Pipeworks Standard Issue India Pale Ale

This bottle is Batch #35 of this 7.5% IPA from the Pipeworks Brewing Company of Chicago, Illinois. According to the bottle it has "an armory of hops to combat its malt backbone, and it is "ready for the trenches" "whether you're in a fox hole or your local watering hole." Seems a little extreme, but maybe the beer stands up to such verbiage.

The beer pours an amber and copper in color, like an unused artillery shell. There is a veritable mushroom cloud to thick, billowing off-white foam. (I think the bottle has affected my writing.) The aroma is a frontal assault of hops, battling against a base camp of malt. The hops are tangy, spicy, sharp, with tropical fruit, flowers and citrus. The taste is a nice blend of toasted and caramel malt and the fruity, zesty hops, with tea and lemon. The finish is powerfully bitter and very dry. Hold on tight to this Standard Issue IPA, or its recoil will smack you in the face, but used properly, it will serve you well.