Deschutes Hop Henge IPA

Formerly brewed at Deschutes Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Bend, Oregon USA

so whattaya get the well-heeled hop head who has everything? how about still ANOTHER big north-west hop tonic? bingo: hop henge. i admit i don’t have the palate or memory to tell all of these big IPAs apart. it’s like trying on 16 different pairs of wool socks and trying to decide which was the softest versus the warmest and which had the best "balance" of the two. jeez-- who can keep track? hop henge chimes in with a lot of the same method-acting that is so popular these days, including a nicely clouded orange pour, like the flinty orange that builds up on a capybara’s teeth. the head is a thing of beauty (yeah, they all are) a big ostentascious air-bag, while the lace waved in firm sheets like christo’s canyon curtains. the aroma: yep, cut from the same cloth, a full frontal hop assault that could be right out of the west point battlefield manual showing how to advance huge elements of citrus hops toward a fortified strong point of thirst. with training in pine and orchard fruits, skilled in hand-to-tongue combat, with decisively aromatic air cover, and with tactical support groups of armored caramel malts augmented with notes of vanilla, it’s the well-known formula that overwhelms: "hop and awe". hop henge has-- to me-- this deja-vu full-bodied creaminess, a deja vu winning sweetness, a deja vu sweet union of pine and zest flavors that lingers ’till tomorrow-- or ’til the NEXT big ipa carves a new influence upon your tongue. still, give it it’s due: a damn nice beer. kinda reminds me of... of.... uh, wait... what’s that OTHER big american IPA? you know, the one that’s real fruity and orange and hoppy?!?! what is it?!? it’s on the tip of my tongue!!

A wonderful IPA by Deschutes brewery This beer pours a deep golden hue with a nice billowy head. Spider web-like lacing coats the inside of the glass nicely. This is truly an IPA done right. Piney and citrus scents are very forward in the nose. Likewise, the flavor presents a wonderful piney taste along with a cornucopia of fresh citrus fruits, especially grapefruit and a bit of lemon. The malt does a good job balancing everything out. The texture is spot on, great mouth feel. This is one of those brews that leaves your lips sticky and your tongue coated with resinous hop flavor. This is a big beer, but nothing the average IPA fan couldn’t handle. I have always been a fan of Deschutes beers, but this is so far the best one I’ve had to date. I was able to find these very easily, but I can’t find them anywhere now, so if you see them then I highly recommend picking it up! It’s a great beer at a great value (around $5.00 for a bomber here in Colorado).

Medium sized offwhite head, good retention with a fair amount of lace. Lightly hazy copper/amber hued brew. Large nose of citrus, pine and a touch earthy. Body is med/full, nice carbonation. Plenty of hops on the palate, citrus and a hint floral. Lightly sweet malts are grainy and a touch roasty. Well balanced flavors with a surprisingly bold hop bite. Finish is dry and hoppy. A winner from Deschutes! Props to Indiana_Red for this lovely elixir!

Pours a deep, hazy amber with a half inch of frothy head that lasted most of the glass. Aroma is strong with hoppiness. Taste begins with a smooth malt, into an intense hop flavor with floral and citrus tones. An excellent IPA.

Citrus/pine aroma with a hint of malt. Beautiful reddish gold color. Poured in a Fuller’s pint it looks like Badger Tanglefoot. No other resemblance though. That ever present (for me) hint of apricot with the following bitterness. But 85 IBU? This is the mellowest 85 IBU I’ve ever had. Smooth and kind. But the hops linger. It’s just great.

22 oz bottle (with one of the most creative labels!) into a pint glass. Aroma is very sweet with a strong malty hop side to it. A sense of fruit is also hidden well inside the hops smell. Pours a very rich amber red with a light beige head that diminishes rather quickly into a thin layer on top of the brew. The flavor brings out a mild fruitiness with light malts that tend to lean into a very hoppy tastes towards the back of the mouth, which then brings out a semi-strong bitterness. The flavor definitely lingers inside the mouth for a while after the drink. I’m not usually an IPA man, but this was definitely not too intense.

22 oz bottle, shared by DarkElf - thanks Stephen. Pours clear reddish amber with a nice full beige head that leaves spotty and stringy lace. Rich malty aroma, caramel and peach, floral and citrus hops, hint of gerbal dustiness and orange juice. Fresh citrus fruitiness, light toasty malts, nice bold hops, floral and lots of citrus in the lingering finish. Medium body, gentle and tickling carbonation. Very nice!

Bomber with gputty. Coppery pour with a medium tan head. Citrusy nose, lemon/grapefruit. Flavor is certainly hoppy, but does have a solid malt backbone. Peppery, bitter, medium dry finish. I like the label - the hops on Stonehenge... The Spinal Tap jokes and quotes came out... In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, an ancient race of people... the Druids. No one knows who they were or what they were doing...