I've started somewhat of a tradition I guess, now that I've done it a couple of times. Last year when Hopslam (double IPA, 10.0% ABV) was released, I just happened to have fresh bottles of Russian River Pliny the Elder (double IPA, 8% ABV), and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum (double IPA, 10.4% ABV, IBUs 100). Hopslam and Pliny are both high contenders in reviews and are considered two of the best imperial IPAs in the country. (click here to read Beer Nuts Pliny vs. Hopslam).
The other day I received a bottle of Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine IPA (double IPA, 8% ABV) and that became this year's side by side. I have heard much about Lawson's Finest Liquids located in Warren, VT, but this is the first bottle that I have had the opportunity to taste. Their website describes them as a “small batch artisanal microbrewery”, and the bottle states that it is hand bottled.
Double Sunshine was not listed on their website, but was talked about on their blog. So, not sure if this is a one time, or whether it might become a more regular beer on their rotation.
After I opened the bottle, I could immediately tell that there was a huge amount of love and care put into the bottle. Then I tasted it. Right then and there, I knew that I couldn't NOT share this bottle, so I put a stopper in the bottle, grabbed a bottle of Hopslam, and walked down the street to my buddy Dale's house where we did the side by side last year.
One of the tastes that I absolutely love at this time of year is grapefruit. And the perfect grapefruit has a gentle balance of sweet and bitter. Double Sunshine had this perfectly balanced grapefruit aroma and flavor. When tasted side by side with Hopslam, it was very difficult to choose which one tasted better on my palate. Not that I really needed to choose. They were both incredible with subtle differences in both aroma and taste.
Hopslam had a slight sweeter nose, but actually tasted a slight bit more bitter than Double Sunshine. Hopslam also had just a bit more bite to the flavor, but overall, both are really, really solid double IPAs. The only big difference is that I still have 11 bottles of Hopslam and no more Double Sunshine.
I hope at some point to have the opportunity to taste more from Lawson's Finest Liquids.