Dark Star Hophead Extra

Brewed by Dark Star
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Haywards Heath, England

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 2     Pale Yellow(1)->Dark brown(5) : 1     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 4   White(1)->Tan(5) : 1   Lasting: 3   Lacing : 3
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 2   Bread : 1   Apple : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX  
Malt : 3   Biscuity : 2   Hay : 4   Toasty : XX   Caramel : XX   Nuts : XX   Honey : 2   Cereals : 1   Grainy : 3
Hops : 5   Noble(1)->American(5) : 3   Leafy : 2   Spicy : 2   Floral : 5   Lemon/Lime : 2   Grapefruit : XX   Orange : XX   Herbal : 2   Grassy : 2   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : XX   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Sourness : XX   Bitterness : 4   Complex : 3   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 2   Clean : XX   Sharp : 3   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : 2   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: I’m standing by my first impression here as I’ve had it on 3 different occasions and the last two were nowhere near as satisfying as the first one: first 1/3 of pint at the 2007 GBBF and simply my favourite golden ale ever, seemingly conceive for no other purpose than to reach the equilibrium to seduce my tastebuds. As fresh, lively and floral as it gets.

A Mes rate: Gravicask at GBBF. 1st beer of the festival and certainly one of the best. Bright bright yellow with a good white head. Quite incredible depth of colour. Dusty tobacco, tangy citric hoppage, lovely creamy mouthfeel. Body, balance, good length, awesome palate, it really has the lot. Amazing how much it had altered (and gone downhill) on the following day. (4.1 day 1, 3.3 day 2)

Cask at The Butchers Arms, Herne: This is possibly my all time favourite beer. My friends and I have always said that the only way you could possibly improve Hophead is to up the strength, low and behold that’s what they’ve done with this. Really is just like Hophead on steroids. Very hoppy with the same grassy aroma and flavour as the original. Beautiful.

Cask Conditioned at Black Door, Helsinki
Hazy blond color; persistent head. Very nice hoppy aroma, fresh, fruity (yellow fruits; peach…), light green hops. Mellow, sweet flavor, malty, a bit fruity, where the nice hop is just a sparring partner. Atypical Golden Ale, dangerously drinkable! Excellent.

Cask@GBBF. Very hoppy aroma, citrus, floral. Shiny yellow, white head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, well hopped but beautiful balance, floral, crisp. Had the normal Hophead at Wenlock Arms the day before but this really is Extra!

Cask (White Horse, Parsons Green, London) - Golden coloured. Hoppy aroma with hints of grapefruit and pineapple. Hoppy taste with a fairly strong bitterness featuring notes of grapefruit and pineapple.

Cash : Woodies beer festival, New Malden. Hopheads evel twin. Just as Hoppy and refreshing, just more so. Tastes like the same ratio of ingredients buy more of them with a higher OG.

Cask @ GBBF ’07. This is very nice, big brother to the Hophead. More hops, spicier aroma. Taste is equally so, lots of citrussy hops, fruity. Lovely.