Hops Infusion will do just pine
Written: Aug 06 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: intense piney hops flavor; rich caramel sweetness; smooth finish
Cons: no real citrus taste; very dry back end and aftertaste; heavier than it indicates
The Bottom Line: If you like your IPAs piney Hops Infusion is the beer for you. If you like a hoppy beer, well, it's STILL for you!
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| Chad9976's Full Review: Weyerbacher Hops Infusion |
It’s funny how some beers can be absolutely packed full of flavor, but since taste is arbitrary, an intense flavor doesn’t necessarily equal a good flavor. Weyerbacher Hops Infusion is something of an example of this since it is indeed a high performer in the taste department, but that taste is only good and not great.
APPEARANCE AND AROMA
The beer has a slightly hazy dark amber/light brown appearance. It produces an average-sized, off-white, creamy/foamy head which dissipates fairly slowly and leaves some decent lacing on the glass. The aroma is citrus and flowers with a dry maltiness quite prominent as well. However, I was surprised that all these scents were quite mild.
TASTE
One of the best features to an India Pale Ale is the distinctive hop bite most brews of the style tend to have (especially American versions since we sure love our hops here!). Upon my first taste of Hops Infusion I was quite surprised by how creamy and malty the beer seemed, especially considering how it promotes itself as being an infusion of seven hop varieties.
The prominent flavor here is indeed a hoppy pine taste I’ve encountered many times before. It’s thick, sticky, bitter and finishes with the dryness of an imperial. The palate is not crisp or tart as I would prefer since the pine flavor in addition to the toasted caramel malts makes this beer drink more like a classic British IPA. I wouldn’t describe the beer as sweet, per se, although the maltiness does give it a rich, syrupy-like quality.
I think the dry back end hampers what is otherwise a flavorful, enjoyable palate. I was prepared for a juicier palate with grapefruit notes (as indicated on Weyerbacher’s website), but I detected only trace elements of such at first, although a slight lemon zest spice was a pleasant surprise.
DRINKABILITY
Hops Infusion is definitely a bitter beer by anyone’s standard, however, the actual mouthfeel itself is soft and creamy. Normally, hoppy beers like this tend to dance on the palate but this one only tip-toes. Those who dislike bitterness or a dry aftertaste may not find it quite as drinkable, but hop heads will be able to slug this down no problem.
WEIGHT
Weighing in at 6.2% ABV, this beer is about average for an IPA. What’s interesting is that I’ve noticed beers with thicker viscosity tend to feel heavier on the system than those with crisp palates despite the ABV statistics. One bottle of Hops Infusion made me content and I could probably drink another, but I’m not sure this would work well as a session brew.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It still never ceases to amaze me how many subtle variations there are on the basic IPA formula. A beer with lots of taste is always a good thing, as Weyerbacher Hops Infusion shows, but a beer with the right taste is even better.
OTHER INDIA PALE ALES:
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (4)
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (5)
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (4)
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (3)
Dogfish Head Burton Baton (4)
Dundee India Pale Ale (5)
Harpoon India Pale Ale (3)
Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty (4)
Lagunitas IPA (4)
Lake Placid India Pale Ale (4)
Long Trail Traditional IPA (3)
Magic Hat HI.P.A. (4)
Magic Hat Lucky Kat (5)
Middle Ages Impaled Ale (4)
Red Hook Long Hammer India Pale Ale (3)
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA (5)
Samuel Adams 2008 Long Shot Double IPA (4)
Samuel Smith's India Ale (4)
Saranac Imperial IPA (3)
Saranac India Pale Ale (4)
Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale (3)
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (5)
Smuttynose India Pale Ale (4)
Stone India Pale Ale (5)
ALSO BY WEYERBACHER:
Weyerbacher AutumnFest Ale (3)
Weyerbacher Insanity (3)
Weyerbacher Winter Ale (4)
Recommended:
Yes
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Chad9976
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Member: Chad Polenz
Location: Albany, New York
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