Hop Butcher Cheese Crown 4Pk is a 10.5% ABV imperial hazy IPA from Chicago's Hop Butcher for the World, packaged in a four-pack of 16-ounce cans. This double IPA entry in the brewery's relentless rotating lineup pushes to imperial strength while maintaining the pillowy, fruit-saturated drinkability that has made Hop Butcher a fixture across the Midwest craft beer scene since 2017.

Quick Facts: ABV: 10.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Imperial Hazy IPA  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher for the World

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher for the World was founded in 2017 by Jeremiah Zimmer in Chicago, Illinois, and quickly earned a devoted following for its prolific output of hazy IPAs released in rapid rotation. Cheese Crown follows the brewery's imperial template: a substantial grain bill built on oats and wheat generates the dense, persistent haze and full body characteristic of the style, while aggressive late-addition and dry-hopping techniques load the beer with aromatic intensity and keep perceived bitterness deliberately restrained. The result is an imperial-scale hazy IPA that conceals its considerable 10.5% ABV behind a smooth, juice-forward presentation.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe mango and pineapple lead immediately, followed by waves of citrus zest and softer stone-fruit undertones. The oat-heavy grain bill contributes a subtle cereal sweetness that anchors the tropical hop aromatics.

Taste: The entry is pillowy and full, with mango pulp and pineapple juice dominating the front palate. Mid-palate, citrus pith and a gentle resinous quality emerge, adding dimension without tipping toward bitterness. The wheat-and-oat backbone provides a creamy, almost milkshake-like texture that carries the fruit notes smoothly through to the finish.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering tropical fruit sweetness and a faint warming quality from the 10.5% ABV. The bitterness stays soft and rounded, fading into clean, juicy residual hop flavor.

How to Drink Cheese Crown

Pour into a tulip glass or stemmed IPA glass at 40–45°F to fully open up the hop aromatics and appreciate the dense, hazy pour. This is a sipping beer — the imperial strength rewards a measured pace, and allowing it to warm slightly in the glass reveals additional layers of fruit complexity. Cheese Crown is best enjoyed fresh and on its own rather than mixed; its substantial body and tropical intensity stand strongest as a standalone pour alongside a meal or as a deliberate slow-drink session beer.

Best For

• Sharing among craft beer enthusiasts exploring Midwest hazy IPAs
• Pairing with bold, spicy food where the beer's sweetness and body can balance heat
• Gifting to a hop-forward beer lover who appreciates rotating brewery releases
• End-of-week slow-pour sessions where a high-ABV sipper sets the tone

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cheese Crown taste like? Cheese Crown delivers a juicy, tropical-fruit-forward flavor profile dominated by mango, pineapple, and citrus, wrapped in a pillowy, oat-softened body that masks its 10.5% ABV behind remarkably smooth drinkability.

How does Cheese Crown compare to Other Half DDH Green City? Both are imperial hazy IPAs with lush tropical hop profiles, but Cheese Crown tends toward a softer, rounder mouthfeel, while Other Half's DDH Green City often pushes more assertive hop resin and higher perceived bitterness in its double dry-hopped format.

Is Cheese Crown good for sipping neat? Yes — at 10.5% ABV, Cheese Crown is best treated as a slow sipper poured into a proper glass at cool temperature, where its hop complexity and full body can develop as it warms slightly.

Where is Cheese Crown made? Cheese Crown is brewed by Hop Butcher for the World in Chicago, Illinois, a brewery founded in 2017 that has become one of the Midwest's most prolific producers of hazy IPAs.

What foods pair well with Cheese Crown? Thai green curry benefits from the beer's tropical sweetness cutting through coconut and chili heat. Spicy Nashville hot chicken finds balance in the creamy, oat-heavy body. Grilled pork tacos with mango salsa echo the beer's fruit-forward hop character. Aged cheddar or Gruyère plays off the malt sweetness. Fish and chips gain a bright, citrus-like counterpoint from the hop profile.

What sizes does Cheese Crown come in? Cheese Crown is available in a four-pack of 16-ounce cans, the standard format for Hop Butcher's rotating release lineup.

Is Cheese Crown worth the price? Cheese Crown positions as a premium craft offering within the imperial hazy IPA category, and its 10.5% ABV in 16-ounce cans delivers significant volume and strength per pack — placing it in line with comparable double IPA releases from top-tier hazy breweries.

Why Cheese Crown?

Hop Butcher for the World has built its reputation on an extraordinary pace of rotating hazy IPA production, and Cheese Crown represents the brewery operating at imperial scale. The dense oat-and-wheat grain bill paired with heavy late-hopping creates a beer that drinks far more gently than 10.5% ABV has any right to — a trick few breweries pull off consistently at this strength. For drinkers who want the tropical intensity of a modern hazy IPA amplified to double IPA proportions without the boozy heat or astringent bitterness that often accompany the territory, Cheese Crown lands squarely in that sweet spot. It is a focused demonstration of what has made Hop Butcher one of the most sought-after hazy IPA producers in the country.