I really love hard-hitting IPAs. Only, there’s a catch. I can only down one or two before I have to switch to something lighter. But I don’t want to lose that mouthwatering hoppy taste!

Which is exactly why I love the sessionable Juicy Pounder from Anchorage Brewing.

I ventured into the Alaska taproom a few years back to meet some buddies in the area. It opened up right into their brewhouse! With giant oak foudres surrounded by stained wood paneling and bright colors, these guys make beer-making look good.

I grabbed a pint of the Juicy Pounder from the bar to wait until my friends arrived. I was pleasantly startled by notes of ripe pineapple and dank papaya! Even with its chuggable 4.0% ABV, I could really taste the vibrant 100% Mosaic Hops.

Looks like the lucky few others who’ve tasted it agree— it holds a 4.20 on BA!

As for my buddies, they lost track of time. Seriously, make sure your phones are charged if you ever go ice fishing! They finally showed up to find me staring at images of deep sea fish decorating the taproom, disproving my growing suspicions they’d been eaten by their own prey. We laughed about it over a couple rounds of Juicy Pounders together.

Now I snag this beer whenever possible. Pretty much whenever Gabe and the rest of the guys at Anchorage decide to brew another limited batch! It’s a refreshing follow-up to a higher ABV IPA or as a substitute entirely.

Either way, you won’t want to call it quits early with this one.

Meanwhile, I’ve sent my Alaska buddies a portable phone charger.

Rated 4.20 on BeerAdvocate

Packaged On April 19th, 2019