Beer: DDH DirtWolf
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company (Downington, PA)
Style: IPA – Imperial/ / Double
9.6% ABV / 0 IBU

This is Victory Brewing Company’s terrific DIPA DirtWolf, but double dry-hopped—seriously, what’s not to love? DDH DirtWolf is double the pleasure, double the fun, and definitely double the trouble for anyone wedded to a lower gravity experience. Victory’s Small Batch Series aims to thoughtfully reinvent some of the Pennsylvania brewery’s core line-up of beers, including a dry-hopped version of the Prima Pils and an imperial twist on the Cloud Walker hazy IPA, But DDH DirtWolf is the standout, mostly because DirtWolf so fully encapsulates what Victory does best.

As for DDH DirtWolf, the hop profile—a combination of strata, citra, simcoe and mosaic—is surprisingly well-balanced. That’s four pretty distinctive hop varietals, each with their own distinctive attributes, that could be in intense competition with each other, but DDH DirtWolf captures hints of pine and citrus and chamomile tea, with a little bit of a lemony zip and some notes of pepper. It’s basically a practical compendium of the best attributes of a West Coast style IPA, but with a concentrated hop flavor from the double dry-hopping that also keeps the bitterness in check.

There’s also some lovely sweetness and caramel notes from the malts, but DDH DirtWolf should be enjoyed as a showcase for hops and a perfect amount of effervescence. As with most DIPAs, you should enjoy this poured into a pint glass, where you can enjoy the slow-to-dissipate head and the lacing on the side of the glass, plus the golden hue of the beer itself. Of course, this style is the ultimate when it comes to pairing with spicy cuisine, whether it’s a Mongolian hot pot or a cheesesteak with some hots—halfway through a pint of this, and you’ll be willing to give anything a go.

For more info on Victory Brewing, please head here.