Time to Get Dirty!

Brewer-Victory Brewing Company

Beer- DirtWolf Double IPA

Style- American Double/ Imperial IPA

ABV- 8.70%

Description- DirtWolf pours a slightly hazy gold color with a creamy white head that dissipates to leave a nice collar on the beer with a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma is an intense punch of hops leaning more towards the herbal and floral notes of the hop bouquet with some citrus on the back end.  Sweet bready malts also make an arrival blending in with the hops perfectly.  The taste also packs a huge hop punch and is decidedly bitterer than the aroma may have led on.  Up front pine and grapefruit hops bring about slightly tropical perceptions before a more earthy hops washes over the palate and is quickly chased by the sweet malts before a long dry finish leaves a bit of floral hops and some pineapple on the palate.  DirtWolf is definitely an imperial IPA, but make no mistake this is decidedly well balanced, which is not a surprise when it comes to a beer from Victory.  The medium body and moderate carbonation gives DirtWolf an almost juicy character with the hop bouquet.  DirtWolf is another world class beer from a world class brewery.

Food pairing – DirtWolf practically begs for Thai food, the hop notes are a perfect match for chilies.  This is also a perfect to match with bold Mexican dishes such as fajitas or try it with quesadillas or cheese enchiladas if you are trying to blunt the aggressive hops.  If you are looking to enjoy DirtWolf while watching an afternoon game on Sunday, than order yourself some pepperoni pizza, the spices from the meat will enhance the hop taste while the cheese will quell the hop bite and the bread with bring forth the malt presence in the beer.

The Final Word – DirtWolf is new to the market, but it certainly strikes hard, fast, and leaves its mark in an overcrowded IPA market.  Victory has left its mark on the IPA and craft beer market with its groundbreaking HopDevil and it has now stepped up its game even further with DirtWolf.  While many West coast breweries are gaining recognition for aggressively hopped imperial IPA’s, Victory has shown that East coast breweries can create one that is just as aggressive, but also still focus on being well balanced.  This is an outright world class beer that deserves a try from all who enjoy IPA’s.

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Where can I get it? -  Victory beers are currently distributed in: AL, AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI

To find specific retailers check of Victory’s distributor list: www.victorybeer.com/victory-wholesalers-and-distributors/