Black Oak Hop Bomb

Brewed by Black Oak Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Etobicoke, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Cask at C’est What. Very hazy orange pour with a tight white head. The aroma is quite odd. Soft orange peel in addition to a fairly light fishy sort of vegetal character. A touch of DMS as well. A little bit of light fruit and some fairly light fruity esters. It’s got a little bit of sweetness through the middle. Not really malty though - the sweet slickness seems like a fermentation or a conditioning issue. Moderate bitterness on the finish - although that Harare is actually fairly clean. Odd.

This is the casked version of the pale and it is very good, not to be missed, called Hop Bomb. Thanks to Jamie of Irish Major for pointing me to the secret cask at Fort York Beer fest 2004. (Bottled) Apparently Jercraigs had a big impact on this first version. An edgy bitter with medium mouthfeel, not exceptional but very drinkable with food. A very good casked ale.

UPDATED: OCT 23, 2007 Cask Days 2007. Hop Bomb S.T.F.U Edition with SEVEN doses of hops compared to the Hop Bomb’s TWO. Hazy pastel orange/yellow with a small white head. (3+) Interesting tropical fruit notes to the hoppy aroma. Hoppy flavour is a bit strange with similar citrus, straw/grain notes, tropical fruit hints. Average to medium palate is perhaps aided by suspended yeast. (3+) Intriguing in small quantities, becomes a bit much after a while. This is nitpicky, but these should either be separate or just listed under the Black Oak Pale Ale based on the no dry-hopped beers rule. 7/4/7/3/14 - 3.5 <P>Beer Bistro, Golden Tap Awards 2005. Hop Bomb. Hazy golden yellow, moderate white head. Green leafy hops in the aroma. Palate is quite green, lingers in the aftertaste. Moderate - medium bitterness is pleasant throughout. Surprisingly well balanced despite fairly intense hoppiness. Thin but cask appropriate. Quite nice, and deserving of "Best of Fest" award. 7/3/7/3/16 - 3.6 8/22/2005

Cloudy , murky amber , small head on top . Sweet , citric , fruity aroma . Pleasant hop character . Soft but filling nice aroma . Natural low carbonation, mildly bitter, mint notes and grapefruit. Soft bitter finish, with gently hop sting.

Cask - At Volo, then again at BeerBistro 2005 GTA Golden Tap Awards. Poured a bright, slightly oily looking murky orange-gold with a plentiful creamy eggshell head and decent lacing. There were a few bright white bright spots in the head, but no visible floaties. Aroma started with medium fresh hops, fresh-squeezed grapefruit / wine grape juice, some slight sourish grain and muted sweet malt. Very wheaty, and as it warmed the hops opened up big time and muscled the non-citrus notes aside completely. Flavour started with a medly of fresh, green, strong hops, wheaty grain, some medium sweet brown sugary malt but in the catbird’s seat was that powerful lemon/grapefruit/grape citrusy juiciness, keeping the rambunctous hops long-leashed. Mouthfeel is incredibly lively - acidic, salty, creamy - quite a ride. It finishes long, citrusy and memorably fresh hoppy - even a hint of banana at the end of my glass! In the final analysis still not my cup of, uh, tea, but I’ve never enjoyed a beer this hoppy this much.

Cask at 2005 Golden Tap Awards at BeerBistro. This is my 200th rating and it’s for a beer that deservedly won "Best Beer of the Festival" at the aforementioned awards. Pours a hazy yellow with a spare diminishing white head. Aroma of fresh hops and citrus that you just want to keep smelling. Sweet flavour of hops and grapefruit is well balanced and oh so tasty. Very enjoyable and different -- I could drink this all night. Congrats to Black Oak for the win and keep up the excellent work!

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2009 [768-20071020] Cask @ Volo Cask Days 2007 (Toronto, ON, called "Hop Bomb"). Mango hops and a bit of apples in the flavour, but not tangy tropical. Hazy, orange brown body with off-white bubbles. Hoppy tea-based flavour. Medium body is smooth. Very nice mild hoppy beer. (7/3/8/4/15) 3.7

[768B-20071020] Cask @ Volo Cask Days 2007 (Toronto, ON; called "Hop Bomb S.T.F.U."). Mango tropical fruit hops aroma has some apples and some grass. Cloudy, orange brown body with a medium-lasting bubbly white head. Tea-like grassy fruity hops flavour. Medium body is dry and bitter throughout. Nice, more dry and bitter than the Hop Bomb Original. (7/3/8/3/14) 3.7

[1808B-20081020] Cask. Sweaty citrus aroma with mild herbal grasses. Slightly hazy, light brown orange body with a medium-lasting off-white bubbly head and fine bubbles throughout. More sweaty citrus pips in the flavour with bitter woody grasses and light herbal citrus. Medium body is super bitter. Bitterness calms down after a few sips, even becoming a little watery. (7/3/7/3/14) 3.4
(Post Cask Days 2008 @ Volo; Toronto, ON; Called "Homegrown Hop Bomb")

Highly hopped citrus aroma, hazy golden, little white head. Taste is hopped grapefruit, that lingers. Light bodied, but fully bitter. Terrific!

Sampled at Beer Bistro Golden Tap Awards, gravity dispensed. Hazy yellow, few bubbles in cask small head. Wonderful hop aroma that was not nearly as citrusy as others found. Big hop taste, a kicked up Pale Ale, but it remains very well balanced. A little citrus creeps in at the end. This turned in to my session beer for the afternoon evening and is an excellent effort, to be expected from one of Ontario’s best Micro’s. Thanks Ken!

Draught at BeerBistro - 2005 Golden Tap Awards. Very hazy golden-amber with a small head. Fresh, green, citric hops in both aroma and flavour. Definately fits the moniker, although it’s quite well balanced despite the uber-hopping, so unlike many hop monsters, it is a fine session beer. Really nice stuff!