Big Little Thing Imperial IPA defies brewing logic. A monster ABV and booming hop character, but tame sweetness and a clean finish? This anomaly of imperial IPA starts with the mash. More than just using a huge volume of malt (and we do fill our mill to overflowing), we mash our grain aggressively to yield a higher ratio of fermentable vs. unfermentable sugars. This allows yeast to metabolize nearly all sugar, which both boosts the ABV to 9% and cuts the malt sweetness. At the same time, yeast and hops collaborate on their own magic. Dry hopping during active fermentation sparks biotransformation: yeast cells alter the chemical compounds in hops to unlock entirely new aromas—like the tropical wave that washes over Big Little Thing.