84. Indiana City Brewing Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Ice Cream Apocalypse

“This double dry-hopped IPA was brewed with Eukanot, Zythos and Ariana hops and boasts significantly more lactose than our previous DDH IPAs for even more haze to love.”

Nice balance between the lactose and the hops, but nothing else really stands out for me. All that lactose tempers the fruit a little bit, but it’s sort of an interesting effect. Finish is dry without being bitter. Not bad at all, but it just doesn’t knock me out the way most Indiana City beers do.

83. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - Brut-Hero

“A new hero is soaring in from a completely new direction—the effervescent Brut-Hero, sparkling with white grape, passionfruit, and lemon notes and capped with an extra-dry champagne-like finish.”

Possibly the first time I have encountered “white grape” in a beer’s description. Unfortunately, the Brut-ing of the beer has robbed it of most of its flavor—not bad, just not specific, and a finish that feels more bitter to me than dry.

82. Collective Arts (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) - IPA No. 9

“Our newest in our IPA seris is a Double Dry-Hoppped Brut IPA. Crisp, bubbly and utterly bursting full of fresh Azacca and Citra hops. The aroma and flavour of bright citrus and mango come from the large 16g/hL dry hopping.”

I’m not sure what to make of the Brut style. They’re very crisp, and very dry, and I think that the push toward de-sugaring (there’s probably a real word for that, but I don’t know it) and champagne mouthfeel sometimes comes at the expense of flavor. Here, however, the Citra hops practically stand up and shout at you. I’m not familiar with Azacca yet, but the profile sounds interesting (and very similar to Citra, which I love). This is another one I got from the gettin’ place, so I couldn’t have a second if I wanted one—but the 7.1% alcohol might have put the kibosh on that idea anyway. Does that tell you what I thought of it? I haven’t the foggiest. But since I’m not sure what I thought of it either, why don’t we call it a draw?

81. BrewDog (Columbus, OH) - Hazy Jane

“East Coasts collide and crank it up for this new New England IPA retuned in Scotland. Brewed with oats and wheat and left unfiltered for a hazy appearance and super smooth delivery. Dry-hopped for a full-tilt fruit hit with pineapple, mango and a hint of zesty lime. Low on bitterness, high on haze, heavy on hops.”

This one is bright and refreshing, but not excessively complicated, and dry without being bitter. Hope the rumors I hear about these guys opening a taproom in Indianapolis wind up coming true.

80. Ballast Point (San Diego, CA) - Aloha Sculpin

“With Aloha Sculpin, we used Brux Trois yeast to turn our award-winning IPA into a tropical oasis, with bright and refreshing notes of mango, pineapple, and guava. This yeast also adds a slight haze to the beer, creating a smooth mouthfeel to round out its juicy character. Simply put, this is paradise in the palm of your hands.”

Nice balance of tropical notes and straight hop flavor, with a lingering, very bitter finish. Maybe even a little lemon in there, too. I’ve tried two so far, and I’m not sure I like it—but I am sure it’s one of the more interesting beers I’ve tried recently.