I asked the guys at my beer store to recommend something hoppy - super hoppy that were not necessarily an IPA per se. This and Heavy Seas - Small Craft Warning were their choices. I am still "hopped up" with the warmer weather and needed a hops fix. Both of these beers from Heavy Seas lived up to the recommendations. Loose Cannon especially did the trick, as it was floral, fruity and appropriately bitter - which was just what I wanted. Thought not identified on the bottle as an IPA, I would consider the style of this beer as one. Loose Cannon poured amber with a well-laced head that stuck around as a thin film on the surface of the beer as I drank it over time. This is one hopped up beer. The aroma is fruity, piney and floral. As soon as I poured this, the genie in the bottle was released and aroma took over the senses. The hops were very bright and fresh which was exactly what I wanted. For the most part the aroma was duplicated in the flavor of this beer except just amplified. The piney flavors of the hops were front-loaded but transitioned to the fruitier notes at the back of the pallet. The fruit flavors were dominated by strawberry notes and the fruity nose of the beer added more fruit to the whole experience. The ale backbone of the beer came through as light brown sugar that took some of the edge off the hops. The sweetness of the beer was up front and the beer finished with a zing of clean-crisp bitterness. This beer was also highly carbonation. The little bubble would pop, resulting in an explosion of hops. For a 7%+ ABV the alcohol was well masked. I could not taste it at all. Heavy Seas did an excellent job with this beer. It was smooth and silky - until the hops kicked in. What a great beer this was.
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