Canned traditional German-styled pale lager maintains lemon soda flow and sweet cola fizz. But dank malting, cloy sucrose finish, and nasty skunked aroma preclude subsequent quaffing.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
HUBER BOCK
Taut molasses-caramel-cocoa sweetness given dry-roasted barley backdrop to secure resinously hopped alcohol-burnt bock. Pumpernickel-rye sequel and walnut shelling confirm busy frontage, but sugar water finish cheapens up-front zeal substantially. Still, quite decent for classic macrobrewed old-timer.
HORNPOUT PALE ALE
Needing better up-front thrust and less overt carbonation, this yellow-bellied fluffy pearl-headed moderation leaves lemon meringue froth on prickly-hopped tongue. Unripe banana-peach initiation falters to withered grapefruit bittering and acetous dry lime sourness. Brewery defunct: 2006.
HORNPOUT NO LIMIT AMBER ALE
Brewers’ inaugural ’06 offerings were highly carbolic so pour slowly. Dry roasted hops and burnt wood chip slip reminiscent of finer India Pale Ales while grain-toasted caramel malting redolent of classic Bass Pale Ale. Supplemental spruce, beechwood, and dark floral undertones fade to parched oak bark niche, but acrid oxidation yields promiscuous heavy alcohol seepage. Brewery defunct: 2006.
HOGS BACK T.E.A.
Traditional English Ale (a.k.a. T.E.A.) initially captivates senses with russet yellow-orange hue, polite lacey trails, honeyed citrus aromatics, and sour fruit template. Slim butterscotch notion grazes smoke-dried malts near nutty finish, but soft watery flow depletes early vigor.
HOPPY TOTAL ECLIPSE BLACK ALE
Sour mashed cherry-orange-berry tang expands above off dry toasted hops, dusky pale malts, and burnt wood urging. Receding finish picks up tar and black licorice illusions.
HOPPY STONY FACE RED ALE
Dry-hopped bruised orange opening receives snazzy white pepper spicing as herbal nuance builds. Floral notes (dandelion-rosewood) embitter smoked wood bottom sufficiently.
HOPPY LIQUID SUNSHINE BLONDE ALE
Herbal bitterness enjoins sunny lemon rind tartness, but squelched hop fizz and petty oxidation disrupt yellow-fruited nicety.
HOPPY FACE AMBER ALE
Shallow toasted barley-hop template turns increasingly bitter, gaining lemony grapefruit tang and woodsy pine-needled spruce depth to dull caramel-malted finish.
HOPPIN’ FROG MEAN MANALISHI DOUBLE I.P.A.
Marvelous hophead delight boasts resinous hop-oiled pine-needled bitterness penetrating zesty tropical fruiting. Luxuriant grapefruit and lemon peel sourness counters durable floral-spiced spruce-sapped peach-apple-cherry-pineapple tang. Latent melon hints further sweeten candi-sugared malt stickiness of full-bodied hit.
HOPPIN’ FROG B.O.R.I.S. THE CRUSHER OATMEAL-IMPERIAL STOUT
Viscous oats-charred lactic stout lands sticky molasses-soaked anise punch, overwhelming thick black chocolate, vanilla, and espresso creaminess as well as tertiary plum-raisin-fig souring. Chocolate liqueur, black cherry, and burnt cedar illusions also intensify anise impetus.
HOPPIN’ FROG BODACIOUS BLACK & TAN
Complex ink black burgundy-highlighted hybrid (67% IPA/ 33% stout) propels oat-dried black coffee-chocolate sentiment above pureed black cherry, grapefruit, and pineapple fruiting while ashy cedar-pine bitterness advances. Coarse hop-charred cocoa-powdered coffee-roasted souring underscores creamy maple-sugared toffee-vanilla sweetness at busy licorice midst.