Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA

Chillwave Double IPA  9.4% ABV
Imperial / Double IPA
Great Lakes Brewing Co.

It was windy, really windy.  For a few brief moments it would be still and then the strong wind would pick up again.  While the wind felt good pressing against me, it was making it very difficult to pour this beer and take a photo of it outside.  The empty glass almost blew over and shattered twice.  As I poured, the wind caught some of the beer, and carried it far from where I intended.  Though this wind was causing me trouble, this is the exact type of wind that gets “Third Coast” surfers excited.

I was naively shocked when I read the label explaining the name origin of this brew.  A few seconds on Google and I had image evidence and even a business, “Third Coast Surf Shop,” devoted to lake surfing, as further proof.  There is even a site that provides Surf Reports and Surf Forecasts for various spots on the Great Lakes.  Apparently the summer months have the least amount of surf-able waves, “fall, winter, and early spring are the most consistent seasons for surfing”.  That means just like the beer label states, “No matter the cold, no matter the season, no matter the frozen crystals gathering in their beards, or the wind-whipping, white knuckle conditions they must face. To these chill rust belt surf dudes, it’s all good.”  I have to assume there are also some chill rust belt surf “dudesses” who face those cold harsh conditions, as well.  Whether male or female, these Great Lakes surfers have much heartier constitutions than I.

Not only did this beer educate me about an entire subculture I had no idea about, it’s also damn delicious.  There is a nice orange citrusy aroma to the beer, which corresponds well with the deep tangerine coloration of the brew.  It is topped by a white head reminiscent of the foam created by a cresting wave.  The flavor is exceptional.  I had been craving a Double IPA for a couple weeks when I bought this 4 pack, and no other Double IPA could have fulfilled my palate desires as this beer has.  There are nice spice notes up front with a delectable citrusy flavor that continues on from middle to finish.  This is a seasonal item that is released in March.  Hopefully you can still find some on the shelves today.

I respect those individuals, who are always on the hunt for the next great wave on the Great Lakes.  While I will never join them, they were the inspiration for this beer, so I will cheers to them every time I drink a Chillwave Double IPA.  To make it official, “Cheers to the Great Lakes surfers!  May the winds be blustery, the waves big, and may this late spring and summer provide an anomaly of unseasonably surf-able swells!”