>Willard Brooks

Double IPAs (DIPAs) balance large amounts of hops and heaps of malt to result in a high-IBU brew of 7.5% or above. The best of them are the stuff of beer geek dreams and inspire road trips to hunt white whales with names like Pliny the Elder, Heady Topper, Sip of Sunshine, Abner, and Hop JuJu. Like it or not, it’s the mark that a beer scene has arrived, when it sports an elite DIPA the likes of these. Several local breweries are reaching hop heights—esp Old First Ward, Community Beer Works, and Southern Tier. The latest is Deep Cut, released by Big Ditch on the occasion of its first anniversary. Its name derives from the final obstacle the Erie Canal builders faced in leveling a 7 mile section of canal that had to be cut 40 feet deep by hand between the Flight of Five in Lockport and Lake Erie. The Deep Cut Double IPA by Big Ditch is certainly one their most ambitious beers to date. It’s layered with citrus, tropical punch, and wild berry flavor, with moderate perceived bitterness and a dry slightly grassy finish. Hop hunters will appreciate the 8.5% ABV and 98 IBU punch of this beer. Made with Nugget, Citra, Calypso, and Meridian hops. Deep Cut is somewhat limited in volume so get it while you can.

>> Chris Groves Certified Cicerone ®

At 25 Pine Street in East Aurora it’s going to be busy for the foreseeable future. 42 North Brewing Company held a soft opening to a packed house last night (Tuesday) as a first to several new brewery openings in the coming months. Nestled in a small incline, the front of the building is quite unassuming until you pull a left into the parking lot; pub and eatery in the front and the stainless steel party in the back. An outdoor patio under lights was unoccupied (due to the rain) but will certainly be a great nice weather hangout. Reclaimed wood, brick and Edison bulbs make for a warm, tho done to death atmosphere with a long L shaped bar and plenty of seating. The beer? Excellent. A spread of styles are available in 10oz. and 16oz. for on-site and 32oz. and 64oz. growler fills for take-home. I covered two bases with an on point West Coast IPA and Robust Porter over the course of a couple hours. Other house styles on the board include a Red Ale, Oatmeal Cookie Brown Ale (& nitro if you wish), Belgian-style Wit, Saison and two guest taps. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, get on down to EA and have a pint. Open Tuesday-Thursday 4P-11P, Friday 4P-12A, Saturday 12P-12A and Sunday 12P-8P. Western New York is getting there...one brewery, one beer bar at a time. Maybe BeerAdvocate magazine will do a feature on us soon. #thinknydrinkny