Hop Butcher Gut Feeling 4Pk

Hop Butcher Gut Feeling 4Pk is a 7.5% ABV Double India Pale Ale from Chicago's Hop Butcher For The World, sold in a 4-pack of 16 oz cans. Brewed in collaboration with St. Louis-based 2nd Shift Brewing, Gut Feeling showcases a distinctive hop bill of Nelson Sauvin, CTZ, and the experimental HBC 1019 variety, placing it among the brewery's ambitious limited-release lineup.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Double IPA  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher For The World  |  Collaboration: 2nd Shift Brewing

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher For The World has established itself as one of Chicago's most prolific haze-forward breweries, with roughly 85 percent of its output consisting of double IPAs at or above 8% ABV — making the 7.5% Gut Feeling a slightly more approachable entry in the catalog. The collaboration with 2nd Shift Brewing, a respected St. Louis craft operation, brings a second set of experienced hands to the recipe. Nelson Sauvin, a New Zealand hop prized for its white-wine-like and gooseberry character, anchors the hop bill alongside the dank, resinous punch of CTZ and the less widely available experimental hop HBC 1019. Label artwork is by noted illustrator Dan Grzeca, and the beer was last canned on September 9, 2024.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Nelson Sauvin drives the nose toward white grape and gooseberry, layered with the resinous, earthy edge that CTZ contributes. A backdrop of tropical fruit and a subtle herbal quality emerge as the beer warms slightly in the glass.

Taste: The palate opens with bright, wine-like fruit — gooseberry and white grape — before shifting into riper tropical tones at mid-palate. CTZ provides a grounding bitterness and piney depth that keeps the sweetness in check, while the mouthfeel carries the soft, full body typical of Hop Butcher's haze-driven double IPAs.

Finish: Moderate in length, with lingering resinous bitterness and a dry, fruit-skin quality. The Nelson Sauvin character reasserts itself on the close, leaving a clean, grape-like echo.

How to Drink Gut Feeling

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-rimmed IPA glass at around 40–45°F to let the aromatic complexity open up; drinking straight from the can mutes the Nelson Sauvin aromatics considerably. While double IPAs are best enjoyed fresh and on their own, Gut Feeling's wine-like hop profile also makes it a surprisingly capable partner in beer cocktails: a Hop Shandy with fresh grapefruit juice and a pinch of salt highlights the tropical side; a Beermosa with white grape juice plays into the Nelson Sauvin character; and a Michelada build with lime and Tajín adds savory contrast to the hop-forward fruitiness.

Best For

• Sharing with fellow hop-heads at a weekend cookout
• Exploring limited-release Chicago craft alongside other Hop Butcher DIPAs
• Gifting to a beer enthusiast who tracks collaboration brews
• Pairing with bold, spicy foods that can stand up to aggressive hop character

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gut Feeling taste like? Gut Feeling leads with white grape and gooseberry notes driven by Nelson Sauvin hops, balanced by resinous pine bitterness from CTZ and a soft, full-bodied mouthfeel characteristic of haze-forward double IPAs.

How does Gut Feeling compare to other Hop Butcher double IPAs? At 7.5% ABV, Gut Feeling sits slightly below the brewery's typical double IPA range — most of which land at or above 8% — making it a touch more sessionable while still delivering the dense hop saturation the brand is known for. The collaboration with 2nd Shift Brewing and the inclusion of experimental hop HBC 1019 also distinguish it from Hop Butcher's solo releases.

Is Gut Feeling good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — this is a beer designed to be poured into a proper glass and appreciated for its aromatic complexity, especially the wine-like Nelson Sauvin character that unfolds as it warms slightly from fridge temperature.

Where is Gut Feeling made? Gut Feeling is brewed by Hop Butcher For The World in Chicago, Illinois, in collaboration with 2nd Shift Brewing of St. Louis, Missouri.

What foods pair well with Gut Feeling? Thai green curry matches well with the tropical and herbal hop notes. Grilled chicken tacos with mango salsa echo the fruit-forward character. Sharp white cheddar provides a savory counterpoint to the hop bitterness. Fish and chips benefit from the beer's resinous cut through fried richness. Spicy buffalo wings find balance against the soft, full body.

What sizes does Gut Feeling come in? Gut Feeling is available as a 4-pack of 16 oz cans, which is the standard format for Hop Butcher's rotating DIPA releases.

Is Gut Feeling worth the price? Gut Feeling positions as a premium limited-release craft DIPA, priced in line with other top-tier rotating hop-forward 4-packs from acclaimed regional breweries. The collaboration pedigree, experimental hop selection, and Hop Butcher's strong reputation in the double IPA category support its positioning.

Why Gut Feeling?

Hop Butcher For The World has built its name on relentless double IPA innovation, and Gut Feeling represents a focused collaboration that pairs the brewery's Chicago haze expertise with 2nd Shift Brewing's St. Louis craft sensibility. The hop bill alone sets it apart — Nelson Sauvin remains one of the more distinctive and sought-after hop varieties in the craft world, and pairing it with the experimental HBC 1019 signals genuine recipe ambition rather than formula repetition. With an Untappd community rating of 3.9 across hundreds of check-ins, it has landed well with the hop-centric audience that tracks Hop Butcher's rapid-fire release schedule. For anyone following the Chicago DIPA scene, Gut Feeling is a meaningful addition to the conversation.