Every year hop heads wait in anticipation for a few stars to help shine a little bit of brightness on our beer geek souls during the long dark nights of winter. Double IPAs, Triple IPAs, and Imperial Reds make their appearances in limited quantities but great variety. For some reason in the middle of the winter, after the shelves have begun to clear of the spiced holiday ales, brewers are inspired to celebrate everyone’s favorite cousin of cannabis, the magnificent and magical hop! Perhaps the reason lies in the high alcohol content created by the hefty malt bills required to balance the mega-hopping, maybe it's the piney resin that syncs so well with a season in which only evergreen trees still have foliage, or maybe it is simply competition between brewers.

In any case, many the most celebrated beers in the land are released this season, and thanks to Philadelphia's strategic placement at the center of the beer universe, we're lucky enough to have fresh access to some of the best. A few of our favorites:

Bell's Hopslam

A double IPA, and the meaner big brother of the perennial Two Hearted Ale, I realize the cliche involved, but the name says it all. The aroma and flavor of this beer hits you hard up front with grass stains and grapefruit, followed by a pineapple sweetness. Does that come from the honey used in the brewing process? Who knows - there's some debate over whether or not honey leaves any sweetness behind after fermentation. Either way, there's a lot going on in this beer behind the hops. From Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hopslam joins some great seasonals from Bell's Brewery, such as the great Russian Imperial Stout, Expedition. Between the 10% ABV and the pure intensity of flavor, a little goes a long way with Hopslam.

Troegs Nugget Nectar

What was once a limited local favorite from Harrisburg's Troegs Brewing Company is now fairly readily available from January through April all over PA and beyond. There's good reason that this beer exploded over the past few years. This Imperial Amber ale showcases the citrusy flavors of the hop while allowing the bitterness to take a secondary role to a seriously malty backbone. Nugget Nectar also has the distinction of sporting some of the coolest bottle art out there. Though named after the nugget hop variety, Nectar actually uses a few different strains in the bittering and dry hopping processes, but Simcoe Nectar or Warrior Nectar just don't have the same alliterative ring. A smooth drinking experience at 7.5% ABV, this is one hoppy winter beer that you can drink in multiples if the conditions permit.

Russian River Pliny the Younger

One of the coolest things about living in Philadelphia is our exclusive access to boutique brewery Russian River's impressive lineup outside of California and the Pacific Northwest. Known for extremely hoppy IPAs and Belgian-style sours, Russian River's products are sort of like the Waldo of the beer world. Hop Heads and Sour-Toothsä(I just made that term up) all over the country are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to sample these beers, and none is more sought after than the extremely limited triple-IPA, Pliny the Younger. Kegs will arrive in Philly in February, and many of the lucky taverns who receive them will make events out of its tapping, forcing would-be tasters to stand in line for a glass. If you're lucky, you may just find it under the radar and be able to get some under more comfortable conditions. This beer is all hop, but by no means one-dimensional. There are at least three distinct stages of citrus, pine, and resin that hit the palette in succession. Often named as one of the best beers in the world - a title perhaps partially driven by the rarity factor - it is always a great day if you can track down a sample of the Younger.

01.27.2011

About Beer Geek Steve:

Steve spends as much time as his wife will let him tracking down rare beers and trying to analyze the intersection between quality beer, hype, and viral marketing. When he's not reviewing beer for Drink Philly, he writes about his adventures in chasing bottles and taps at his blog, Beer Geek Steve. You can also follow him on Twitter, where he tweets about happenings in the craft beer industry and often locates some of the best barrels in southeast PA.