301. Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL) - Florida Man

“Unpredictable varieties of hops used in nearly-criminal volumes combine to create a bold, citrusy Double India Pale Ale brewed to pay tribute to ‘the world’s worst superhero,’ Florida Man.”

The high alcohol (8.5%) makes the finish a little more bitter than it seems like they meant for it to be. The tropical, citrus, and peach flavors manage to balance each other nicely once it warms up—but are not sufficient to balance the alcoholic bitterness. The plus side of the 8.5% is that by the time I finished the first one, I no longer cared that the balance was off. The second one, on the other hand, was balanced and delicious in all kinds of ways that the first one was not. I’ll probably never shake the belief that beer should be served cold—but I’m not unwilling or unable to acknowledge the occasions when a particular beer would be better served by being served something other than ice cold. This is one of those occasions.