Oso Hopdinger Pale Ale

O’so, o’so, o’so not a good pale ale. Picked this up in bottle form at Cellar 70 in Stevens Point. Looked promising at the start but went down hill as soon as I opened it up. Perhaps I just had some from a bad batch, but I will not be going out of my way to drink this one again.

Crushed with Jakebra. Hop…sucker. Pretty bad. Sour finish is the worst of this brew’s qualities. Best part of this beer is my glass is empty and it’s going to be filled with something much better…like Budweiser or something.

I had high hopes for this beer when it poured out of the bottle into the glass. It was gold-amber with a nearly brilliant body and great head formation with bubbles that seemed to swirl in the glass in the 2 inches below the head in a way that was reminiscent to me of beer from a beer engine. Sadly, that is where the good times ended. Aroma is pretty lackluster, with some maltiness and faint hop notes. Flavor is more malty than hoppy, but really dominated by diacetyl and a weird metallic taste. I’d counsel you to avoid this one. Life is too short and alternatives too plentiful to drink APA/IPA/DIPAs that are at best mediocre.

Amber color with a tall, dense, beige head. Fairly light in scent, but mild caramel, grapefruit and slightly floral aromas. Woody malt and light citric notes. Fair balanced. Goldenrod notes in the finish and linger. Seems to have an english malt flair with an american buttress.

Pours a light hazy amber color with little white head. Aroma is light pine hops and some light caramel malt. Taste is much the same with some off-taste (diacetyl?) in the background. Not horrible, but definitely not good.

Pours cloudy orange color with a light frothy white head. Aroma is very light, a little caramel malts and a bit piney hops. Taste is about the same. Some weird citrus in the background and medium bitterness. Balanced and highly-drinkable, but not very memorable.

On Tap at the Great Lakes Brewfest. Amber with no head. Aroma of citrus, caramel and fruit. Taste of citrus, caramel, floral hops and some sweet malt. Mild bitter after taste that citrusy and for some odd reason I taste noodles in here too.

Aroma not as hoppy as the name would indicate, slight mix of grassy and citrus hop, flavor was interesting,an unusual mix of crystal and Munich malt,and a difinite indication of diacetyl,which in this case did not seem to ruin the flavor,different enough to be tried again,not ballsy enough to be memorable