Sixpoint Craft Ales Hi-Res
Sixpoint Craft Ales knows how to play with some hops. Their Resin and Bengali Tiger are both products that make a regular appearance in my beer fridge. Resin is a household favorite and, despite its 9% plus ABV, the imperial IPA usually disappears pretty quickly. Hi-Res is also an imperial IPA, but it’s more of a bruiser than the fruitier Resin.
Hi-Res is described as being a re-focused Resin, with more attention to balance and hop character. Through the couple of cans that I procured, I found the opposite to be true. Sure, it’s got a strong hop profile once it opens up and is deceptively smooth for the stats (11% ABV and 111 IBU), but it still comes across less flavorful than its smaller sibling in Resin.
Appearance
Hi-Res pours golden amber with a short-lived cap of tawny foam.
Aroma
Grass, pine, grapefruit, pineapple and peppery hops combine for a fairly standard smelling imperial IPA — the alcohol is masked well. After the beer has warmed in the glass a soft, bready malt trait comes out to play.
Taste
At first, this beer was rather subdued, but once it opened up loads of piney, citrusy hops started to appear. Caramel and bready malts are also in the mix supporting the fruits and moderate bitterness the beer brings to the table. The texture of the beer is super smooth as it carries you toward a warming finish that also has a touch of sweetness.
Overall
Hi-Res is a good beer, but it’s also a big beer. Perhaps I’m too partial toward Resin to fully allow myself to accept this larger version of it into my life, but it just didn’t come across as flavorful. Yes, for its size, it’s probably more balanced, but in the end, I’d rather have a couple cans of the smaller Resign in my glass.
Rating: 3.75/5
