While I was in America I had the pleasure of enjoying some of America's finest beer. I tried some new ones at 3 Floyds outside of Chicago, including a really delicious Belgian Dubbel. I had Skinny Dip by New Belgium and Coastal Wheat by Sam Adams. Both of these last two didn't have anything really stand out to me. But probably the highlight was stumbling upon a beer through a friend of a friend: The Maharaja Imperial IPA by Avery Brewing Co.

I'd never heard of Avery, but they're from Boulder, CO. This beer isn't cheap, but if you enjoy IPAs, I'd put this one on your list. Apparently it packs quite a whallop at around 10% ABV, but it hides it well. Sometimes I find IPAs to be too full of themselves, that is to say, too bitter in a bad way, not in a delicious hoppy way. Maharaja seemed to present a really strong hop taste, without being too overwhelming (balanced I suppose). Admittedly, it's been a few weeks since I had it, so I won't try to drag this out. Long story short, it's worth your time to try it.