Here's the thing: I didn't actually particularly care for the original Hopsecutioner. In fact, at 2.0/5 on my scale, it just barely made it into the average category. Generally, I consider anything from 2 to 3 as perfectly acceptable for when you go out and they have it available. Anything above a three is a beer I'm going to go out of my way for. Anything below to is a beer I will avoid. At exactly 2, the original beer did not inspire confidence. This is going to be the double IPA version, though, and I recall the original one being very malty. Well, with a DIPA, this could really send it the correct direction.
First sip is pretty darn good. It's a lot drier on the finish and then I expected. Maybe the dryness is trying to cover up for the bitterness that would normally be coming with all these hops, but I expected more sweetness from the malt. It is full-bodied, and the mouth feel is very solid. With all of the various kinds of hops involved, it's hard to pick out any distinct flavors. There are pine flavors mixed with tropical flavors with some kind of citrus hue. It's a good enough flavor, but it is a bit muddled.
Tip-in is biscuits and caramel with mild carbonation burn and a slurry of fruits. The middle is remarkably smooth as the mixed up fruits joined together with pine and flow without excessive acidity straight down the gullet. The finish is a resurgence of the malt and a significant lack of the dryness I tasted in the sip as the echo of the fruits moves into the trail off.
Bottom Line: Better than the beer it's based on.
2.75/5
