Hop Butcher Only Interested in Citrus 4Pk

Hop Butcher Only Interested in Citrus 4Pk is a citrus-driven Double IPA from Chicago's Hop Butcher For The World, packaged as a four-pack at 8.0% ABV. Scoring a 91 on BeerAdvocate, this release stacks four hop varieties—Citra, Motueka, Sabro, and Simcoe—into one of the brewery's most single-minded citrus expressions.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8.0%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Double IPA  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher For The World

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher For The World was founded in Chicago in 2014 and operates a production brewery in Bedford Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago, alongside a taproom space on Lincoln Avenue in the city. The brewery has built its reputation on an ultra-fresh distribution model—releasing beer that is often only hours or days old in the can, drawn from a rotating catalog of more than 250 different recipes. Only Interested in Citrus reflects this philosophy, pairing the tropical and citrus character of Citra and Sabro hops with the lime-zest brightness of New Zealand-grown Motueka and the piney backbone of Simcoe to create a layered but relentlessly citrus-forward Double IPA.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright orange peel and pink grapefruit rise immediately, followed by guava and a subtle undercurrent of light caramel malt. The hop aromatics are vivid and juicy, signaling the citrus intensity to come.

Taste: The entry hits like a citrus bomb—zesty lime and lemon dominate the front palate, quickly joined by ripe grapefruit and tangerine at the mid-palate. A soft caramel malt sweetness provides just enough ballast before the hops reassert themselves with juicy clementine and a measured bitterness that keeps the beer from tipping into one-note territory.

Finish: Medium-long and drying, with lingering grapefruit pith and a clean, resinous bitterness. The 8% ABV is well-hidden beneath the citrus intensity, leaving a dry, slightly bitter close that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Only Interested in Citrus

Pour cold into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to let the hop aromatics open up; no garnish needed. This DIPA is built to drink fresh and unadorned, but it can anchor hop-forward beer cocktails as well.

• Hoppy Shandy: Mix half-and-half with fresh lemonade—the beer's natural citrus amplifies the tartness into a crushable warm-weather drink.
• Citrus Michelada: Combine with lime juice, hot sauce, and a salted rim—the grapefruit and lime hop character locks in with the savory-spicy framework.
• IPA Float: Float a scoop of lemon sorbet on top—the beer's bitterness and citrus oils play against the sorbet's sweetness for a striking dessert serve.

Best For

• Sharing with craft-beer friends during a weekend tasting session
• Bringing to a summer cookout as a high-impact conversation starter
• Gifting a hop-obsessed beer enthusiast who chases fresh releases
• Pairing alongside a taco spread or spicy grilled foods

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Only Interested in Citrus taste like? It leads with an intense burst of lime, lemon, and pink grapefruit, layered over a light caramel malt base that gives way to a dry, bitter finish. Think citrus juice concentrate filtered through hop resin—bright, punchy, and unapologetically fruit-forward.

How does Only Interested in Citrus compare to Toppling Goliath King Sue? Both are highly rated Midwest Double IPAs that lean heavily on Citra hops, but Only Interested in Citrus blends four hop varieties—Citra, Motueka, Sabro, and Simcoe—for a broader citrus spectrum, while King Sue showcases Citra more singularly at a slightly lower 7.8% ABV. Hop Butcher's emphasis on ultra-fresh, often days-old canning also distinguishes its approach from Toppling Goliath's wider distribution reach.

Is Only Interested in Citrus good for sipping on its own? Absolutely—the layered citrus complexity and balanced bitterness make it rewarding to drink straight from a glass at a cool temperature. Its 8% ABV carries enough weight to sip slowly without feeling thin.

Where is Only Interested in Citrus made? It is brewed by Hop Butcher For The World at their production facility in Bedford Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2014 and also operates a taproom on Lincoln Avenue.

What foods pair well with Only Interested in Citrus? Grilled shrimp tacos with lime crema mirror the beer's citrus core. Spicy Thai green curry benefits from the hop bitterness cutting through coconut richness. A sharp aged cheddar contrasts the fruit-forward hops with savory depth. Fish and chips with malt vinegar echo the beer's malty backbone, and a fresh ceviche creates a seamless citrus-on-citrus pairing.

What sizes does Only Interested in Citrus come in? It is primarily available as a four-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for Hop Butcher's rotating releases.

Is Only Interested in Citrus worth the price? It positions as a premium craft Double IPA, priced in line with other limited-rotation releases from top-tier Midwest breweries. The 91-rated BeerAdvocate score, four-hop bill, and ultra-fresh canning model support its value within the competitive hazy and imperial IPA segment.

Why Only Interested in Citrus?

Hop Butcher's ultra-fresh distribution philosophy means this beer often reaches shelves within days of canning—a critical advantage for a hop-forward style where aromatics fade quickly. The four-hop combination of Citra, Motueka, Sabro, and Simcoe is deliberately engineered to hit every angle of the citrus spectrum, from tropical guava to sharp grapefruit pith, rather than relying on a single varietal. A 91 BeerAdvocate score places it among the brewery's better-received releases in a catalog of more than 250 beers. For drinkers who want maximum citrus impact from a Double IPA with genuine freshness behind it, this four-pack delivers exactly what its name promises—nothing more, nothing less.