It’s been awhile since I’ve had any beers from Redhook, the Seattle-based brewery that has changed ownership over the years before landing at Tilray last year, but I’m pretty sure the last beer I had was Big Ballard Imperial IPA. As it happens, Redhook has been expanding its Big Ballard line since 2021, and this year the company introduced its latest, Big Juicy Ballard, and reached out to offer samples; I accepted.

I actually received cans of each of the Big Ballard beers, not just Big Juicy, all in 19.2-ounce size:

• Big Ballard Imperial IPA, 8.6% ABV with 66 IBUs
• Hazy Big Ballard Imperial IPA, 8.7% ABV with 40 IBUs
• Tropical Big Ballard Juicy IPA, 7.2% ABV with 45 IBUs
• Big Juicy Ballard Imperial IPA, 9.5% ABV with 30 IBUs

Interesting how the IBUs have trended downward with the newer versions.

Here’s the marketing pitch that I received for the new Juicy beer and the line:

Coming in at an ABV of 9.5%, Big Juicy Ballard is a high-octane juice bomb with orange flavors and a remarkably crisp body and dry finish. Boasting tropical hops and a lingering sweet finish, this is an IPA you will definitely want to be sipping on this summer.

Big Juicy Ballard continues the longstanding Redhook legacy of providing beer drinkers with a choice and pays homage to the original stomping grounds in the Ballard District of Seattle where Redhook was born in 1981. Available in 19.2oz cans to provide you with the most value, go ahead and crack open a cold one and taste the evolution of the Redhook brand–you’ve earned it, captain.

At first I was puzzled by two different “Juicy” versions, but it seems the Tropical one is brewed with actual fruit/juices, while Big Juicy is entirely hop-driven. But I’ll delve more into each when I post reviews.