I Hardcore You - BrewDog

Not Rated.
I Hardcore YouI Hardcore You

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487 Ratings
no score

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Ratings: 487
Reviews: 240
rAvg: 4.05
pDev: 12.84%
Wants: 24
Gots: 58 | FT: 0
Brewed by:
BrewDog visit their website
United Kingdom (Scotland)

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial IPA |  9.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating

Notes/Commercial Description:



80 IBU

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Beer: Ratings & Reviews
Ratings: 487 | Reviews: 240 | Display Reviews Only:
Photo of BuckeyeNation
4/5  rDev -1.2%

Toasted orange peel with bright Sunkist edges and a lovely looking lid that is equal parts pastel gold and ecru. The foam is whipped cream creamy, lasts an impressively looong time, and eventually graces the glass with tattered sheets of lace.

The nose features caramel malt and American citric hops that are especially orange juicy. Gotta be Amarillo at least... along with Simcoe and several of the 'C' hops. More pungent would have been great, but then there's no accounting for how long it took this bottle to make it across the Atlantic.

This collaborative American-style Double IPA is a mixture of Mikkeller I Beat You (never had it) and Brewdog Hardcore IPA (had it, didn't love it). It's pretty good big beer that isn't stingy with the little green cones, which is what this style is, or should be, all about.

A more pale malt bill would have allowed the hop flavor to shine more brightly. Toasted bread, caramel, tea leaves, citrus zest and a wee splash of Absolut comprise a flavor profile that is improving just enough with warming to achieve the higher of the two considered scores.

Even though it isn't quite special enough for the 4.5, mouthfeel might be this ale's finest feature. It's at least medium-full for the style/ABV and the laid back bubbles keep the drinkin' easy.

Either my reviewed bottle of Hardcore IPA was past its prime or Mikkeller I Beat You is such outstanding beer that it pulled the BrewDog offering all the way up to good beer status. This stuff is undoubtedly overpriced for regular consumption, but it's definitely worthy of a single bottle purchase for hardcore hop lovers.

Photo of bruachan
4/5  rDev -1.2%

head was regal at pouring bur faded before i could even enjoy it (well...i was walking around doing stuff. but i still would have liked more staying power). hazy copper color

enORmous ruby red aroma. that's pretty much it. definitely some columbus, and simcoe, i would say. website says centennial, too...why not? slightly too much of the "cat piss" element

more of the same hops for me to taste; and sweetness to hold the vegetation aloft. really, though, just enough to give life and breadth to the bitterness and alpha acids

sometimes i have a tough time rewarding breweries for slightly sweet hop tea but this manages to be more than that (even if that's essentially what it is, and the guiding principle seems to have been "more")

Photo of Viciousknishs
3.88/5  rDev -4.2%

A- Pours an hazey amber orange. A two fingered tan tinted white head. Decent retention but could be better.

S- Very piney and floral. hints of mint, citrus zest and white grape. Unfurls into some evergreen sap with a very dry bisquit aroma in the middle. Finishs with fresh squeezed lemon and a slight alcohol scent.

T- Floral piney hops assult the palate like a juicy, juicy grapefruit. Fresh crushed mint and slight oregano flesh out as it warms. Huge (for a DIPA) malt backbone. Tastes like toffee with caramel notes. Juicy and sticky.

MF- Juicy, slick and sticky. Tears your palate to bits and doesn't apologize. Love it. A chewy medium body with a low subtle carbonation.

D- Tasty and goes down smooth. However, I wouldn't want to do more than one. I like to taste stuff for the rest of the week.


Photo of Huhzubendah
3.53/5  rDev -12.8%

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

A: The beer is a hazy sunburst orange hue. There is a huge off-white head that leaves some good lacing behind.

S: Scents of pine, pine cones soaked in alcohol.

T: Another balanced, aka malty, DIPA. No thanks! Strong and malty does not equal American DIPA. Little to no citrus flavors. Mikkeller and BrewDog each brew some pretty mediocre IPAs, so this collaboration is mediocre, not surprisingly.

M: Alcohol present throughout, with caramel malt lingering in the aftertaste (this is where the hop bitterness should live).

D: Best in small quantities, or not at all. At least it's too expensive.

Photo of Chadpaq
4.4/5  rDev +8.6%

Scooped a bottle of this stuff from Brawley's a few days ago. I was intrigued by the label, and I'm always a big fan of Mikkeller, so despite the $6.99 tag on the 12-ouncer, I went for it.

Poured it into a nice, large wine glass. I gave it a fairly aggressive pour in an attempt to really release the hops aromas and open the beer up. Maybe this is just superstition...whatever.

Ended up forming a huge, frothing two-finger head that took its time receding down the sides of the glass. The color seemed to be slightly darker than most of the Double IPAs I've had in the past. It had hues of dark gold and actually was slightly reddish as well. Very pretty.

The head receded fully, leaving a good amount of sticky lacing on the glass (much to my delight). I took a big whiff, just digging my nose in there and really trying to fill up the nostrils. I was almost knocked on my ass with the amount of hopes that filled my nose. I feel like, smell-wise, this may be the hoppiest beer I've ever had.

Finally, I take a small swig. Indeed, the smell rings true, and my mouth is now bursting with bitter, fresh, hoppy delight. I literally love the way this beer tastes, and I don't think it could get much better. I'm certainly not as technical as many reviewers on here, but I know what I like: HOPS. This beer provides it.

Mouthfeel's good. Perfect balance of carbonation and sticky texture that leaves an excellent aftertaste in my mouth, an element that I feel is underrated.

I could only drink one of these per sitting. Then again, I could only afford one of these per...year. So, this doesn't seem to be too much of a tragedy.

I really enjoyed this beer. I will say this: If you like hops, drink it FRESH. I thought about cellaring this baby for a couple months, but after posting in the forum, I was convinced that I should crack it immediately. I definitely don't regret that decision.

Photo of BarrelO
4.1/5  rDev +1.2%

11.2oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark reddish-orange body. Decent head with a bit of lacing.

S: Pine, citrus, and caramel.

T: This is a very bitter beer. It isn't harsh or overwhelming, though. Some notes of bitter orange and grapefruit. Sweet toffeeish malt balances it out. Alcohol is slightly detectable.

M: Rather heavy and resiny.

D: This was one and done for me, but in a good way. If you're in the mood for an over-the-top hop bomb, you could certainly do worse.

Photo of drabmuh
3.75/5  rDev -7.4%

A collaboration between two of the most overpriced breweries on the planet? What could go wrong?

Beer is copper and clear with a decent head and some lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is malty and piny.

Beer is medium bodied and lead off sweet with some back palate hoppiness. The midpalate flavors are almost entirely piny and the finish is a little dry. Reminds me of one of those supposedly balanced IPAs like 90 minute...brew European beer, you are mediocre at brewing US beer. Both of you, your IPAs suck.

Photo of Vdubb86
3.9/5  rDev -3.7%

Served in a snifter on tap at The Firkin

This beer is poured a nice hazy burnt sienna with some decent lacing of the white foam head. The aroma is a mixture of the various hop varieties, tangerine and brown sugar for sweetness. The taste is interesting as well. It comprises of bitter hops and light caramel which work together pretty well. It wasn't overtly bitter, but the hops were strong enough to be noticeable in the mouthfeel. This was rather average to drink, it was a very good beer that I tended to care less about.

Photo of TMoney2591
3.78/5  rDev -6.7%

Served in a snifter at The Firkin.

Dropped in at the Firk following a trip to the homebrew store and spotted this little guy on the chalkboard. Very little time deciding to order. It pours a cloudy amber-tawn' topped by a finger of tannish-cream foam. The nose comprises white grapes, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, caramel, and pineapple. The taste holds notes of minty pine, grapefruit, light caramel, and orange peel. The body is a heavy-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, one of the better brews I've had from the BrewDog guys (that wasn't a barrel-aged stout)...perhaps a freshness issue? Either way, this is a darn solid DIPA, and I'm glad I was able to try it.

Photo of beerdrifter
4.47/5  rDev +10.4%

Picked this up at an awesome beer store outside Ghent, Dranken Geers. Hazy, amber-orange pour with nice two finger head and decent lacing. Huge earthy, floral, resiny, fresh hop nose with a sweet caramel malt backbone and hints of tangerine. Wow, what an intense and bold taste! Extremely fresh resiny hop bitterness, perfectly balanced with a great sweet caramel malt backbone. Tangerines, pine, grapefruit, and bready malt really balance this out nicely. The mouthfeel is thick and chewy, juicey and resiny perfection. The alcohol is totally a non-player, nicely hidden, making this a real scary drinkable Imperial IPA. This was so much better than the Devine Rebel collaboration between Mikkeller and Brew Dog. A great beer from two great breweries.

Photo of crossovert
2.85/5  rDev -29.6%

11.2 oz botte.

It pours a orange/reddish copper with a foamy white head that holds and recedes slowly with some nice lacing.

The smell is a bit of a letdown, Brewdog seems to never be prudent with their shipment of beers overseas and it is apparent here. That plus the fact that is is dominated by the turpentine scent of Hardcore IPA

The flavor is a bit better It is mostly caramel with a hint of pine. It has an okay amount of bitterness, though the alcohol seems to be more apparent in the profile than the bitterness.

It really is just a gimmicky label beer

Photo of Reagan1984
3.9/5  rDev -3.7%

I'm getting a sense that most of the Mikkeller inspired IPA's look the same. A hazy/dull brown color with egg shell white colored head. Lots of structure and a huge amount of lacing left behind.

Aroma seems to have tell tale signs of an English inspired brew. Toasted malts with a candy sweetness, pine focused hops and a touch of grassy or herbal notes.

A pop of hop bitterness up front, followed by some English malt flavor, some slight fruit and pine notes. There is a note of alcohol here, but it's not way too hot, but you can tell the abv is elevated. A bit sweet despite the bruising bitterness that tries to bring balance.

Medium/Full bodied, a touch oily, just shy of sticky.

Pretty nice beer. Wish the ABV was a touch lower, but since Brew Dog is involved I should probably consider myself lucky it's not higher.

Photo of DeanMoriarty
4.33/5  rDev +6.9%

Picked up an 11.2oz bottle for $6.99 from Olive Tree Market here in OB and poured it into a tulip glass.

A: Pours an amber/apricot hue with a good head and solid lace.

S: Strong carmel malt, prevalent grassy hops, earthy moss notes, with a sweet grainy finish.

T: On point with the nose, but the hop dominates the flavor (which is a good thing) - I also get some fermented fruit, chocolate and a good dose of malt that balances the overall flavor nicely.

M: Medium-bodied, but verging on full-bodied, mellow carbonation making it very creamy, sticky and hearty.

D: Very drinkable for a 9.5% but you'd be hard pressed to drink more than one or two of these in a sitting - it's a meal in a glass.

Photo of Lldeegan
4.33/5  rDev +6.9%

Comes out of the bottle in a hazy copper, burnt orange with an off white tight head. It is a bit dark, bubbly and intense looking brew.

Aromas of fruity citrus, pine and caramel flood the nose. The hop notes provide floral smells and the malt provides the backbone.

Piney and fruity bitter hops hit the tongue first and then play to a sweet malty center with hops resonating again on the back, with a lasting finish that is a battle of sweet malt and bitter hops. Notes of apricot, orange, pine, grapefruit rind.

This is a very tasty and simple straightforward DIPA.

Nice malt presence, resounding hop presence.

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%

11.2oz bottle into Bruges snifter.
A: Pours with frothy two finger head, that is a stark white. The body is a deep hazy orange. The line between the head and the body is a crisp line of definition. The head sinks into a foam island on top of the glass. Lacing is left in a layered form.
S: The high intensity of citrus aroma, are welcomed by the smooth off aroma of an earthy aroma.
T/M: A hop bomb of a beer. While the flavors are such a powerful blast of resins and dry hoppy flavors, there is still a nice malt balance. The sweetness is balanced by the dry finish. The body is a smooth and thick cream. Major grapefruit tastes on the off.
D: The overall taste is great and other characters such as aromas and feel. The ABV in this beer is shown and does decrease the overall drinkability.

Photo of stakem
3.9/5  rDev -3.7%

Thanks to wishuwerebeer for sharing.

Poured into a snifter this brew appears a lightly hazed color of orange. A creamy white head appears along with a bit of legwork of lace left sticking to the glass.

The smell of this brew is mostly herbal with an almost orange-like character that is a bit like rind. There is a mineral aspect to this brew that comes off smelling a bit chlorinated.

The taste is herbal and grassy with the mineral touch that was indicated in the aroma that tastes chlorinated. There is a fairly evident fusel alcohol character that throws a mix into the hop flavoring. A faint backing of sweet caramel malt is noted.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. It is drinkable to the extent of no problems finishing the glass but it leaves a lingering herbal resinous bitterness inside the mouth that is tolerable but not excessively enjoyable.

Photo of ADZA
4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

This brew pours a murky non see through strawberry champagne hue with average carbonation that leaves behind a rim of lacing,the aroma is straight out pine needle laced hops and a tiny tinge of caramel sweetness,it has a fullish sticky mouthfeel which leaves the mouth and lips very sticky with tastes of sweet caramel candy and fairy floss followed by some stonefruit,pine needle laced bitterness at the very end of taste,overall its a nice drop but on its price it wouldnt be a regular lineup in my fridge but netherless a very tasty ADIIPA and could drink all night if someone else was shouting cheers.

Photo of Xul
3.98/5  rDev -1.7%

A: Pours a moderately hazy dark golden with amber highlights, capped by a finger and a half of frothy eggshell colored head. Retention is moderate as it settles slowly, leaving light lacing down the glass.

S: Massive citrus presence upfront with a big burst of grapefruit and orange, followed by moderate pine and some light spices. Lightly toasted biscuits and caramel provide an understated background.

T: Hops up front with pine taking the lead along with moderate citrus. The hop profile isn't as clearly defined as in the nose and while it's strong and provide bitterness, it's definitely lacking a bit compared to the aroma. Some light caramel sweetness comes in near the background before giving way to a pine resin finish.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation, feels a touch too thick.

D: Between the slightly thick feel and long, resinous finish, it's a definite sipper.

Photo of Thorpe429
3.18/5  rDev -21.5%

Thanks to Pete for picking this bottle up for me from State Line.

Pours a copper-caramel color into my tulip. Single-finger white head quickly dissipates and leaves a few bubbles atop the brew. Not much lacing. Nose is some light citrus and floral hops with a few tropical notes. Definitely some sweetened malt in the background. Really faint.

Taste brings a pretty good dose of bitterness as well as a bit of green-hop heat, although I don't believe this uses fresh hops. Crosses over into some booze. Slight caramel and toffee base. The feel is a bit boozy with a pretty good amount of bitterness. A very dry finish and a bit of cardboard shows up after the swallow. A bit off.

Photo of Haybeerman
4.18/5  rDev +3.2%

A: Hazy, burnt orange color. Poured a half finger white head that dissipated to ring around the edge of the glass. Spots and broken rings of lace.

S: Citrus, grapefruit and pineapple. Also a spicey/pine aroma. Biscuits and caramel malt character; usually doubles mask the malt so this is nice.

T: Big grapefruit and citrus dominate the taste. A biscuit and caramel flavor briefly ahead of resiny pine flavors. Residual sugar is balanced by a sharp bitter that builds to a warm alcohol finish.

M: Medium to full body. Moderate carbonation (about right). Surprisingly smooth ahead of a resiny coating. Alcohol and bitter hops linger.

D: Surprising balance in a DIPA. ABV keeps it from being sessionable and well as big mouthfeel.

Photo of GilGarp
4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

Served cold into a goblet.

I Hardcore You (love the name) is a very hazy copper color with thick head. As it settles, a nice sheet of lace is left behind.

Aroma is super hoppy and full of great west-coast citrus and grapefruit.

Flavor is incredibly strong and bitter. There is just huge hoppiness with no balance whatsoever. The grapefruit, orange, and lemon citrus along with pine and herb, combine to almost overwhelming effect.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lowish carbonation.

Overall a crazy good DIPA to come out of Europe. Expensive but worth a try.

Photo of geryeb624
4.13/5  rDev +2%

11.2 oz. bottle courtesy of klshanks. Thanks man!

A- Pours a cloudy apple-cider color, brown-amber. Maybe a finger of white head that hangs around for a bit with pretty nice lacing.

S- Intense pine hop aromas, reminds me of a Pliny almost. Some citrusy marmalade notes and a little buttery malt as well.

T- Nice piney, almost floral hop bitterness, with some citrus and malty sweetness. Finishes dry and fairly bitter, with a nice bite.

M/D- Nice, smooth mouthfeel, but the malt sweetness can get to be a bit much. One was enough.

A very nice collaboration IIPA. Definitely worth checking out.

Photo of beerthulhu
3.53/5  rDev -12.8%

A: Dirty orange with a beige, 1 finger, frothy head that sits proudly atop with no where to go. Loads of lacing grace the glass with wavy elongated lines of modest width running circles all the way downward with very good coverage.

S: Freshly sliced grapefruit, alcohol laced toasted malt with a moderate level of hoppiness. Underneath had light indications of dried herbaceous chives and pine. When first poured the strength was dominant but weened off rather quickly.

T: Alcohol laced toasted grains, perhaps a bit to much so of alcohol starts things out. Pungent bitterness was well received but limited in complexity of grapefruit and pine which finished off with a bit of flowery coating on the tongue. At only 9.5% it seemed to appear much higher, unlike their devine rebel which at 12.1% drank several points lower. The hops are bitter and strong though like mentioned earlier very narrow in complexity with no flavor transition. The malting was huge, though probably overshadowed by the alcohol warmth with a sweet and boozy nature of toasted malt juice that finishes up with a flowery bitterness.

M: Medium feel, syrupy feel composition, with a warming glow of on the inner cheeks of alcohol and warm citrus juice.

D: A hop bomb with a complimentary second detonation of alcohol makes this an honest sipper. More emphasis on the alcohol while the hop bitterness was good, but nothing that surly hasn't been realized before. Overall good quality but falls short on craftsmanship to push it to the next level.

Photo of Mebuzzard
4.35/5  rDev +7.4%

I gotta say, skepticism was all around when I saw this on the shelf at the store. Not sure why, I think all the 'back and forth' surrounding BrewDog had a hand in this. But I love Mikkeller beers, soooo...

I usually start a review with appearance, but the aroma jumped out of the bottle. It's all over the place. Hops are forefront. Pine, grapefruit, pineapple, grassy. Some soft citrus and earth hints. The hops aroma almost gets carried away, but a quick malt pressence balances it out just enough.

Looks great. acorn light brown pour, clean with a nice dense, thick and lacing foamed up head. Nice.

As the aroma, the taste is hops forward. Blended well, or maybe not at all. It's all over the place. Nothing is overpowering. The pine turns to pineapple and the grapefruit to fresh grass. Alcohol is well hidden until the end when it provides some kick.

Nice bite and finish to this one. Really like it

Photo of rand
3.95/5  rDev -2.5%

From 11.2 oz bottle to pint glass

A: Pour a cloudy, light mahogany with a 2-inch, frothy and cavernous head. Lots of retention and sticky lacing.

S: Strong, earthy hops combine with alcohol to form a pungent aroma. Notes of candied grapefruit combine with honey and scotch. Very striking smell.

T: Citrusy hops wash over the palate, with notes of grapefruit and orange zest in the front of the sip. The earthy tones in the nose are gone, and the strong alcohol presents itself right away, carrying through the big malt character that nicely balances the hop rush. The malts have a bready, caramelly taste, and the combination with the hops reveals tropical nuances. Finishes powerfully bitter-sweet, but nicely balanced and refreshing.

M: Oily-rich and sticky. This one is to be sipped. It's a good thing this has plenty of carbonation because you'll need a cleansing.

D/N: A big, sticky but well balanced DIPA. A lot of West Coast character, very full flavored but refreshing. Didn't take me long to throw this back, even though it's best enjoyed through small sips.

I Hardcore You from BrewDog
90 out of 100 based on 487 ratings.