Flying Monkey’s Sparklepuff Triple IPA Dazzles, Even As it Inebriates 

I vividly remember the first time I tried a Flying Monkeys beer. It’s hard to forget, really, going from drinking sweet corn lagers to Smashbomb IPA. It really blew me away — it was loud, it was bitter and by god it was STRONG. I loved it then, and I’ll still go in for a pint when I can find it, but as beers have evolved, my desires for a classic Flying Monkeys brew have diminished. But that all changed with the release of Sparklepuff Triple IPA.

Where Smashbomb was piney and bitter, Sparklepuff  is fruity and tangy. And where I used to think 7% ABV was a grown man’s beer, the 10.2% Sparklepuff is forcing me to reassess. It may be a hellishly strong beer, but it goes down DANGEROUSLY easy. Seriously — this drink will Trojan Horse it’s way into making you extremely inebriated with ease.

It’s always fun to return to one of the original craft breweries that caught your attention and see they’ve managed to keep up with the times. Here’s what I thought of Sparklepuff:

Sparklepuff Triple IPA Review

If Flying Monkeys didn’t already have a beer called Juicy Ass, that would be a fitting name for Sparklepuff. It smells like nothing so much as a those peach cups in liquid you used to get in your lunch as a kid, but with a strong boozy whiff close on it’s heels. The hops are there, but very citrusy as opposed to the moist pine smell of Smashbomb.

After a taste — and I can’t stress this enough — you need to be extremely careful drinking these. At only 37 IBU, it’s not going to punch you in the gut with bitterness the way a similarly strong IPA like Twice as Mad Tom. No, instead Sparklepuff has a rich texture, healthy effervescence and a beautiful tropical fruit taste of peaches and pineapples with  a kick of passion fruit. It’s truly a delicious beer, and after a few sips you’ll feel pretty delicious yourself.

The finish might be the only dim spot in this bright beer. It’s boozy as hell — but would I expect something different from a 10.2% monster? Nah. It’s solid and sweet and boozy and may be the only thing preventing you from one hell of a hangover.