Phase Three Blue Hour 4Pk is a Vermont-style Imperial IPA from Phase Three Brewing Company in Lake Zurich, Illinois, clocking in at 8% ABV. Rated 91 on BeerAdvocate, this Double IPA distinguishes itself by deliberately omitting oats and wheat — a throwback to the earliest Vermont-style IPAs that balanced juicy hop character with genuine crispness and restrained bitterness.Quick Facts: ABV: 8% | Origin: Lake Zurich, Illinois | Style: Vermont-Style Imperial/Double IPA | Brewery: Phase Three Brewing CompanyProduction & HeritagePhase Three Brewing Company operates out of 932 Donata Court in Lake Zurich, Illinois, where it has built a devoted following for hop-forward and adjunct-heavy releases alike. Blue Hour takes a deliberately retro approach to the hazy IPA movement: it uses Simcoe and Amarillo hops alongside a yeast strain selected for its stone fruit esters and classic English yeast character, but the grain bill excludes both oats and wheat entirely. The result is a beer that achieves the characteristic haze of a Northeast-style IPA without the pillowy, thick body that defines most modern versions — landing stylistically in the space between West Coast clarity and East Coast opacity that defined the original Vermont IPA wave.Tasting NotesAroma: Fresh, grassy hop aromatics hit first, followed by ripe stone fruit — peach and apricot — courtesy of the yeast strain. Underneath, there is a subtle resinous pine quality from the Simcoe addition.Taste: The entry is juicy and fruit-forward, with orange peel and stone fruit dominating the early palate. Mid-palate, the Amarillo and Simcoe combination introduces a dank, piney bitterness that provides real structural backbone. The absence of oats and wheat keeps the mouthfeel medium-bodied and clean rather than creamy, allowing the hop flavors to stay defined and distinct.Finish: Moderately bitter with lingering citrus zest and a dry, slightly resinous close. The finish is cleaner and more decisive than most contemporary hazy DIPAs, encouraging another sip.How to Drink Blue HourPour Blue Hour into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint glass at around 40–45°F to let the hop aromatics open up fully. This beer is best enjoyed fresh and unadorned — the hop complexity and yeast-driven fruit notes reward direct attention. For a beer cocktail approach: a Michelada riff using Blue Hour brings unexpected tropical depth to the classic template; a Hop Shandy with fresh lemonade tames the 8% ABV for warm-weather sessions; and a Beermosa with fresh-squeezed orange juice plays naturally off the existing citrus and stone fruit character.Best For IPA enthusiasts seeking a throwback Vermont-style expression without the heavy oat-laden body Sharing with friends during a craft beer tasting lineup alongside West Coast and New England styles Pairing with a backyard cookout featuring grilled meats and bold flavors Gifting to a hop-forward beer lover who appreciates brewing philosophy and intentional recipe design Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat does Blue Hour taste like? Blue Hour delivers juicy stone fruit and orange peel flavors up front, followed by a dank, piney bitterness and a clean, dry finish that sets it apart from heavier hazy DIPAs.How does Blue Hour compare to Heady Topper? Both beers draw from the original Vermont IPA tradition — emphasizing hop aromatics with moderate bitterness and haze without excessive body — but Blue Hour leans further into stone fruit esters from its English-character yeast, while The Alchemist's Heady Topper is known for a more purely resinous, tropical hop profile at the same 8% ABV.Is Blue Hour good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — its clean mouthfeel, layered hop character, and balanced bitterness make it a rewarding standalone pour, especially when served fresh in a proper glass.Where is Blue Hour made? Blue Hour is brewed by Phase Three Brewing Company at their facility at 932 Donata Court in Lake Zurich, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago.What foods pair well with Blue Hour? Grilled burgers or bratwurst match the beer's bitterness and fruit notes; spicy Thai dishes like green curry complement its stone fruit esters; sharp cheddar or aged Gouda stand up to the hop intensity; fish tacos with citrus slaw echo the orange peel character; and pepperoni pizza provides a salty, fatty counterpoint to the dry finish.What sizes does Blue Hour come in? Blue Hour is available as a 4-pack of cans, which is the standard format for Phase Three's IPA releases.Is Blue Hour worth the price? Blue Hour positions in the premium craft DIPA tier, and its 91 BeerAdvocate rating, intentional grain bill, and distinctive throwback brewing philosophy give it strong value among hop-forward releases in its class.Why Blue Hour?In a market saturated with oat-heavy, lactose-laden hazy IPAs, Blue Hour stakes out genuinely different ground by stripping the grain bill back to basics and letting the hops and yeast do the talking. The decision to exclude oats and wheat is not a cost-cutting measure — it is a deliberate stylistic choice that recalls the earliest Vermont-style IPAs, when the category sat at a crossroads between West Coast bitterness and East Coast juice. Backed by a 91 on BeerAdvocate and strong community ratings on Untappd (4.0 across over 3,200 reviews), this is a DIPA that has earned real credibility among discerning drinkers. For anyone who remembers what hazy IPAs tasted like before the style became synonymous with smoothie-thick mouthfeel, Blue Hour is a welcome recalibration.
Related
Related
Related
Related