HopTown IPA

Formerly brewed at HopTown Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Pleasanton, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

Malty sweet caramel aroma. Looked like I poured a cream soda in my glass. Flavor had hop bite at first. Asweet hop bite appeared in the middle and weakened by the finish. None the less a good IPA.

Pouring a slightly hazed, deep amber color with a tall, lace-busy, cream colored head, this brew has a strong orange and grapefruit hop aroma overlaying a sweet caramel malt scent. Medium-bodied, it has a strong caramel backbone on top of which is heaped a generous portion of citric hop bitterness. The finish is only lightly bitter, but enough to prompt a ssecond and third pouring.

Bottle. Pours a somewhat hazy dark amber color. Aroma is bitter hoppiness. Some sweet citrus fruit aroma. Robust hoppy bitterness up from with a slight touch of sweetness as it goes down the throat. Nice full bodied maltiness to it as well. I could see enjoying a night sipping this stuff with friends.

Bottle. Aroma of malt and floral hops. Clear, golden/amber, frothy off-white head: thick and mostly lasting. Some lacing. Toasty, malty flavor very well balanced with resiny, spicy hop flavor and a good level of bitterness. Some fruity notes in the background. Medium carbonation, creamy mouthfeel with a long, sticky finish and a nicely balanced aftertaste. Very nice.

Medium sized tan head, fair retention and spattered lacing. Clear copper hued ale. Fragrant hop nose, lightly inky, nice maltiness. Almost medium bodied. Solid, piney hop flavor, juicy and mouthwatering hoppiness along with a medium sweet maltiness. Finish is dry with resinous hop flavor and clean bite. A serious IPA! Thanks Cliff!

Pours a slightly hazy orange amber color. Decent white head, little to no lingering. Piney, citrusy aroma. Very cascade-type hop aroma. Piney nose later melds with a syrupy sweet malt flavor. Along with the malt character comes a twinge of diacetyl, which beomes more noticable closer to the finish. Fairly bitter finish, with interplay between the aforementioned sweetness and the astringency of the hop resins. Medium full mouthfeel that never gets too terribly sticky nor dried out. Excellently balanced, and aside from the brief interlude of diacetyl difficult to criticize.

Dark amber under an off-white head. The aroma was Sweet, citrus, pine. Light bodied. Flavor was citrus/hops. This was a mediocre IPA. Good, but not worth searching for.

Two time GABF winner for good reason. Gorgeous complex hop nose with just a touch of pale malt coming thru. Big bitterness and very floral nose nice balanced malt mouthfeel with a big floral and pine finish. First class "crazy" beer.