Hopraiser West Coast IPA
Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company

Hopraiser West Coast IPAHopraiser West Coast IPA
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From:
Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company
 
British Columbia, Canada
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #2,781
ABV:
6%
Score:
87
Ranked #22,910
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 6.98%
Ratings:
33 | reviews: 8
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2025
Added:
Aug 12, 2013
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.14 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Dec 30, 2025
 
Rated: 3.94 by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

May 10, 2024
Photo of TomBW
Rated by TomBW from Canada (BC)

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A great go-to IPA, which I can fortunately find at the BC Liquor Store on Gabriola. Always refreshing.
Apr 10, 2021
Photo of Ghrymm
Reviewed by Ghrymm from Canada (BC)

4.06/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 473ml can. 50 IBU's
A: pours a pretty clear copper with a thick foamy lasting white head.
S: A very mild nose of wet dank hops.
T: Lots of pine resin at the start with a nice hop bitter finish.
F: Medium body ,nice and clean finish.
O: A nice classic West Coaster B.C. Style.
Jul 23, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by BCborn from Canada (BC)

Dec 17, 2017
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Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

3.92/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Howe Sound Brewing 'Hopraiser West Coast IPA' @ 6.0% , served on tap/cask at HOPoxia '14 & '16 , and from a 1L pot-stopper purchased for $8
A-pour is gold from the bottle to a hazey gold in the glass with a small off white head leaving a streaky lace along the pint
S-hops
T-crisp & clean , dry bitter finish
MF-ok carbonation , big medium body
Ov-good beer (or I'm buzzed)
prost LampertLand
Jul 01, 2016
Photo of Mlkluther
Reviewed by Mlkluther from Canada (AB)

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Great story behind the name of the beer. The beer, for me, was average. It's not bad and it has enough juicy hop bitterness with floral notes at the finish to end up being decent - but I was hoping for more.
Jun 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Apr 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.6 by Jeremy7 from Canada (BC)

Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Feb 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by jrempel from Canada (BC)

Aug 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.66 by Drknight from Virginia

Jul 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by 4ster from Canada (ON)

Jul 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

Jul 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

May 31, 2015
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Reviewed by Tilly from Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy pale golden hue. Lemons, grapefruit, tonnes of citrus. Malty and hoppy aroma. Tastes as the aroma suggests. Mouth feel us a brilliant bitterness on the side i of the tongue. WHY CAN'T ONTARIO BREWERY'S MAKE AN IPA TO THIS CALIBER?
May 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.19 by Wajohnst from Canada (ON)

Apr 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

Apr 26, 2015
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Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.91/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Hopraiser comes in a really big bottle that apparently contained a lot of sediment; even the first pour contained varying sizes of floating yeast particles. While a little unsightly, these suspended dots do little to disturb the beer's truly bright, sunny golden radiance. Bottle-conditioning may have also helped in the production of such a full, steady head.

Appropriate for a West Coast IPA - and in this case, being from Squamish, British Columbia this can *literally* be called that - the aroma is reminiscent of forest brush as well as pine needles and sap. But it also has the air of spring flowers which lends a kind of "pink" quality to go with all that "green". There's some definite orange fruit in there too.

Accompanying all that hoppiness is a nearly as noticeable malt bill. The use of Munich malt, specifically, is easy to appreciate as the beer has both smells and tastes of fresh-baked bread and toasted farm grains (with a prominent yeastiness emphasizing the notion of a rustic country loaf). The malt provides enough sweetness to soften those 50 IBUs without exterminating them.

After all, Hopraiser, as its name suggests, is all about the hops. To that end there's an abundance of candied grapefruit, orange and lemon rind flavours in the finish, as well as notes of rose petal, pink bubblegum, pine serum, and grass clippings. It's an IPA every bit "in touch" with Mother Earth as many in BC and the Pacific Northwest.

But Hopraiser is, overall, a stereotypically Canadian IPA in that it presents all its hoppiness (and the corresponding bitterness) in a more tempered and less in-your-face manner than its American counterparts just south of the 49th parallel. (As Canadians, we compulsively define ourselves in opposition to Americans.)

To call this a "more polite" IPA is not a bad thing, mind you. Hopraiser doesn't drink a decimal stronger than its 6% alcohol (I'd have guessed even less) and its bready malt profile ensures more than just hopheads are looked after. This has what it takes to appeal to wider audiences and yet still loads up on the resiny, citrusy lupulin. It is a truly well-balanced IPA from a very good brewery.
Apr 24, 2015
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
1000ml bottle that is resealable poured into a pint glass. Reviewed freshly after cracking the bottle. Purchased for under $10 CDN form the LCBO.

Appearance - Slightly hazy bright golden straw color with some bronze hues. Two fingers of fluffy white head with decent retention and a nice patchy amount of white lacing left behind around the brim of the glass.

Smell - West coast hops all the way, tons of fruity goodness with oranges and grapefruits being the primary conspirators. Tiny bit of leafy hops thrown in but the tropical fusion takes the cake.

Taste - Plenty of orange and some grapefruit but also a green tea like characteristic imbued within, some more fruity bitterness maybe passionfruit thrown in and finishes quite bitter. A little bit of honey shows up after a few sips.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, moderately carbonated, a little bit oily from the hop oils in the beer and finishes very dry with the bitterness in check.

Overall - A solid west coast IPA, that is simultaneously impressive yet fits in without standing out into a group of similar beers. Still a great nose and worth a shot, especially with the ability to reseal the bottle in case drowning any worries at 9pm on a Sunday with a liter of IPA's isn't your thing.
Apr 20, 2015