Hop Butcher Forever's Gonna Start 4Pk

Hop Butcher Forever's Gonna Start 4Pk is a hazy double IPA from Chicago's Hop Butcher For The World, arriving at 8.5% ABV in a four-pack of 16 oz cans. Built on a five-hop bill that includes NZ Cascade, Mosaic, Riwaka, Rakau, and fresh Nelson Sauvin hop juice, this release showcases the brewery ranked #13 among hazy IPA producers and #7 small regional brewery by Craft Beer & Brewing in 2024.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Hazy Imperial / Double IPA  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher For The World  |  Format: 4-Pack, 16 oz cans

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher For The World operates out of Chicago, Illinois, producing its beers through contract brewing partnerships across the Midwest. The brewery has built a devoted following through a relentless rotation of hazy IPAs, each defined by distinct hop combinations and meticulous process. Forever's Gonna Start leans on an aggressive late-addition and dry-hopping regimen designed to extract maximum aromatic intensity from its New Zealand and American hop varieties while holding perceived bitterness well below what the 8.5% ABV might suggest. Fresh Nelson Sauvin hop juice — not pellets or whole cones — adds an extra dimension of grape-like tropical character that distinguishes this release from others in the lineup.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe mango and papaya land first, followed by a wave of fresh-squeezed tangerine zest and a subtle undercurrent of white grape from the Nelson Sauvin juice. A faint resinous dankness lingers behind the fruit.

Taste: The entry is soft and full-bodied, coating the palate with juicy stone fruit and overripe pineapple. At mid-palate the Mosaic and Riwaka assert themselves with concentrated citrus oil and a pillowy sweetness from the grain bill. Bitterness stays restrained throughout, letting the tropical fruit dominate while the 8.5% ABV integrates seamlessly.

Finish: A gentle citrus-rind dryness emerges, pulling the sweetness back and leaving a clean, lightly piney close. The finish is moderate in length, encouraging the next sip rather than overwhelming.

How to Drink Forever's Gonna Start

Pour cold — around 40–45°F — into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to open up the aromatic complexity. This beer is best consumed fresh; hazy DIPAs lose hop vibrancy quickly, so drink within a few weeks of purchase. A Michelada riff works surprisingly well here — the tropical juice character pairs with hot sauce and lime. A Beer-a-Rita built with this DIPA, fresh lime, and a salted rim lets the mango and pineapple shine in a crowd-friendly format. For a simple mixed serve, a Shandy with fresh lemonade tempers the ABV while amplifying the citrus notes.

Best For

• Sharing among hazy IPA enthusiasts at a weekend cookout
• Exploring the depth of New Zealand hop varieties alongside American favorites
• Adding to a craft beer tasting flight focused on Chicago breweries
• Gifting to a hop-forward beer fan who values limited rotating releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Forever's Gonna Start taste like? It delivers a juice-forward profile dominated by ripe mango, pineapple, and tangerine zest, supported by a creamy, full-bodied mouthfeel and gentle citrus-rind dryness on the finish. Bitterness is deliberately restrained despite the imperial-strength hop load.

How does Forever's Gonna Start compare to Revolution Double Hero? Revolution Double Hero sits on the West Coast side of the double IPA spectrum with more pronounced bitterness and a drier, more resinous character. Forever's Gonna Start occupies the opposite end — haze-forward, fruit-dominant, and soft on the palate — making the two useful reference points for the style's full range.

Is Forever's Gonna Start good for sipping on its own? Yes — the restrained bitterness and well-integrated 8.5% ABV make it approachable despite its imperial strength, and the layered tropical hop character rewards deliberate sipping from a proper glass.

Where is Forever's Gonna Start made? It is produced by Hop Butcher For The World, a Chicago, Illinois-based craft brewery that brews through contract partnerships at facilities in the Midwest.

What foods pair well with Forever's Gonna Start? Grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa echo the beer's tropical fruit notes. Spicy Thai green curry benefits from the soft sweetness and full body. A charcuterie board with aged cheddar and stone-fruit preserves complements both the malt and hop profiles. Fish and chips gain a bright counterpoint from the citrus character.

What sizes does Forever's Gonna Start come in? It is available as a four-pack of 16 oz cans, the standard format for Hop Butcher's rotating releases.

Is Forever's Gonna Start worth the price? It positions in the premium tier typical of limited-run hazy double IPAs from top-rated regional craft breweries, and the five-hop bill featuring fresh Nelson Sauvin hop juice delivers complexity that justifies the category pricing.

Why Forever's Gonna Start?

The distinguishing factor here is the use of fresh Nelson Sauvin hop juice alongside four complementary varieties — a technique that introduces grape-like tropical intensity difficult to achieve with pellets or whole cones alone. Hop Butcher's ranking among the country's best hazy IPA producers by Craft Beer & Brewing in 2024 reflects a consistent track record, and this release is a strong example of why. The restrained bitterness and seamless ABV integration make it dangerously drinkable at imperial strength, while the layered New Zealand and American hop interplay gives experienced drinkers something to dissect across the glass.