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Big Hop
East End Brewing Company

Big HopBig Hop
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
East End Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #2,661
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,933
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 11.05%
Reviews:
119
Ratings:
305
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 15, 2024
Added:
Dec 07, 2004
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  52
The first of the brews from PittsburghÂ’s newest and MICRO-est microbrewery to hit the streets. Truly, a hopped-up American IPA with loads of Centennial and Cascade hops, and just barely enough malt backbone to balance it out. Our flagship brew
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by corby112:
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
From notes:

Draft at several different locations in the burgh. Pours a slightly hazy, dark golden orange color with burnt orange hues when held to a light and a 1.5 finger frothy off-white head. Decent retention, slowly fading into a thin lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Slightly earthy hop aroma with lots of sweet citrus character as well as some pale malt and subtle booze. Hints of grapefruit and orange peel as well as some earthynpine from the hops. Thisnis countered by a decet malt backbone with hints of biscuit and alcohol sweetness.

Medium bodied with a sticky, bitter dry hop presence up front which is countered by some sweet fruit flavor, pale malt and alcohol sweetness. Pretty dry up front with a resinous pine characte but is decently balanced by hi ts of grapefruit, pineapple and orange peel. The mal backbone is a bit too strong for my preference with hints of toffee, biscuit and Graham cracker. Nicely balanced and decently drinkable but a bit too malty and boozy.
Mar 01, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.59 by rolltide from Pennsylvania

Feb 15, 2024
Photo of mpk2020
Rated by mpk2020 from Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Draft from Prigmanti bros on Penn in Pittsburgh
Jan 24, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

May 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by florisj135 from Virginia

May 05, 2022
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.27/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Thanks to Pinz412 for this one, from NBS BIF #13. 12oz can (dated 8/17/20) Poured into 14oz teku. Poured a cloudy and dense dark amber color with over 3 inches (it was a very active brew) of light khaki head that had loads of retention, and light-moderate lacing.

The aroma had a some citrus hops at the front, with a solid malt base.

Pretty similar on the tongue. The hops tasted a bit musty, but that happens with time. The malt flavors weren't as sweet as the aroma had led me to expect.

The body was solidly medium, smooth, and led to a medium finish.

Drinkability was OK, but was probably better fresh.

Overall, a decent brew, I'd like to try a fresh one, because I think beer has much more going on than what I saw here.
Apr 01, 2021
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.55/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
12 fl oz pull-tab can:

Label is about as basic as it gets.

Pale malt and caramalt. Floral hop flavour. Tastes like a mid-1990s homebrew IPA. Soulless and inspired.

C- / BELOW AVERAGE

***
12/04/20 can brought to me by my good friend Zed - thanks, man!

"American Ale." 5.8% ABV.

Can is green and generic looking...as if a homebrewer suddenly acquired a labeller.

Served cold into a stemless wine glass.

Resin. Floral hop flavour. Pale malt. Crystal and/or caramalt. Wow, this is forgettable and generic.

Why brew this?

Low C- / BELOW AVERAGE
Nov 14, 2020
 
Rated: 3.97 by StanleysCup from Maryland

Aug 27, 2020
 
Rated: 3.72 by TheCakePounder from Pennsylvania

Aug 22, 2020
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.02/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deep amber colored body topped with a thick and frothy head. Strong aroma of sweet caramel and pine resin. Bold malt background highlighting caramel and mild toffee flavors; resinous hop bitterness develops midway through and lingers through the finish. Medium body; warm and crisp on the palate; sticky.

Per the data on the can bottom, this beer is nearly 2 1/2 months old (canned 04/27/20), yet it still packs a nice malt and hop bitterness flavor. It seems to me like a amped up English-style IPA. Well, if this tastes great after this amount of time, I'd love to try a fresher version. Perhaps I will someday...
Jul 17, 2020
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark orange-tinged amber color. Somewhat cloudy with a thin weak white head. Aroma is mild, but very nice as hints of orange and pine along with some caramel malts come across the nose. The flavor of this is really nice - its balanced yet flavorful with notes of orange, pine, lemongrass and some herbal-earthy hop notes. The bitterness is initially moderate, but builds on itself as the beer is consumed leaving a bitter aftertaste on the finish. Feel is crisp, easy drinking, with some bright carbonation. Overall its not the best beer Ive ever had, but its a damn good really enjoyable IPA.
May 17, 2020
Photo of 2beerdogs
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California

3.54/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
An amber tinged copper colored liquid capped with a off-white head.
Aroma is caramel malts, pine, and slight grass.
Taste follows the nose faithfully with additions of lemon and a slight herbal note.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated.
May 12, 2020
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.51/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Inconsistent shades of foggy brown with a tall poofy khaki head leaving some spikey lacing on the glass.

Old. School.

This puppy is malty enough to almost come across like a hoppy brown. It's semi-bitter, a little woody, and toasty, even giving off hints of pumpernickel, with accents of orange rind and tangy apple.
Mar 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.8 by BWM-PGH from Pennsylvania

Jan 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.25 by Shenk87 from Pennsylvania

Oct 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Oct 20, 2019
 
Rated: 3.25 by BdM from Netherlands

Aug 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by guzzleacoldone from Ohio

Aug 04, 2019
 
Rated: 3.38 by JDizzle from Indiana

Jul 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.05 by Pens1967 from Louisiana

Jan 30, 2019
Big Hop from East End Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 305 ratings