Introduced a couple of months ago as a new rotating seasonal release with one of my favorite brews (Ten Fidy), Gubna is another can of genius — a 10% ABV Imperial IPA. Brewed with three malts and one hop (Summit), Gubna is surprisingly hoppy, packing quite a pungent hop aroma and taste.
The beer is downright dank in terms of the hop component. Now, I’ve had some darn hoppy beers in my time, but this one is so earthy and resinous that it’s characteristics are very weed-like…
…not that I have ever… you know…
Uh…
Well, you see…
I…
Crap.
Appearance
Gubna pours a bright, clear golden amber with an orange hue. The head was small, but left decent lacing on the glass.
Aroma
For only using Summit for brewing and dry hopping, this thing packs a wallop. The nose is earthy, resinous and piny with a strong grapefruit note.
Taste
Again, a big hop profile that is pungent, earthy and bitter dominates the palate. For an Imperial IPA, this is a pretty full beer with a tart, bitter lingering finish that begs for more. The alcohol makes its presence more apparent as the beer warms.
Overall
It’s hard to believe that this beer came out of a can. It’s an excellent brew, but I’m not sure that I will be able to pay $4.95 per can to enjoy a four pack of this one again. If you like your IPAs pungent and full, this is definitely the beer for you.
Rating: 3.5/5
