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Hop Therapy ISA
Russell Brewing Company
- From:
- Russell Brewing Company
- British Columbia, Canada
- Style:
- American IPA
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.93 | pDev: 9.92%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 08, 2018
- Added:
- Jun 22, 2014
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 2
India Session Ale : A hop forward ale , but with a lower alcohol level so you can savour that superb flavour over a longer session. Like our Russell Hop Therapy Double IPA , enjoy the seductive Amarillo, Cascade & Columbus Hops. It's the refreshing hop remedy you've been searching for!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BCborn:
Rated by BCborn from Canada (BC)
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nov 01, 2015
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nov 01, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by headlessparrot from Canada (ON)
3.53/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.53/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Suffers from the fate of so many ISAs--the reduction in malt required to get to the desired ABV leaves this one spine-less, malt-wise. The result: a bracingly bitter, grapefruit pith, rind-y, piney, sap-y hop-forward beer with a bit of a metallic twang, some light yeastiness, and a profile that's not nearly as refreshing as the packaging suggests. Light carbonation makes it quite drinkable, but the all-hop-everything profile just isn't quite working here (I want more fresh citrus, less citrus pith).
Jul 01, 2016Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)
3.45/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
355ml can poured into tulip 12/6/16
A clear copper liquid full of fast tiny bubbles feeding a well sustained two finger foam that hangs around for ages leaving lots of random lace
S soft caramel and butterscotch, maybe diacetyl, faint spruce, orange cream, herbal hops and some citrus
T more of the same really, fairly malty for the style, maybe the hops have just faded? more pine comes in later
M lighter side of medium, not as carbonated as I'd guess after looking at it, slimy on the palate, odd piny butterscotch finish
O perhaps this ones over the hill but hard to tell with no clear date stamp, either way its OK even if its full of diacetyl
OK brew but I'm not sure if this cans in perfect condition, not exactly what I was expecting from this brewery
Jun 12, 2016A clear copper liquid full of fast tiny bubbles feeding a well sustained two finger foam that hangs around for ages leaving lots of random lace
S soft caramel and butterscotch, maybe diacetyl, faint spruce, orange cream, herbal hops and some citrus
T more of the same really, fairly malty for the style, maybe the hops have just faded? more pine comes in later
M lighter side of medium, not as carbonated as I'd guess after looking at it, slimy on the palate, odd piny butterscotch finish
O perhaps this ones over the hill but hard to tell with no clear date stamp, either way its OK even if its full of diacetyl
OK brew but I'm not sure if this cans in perfect condition, not exactly what I was expecting from this brewery
Reviewed by Kobold from Canada (BC)
3.72/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.72/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Look: Burnt honey brooding in a clear case of amber. The lather of clingy foam recedes at a moderate rate.
Smell: A proudly netural club soda houses an angry peach spitting pine needles and sharp ice cubes at oblivious passersby.
Taste: In its temporal aspect, it is the wraith of a self-erradicating memory. However, cracker crumb malts seasoned with tart herbs and grasses scattered on the tongue resist any complete disperal of fleetingness. The second quaff is sweeter: grasses have aged into a late Spring perfume while the crackers exude a hint of lemon flecked fruit jam.
Feel: Smooth, dimpled golf ball in the forefront with delicate prickles shimmering thereafter.
Overall: While initially hesitant, unwilling even to reveal its full name and smile, this coy little creature quietly warms to the tongue and nose with a sharp hop story that mellows, though not to any cloying degree, into bitter-sweet indecision.
Mar 25, 2016Smell: A proudly netural club soda houses an angry peach spitting pine needles and sharp ice cubes at oblivious passersby.
Taste: In its temporal aspect, it is the wraith of a self-erradicating memory. However, cracker crumb malts seasoned with tart herbs and grasses scattered on the tongue resist any complete disperal of fleetingness. The second quaff is sweeter: grasses have aged into a late Spring perfume while the crackers exude a hint of lemon flecked fruit jam.
Feel: Smooth, dimpled golf ball in the forefront with delicate prickles shimmering thereafter.
Overall: While initially hesitant, unwilling even to reveal its full name and smile, this coy little creature quietly warms to the tongue and nose with a sharp hop story that mellows, though not to any cloying degree, into bitter-sweet indecision.
Rated by DCB1196 from England
3.57/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Tasty, but thin. A decent sessionable IPA. Underwhelming.
Jun 14, 2015Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
3.68/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at Rogue Kitchen, Vancouver.
Burnished bronze served without head. 3.5
Pine and orange peel nose. 3.5
Caramel base, then resin, slight flower and peach hops with some IBUs. Gets peppery as it warms. 3.75
Orange Swedish fish finish and zesty linger.
Almost medium, chewy, round. 3.75
Amarillo, Cascade + Columbus
Good contrast to Bottle Rocket - much more body at a lower ABV, but at the expense of all that aroma. Hopping is standard old Cs. Ultimately fails as an ISA, ending up just a dialled down APA, though not bad for that. 3.75
May 25, 2015Burnished bronze served without head. 3.5
Pine and orange peel nose. 3.5
Caramel base, then resin, slight flower and peach hops with some IBUs. Gets peppery as it warms. 3.75
Orange Swedish fish finish and zesty linger.
Almost medium, chewy, round. 3.75
Amarillo, Cascade + Columbus
Good contrast to Bottle Rocket - much more body at a lower ABV, but at the expense of all that aroma. Hopping is standard old Cs. Ultimately fails as an ISA, ending up just a dialled down APA, though not bad for that. 3.75
Reviewed by CalgaryFMC from Canada (AB)
3.92/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Can poured into a Red Racer pint glass in a regional nod. A coppery orange hue with a solid five fingers of creamy off-white head, retaining its form quite well.
Aroma is floral, bright, sparkling, and gently resinous, with some citrus rind (grapefruit and orange), dry peppery spice, black tea-like tannins, a whiff of pine needles. Fits the classic "ISA" mold, all hoppy top notes with little obvious malt or heavier resin components on the nose.
Palate was more impressive than expected, with new layers revealing themselves over the course of multiple sips. An overall "orange spice black tea" effect on top of a cracker-like slightly nutty malt base. A robust Columbus hop type peppery spice emerges over time along with some fruity plum, white grape, and melon notes. The malts also gather steam, curiously enough, becoming toasty and rather coarse perhaps. I will say that this curiosity adds something new to the ISA template and that such deviations are not necessarily a bad thing.
Light of body and middling in terms of carbonation, with the aforementioned earthy spice notes and nutty malts creating a perception of greater thickness than is actually the case. Finish is quite clean and dry when all is said and done, with some lingering bright fruity notes. Nice slick hop oil mouthfeel. Perhaps the hop flavors are not as "pure" and vibrant as in Central City's take but this is a more complete package methinks.
As you can gather, I liked this. It exceeded my expectations. Perhaps my can was ultra fresh. Will look out for this next summer when in need of something to imbibe in quantity.
Jan 10, 2015Aroma is floral, bright, sparkling, and gently resinous, with some citrus rind (grapefruit and orange), dry peppery spice, black tea-like tannins, a whiff of pine needles. Fits the classic "ISA" mold, all hoppy top notes with little obvious malt or heavier resin components on the nose.
Palate was more impressive than expected, with new layers revealing themselves over the course of multiple sips. An overall "orange spice black tea" effect on top of a cracker-like slightly nutty malt base. A robust Columbus hop type peppery spice emerges over time along with some fruity plum, white grape, and melon notes. The malts also gather steam, curiously enough, becoming toasty and rather coarse perhaps. I will say that this curiosity adds something new to the ISA template and that such deviations are not necessarily a bad thing.
Light of body and middling in terms of carbonation, with the aforementioned earthy spice notes and nutty malts creating a perception of greater thickness than is actually the case. Finish is quite clean and dry when all is said and done, with some lingering bright fruity notes. Nice slick hop oil mouthfeel. Perhaps the hop flavors are not as "pure" and vibrant as in Central City's take but this is a more complete package methinks.
As you can gather, I liked this. It exceeded my expectations. Perhaps my can was ultra fresh. Will look out for this next summer when in need of something to imbibe in quantity.
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)
3.52/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
355ml can. Along the lines of Central City, who keep the IPA (or DIPA, in this case) base name when denoting the ISA (India Sissy Ale) version.
This beer pours a slightly hazy, pale copper amber hue, with three fat fingers of puffy, frothy, and rocky eggshell white head, which leaves a few broad swaths of soap scum lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.
It smells of musty, faintly dank (and I know dank after dealing with a flooded finished basement for over a week now), grassy and leafy hops, watered-down orange juice, and oddly little else. The taste is mildly biscuity pale malt, the ghost of caramel sweetness that was, danker (dankier?) weedy, grassy hops, wet pine forest floor, and a sort of rain-soaked papery mustiness.
The carbonation is quite soft and innocuous for the most part, the body medium-light in weight, and smooth, I suppose, those hops popping up here, sure, but to no real effect. It finishes off-dry, in the way that makes one wonder - why? Well the wee bit of fruitiness from the hops combines with the limited sweetness from the wee malt, and there ya go.
Meh - even done well, ISAs just can't escape the dumbing down evident in malt and alcohol body - no matter the amount of hops you throw at it. Hoppy, yup, but obviously watery in its IPA-ness, which begs comparisons to other 'lighter' beer trends of yore, doesn't it? Y'know, the stuff no one is talking about?
Aug 07, 2014This beer pours a slightly hazy, pale copper amber hue, with three fat fingers of puffy, frothy, and rocky eggshell white head, which leaves a few broad swaths of soap scum lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.
It smells of musty, faintly dank (and I know dank after dealing with a flooded finished basement for over a week now), grassy and leafy hops, watered-down orange juice, and oddly little else. The taste is mildly biscuity pale malt, the ghost of caramel sweetness that was, danker (dankier?) weedy, grassy hops, wet pine forest floor, and a sort of rain-soaked papery mustiness.
The carbonation is quite soft and innocuous for the most part, the body medium-light in weight, and smooth, I suppose, those hops popping up here, sure, but to no real effect. It finishes off-dry, in the way that makes one wonder - why? Well the wee bit of fruitiness from the hops combines with the limited sweetness from the wee malt, and there ya go.
Meh - even done well, ISAs just can't escape the dumbing down evident in malt and alcohol body - no matter the amount of hops you throw at it. Hoppy, yup, but obviously watery in its IPA-ness, which begs comparisons to other 'lighter' beer trends of yore, doesn't it? Y'know, the stuff no one is talking about?
Reviewed by DaftCaskBC from Canada (BC)
3.45/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Amber liquid with slight carbonation and 1/4" white head.
S: Oranges, grapefruit, grass.
T: Peanuts, green beans, herbal, weeds, compost. Some orange and grapefruit in the finish as it approaches room temperature.
M: Medium viscosity and a medium to low level of carbonation.
O: It seems like the CTZ hops are making this beer taste funky and overpowering any presence of Amarillo and Cascade.
Jul 24, 2014S: Oranges, grapefruit, grass.
T: Peanuts, green beans, herbal, weeds, compost. Some orange and grapefruit in the finish as it approaches room temperature.
M: Medium viscosity and a medium to low level of carbonation.
O: It seems like the CTZ hops are making this beer taste funky and overpowering any presence of Amarillo and Cascade.
Hop Therapy ISA from Russell Brewing Company
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
26 ratings
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