hops used in the dryhop. The flavor is fantastic. Extremely well balanced all the way through the beer. The finish of this beer is fantastic. With every DIPA I've had, except hopslam, there's a good healthy slug of hops and the warm wash of the 9%. This beer doesn't have that. There are hops...there are lots of hops, but it isn't a punch, more of a shove. The flavor transitions nicely into the finish without being abusive. And you don't taste the 9% at all, although you do feel it after a couple snifters.

This beer may have overtaken Hopslam as my favorite. The jury is still out, but as I type this I'm gathering up all my growlers to get filled. I love this beer, and will definitely enjoy it during its short existence amongst us mortal souls.

-J