Brewdog Hoppy Christmas IPA

This creators of this variety pack have proved to be hops enthusiasts! Tonight's selection is Hoppy Christmas, a "Christmas IPA". Now when I see a beer billed as a "Christmas" or a "Winter" ale, I expect there to be some kind of flavoring, usually spices of some description, but Hoppy Christmas is nothing of the sort, it's just a very, very hoppy India Pale Ale. And by very, very, hoppy, I mean 66 IBUs. It's also got an ABV of 6%. Now, don't think that the lack of added spices is a knock on this excellent brew, just that it's not what I expected - I suppose hops look a little like tiny Christmas trees, so I guess that's the connection...other than the holiday-themed label. Despite the absence of anything the Reinheitsgebot would disapprove of, there's a lot of complexity and shades of various flavors brought out by the malt and the hops. Pineapple, pine, apricot, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, and orange peel. Even though the hoppiness is a robust 66 IBUs, it's not astringent or overpowering. Overall a pretty decent IPA, albeit without anything remotely Christmassy about it.