The Hook Grapefruit Session IPA
Starr Hill Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

Starr Hill Brewery "The Hook"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, "PKG ON 05/02/18D"
$2 @ Giant, Havertown, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: So does this have grapefruit added to it? The neck label mentions "real grapefruit zest" but there's nothing listed on the body label. It's poured a bit darker than I'd imagined it would be, it's a very hazy amber/copper color beneath a creamy yellowed off-white head. The aroma is not nearly as grapefruity as I'd thought it would be either, and the caramelish malt comes through clearly. That's OK, but I figured since it's called a "grapefruit session IPA" that there'd be more than just a little bit of citrus in the nose. Moving on... the flavor offers much more grapefruit but it's still limited considering the name, and again, the caramelish and bready malt is equally as strong. That's nice though, it's balanced. I'm wondering now if it's cheaper to use grapefruit zest than it is hops because they could have easily gotten this much grapefruit with just hops. The grapefruit balances the flavor of the malt, and a very firm bitterness balances its sweetness. It's not overdone though, maybe in the 40 IBU range. In the mouth it's medium-light in body and gently crisp-then-smooth. It's nice, balanced and easy to drink, but at the same time I feel it's a bit lacking as it's really got just two notes to it. Three if you count the bitterness, and maybe four if you include the mild leafy hop note that comes up in the finish. But, again, it's nicely balanced and drinkable and clean so who can complain. My only other note that the head had better than average head retention, but not great, and the lacing was about average.
Review# 6,173

 

 

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly clear golden amber pour. 2 fingers of fluffy white head. Falls fast with a solid rim of lacing.

S: Grapefruit zest... mild biscuity grains, but mostly citrus.

T/F: Crackery grains... strong grapefruit presence but not overpowering. Citrus rind and light pine. Nice bitterness. Relatively thin bodied... zesty carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

O: A solid grapefruit session. Good flavor and bitterness... nice low ABV. Great summer beer. For what it is well worth it.

 

Not the best of Starr Hill's hoppier beers, but I'll never turn it down!

 

My salutations to whomever built this one in the site's database! You must go by everything imparted on the label & this is perfect. I am a friend of the brewery & as such, they send me various beers for review, especially CANs. Yep, this one came to me in a CAN for furtherance of The CANQuest (tm)!

From the CAN: "Real grapefruit zest complements bright citrus hop character and a sessionable body brings you back for more."

It was a brewery fresh CAN, so I went with an inverted Glug following the loud Crack! I watched in rapt fascination as the head came rushing up until I simply had to back off. It formed just over a finger of foamy, soapy, tawny head with moderate retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Amber to Deep Amber/Light Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13). Nose smelled of grapefruit, but lightly. Here again begins my call for Session APAs & Session AIPAs to be their own separate style. How CAN this measure up to something like Sculpin, for instance? Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not exactly watery, but thin for the style. The taste was slightly bitter, easily recognizable as grapefruit, but lacking the punch or Ooomph! that is a hallmark of the style. I was not getting Hooked on this one. Finish was semi-dry, refreshing, but like a broken pencil - pointless. I just felt unfulfilled by it.

 

 

 

 

 

You really have to pay attention to get the grapefruit out of this. It's a pretty ok session IPA. Would I buy another case of it at the local warehouse club? No. Would a gladly drink one that someone offered me at a cookout? Yes.