I Hardcore You - BrewDog

ForcaLodi

Italy

4.16/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Into classic pint formed immediately a copious foam hat beige. Good lasting persistence. Below a beer bright orange caramel color. Overall nice to see. From the glass intense and complex fruit of the intense hopping, caramel and dried fruit, piney and intense aromas reminiscent of the resin. In the background you can also distinguish the fruity (pineapple), especially citrus (grapefruit, orange). Alcohol slightly perceptible but not annoying. The beginning is still sweet malt and caramel but are readily overwhelmed, such as the nose, flavors of pine resin and citrus. The long finish has a dry bitter, sharp, not as "hardcore" as you might expect, with a predominance of piney and liquorice tones that make balsamic and very fresh. Alcohol is very well hidden. The beautiful body medium / full and a medium carbonation that will gratify your mouth. Very balanced and sometimes not so extreme. To drink taking the right calm.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 12:21:33 | More by ForcaLodi

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.04/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from Good Spirits Co, Glasgow (330ml, £3.80):
Mild amber with a thin looking, bubbly white head on top about 2 millimetres tall that manages to stay consistent.

Tropical fruits, lots of pine and some pretty strong grapefruit too. Strong bitter notes and a hint of alcohol along with some caramel malt undertones. This one was pretty much what I was expecting from a beer that had been dry hopped so many times, lots of pine and bitterness with some good tropical fruits and a nice sweetness to it as well.

Alcohol laced, sweet malt base and some very bitter flavours following it. There is also some strong pine hops as you would expect and a huge amount of tropical fruits and grapefruit too, together with some citrus and a hint of caramel. There is a bit of orange towards the end and a very bitter and hoppy finish.

Very bitter, some light alcohol that is covered by the sweetness and the bitterness. The body is about medium and the mouthfeel is a rather smooth and boozy feeling one.

Very bitter beer with some great tropical fruits and a nice caramel base that does well to cover the 9.5% abv. of this one. Whilst a very strong beer, this one was also a pleasure to drink and one that I will try to pick up again should Brewdog/Mikkeller decide to release it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 18:05:26 | More by flyingpig

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a deep orange/copper opaque pour with 2 fingers of off-white head, great head retention and nice lacing. smells of orange, lemon, citrusy grapefruit with a heavy malt profile. the flavor is very tangy and sweet at the same time. lots of sweet malt, with a good amount of citrusy hops, slight grapefruit towards the finish.. heavy barley flavor almost like a barley wine. this is a medium body beer on the heavy side, mild carbonation and has a sticky resinous feel to it.

this is a pretty good dipa, though i would have loved it fresh i'm sure - the hops seemed to fade quite a bit but the malt profile is insane. really tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 21:47:21 | More by facundoCNB

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A- The beer pours out as an incredibly cloudy orangish amber with very minimal light penetration; Seems rather odd for the style. There is a slightly off white one-finger bubbly head that after dissipating, leaves behind a thick collar and an ample amount of lacing upon the surface.

S- The nose is full of faded hops combined with carmalized malts. There is a fruitiness too it that seems to be a huge mishmash of pommegranite, plum, strawberries and melon; really just a train wreck of scents that reminds me of how sugar-laden wildberry pie filling smells. Malts dominate the finish giving off a bready toffee-like aroma.

T- The taste is very caramelly and full of super faded hops. The malts give off a very grainy bready sweetness. There are also some notes of honey, and heather. There is a sour-like bitter finish very reminiscent of sour bread, that is rather unpleasant.

M- near the heavy side of having a medium body with somewhat lighter carbonation.

O- Its obvious that this beer is somewhat past its prime and that time did not do this ale any favors. Very unfortunate. I would have loved to try this fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:34:03 | More by Zachtheporter

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased in NC in November and I thought a 9.5% DIPA would maintain its hoppiness far better than this one has, so my mistake in not drinking it immediately. Bottle pours a murky, orange brown, with almost no head . Not a visually appealing beer, and the (appropriate) oiliness is exaggerated by the lack of carbonation.

Aroma is unfortunately of faded hops, with an underlying caramelized malt sweetness. None of the citrus or floral tones for which I'd hoped. The flavour has held up better, as there is still a very nice bitterness to the finish. The high alcohol level is terrifyingly well hidden, and tropical fruit hop notes balance well against the red malt body.

Although I'm a fan of both Mikkeller and BrewDog, still struggle with having paid $7.99 for a faded 330 mL bottle...

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:54:13 | More by hopsolutely

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy copper-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades normal.

S - Grapefruit, tropical, citrus, pine, and grassy hops, sweet caramel malts, some brown sugar, and a bit of booze.

T - Grapefruit, tropical, citrus, pine, and grassy hops, resiny bitterness, sweet caramel and bready malts, and a bit of brown sugar and booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry, bitter, and warming finish.

D - Nice hopp DIPA. Good overall balance with a nice hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:23:42 | More by ngeunit1

SHODriver

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured into a tulip to a deep orange that is nearly brown that's slightly hazed with a small off white head that fades to a collar
S: smells of tropical fruit, alcohol, a bit of sweetness and general hop bitterness
T: tropical fruits, a bit of melon, some alcohol, pine tar and a slight sweetness. swallow brings a huge amount of hop oil bitterness and a small amount of caramel sweetness
M: medium in body and a little slick with soft carbonation that's almost not there. slightly drying finish
O: hops are the shining start on this one and it's pretty abrasive. not a lot of balance and very in your face. It has some nice qualities but there are better offerings out there that are more well rounded.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 03:01:26 | More by SHODriver

Durge

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A nice cloudy amber color with a big bubbled off-white head that clears to a big ring. The lacing is solid. The aroma is very sweet, like pineapple lemon with a resiny edge and there's a decided toffee maple malt. A bit odd but not bad. The flavor brings a huge sweet lemony resin hop with cracker malt backbone. There's some grassiness and alcohol grain. It's definitely a bit unusual, a little sour, and pretty much cloying. The body is medium-full with a mildly syrupy feel, pleasant carbonation that creates some frothy texture. This is not exactly a brew you'll dream about revisiting, a little too sweet for me, but it's a fun experience for one.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 05:35:31 | More by Durge

dfillius

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass
A: 1 finger of cream-colored- head with great retention. Hazy, very bubbly reddish-orange liquid. Too hazy, great head, great color.
S: Pine, dank marijuana, faint cardboard, some citrus, some under the house.
T: Sweet hop juice at first right up front. Very little alcohol, in fact it's almost like drinking wort. Some alcohol flavor increases with each sip. Not terribly hoppy flavor, but it is bitter. Tasty, but a bit old tasting. Balance and clarity improves with warming.
M: Syrupy sweet and a tad astringent.
O: 9.79 for a 12 oz bottle. Not worth it! Fair, but there are better DIPAs made closer to home that I can get fresher.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:14:42 | More by dfillius

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: hazy bright orange color with about a one finger head that drops away fairly quick not much lacing with almost no alcohol legs

S: the nose was a bit orange but not a lot of resin to the smell I did pick up an almost plastic like smell

T: citrus on the taste with just a slight hint of bitterness no alcohol in the taste at all

M: fairly drinkable with a medium body

O: not all that unique a fairly standard imperial ipa it's nice although to see that European brewers are brewing in an American style rather than the other way around

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 05:18:15 | More by smcnulty1981

Fitwitchik

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

Amber color with white head.

Caramel sweetness with lots of grapefruit. Hops is quite obvious yet not overpowering

Taste is outrageous pefection. One of the best imperial IPA I have ever had. Knowing this is from Brewdog/Mikkeller made it extra special.

Thick sweet hoppiness with more gravity than a traditional IPA. Booze is subtle with this brew.

Overall this is a super Imperial/Double IPA. Store only had one so I jumped on it. So wished there were more...

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 21:14:45 | More by Fitwitchik

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

my girlfriend and i liked this one a lot. it pours a rich cipper color, much darker than we expected, with a nice caramel colored head about two inches tall and leaving thick lacing on the sides of the glass. the nose is more balanced than i am used to in such a big ipa, english caramel malts are present amongst the heavy hopping. the hops are pineappley and piney in both nose and taste, especially as the beer warms up a bit. its very crisp in the finish, with a good dose of bitter left in the mouth. there is also some sweeter butterscotchy elements on the front end, but they are quickly overpowered. feel works well, its heavy for sure, full full body and a lot of alcohol than you can really feel. carbonation is moderate, and this is definitely a one beer per session kind of brew. overall a lot of flavor packed into this ipa, and in my mind mikkeller can do no wrong.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 20:18:16 | More by StonedTrippin

Amalak

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Nice light copper color. Some bubbly white head and a little bit of lacing. Semi-clear, or a bit of cloudy.

S. Mild hoppy scent. Light.

T. Very intense citrusy sweetness to it. A fruity beer. Some grape to it, as well. Mild on the hop scale. Smooth, if potent from the sweetness.

M. A very odd vegetable aftertaste. Kind of like celery.

O. Nice beer, but could probably due with some aging. A bit too hyper on the fruits if there's a complaint to be made.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:56:31 | More by Amalak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours very cloudy amber. The nose on this one is...different. I feel compelled to say rose petals, or something like that. It strikes me as much more floral (in a petal sense), than I can recall in any other beer. But on to the most important aspect: how it tastes. It's okay I guess. Interesting and smooth, though there is a hop spicyness that nips in a slightly subtle way. The most interesting aspect of this beer is probably the feel which is extremely smooth and borders on silky. I have to say, though, that for a beer that costs $9, I should probably be getting a whole lot more from the experience. I think that's probably one reason why I'm now more willing to spend less than $2 on a beer from some place that I've probably never heard of instead of an exhorbitant amount for a "decent" beer from some uber popular brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 23:43:18 | More by RblWthACoz

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from session notes.

Murky brownish amber with a tan creamy 1cm head, minimal lacing, the foam lasts for about a minute.

Smells of semi-boozey caramel, peaches, ginger, and orange peel. In a very appealing balance with medium strength resin aroma, I should add.

Tastes of solid pine resin, grapefruit, boiled hop oil, and a couple of squirts of those liquid bitters used to make fancy cocktails. About 85% of the strength of the peachy fruitiness from the nose are unfortunately masked by the booze and resinous hopping flavor. For a short while mid-sip , the malt flavor seems to vanish and comes back again just before the finish begins.

Medium-heavy body and medium carbonation keeps things moving around in the mouth. A bt of oily slippery-ness in the mouth does detract from the experience.

If only it was slightly less greasy in texture and kept some more of the promised fruit and the citrus peel aspects from the nose in the flavor, this would have been dialed in to my preferences much better than it is.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 19:06:55 | More by WastingFreetime

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.48/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 330ml bottle with no visible BB date (not sure why, though the label suggests that this is destined for the US market where there is no dating requirement). Picked up from Trembling Madness in York just the other week. I've had this once before and thought it was fantastic - been looking forward to it ever since the latest batch was announced.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A deep orange-amber hue with medium carbonation. Produces a decent head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a minute or so before reducing to a surface layer. An intense aroma of citrus and pine, underpinned by subtle malt and earthy yeast notes. The abundant aromatic hops have a dry, sherbet-like quality. A whiff of alcohol can be discerned in the background.

Tastes like a sackfull of aromatic hops with an intense bitter finish. Notes of grapefruit, citrus, peel, resinous pine, earthy yeast, caramel malt and stewed hops. Considerable bitterness upon swallowing, along with a warming hint of booze. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with good body and a strident astringency. Dries the palate thoroughly and leaves a lingering aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops.

Bam - hops! This is a fantastic brew; makes my list of top-tier IPAs. Tons of hop aroma and flavour, while the malt takes a back seat (this sets it apart from US west-coast IPAs). Spicy, oily citrus with a hint of pine. Very dry, with a lemon character. Nice body and great mouthfeel. I've only had one of the two beers that are blended to create this (Hardcore), but the result is peerless. If you come across this, don't pass up the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:02:53 | More by jazzyjeff13

Aml42000

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Murky dark amber with a thin white head. No lacing to speak of.

S- A good mix of caramel and pine. Layered, but not delineated.

T- A shot of caramel on entry and through the mid palate. A quick and slightly clumsy transition to intense bitter hops.

M- Nice, but a bit muddled. It has some oily quality, but is still crisp and clean. A little confused.

O- Very good IPA/DIPA. I enjoy I beat You much more, but the regular hardcore IPA a little less. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 05:52:32 | More by Aml42000

Sunhunters

California

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving Type: 330mL bottle into Tulip glass. Bottling date unknown.

Appearance (4.5) - Rich amber and only translucent when help up to the light. Very deep and thick color saturation for the style. Caramel red. One and a half finger head dissipates quickly. Spotty lacing.

Smell (4.5) - Complex aroma of rich, balanced hops, and malt. Lemon poppyseed. Pine. Sweet cherry truffles, toffee, and strawberry rhubarb. Orange, cinnamon, and clove. Booze is forward, and alcohol notes are very detectable, but an enticing smell overall.

Taste (3.5) - Huge flavor - primarily orange peel, aromatic bitters, and dense dried fruits with a touch of dark rum and grand marnier. Leather and tobacco flavors add earthiness to the mix. Enjoyable, but meaty and palate-bruising.

Mouthfeel (3.0) - Rough hop bitterness scrapes the tongue, extremely dry with a full, viscous body. Pretty formidable.

Overall (3.5) - A complex and really interesting beer, definitely a different take on the IIPA. Its rich and complex character is engaging and the overall product is well balanced. Very enjoyable, though with a heavy bitterness, and a slightly medicinal note. Beefy, layered, and thought-provoking, but perhaps not a frequent repeat.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 03:33:23 | More by Sunhunters

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Comparisons between this and the standard Hardcore are inevitable but objectively this is the real deal. Slightly lighter than Hardcore, this has a sharper more penetrating pine nose, forms reasonable head but really delivers in the mouthfeel with the taste. Supple, balanced and complex compared to Hardcore's more weighty boozy maltiness this is more enjoyable and undoubtedly a more balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 18:29:54 | More by Zimbo

danieelol

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

With great thanks to dgilks.

Pours a nice light amber golden. Good head/lacing.

Smell is so much pine and a melange of tropical fruits. Peaches/lime. Pliney-esque. Lots of almost cocktail-like lime and mint. Nice herbal character.

Taste is good too with lots of bitter pine and tinned peaches. A pleasing sweet malt backbone is present and accounted for but kept in check.

Mouthfeel is good, bitter and hop resiny. Overall a nice, really fresh DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 16:07:03 | More by danieelol

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy orange-brown color with a white head. The aroma is quite hoppy, with a lot of orange citrus and floral/perfume notes, as well as some alcohol. The aroma is a big mix of sweet malt and bitterness from the hops. I get some nice orange citrus and pine notes, with some sweet biscuit malt. The bitterness is about medium and there is also some alcohol present. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:06:39 | More by Mora2000

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: no head on a hazy copper body.

S: malty, candied orange, musty hops and earthy notes.

T: a touch boozy but not too bad for the ABV. Strong malt backbone with resin, earthy, citrus and candied orange hop notes mostly in the finish.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation. smooth

Overall: Compared to other brews from these breweries. too malt forward. I had higher expectations for this one perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 03:02:22 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on a hazy, dark amber body. The foam settles rapidly and leaves light lace.

S - Spicy hops with a touch of toffee and caramel in the background.

T - Caramel and spicy pine hops up front. Spicy clove and cinnamon in the middle. Finishes out with a bit of muddy caramel and pine hops as well as a fairly strong level of bitterness for balance.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet, but balanced, finish.

D - Not my favorite DIPA. Both the malt and the hop character are strong, but muddy. Neither is able shine above the other and the sweetness in the finish becomes flabby fairly early on. I have had better DIPAs from both Mikkeller and Brew Dog.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 03:00:32 | More by nickfl

cmoody91

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass.

A: Amber/Copper colored with a thin white head that dissipates quickly with bits of lace.

S: Piney, somewhat herbal, fresh lemon rind, grapefruit etc.

T: Immediately hit with hops: deep citrus, marmalade, grapefruit. Finishes well with mostly malt, just enough sweetness and some hop bitterness that is sought after in IIPA's.

M: Medium Bodied. Pleasantly oily mouthfeel. Fairly low carbonation,

O: Very nice IIPA, one of the best I've had. A bit expensive at $7 a bottle in my area, but definitely a one time must try to see what two stellar breweries can cook up together.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 01:55:29 | More by cmoody91

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear, dark amber with a tight, creamy white head.

S: Aromas of grapefruit, lemon, blood orange, fresh herbs, cedar, and pine sap are present on the nose.

T: Notes of pine, spruce, cedar, lemon, grapefruit, blood orange, cream, caramel, and fresh herbs wash across the palate. The finish is long, resinous, and bitter with notes of blood orange, lemon, pine, and cedar underscored by prickly, peppery alcohol.

M: Medium-bodied, oily, and resinous, but very smooth. Carbonation is surprisingly gentle. Alcohol presence is pronounced, but not overpowering or distracting. Very drinkable for the style.

O: This is an excellent DIPA, one that hits all of the high points of the style. I Hardcore You compares favorably to just about any American DIPA, but retains a unique, decidedly European character. All in all, it has its own personality and is worth a try for any self-respecting hophead.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 14:21:17 | More by mrfrancis