The Butcher has been a mainstay in the CoConspirator’s lineup for a few years now and, to welcome winter, the brewers have returned to the knife-wielding boy and given him a second knife with which to strut his stuff. At 7.5 percent ABV, The Double Butcher isn't actually substantially stronger than the OG red IPA – that sits at a round 6 – but there’s certainly substantially greater layers of richness to be discovered within.
The tweaked recipe still features the same hops – Amarillo, Centennial and Mosaic – just more of them, which come together in a massed chorus of mango, stonefruit and citrus not to mention a huge hit of resinous pine. Joining them in the wings is a medley of rich caramel, burnt sugar and a somewhat cola-like sweetness, all of which builds to the sort of crescendo you'd expect from a double IPA: a big and building bitterness.
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