Beer Review: Double Blizzard (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
Crank it Up
Another one of the many yearly but seasonal beers of Troegs that is highly anticipated is Double Blizzard, and it just released today. Blizzard of Hops was released a few weeks ago, and now its time for the smaller, more limited run of Double Blizzard to be hitting the tap room and cans and distributors.
Double Blizzard is a much anticipated beer each year. Blizzard of Hops is a perennial favorite, but Double Blizzard is kicking that up another notch. Its not quite the exclusive event that Double Nugget Nectar was, nor does it have the hype train running full steam behind it like Double Nugget Nectar did, but its still a well beloved beer that everyone keeps track of each year.
While at work today my co-worker mentioned its release and how he was stopping at the brewery to pick up some to go. I planned to stop at the Giant on 39 to grab mine. But after his mentioning it, I decided to stop at the source and get some as well. (So needless to say, I also went to Troegs, had it on draft, and picked up a four pack there, as well as later picked up a four pack at the Giant on 39).
Blizzard vs. Double Blizzard
For comparison’s sake, lets take a quick look at the two brews. What does Blizzard of Hops look like – versus – what Double Blizzard looks like.
Blizzard of Hops Stats:
Beer: Blizzard of Hops
Brewery: Troegs Independent Craft Brewing
Style: IPA – American
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 80
Untappd Description: We created this Winter IPA to toast hop growers around the world for another successful harvest. This storm of hoppy citrus and pine notes is a bright reminder the end of the Hop Cycle is only the beginning. #4 of 4 in our Hop Cycle seasonal series.
Global Average Rating: 3.77 (as of 12.6.21)
Double Blizzard Stats:
Beer: Double Blizzard
Brewery: Troegs Independent Craft Brewing
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Description:
This is Blizzard of Hops … turned up to 11. For Double Blizzard, we used a cooler temperature for the kettle hop additions, softening the character of the Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado. On the cold side, we dry-hopped with four pounds per barrel of Chinook and Galaxy. At 8.3% ABV, we’re into semi-hazy Double IPA territory, and we like it here.
We taste: huge citrus and pineapple notes, soft pine.
Global Average Rating: 4.01 (as of 12.6.21)
So as you can see, its definitely getting bumped up and juiced up. One is a small little storm dropping a few inches of snow, and the other is a big nor’easter sitting over Central PA dumping a foot or more of snow over two days.
Everything is ramped up, you are going from 6.4% to 8.3%, going from a small time hazy IPA to a big time New England double hazy, and its now dry hopped, which just brings out the flavor profile so much more profoundly than before.
Beer Review
Beer: Double Blizzard
Brewery: Troegs Independent Craft Brewing
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Description:
This is Blizzard of Hops … turned up to 11. For Double Blizzard, we used a cooler temperature for the kettle hop additions, softening the character of the Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado. On the cold side, we dry-hopped with four pounds per barrel of Chinook and Galaxy. At 8.3% ABV, we’re into semi-hazy Double IPA territory, and we like it here.
We taste: huge citrus and pineapple notes, soft pine.
You can tell this is a juicy New England hazy IPA just from the appearance. Not typically a style Troegs Brewing does a whole lot of, or many of; but this is certainly one of them, and they have nailed it. Along with Nimble Giant this is one of my favorite IPAs they release each year. This is a bright, beautiful, orange, lovely looking New England styled IPA. It looks hazy, it has a wonderful frothy and full head, with great retention, and it just has a wonderful overall appearance.
Aroma is a wonderful tropical New England hoppy nose. You get a wonderful citrusy and bright hop aroma from the Chinook and Galaxy that they dry hopped into it. This really makes the aroma pop when you dip your nose into it. The Centennial and El Dorado adds some a nice background hop aroma (and flavor) profile as well, but the heavy lifting for the nose on this is done with the dry hopping.
This is definitely as advertised – Blizzard of Hops cranked up to 11! Its bright, its bold, its strong, its beautiful, its dry hopped, its explosive hop aroma and flavor, its juicy and fresh. It is downright delicious. Like I said, there’s a reason why this is one of the more anticipated releases each year for Troegs Brewing. You get all of the bold flavor of the dry hopping right out the gate and it hits you pretty good and hard. Lots of hop aroma and flavor that just nails it, citrus, pineapple, some tropical notes, a little bit of lime, grapefruit to a small extent, and just a wee bit of earthy / grassy hop flavor as well. This is extremely juicy and tasty, the haziness is not a sediment hazy, but just a good New England IPA hazy. The mouth feel on this is incredible too, it drinks just right, its not watery, not thin, not too heavy or cloying, the haze has no sediment, so your not drinking any particles or anything, your drinking a smooth beer that just looks on the hazy end of the spectrum. There is no off flavors, nothing off putting in this, it is brewed well, methodically, and there is nothing off putting or upsetting with it at all. No bad aroma, no bad flavor, no bad appearance. No horrible aftertaste, no bad post beer burps or anything like that. This is just a great beer for the winter months, even though its not a stout, its still a wonderful wintry beer, filling, full, heavy, with a good ABV to it (8.3%), that leaves you feeling warmer after having drank it. And it pairs so well with a wonderful dinner after a long day at work, that it just makes you wanna cozy up in bed afterwards and fall right to sleep.
My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Average Rating: 4.01 (as of 12.6.21)
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Thank You For Reading
Thank you for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed another one of our beer reviews. We are moving through December pretty quickly it feels. Before you know it, it’ll be the end of December, and that means Christmas and New Years, and with that means all of the “end of the year” reviews and things like that. Also means Christmas time and stuff. Be on the lookout for many great articles coming your way everyone!
Cheers!
-B. Kline
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