Pushing the Abv Limit?

Taking an ABH mixture with a 1% Abv bump included, how much further could you go in an attempt to push the Abv up? 2, 3, 4%? How will it affect the taste? Aside from taking a beer that usually has a 5.2 - 5.5 Abv and raising it to 7 - 8% Abv....what's the down side?

Thanks!

You can really screw up the flavor. Too much corn sugar can lead to cidery flavor. Too much malt to up the alc can throw off the taste by over powering the hops.

But mostly the 1-2% bumps are pretty safe

Increasing the alcohol is as simple as increasing the fermentable content (to a point) but like any ingredient in a food recipe you can't just up quantity with out considering the effect on the end result. Plus, alcohol is a component of the flavor profile of a beer itself...depending on how you are going about this, you are going to change the flavor and possibly the body of the beer, and sometimes not for the better.

If you push it too high you could end up with an ABV that will kill you yeast. This could leave you with unfermented sugars and no yeast to carb the beer if you bottle.

More than a point or two & the flavor balance is trashed.