Did you hear the news? RoboHop Imperial IPA is back…soon, and headed to the LCBO and the GLB retail store.

To celebrate the occasion, Troy Burtch sat down with Mike Lackey to ask him a few questions about our favourite Imperial IPA. Questions that many of you ask from time to time.

Troy: Dude, RoboHop is back…soon. Why do you pick this time of year to brew it?

Lackey: It’s the best time to capitalize on the freshness of hops. The 2015 crop comes in January (2016) and we’re all about #FreshGLB.

Troy: How is this years batch of RoboHop tasting?

Lackey: I think it’s tasting great. Similiar to last years batch, but like every year we slightly tweak the hop bill to ensure we get the top flight aromatics that hopefully you’ve come to appreciate in our beers.

Troy: Why tweak the hop bill?

Lackey: Few reasons. New hops coming out all the time and when some come in (a new varietal) we try to incorporate a small amount into our seasonal beers. Small amount, like 5% or less, which may increase over the time should it suit our needs…and deepest desires. Hops also change from year to year, so we can lower or increase the percentage when we sample the new crop. Some hops, through their lifetime, can start to fade. For example, Amarillo was ai main stay in RoboHop but we’ve found it has declined in quality over the years, so we’ve cut it from the recipe and introduced something new. In 2015 we introduced Nelson Sauvin to the recipe which we loved, so we’ve increased the amount used. This year we are giddy with the 2015 crop of Equinox hops so we have introduced 5%. It adds a touch more pine…

Troy: I get this questions a lot on Twitter – Should people age RoboHop?

Lackey: NO! As with all of the GLB IPAs, it’s best to drink this Imperial IPA as fresh as possible to experience the intensity of what this amount of hops bring to the palate.

Troy: When will the GLB retail store see cans appear?

Lackey: A pop up might take place this week…stay tuned and watch our social media feeds.

Troy: How many cans produced for GLB retail?

Lackey: About 4500. But I’m sure the staff will drink 100 of those soon, so only 4400 units.

Troy: When will the LCBO see the 650ml bottles?

Lackey: We’ve already started shipping out this week. So, in theory, any time now. About 10,000 will be in circulation.

Troy: Price point for cans and bottles?

Lackey: I’m told the following. Cans at GLB retail: $5 each, $108 per case. 650ml bottles at LCBO: $8.95

Troy: Last question. Is RoboHop a real person?

Lackey: No? WTF?

So, there you have it folks. Mike Lackey sat down long enough to chat about one of our favourite IPAs.

Here are the stats on RoboHop, and tasting notes, for your convenience.

ABV: 8.5%

IBUs: 100

Style: Imperial IPA

Serving Temp: 3-5

Glassware: Pub Pint

RoboHop Imperial IPA is not a beer to trifle with. The unfiltered beer pours a deep orange hue with a bright white head. The aroma is fantastic. Tropical fruits abound from the glass, which consist of passion fruit, guava, lemon with notes of white grape and evergreen, pine mingling together. Makes you think of cotton-candy. Traces of soft warming alcohol notes are also detected. The full-bodied 8.5% Imperial IPA is very gentle on the palate, making it one sneaky bugger. Many of the aromas come through in the taste, resulting in a very pleasant juicy finish that’s slightly dry, and, as stated in the description – bracingly bitter. An easy-drinking Imperial IPA.

Food pairing recommendations

Szechuan chicken or blackened cajun catfish, Sharp blue and gorgonzola, Candied ginger, gulab jamun (Indian Sugar balls), Neal Brothers Srirachup Kettle Chips.

Twitter Hash Tag: #RoboHop

