Cosmic Eye Brewery: Unlock The Time Dragon IPA

With the long anticipated (relatively) warm weather this past week, an IPA was more than appropriate. I received a six pack of Cosmic Eye Brewery's Unlock the Time Dragon IPA in exchange for helping a friend file her taxes. India Pale Ales are known for moderately high alcohol content and elevated hoppiness (expressed as International Bitterness Units). Unlock the Time Dragon IPA fits both of those requirements: the ABV is 6.1% and the IBUs are a staggering 72. Despite the high hop content, the bitterness isn't the take-the-paint-off-the-hood-of-your-car kind of bitterness, but is more of a smooth citrussy hoppiness. It pours a hazy apricot hue, with a two-finger snowy white head. Peach and pineapple are the dominant notes in this orchestra, with pear, apple and white grape back in the second row. There's a bit of piney hops that show up as it warms up with some brown sugar and caramel to round it all out. A definite keeper at 9.0 on the IGB IPA scale; I'll be enjoying the other five.