Hop Back Crop Circle

Brewed by Hop Back
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Salisbury, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Cask. A clear, bright golden ale with a sharp, flowery hop profile. Gentle, soft strawy maltiness does not get too shaken by the hops. They keep a firm palate, but the hops are clearly the flavour’s focus. Still, it gives a pleasantly drinkable, well-balanced drink.

citrus, grass, a bit floral, quite fresh aroma. Looks light golden and rather clear. Really lively and white foam.medium bitterness, light body, slick feel, soft carbonation, bitter, long finish,

Bottle-conditioned, 500ml brown bottle best before 6th March 10 drank and reviewed 15th Feb 10. Poured into a vase shapped pint glass. Extremely lively, the beer gushed out and filled the glass with foam, a light pilsner coloured beer sat below the giant pure white foaming head. The body was also pilsner clear and bright, very strange for a UK real ale to be such a truely light colour. It took four carefully tipped pours to empty the bottle, so excited it was to get out. Each time the head just bellowed up. The aroma given off seemed grainy and grassy, with nutmeg as an afterthought. Light in colour, light in flavours also, refreshing enough, but not warming or full bodied, it came across as weak and watery. If I’d liked the taste I’d have said ’delicate flavours’ but it didn’t float my boat and is a poor impersonation of the cask version which I’ve had many times (but never reviewed). I’ve visited the brewery with the CAMRA Investors Club and been treated royally, this beer was superb there, but the bottle-conditioned one has let them down somewhat. The bottle has had to withstand some large temp variations while in my garage, but I can’t believe it has made much difference to the beer, no others have ben effected so far.

500ml bottle bb27 04 12. Kept at 12 deg C 3 days before opening. All 3 of my bottles gushed, therefore losing some beer. Could not taste infection. Beer watery, highly carbonated, weak flavour, very pale appearance. May appeal to drinkers who dont like mouthfeel or bitterness.

Cask @ Bon Accord. Clear golden colour, off-white head. Aroma is slight cooked vegetables, bit of citrus. A bit unpleasant. Flavour is vegetables, bit of caramel, dry cookie. Slightly bitter finish. Really not well.

Cask @ The Bon Accord. Toilet aroma. Pale yellow colour. Biscuit resin flavour, bitter sweet aftertaste.

A - Wheaty A - Light, hazy and frothy T - light sweet P - thin O - Weak

Bottle. Pale golden with chunks of sediment. Small head. Hoppy aroma with some malt. A bit too thin palate. Taste is light, sweet and minerally. Weak hoppy finish.

500ml bottle. Pours a light, clear gold, with a tiny and almost instantly fading white head, thus looking pretty poor. It is, thankfully, a bit better than it looks. Fruity and floral hop notes mingle with a touch of caramel on the nose, creating an aroma that is quite a good indication of what is to come. Strong, but not overwhelming floral hops introduce a smooth body of caramel, which flows into a fruity and slightly peppery finish. Not the world’s most exciting beer, but still a decent enough brew if you’re not after anything too complex.

Bottle 500ml. Not bad when it settled. Aroma is floral with honey, and hints of grass. The taste has balancing bitterness and dry finish. Palate is oily, and highly carbonated. Yellow, with a explosive head that doesn’t last.

Bottle - Pale yellow. White head. High carbonation. A little watery. Sweet. Citrussy. Mild bitterness.