Hop Butcher CCCCClear IPA 4Pk

Hop Butcher CCCCClear IPA 4Pk is a 7.25% ABV American IPA from Chicago's Hop Butcher For The World, sold as a four-pack of 16 oz cans. Scoring 90 points on BeerAdvocate and 88 points from Wine Enthusiast, this five-hop IPA channels West Coast clarity and aggression through a distinctly Midwestern lens.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.25%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: American IPA  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher For The World

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher For The World operates out of its Bedford Park production brewery and Lincoln Avenue brewery in Chicago, running one of the most ambitious rotational brewing programs in the Midwest — over 250 different beers with no single year-round flagship. CCCCClear IPA takes its name from its five-hop bill: Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, and Columbus — all beginning with the letter C. The brewery self-distributes fresh beer weekly, often delivering cans that are only hours or days old, making freshness a core part of the drinking experience rather than just a marketing claim.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Big tangerine and red grapefruit lead the nose, followed by ripe mango and a wave of resinous pine. The effect recalls the brewery's own description: "the way a slow walk through a pine forest smells," layered with bright citrus peel and a dusting of peppercorn.

Taste: The entry is surprisingly juicy, with pear and pineapple lemonade hitting first against a semi-sweet malt base. Mid-palate shifts toward tropical territory — mango gummies, apricot, and melon — before citrus rind and woody pine resin assert themselves. A measured bitterness builds through the back half, grounding the fruit without overwhelming it.

Finish: Dry and piney with lingering grapefruit pith and a flash of mint. The bitterness is clean and definitive, fading into a subtle peppery warmth that invites the next sip.

How to Drink CCCCClear IPA

Pour cold into a tulip or standard pint glass to open up the aromatic hop oils; drinking straight from the can mutes much of the pine and citrus complexity. This IPA pairs well with food but also works in hop-forward mixed drinks: a Hop Shandy with fresh lemonade plays off the existing pineapple-lemon character; a Michelada with lime, hot sauce, and Tajín amplifies the grapefruit and peppercorn notes; and a Beermosa with fresh-squeezed tangerine juice doubles down on the citrus profile without fighting the bitterness.

Best For

• IPA drinkers exploring Chicago's craft beer scene beyond the usual national brands
• West Coast IPA fans looking for a clean, bitter, hop-driven alternative from the Midwest
• Hosting a summer cookout where bold, citrus-forward beer stands up to grilled food
• Gifting to a craft beer collector who values limited-rotation releases and peak freshness

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CCCCClear IPA taste like? CCCCClear IPA delivers bright tropical fruit — mango, pineapple, apricot — balanced by assertive pine resin and grapefruit bitterness on a semi-sweet malt base. The overall impression is citrus-forward and dry with a clean, West Coast–leaning finish.

How does CCCCClear IPA compare to West Coast IPAs? Drinkers frequently describe CCCCClear as "Westie-like" or comparable to a West Coast cold IPA, thanks to its clear appearance, dry finish, and resinous hop character. It differs by leaning more heavily into tropical fruit from Citra and Centennial hops rather than relying solely on piney bitterness.

Is CCCCClear IPA good for sipping on its own? Yes — at 7.25% ABV with a complex five-hop bill, it rewards attentive drinking, especially when poured into a glass where the pine and citrus aromatics can fully express themselves.

Where is CCCCClear IPA made? CCCCClear IPA is brewed by Hop Butcher For The World in Chicago, Illinois, with production at their Bedford Park brewery. The brewery self-distributes throughout the Chicago area, prioritizing freshness with weekly deliveries.

What foods pair well with CCCCClear IPA? Grilled chicken with citrus marinade mirrors the tangerine and grapefruit notes; spicy Thai green curry is tempered by the semi-sweet malt base; fish tacos with mango salsa echo the tropical hop character; sharp cheddar cheese contrasts the pine bitterness; and carnitas with pickled jalapeños match the beer's peppery finish.

What sizes does CCCCClear IPA come in? CCCCClear IPA is available as a four-pack of 16 oz cans, consistent with Hop Butcher's standard packaging format for their rotating IPA releases.

Is CCCCClear IPA worth the price? CCCCClear positions as a premium craft IPA within Hop Butcher's rotating lineup, and the combination of a five-hop bill, hyper-fresh distribution, and limited availability justifies its place in the upper tier of four-pack pricing for American IPAs.

Why CCCCClear IPA?

The defining feature of CCCCClear is its five-C hop architecture — Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, and Columbus working in concert to produce a layered IPA that moves from tropical juice to forest floor without losing coherence. Hop Butcher's aggressive self-distribution model means this beer arrives at peak freshness, a critical factor for hop-driven styles where aromatics degrade within weeks. With a 90-point BeerAdvocate score and an 88-point Wine Enthusiast rating, CCCCClear has earned recognition beyond casual drinker approval. As a rotational release from a brewery that never repeats a year-round flagship, each batch carries a sense of intentional scarcity that rewards drinkers who grab it while it's available.