Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Bend, Oregon USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Pours a amber color with a tall lingering head. Full nectar with excellent carbonation creates a soft, creamy mouthfeel. This is not as sweet as most and that goes a long way with me. I have to say after weighing all attributes, this beer is a classic.I want for nothing from this brew except for an explanation of why it’s labeled an IPA. As for IPAs go it’s the bomb exhibiting superb balance and structure. As for IIPAs go it’s not as burly as most but it does deliver the crunchy hop infested palate driver that you would expect from an Imperial. Eight way this brew is a classic. Blows away AleSmith in overall componentry.
Earlier Rating: 3/5/2007 Total Score: 5
A cold slow pour releases a full blown creamy frothy that slowly recedes revealing clumpy islands of cream that hang the duration. Hugh Jackman shows off a brilliant iridescent golden amber color. Mild aromas of aged citrus, fat juicy hop pollups, and candy necklace. Full nectar w/ superb carbontion for a creamy texture. Beautiful! Fat malt decadence with a subtle candy sweetness that is deminished just as fast by a powerful hop bittering component. Luscious caramel meets the perfect hop balance w/ aged citrus rind. Nunces of leather, bright hard candy necklace, mild herbs. The finishing bitterness sticks w/ the user w/ lating aspirin burn sensation. Trump!

I like this one even more than the lighter version. A fantastic fruity smell, nice orange color. This is a top notch beer. Quite hoppy but tons of fruitiness as well. Just a tad sweet at time, but mostly excellent.

Wow. Awesome. Such a great brew, for 9 abv, hops are right on the money. The combo is money! The aftertaste isnt crazy over the top and the hops work well together like the 95 Cowboys! This shit is really good. Overall superb recipe! I could only hope to put together such a delicious combo of awesome ingredients and have it turn out as good. Red amber gold color. Smell and taste are nothing short of badass. Try it if you like IPAs, try it if you dont like IPAs, try it no matter what.

Borders on barlywine...my kind of DIPA! Tastes like the juice from some kind of honey grapefruit tree. I dont normally care how a beer looks, but this one is downright sexy, like a fiery sunset. Perfect mouthfeel, complex sweet taste. Wow. Only thing keeping it from perfection to me, is it needs more hop bite.

22 oz. bottle from South Bay. Pours dark orange with a creamy white head. Aroma of pine, grass, pineapple, tangerine, and grapefruit. Flavor is much of the same; big hop bitterness of grapefruit and pine with a nicely balanced sweetness not found in most West Coast DIPAs. Incredibly drinkable. This is outstanding stuff.

depp orange pour with a sticky beige head. Aroma of pine, grapefruit, oranges, and a touch of alcohol. Flavor is intense! Hops, hops, and more hops! Wow, ok this should be in the Double IPA category, no way is this a run of the mill IPA. The hops are relentless. Sticky oily resinous hops with notes of pine, and citrus. Wow, VERY bitter finish. An intense beer. I’m not getting much malt, this seems pretty one sided to me, its just thrashing my taste buds. Hop head seek this beer out!! i love it!

22 oz bottle via Hagen. Pours a semi hazy copper with a large beige head. Nose is malty with some herbal and pine hoppiness. Taste starts a little sweet then quickly turns to a pine/grapefruit explosion with a hint of apricot and berries, then back to grapefruit and ending with a nice lingering pine finish, that sticks to the tongue for a good minute or so before demanding another long sip. Mmm this is good stuff. Great stuff. Chilled for 30 minutes from cellar to freezer, so about 55f seems to be a very nice temp to bring out a lot of flavors. I THINK i am tasting some Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hop flavors here, but who knows it seems very complex. Body is medium, carbonation is perfect. Alc very well hidden, i would not guess it was almost 9% if i hadn’t read the label. World class stuff and an experiment that has passed muster!
Earlier Rating: 2/22/2007 Total Score: 3.8
22 oz bottle via Roth’s. Pours a semi hazy amber with a small beige head. Nose is fruity and piney. Taste starts with some orange/grapefruit hoppiness, then some sryrup caramel maltiness and some toffee, and finishes with lots of pine and earthy hops. A bit of butterscotch and some rye flavor as well. Dry astringat metallic finish. Moderate carbonation. Full body. Sort of taste like a cross between a barleywine and a IIPA and an American Strong Ale..although there is so much blurring of the lines these days, it could fit within any of those styles. nevertheless, it is pretty tastey no matter what you call it.

22oz bottle. Golden amber with an off-white head. Great hop smell in the aroma. Substantial malt with light caramel. Hops with a dark woody/fruity quality. Medium bodied with light carbonation.

Piney aroma clouded light brown color super smooth medium weight creamy body

Deschutes Brewery--Hop Henge Imperial IPA--Bond Street Series--2008 Release. 22 oz. Bottle. 8.75% ABV--95 IBU’s. 4.5 / 5.0 IPA--Imperial Mild lacy head Clear bright amber color.Malty earthy floral Big Hop front. Creamy smooth balanced sweet rich caramel bisquit mild pine citrus malty body. Balanced rich hop spice clean mild citrus end. Keeps Improving. Rich smooth Hoppy Malty IPA. First Sampled 4/15/2008. $4.99 Each. Deschutes Brewery--Hop Henge Imperial India Pale Ale--Bond Street Series--2007 Release. 22 oz. Bottle. 8.10% ABV--95 IBU’s. 4.5 / 5.0 IPA--Imperial Mild lacy head.Clear bright pretty amber red color. Huge floral hop front.Crisp spicy creamy mild sweet fruit bisquit malty caramel body. Smooth mild EtOH hot hop spice bitter balanced end.Improved! First Sampled 2/2/2007.
Earlier Rating: 1/1/2010 Total Score: 4.5
Deschutes Brewery--Hop Henge Experimental IPA--Bond Street Series--Experimental India Pale Ale--2009 Release 22 oz. Bottle. 8.75% ABV--95 IBU’s. (4.75 / 5.0)IPA--Imperial. Dense rocky off white lacy head. Clear fizzy thin bright pretty amber color. Rich herbal pine floral huge aromatic hop front. Hop resin infused cloying caramel doughy mild fruit body. Spicy clean rich bitter cloying malt citrus hint balanced end. Malty. Hoppier than 2008. First Sampled 1/30/2009. $6.50 Each. Hop Henge Experimental IPA--Experimental India Pale Ale--Bond Street Series--2010 22 oz. Bottle. 8.75% ABV. 95 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) IPA--Imperial. Clear rich cold haze bright amber red color. Malty rich floral grapefruit hop pine front. Creamy malty mellow hop resin earthy caramel mild fruit sweet hop body. Smooth hop spice bitter hint dry citrus end. Malty IPA. First sampled 4/21/2010. 6 @ $3.79 Each. 4 Available for trade or resample. Deschutes Brewery--Hop Henge Experimental IPA--Bond Street Series--Experimental India Pale Ale--2011 22 oz. Bottle. 9.00% ABV. 95 IBU’s. (4.5 / 5.0) IPA--Imperial. Dense mild lacy light orange head. Clear rich bright amber color. Malty smooth sweet hop mild grapefruit pine front. Smooth cloying mellow sweet rich malty caramel earthy hop resin hint breadfruit body. Smooth balanced mild bitter hop citrus lingering malt end. Sampled 1/23/2011. Purchased for $5.59 at Fred Meyer--Ballard, Seattle on 12/9/2010.