Hop Knockers I.P.A.
Union Barrel Works

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From:
Union Barrel Works
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
84
Avg:
3.57 | pDev: 16.53%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 07, 2018
Added:
Aug 23, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Ozzylizard:
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
$ 5.50/pint on cask at Union Barrel
Aroma faint citrusy
Head small (<2 cm), white, creamy, diminishing rapidly to 1 mm ring
Lacing excellent – complete wide rings of tiny bubbles
Body medium orange, cloudy
Flavor weakly bitter, no distinct hop flavor, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate medium, watery, lively carbonation

Appearance 2.5, Aroma 2.5, Flavor 2, Palate 3, Overall 2.5
May 09, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.92 by Corburk from Pennsylvania

Apr 07, 2018
 
Rated: 3.71 by tuowl74a from Pennsylvania

Aug 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by wertschy from Pennsylvania

Jan 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by sdaly3 from New Hampshire

Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by lobos62 from Pennsylvania

Feb 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by whatname from Pennsylvania

Nov 28, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by Jeff74

Oct 25, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by DaveHack from Pennsylvania

Dec 03, 2011
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Hand pump.

A: Murky ice tea color with a dense clarity. Head is thin as with most their beers, about a finger high with a mixture of creamy and frothy nature but holds fairly steady. Inside was a light visible sense of effervesce, outside a decent coverage of lace.

S: Fresh wet citrus and wet pine, but mostly wet pine. Malty toasted specialty grains adds some dry toasty character of moderate strength.

T: Malty first, one of their maltiest beers ive had that day and a welcome change. Toasty dry specialy grains adds good balance to a decent show of wet hops with enough ummph to justify ipa standards, but not enough to deterrent the noobie. Some substance but still easy on the swallow flavor will make this glass go down quickly due to balance.

M: Malty with a quiet carbonation, like the malty substance and body of this.

O: Malty first, piney hops second, easy to consume, balanced nicely and worthy of a try.
Aug 25, 2011
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A-Murky, coppery brown with a thin, light tan head that held on and left minimal ringing lace.

S-Eathy and musty hops with underlying sweet malt.

T-A nice balance of spicy bitterness. and sweet caramel malt. A pleasantly balanced IPA that is just slightly hop forward. Lemon zing in the background.

M-Medium bodied and fairly sharp with good lingering bitterness.

D-Nice but certainly not my favorite take on an IPA. A bit too earthy and musty for me but solid enough to enjoy a pint of.
Jan 07, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap @ at the brewpub on 10/24/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a deep copper, with a finger of smooth off-white head. Retains with a super creamy look to it, leaving some very rich looking lace back, which hangs in thick swathes. The aroma has some nice IPA flavors going on with it, but appears to lack some depth. Floral and spicy, with some sticky hop resins, and a heavy backing tang of citrus and bready caramel sweetness. This actually opens up a bit more as it hits room temp but still lacks that cetain pop in the nose that I was looking for.

Hops aren't quite prominent up front in the taste, with more of a moderate bite, before a bit flush of citrus and sweet malts take control of the profile. The hops strike back in the finish, with a strong spicy and earthy bite. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a softer creaminess that then sits on top of a much heavier feel underneath. This maybe actually thins out a bit too much towards the back of the swallow.

This wasn't bad by any means, once the flavors finally started coming out to play. This seemed to fall somewhere between an English & American IPA for me, with the feel and hop profile taking cues from both variations of the style. Considering that they mostly do all German styles here, it was refreshing to find an Ale on tap as an option here.
Oct 26, 2009
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A hand-pulled pint served at the Reamstown brewpub. With all due respect to DIM, my vote is that this is an English IPA.

A: The ale is a hazy amber brown color, a nice looking pint. The handpull has given the ale a sturdy finger of dense head that layers in strata.

S: The nose is full of hops, but it doesn't skimp on the malts. In fact, they stand out first with biscuit and toffee flavors. Hops are earthy but nicely bitter.

T: The ale is thick and chewy, cementing my EIPA conclusion. The malts are sweet, toffee and caramel in strong supply. The hand-pull has accentuated the malts without short-changing the hops. Those hops are mildly bitter with an earthy flavor. The sharp flavors are unmistakable and leave a nice bite on the palate.

M: The ale is malty sweet with just enough bite to remind you that it is a pale ale. The hand-pull and this style were meant to go together.

D: A nice quaffer, I'd probably stick to two pints, max, as I can't tell how strong it is.
Sep 26, 2009
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
An IPA from Union Barrel at last!

a: This was a hazy coppery color, dark for an IPA. I believe this is unfiltered, possibly chill-hazed as well. It was served without a head, just a little whispy white.

s: Spicy, herbal hops with a little pine and plenty of raw bitterness. Some sweet caramel balance as well.

t: This starts off okay, with piny, herbal hop flavors. The finish is abrasive though. There was some rough caramel sweetness and a lot of flavorless bitterness.

m: A little undercarbonated, plus the aftertaste is long lasting and unpleasant.

d: The brewer here is known for his German style offerings, and they are excellent. I'll stick to them, this just isn't for me.
Aug 23, 2009
Hop Knockers I.P.A. from Union Barrel Works
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 14 ratings