Hoppy Hoppy Holidays! Imperial India Pale Ale

Any lover of hops, including myself, has always dreamed of making a double IPA (Imperial India Pale Ale) after drinking a Dogfish Head 90 minute IIPA. I decided in the fall that I would make an IIPA, and that it needed to be made long in advance of Christmas, so that the beer could condition properly. Due to law school, the beer was not made until October, so it really did not reach the proper taste until late December and it is getting better with each month. I used 3 oz. of Nugget for bittering and 3 oz. of Columbus hops for flavor, aroma, and dry hopping. The beer registers at over 100 IBUs, which is insane. The alcohol is around 10%. With that amount of alcohol I had to use two packets of yeast. Thanks to Listermann for the recipe and ingredients. I was really afraid of the reaction from people tasting this beer, but I was surprised to see the number of people that liked it despite the high alcohol and hops. It was not the favorite beer within the holiday packs, but it still received good feedback. I have tried a few since Christmas and the beer is getting better. Due to the hops shortage, I will not likely get to make an IIPA this year or possibly next year, so I am carefully rationing the beer, since it has a shelf life that could extend into 2010, no joke. The beer had light body and a definite alcohol taste that was balanced by the spicy taste of the Columbus Hops.

The Name
Based on the insane amount of hops, I thought "Hoppy Hoppy" was a good description that worked well as a play on words.