Also known as “Liquid Brutality”, this ale is fom The Tap Brewery in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Bitter Rival is billed as an East Coast IPA concocted for the Lupulin¹extremists with generous measures of Amarillo, Chinook, and Columbus hops. Golden, unfiltered and unrelenting. If you don’t like em’ bitter and tongue-scrappingly hoppy, stay away.
Bitter Rival, an homage, to the Boston Bruins age-old rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens. “The name Bitter Rival was literally a last minute idea conjured up on the day of release at the pub which was the day the NHL lockout ended.”
From the pour, this IPA screams hops–no floral or citrus notes, just boldfaced bitter. I just finished a Ballast Point Sculpin and the Bitter Rival is shocking in comparison. First sip was jagged compared to the Sculpin. This is not for the timid. Very bitter and strong. At 8.5% ABV it is a beer with a backbone. Very good.
American Imperial IPA | 8.5 % ABV
Rating: 78
¹Lupulin is the glandular powder separated from the strobiles of the Humulus lupulus (hops) plant. It has sedative effects on the body and mind and stimulates sleep. This powder is separated by beating or rubbing the strobiles of hops, and then sifting them. The sifting is necessary to remove the broken bracts and other vegetable parts. About 10 per cent of lupulin is thus obtained from the dried hops. The powder is bright brownish-yellow and become resinous. Lupulin is chemically related to THC.
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