Some beers are so unique that they are worth a try. Even fewer manage to be unique and receive wide community acclaim. De Ranke Brewery’s highly limited XX Bitter happens to be one such brew, and is quickly becoming one of America’s favorite IPAs.

XX Bitter pairs the clean drinkability of an Alesmith IPA with the fierce hop intention of Green Flash’s Palate Wrecker.

De Ranke spares no expense with a generous use of artisan focused Brewer’s Gold and Hallertau hop flowers. These top-shelf hop flowers create an unforgettable mouthfeel and complexity that doesn’t hold back the bitter but remains full steam ahead with flavors most domestic IPAs can’t match.

XX Bitter pours a visceral cloudy gold in the glass with a HUGE bubbly head to highlight its Belgian roots. XX Bitter will surprise you with its crafted Western treatment – apart from the distinct mouthfeel and boisterous head, there is little “Belgian” to be found in this beer. The nose is a smorgasbord of hop activity: spicy herbal notes, vibrant hits of black currant, citrus and floral. A dry enticing body is flooded with hits of grass, earth, white pepper, resinous bitter and a pale malt bill.

De Ranke Brewery is famous in Belgium and throughout the world for their intricate brewing process that places a premium on pristine, quality ingredients. Each beer they offer is highly distinguished in its respective style and XX Bitter is perhaps the most distinguished of them all.

Outfitted with a parchment jacket to protect against light exposure, XX Bitter is intended for aging – making it one of a few cellarable IPAs.

92 on RateBeer; 92 on Beer Advocate (100 from The Bros)