HopTown IPA

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

One of my favorite IPAs. Very nice pour leaving a thick head with a very nice aroma with strong spices. Beer drinks very nice with a smooth flavor that is very enjoyable. Highly recommended if you can find it outside of BevMo.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

as far as IPAs go, this is one of my favorites, along w/ Stone and Speakeasy and Racer5. The color on this one is deep for an IPA, reddish hue to it, and the aromas are complex. Higly hopped dry, with the citrus tannin smell and some honyesuckle to boot. mouthfeel was shooting and richocheting off the inners of every surface of my mouth. another hop-head's delight.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

11.22.04 Bomber, thanks to loweredsixth. Sharp looking brew is bright orange with a foamy and lasting wicker colored head. Aromas are floral and pleasant with orange blossom highlights and solid malt beneath the surface. Great palate is thick and soft, carrying the yummy flavors to all reaches; has the mouthfeel of an IIPA. The hop bitterness is omnipresent at every stage of the sip. Floral flavors are a nice switch, one I’m not used to in an IPA. Very nice stuff, thanks Joe!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 9

big citrus nose is pouring out of this murky amber brew.Nice big malt backbone really evens this beer out. An excellent offering from the guys at Hoptown!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pourede a hazy, reddish amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of resiny pine, citrus malt, tons of C hops. Light sweetness balanced by bitter grapefruit... citrus hops, and light alcohol with a bitter dry finish. Real decent IPA here.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

I visited the brewpub in Pleasanton CA a few months after they first opened -- and was pretty-well repulsed by their beers, to be brutally honest. And while I've since learned that they had a really rough first year or so, and that they have since been much more on-the-mark, I still have that ghastly brewpub visit in the back of my mind each and every time I hear about this place -- yes, even while I'm sipping on their mo'-better-than-average Imperial Stout, or their tasty DUIPA off the tap at O'Brien's. I finally decided to put this issue to bed once and for all, and picked up a bottle of their IPA.

First, the Pros:
~ Nice fluffy appearence, with tons of lace and ever-lasting foam
~ Great freash-hopped aroma. Definately can tell that this is massively dry-hopped.
~ Fairly firm in the mouthfeel, that allows the flavor profile full and complete reign.

Secondly, the Cons:
~ Where's the balance? Yes, I'm all about the almighty hop, make no mistakes there, boy-o. But without much in the way of balance, this is something of an one-trick pony, IMO.
~ A bit drying and astrigent in the mouthfell (esp. the backend).

Lasly, the Conclusions:
~ This wasn't horrible -- blows away the sh*te that I had at the brewpub many moons ago, for example. But seems to try too hard to be too many different things, without making sure that the basics (i.e. malt-balance and overall drinkability) are taken care of first. I'll probably be giving this beer another try once and a while..., but I can't see it being a consistent guest in my `fridge in it's current configuration...
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Cask Version (Hand pump). Medium gold color. Medium head. Aroma is fruit and citrus. A medium bodied IPA. Malts are nutty. Hops are citrusy and fairly bitter. Touch of wood and smoke? Smooth taste. Cask hand pump. Nice balance. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is bitter.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Another california IPA. Looked very nice with a thick white head and a peachy orange color to the beer. Sharp hop aroma with a slightly malty background. Starts silky smooth, empty in the middle, then slams you with hops in the end. Lots of lacing. Medium body. This is a super hoppy beer, but not the most interesting.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A pine filled hoppy aroma. The appearance is a dark orange color with decent lacing. A little thin on the palate but it still has a nice orange and grapefruit bite. A good effort!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This IPA pours with a golden-orange body topped by a medium thick, creamy head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is sweet, grapefruity and hoppy with a slight bitterness and a little apricot. The flavor is sweet yet slightly bitter and grapefruity with a touch of apricot and a slightly bitter finish. Medium bodied, creamy smooth and slightly dry.