I’ve lost count how many times, over the years, I’ve been at a bottleshare or waiting in release-day lines with friends and thought, “Man, we should start our own brewery.”

Of course, then I realize that we’re much better at drinking than we are at brewing. Not like the group of friends who launched Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending – they’re huge beer nerds who are also darn good at the craft. 

Make that GREAT at the craft; BeerAdvocate named Barrel Culture one of the 50 Best New Breweries in the nation just seven months after they opened! 

Today’s ridiculously juicy crusher is a taste of Barrel Culture’s excellence, and I’m positively shocked it clocks in at 8.6% ABV! The brewers double dry-hopped this Imperial New England-style IPA with Simcoe, Galaxy, Sabro, and Ekuanot for a whirlwind of tropical flavors in its lush, pillowy body. 

I get why they call it “Daze” too – the pineapple, passionfruit, and mango-flavored sips are mesmerizing, and for a moment I get totally lost in the brew. I even fantasize again about me and my friends opening up a brewery so I can have a ready supply of luscious hazebombs like this, instead of having to look for special hookups in North Carolina. 

But then, a whisper of pine bitterness makes its way in on the finish to keep me grounded. Yeah, I’m much better off leaving this hoppy mastery to the pros!

*This is the first beer we’ve had the privilege of getting our hands on from Barrel Culture!

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