It appears as though I stumbled upon a pretty special brew with this one. I Hardcore You is a collaborative effort between Brewdog (Fraserburgh, Scotland) and Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). This Imperial India Pale Ale is a blend of Brewdog's Hardcore IPA, and Mikkeller's I Beat YoU. I somehow found a bottle at a local liquor store and picked it up on a recommendation of Brewdog by Rebecca Hellowell. I can't wait to see what a collaboration between two of Europe's better brewers (or so I'm told) is like!
I Hardcore You pours an interesting dark caramel color with a slight orange tint. A small, thin head forms after pouring, but fades quickly.
The Imperial IPA smells intriguingly hoppy. Fruity, floral hops aromas mingle with the more classic piney resinous scents. There is also a strong background of caramel and other sweet, British style malts.
I Hardcore You has a medium to full mouthfeel with a low level of carbonation. The ale feels a bit oily, and lightly coats the mouth. There is a little bit of alcohol warmth to the beer, which has an alcohol content of 9.5% ABV.
The collaborative ale tastes surprisingly malty when you consider that it is a blend of two very hoppy beers. Sweet and robust caramel and toffee malt flavors create a backdrop on which the hops flavors are highlighted. The many different hops used to brew this ale impart many different flavors to the ale. The flavors of tropical fruit are present, as well as more herbal, flowery flavors. There are also more traditional hops flavors such as pine and lemon rind in the beer. This mix really does a great job of showing off the spectrum of flavors that hops can lend to an ale.
I imagine that this beer was named after a couple similar to Romeo and Juliet, only much cooler, that would say "I hardcore you" instead of "I love you", because they were just that hardcore. This couple likely listened to metal music while driving motorcycles through flaming hoops on their dates. The two were so wild that they would probably only kiss inside a cage of hungry tigers while wearing meatsuits. Then, as always seems to happen with such intense love, it's likely that the couple were forcibly separated when a gang of werewolves moved into the woods between their two homes. Of course the two probably fought their way through the hordes of lycanthropes with just their own hands and feet, but each would have sustained injuries in the process. Once the two finally met up, they likely committed suicide together, to avoid turning into werewolves themselves, by cutting off their own heads with an axe. They were pretty hardcore.
After a bit more research, I found that this was a limited release beer that is no longer being brewed. My local liquor store had a few on the shelf even now though, so if the beer sounds interesting to you, you might get lucky and find a couple dust covered bottles, even here in the States. I'm impressed how well I Hardcore You showcases the many different flavors of hops. This is definitely a unique brew!
After a bit more research, I found that this was a limited release beer that is no longer being brewed. My local liquor store had a few on the shelf even now though, so if the beer sounds interesting to you, you might get lucky and find a couple dust covered bottles, even here in the States. I'm impressed how well I Hardcore You showcases the many different flavors of hops. This is definitely a unique brew!
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