Deschutes Hop Henge IPA

Dark and cloudy, great rough raw hop aroma, quite earthy and spicy with a resiny fresh aroma. The body is a bit rich for an IPA, I prefer a bit more dryness. The bitterness lingers but only briefly. This is a great example of the style, I could drink many of these!

22 oz bottle thanks to Larry Pitonka. bright clear amber color with a densely foamy white head. heavy aroma of "light" hops - herbal, floral, grassy, sage elements are hoisted to the top by a base of pale malt. really smooth and light for a strong IPA, with a well-rounded bitterness through-and-through, never becoming ultra-hoppy. fluffy light malt throughout as well, very well-balanced and really drinkable. dry bitter (and slightly iron-like) finish, but despite an average finish it’s a very good IPA. glad i have another bottle!

22 oz bottle, via Buch Dich. Dark copper pour with a billowy and fluffy off-white head. Nice citric and perfumy hop aroma over a toasted and caramel malt base, very clean smelling. Biting hop bitterness right off the bat, great clean and complex hoppy goodness. Finish starts with a deep caramel malt sweetness, then is erased by a lengthy bitter trail. Full bodied, almost syrupy mouthfeel with perfect fine carbonation. A very tasty IPA and my personal favorite that I’ve had from Deschutes.

Tap @ Toronado. A dark orange brown color with a smooth clean hop profile without the bitter finish I expected. Somewhat astringent with a slightly sweet finish.

This beer is quite well carbonated and pours with a four-finger thick, frothy, amber-tinged, tan colored head that leaves some lacing patterns on the glass as it subsides. The beer itself is a hazy, deep orangish-red tinged amber color. The aroma screams citrus-like hop character; I get notes of tangerine, and rich notes of both lychee and apricots/ peaches. The aroma really is quite sweet and fruity, and so smooth. Underneath the hops is an ample, dry malt character that is reminiscent of soda crackers and biscuits.

The beer has a fairly light mouthfeel to it, making for a more quaffable beer, definitely in the IPA realm. Of course hops dominate the flavor profile of this beer. From the get go an ample bitterness is apparent; it is biting, sharp, and lingers on in a long, astringent finish. There is a certain raw hoppiness here, a bit herbal and a bit grassy, but definitely chewy. Fruity hop citrus notes abound as well, though not in quite the same fashion as in the aroma. There is a light malty sweetness to this beer, up front this beer is quite dry though, but in the middle a light sweetness begins to take hold. It is at this point that the citrus note start to shine; I get notes of grapefruit, notes of lychee, and notes of sweet tangerines.

This is a nice IPA, perhaps a bit more raw and aggressive than a standard IPA, but there is enough sweet malt character here to stand up to the hop onslaught. The 22oz bottle is just about a perfect serving size for this beer, it is not nearly as overwhelming as many Double IPAs, but still has enough heft to it that 22oz does not leaving you feeling like you need more.

<font size=-4>Purchased via mail order: <a href=http://www.liquidsolutions.ws/main/>Liquid Solutions<font size=-1>

Fantastic stuff. Wafts up to the nose in a billowy citrus explosion. Smells of fresh pine sap, like a walk through the woods on a slightly warm spring day... and the robust and earthy fresh orange scent is amazing. Exactly what I want in an IPA. Thicker mouth feel than most IPAs, with a slightly burnt bread crust and pine wood flavor, enveloped in a grapefruit, orange and kiwi mixture. Some points are lost for the slightly tinny character in the flavor, but overall it doesn’t affect my opinion much. Great IPA.

A cloudy amber ale with a tan head that laces your glass. Very hoopy aroma, with a nice bitter hop taste and aftertaste.

nice piney hop aroma with grapefruit and a hint of caramel. Taste is hoppy, with a bit of chocolate and citrus.