San Diego Hop-O-Potamus

Tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear crisp amber. Nose is hoppy and sweet. Flavors follow with the hopiness. Very sweet flavors with notes of cinnamon and mild pepper. Mouth is a little too syrupy for my liking but a nice beer non the less.

On tap at SD Brew co. Orange amber with white head. Nice straightforward IPA/IIPA. Nose is piny sweet hops and citrus. Taste is sharp hops, with a nice tart mouthsmack. Good sharp mouthfull. Clean finish.

On cask at O’Brien’s. Appearance is a dense and cloudy orange/amber hue, thin layer of white head with minimal lacing. Smell is sweet hop juice aromas, mostly characterized by floral and earthy tones, smooth and sweet scent. Taste is mostly hops [grapefruit/lemon] with sweet bread malts, dry bitterness enters midway, some hints of tea and grassy tones, finishes sweet and bitter. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, watery to smooth texture, no carbonation (cask). Drinkability is high, smooth and easy-drinking DIPA off the cask, I like my friend’s comment that this tastes like a "hoppy iced tea", i’ll have to check this out on draft when it comes around.

Golden-amber. Mango, orange, simcoe sort of nose - nice bright hops. Bright simcoey stuff on the palate - nothing special but a nice brew.

Draught at brewpub. Dark amber color, no head. Herbal and pine-forward hop nose. Confusing array of flavors including an initial alcohol shock followed by a thin, angry unbalanced body that is like the animal it’s named for: not as nice as it would seem at first.

Draught. Marks for Appearance are an average, as beer was sampled in weak artificial light after dark. Fine, if powerful C-hops, with some malts backing the full aroma. Very delicate (yes!), flowery, dried roses flavours, sweet lassi and again tangerine hops. Rather light MF. Nearly - I say, nearly - delicate hopbeer.

On taps at SDBC. Pours with a really nice honey colored hue. Nose is very citrus and hops. Flavor is hops forward and more hops after that with a cool piney, resiny flavor. The finish is sharp and bold. All and all this is a very nice IIPA and will be a big favorite of any hop-head!

On draft at SD BrewCo., this is a second tasting several months after my first, just after it was brewed this spring. Arrived a clear dark orangey amber with a small off-white head. Bold aroma, rich with biscuity and toasty malts, still a big hop presence though this beer is a few month old, citrus and pine along with a bit of dustiness. Flavor was also featured the nice malt backbone, again biscuity from the ESB malts, but followed up closely by the still plentiful spicy citrus and gently pine hops, leaving a tingly, astringent aftertaste. Medium to full body, gently tingly carbonation. Though not as brash and bright as it was originally, though it’s still flavorful, interesting and enjoyable. Kudos to Dean for taking risks in brewing!