One of the most anticipated days in Winnipeg beer calendar is the (mostly) annual release of Half Pints’ Humulus Ludicrous, their assertive and flavourful Double IPA. It sells out in hours at the brewery. A shipment of bottles usually makes its way to Alberta, as was the case this year. Never one to pass up the opportunity to taste some ludicrous humulus, I obviously picked up a couple bottles, prying one open the other day.

The beer looks like a classic Double IPA, medium orange with an off-white head that builds very quickly and leaves significant lacing as it fades. The aroma starts with a soft pine and citrus hop followed by a touch of caramel, toffee and hints of butterscotch.

I find the first sip noticeably thick with malt sweetness. I pick up caramel, brown sugar, dark honey and some light fruitiness. However this malt impression is rather fleeting as the hops move in rather quickly. I get some rounded citrus, but that is inadequate to describe it. There is complexity to the citrus. I can’t isolate any particular kind of citrus although I do think I can find some grapefruit, some papaya and passionfruit. And then there is the earthy pine character playing wing man to the citrus. The bitterness builds to a significant level but doesn’t get outrageous. Don’t get me wrong, this is quite a bitter beer, but the malt base holds up enough to keep it from moving out of balance. The finish is resiny and the linger seems more piney to me than anything else. And the hop linger seems to last for hours.

I hesitate to bring in the name Pliny the Elder, because  that beer truly has no equal, but I can honestly say (especially having had a Pliny a few weeks ago) that this isn’t all that far behind. I think it holds its own in the world of IIPAs. Assertive, unabashedly hoppy but not overpowering in the bitterness with enough malt base to create balance but not so much you confuse it with an American barley wine. A lovely beer.

If it wasn’t such a big bottle I would have another right away but that would be folly. Best to leave the next bottle for another night.