HopArt IPA | COAST Brewing Company

2.31/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy golden/orange and exploded with a big white head of three fingers. Small patches of lacing.

Smell is surprisingly malty. Hops are very muted in the nose with the exception of a little citrus coming though. Also smells of orange zest.

Taste is malty at first then an unpleasant tannic bitterness hits the back of the tongue and lasts way too long. An adjuncty taste shows up about every other sip. The more I drink, I detect was seems like old amarillo hops. Haven't checked to see if this beer has amarillo, but I'd be suprised if it doesn't. It's about the only hop flavor I can detect, but I don't even like it.

Aside from the taste, mouthfeel is actually pleasant on the palate. Good medium body and carbonation is about right on the tongue.

At first I thought maybe the bottle wasn't fresh, so I checked the date and it was only bottled a month ago, so it should still be good. Not sure what's wrong with this beer. It was very disappointing, as I had high hopes for it. Bummer.

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2.41/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to md655221 who sent this in an excellent trade recently. IPAs from all corners of the Earth, & potentially beyond, are always welcome in my fridge.

Pours a distinct marmalade orange. Lots of suspended stuff, & big chunks, too. I'd definitely only pour half the bottle out & leave the big yeasties alone if I had to do it over. Smell is a turn-on, big piney hop notes, makes me want to go roll around in a conifer forest.

HopArt's taste is unfortunately muddled, to be kind. The yeast gloms onto the promising hops & drowns them in thick, mildly hopped, yeasty, mildly acidic bathwater. A rollicking, unpleasant aftertaste, acidic with a side of metallic, further clouds what the brewer was going for. I'm afraid that the sediment has potentially done really poorly for this beer.

Too bad after the hot start in the nose, but this one ended up being a drain pour. A disappointing mess.

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2.43/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a nice burnt honey color with a crapload of off white head. Several fingers worth. Light citrus and hops with some barnyard funk. Odd. Never had that in my ipa, but it's there. Taste is light citrus wrapped around malt then deep fried in malt, and of course sprinkled with malt topping. I can't get around the shitty malt taste. Another fine East Coast maltcapade.

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2.66/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for another one Ryan!

Looks ok, straw golden with slight haze. There's not much to the aroma... take that back, there's nothing actually. Only reason it gets 2/5 instead of 1/5 is that the aroma is not disgusting.

Crisp and somewhat flavorful taste on a medium body. Good carbonation. You can tell that something is wrong with an IPA if crispness is its best feature.

Neither hops, not art; this beer is brewed with mediocrity.

3, 2, 3, 3, 2.5

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2.66/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 1.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Little over a month old in a 16oz can from a trade.

L: Murky orange with small nice head.
S: No hops aroma at all. Light biscuity, hint of Munich malt I guess because it sort of reminds me of an amber lager.
T: Malty, weird, sweet.
F: Really easy drinking with light mouthfeel.
O: Below average ipa. Nothing special about this at all. Made me appreciate good pas more. I've been drinking a lot of good IPAS lately that I thought for a minute it must've been really easy to make a good ipa.

★ 493 characters

2.9/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 1 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I feel like I must have gotten a different beer from everybody else. My sister and brother in law love this beer and told me and other sis to go to Poe's on Sullivans Island (cool place!) and drink the Coast IPA. What showed up in our glasses was a big disappointment, it was thick and murky, like Inishuk IPA, couldn't see anything through it. Please people, learn the art of brewing! My sister had a couple sips and pronounced she couldn't drink it so I had her's, not cause I wanted it but I didnt want to waste the money! The taste and aroma had elements of a good beer but it was completely let down by the appearance and lack of drinkability. I would not order another one. We could have had a bad keg but the other reviewers noted its cloudiness, may be it doesnt bother other people.

★ 791 characters

3.06/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks Darrell. Orange body, mild haze, quarter inch of off-white cap. Oranges, hops, grain. Grainy with mild alcohol heat. Medium bodied with some sticky resinous hops. Eh...

★ 175 characters

3.08/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Overwhelming CO2 -- especially out of the can. Hard to get to hops with so much gas presence, soda like. Light body with noticable malt. Wanted to love with the beautiful 16 oz vessel. One and done for me.

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3.09/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

I guess I'm a little picky about my IPAs or maybe I'm just spoiled from living in the north east but I knew as soon as I poured it in a glass I wasn't going to like it . Just as expected its just not the type of ipa that I enjoy .....the hops are muted and its heavy on malt ...not a bad beer just not for me

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3.14/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into pint glass, purchased at Charleston Beer Exchange.
A- Straw yellow, small head
S- Not much here
T- A bit sweet, nice bitterness, not a ton of hop flavor
M- Slightly thin, good crisp carbonation
O- Not bad, not special, wouldn't buy again at the price.

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3.17/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Canned 24 days ago, so might be past its prime.
L-opaque light brown almost tannin in color
S-dank maltish, sweet
T- strong over malted sweetness, lacking any formal hop character.
F- strong lingering malty taste that sticks on the tounge.
O-one and done, not an IPA that I will ever drink again.

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3.18/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Mikesgroove was kind enough to throw in this bonus beer in a recent trade. It's been sitting in my fridge about a week waiting for my buddies to come by and share, but I can't wait any longer to try it!

(Reviewed on the fly)

1 pint 6 fl oz bottle with a fantastic pop art label of hop buds - Andy Warhol would have been proud! Hand stamped date of the beer is marked "01-17-10". Server at fridge temp into my Lost Abbey tulip.

Poured aggressively, I see a gorgeously dark and cloudy apricot beer with a big bubbled, off-white head. Nice, sticky legs run up the sides of my glass.

I get a fresh zing of bitter grapefruit, pine needs and lemon peels when taking a deep whiff. This nose is large on this one and quite appealing!

Oddly enough, I don't get as much grapefruit and pine bitterness when tasting it. The flavors sort of dropped off and got strange on me... The beer itself starts moderately bitter. I get a watery, astringent alcohol taste at first, almost like a band aid flavor, followed by subtle orange zest. Only in the aftertaste, does the familiar grapefruit and bitterness I was expecting in the forefront. It's a rather strange sensation... I also taste the malts trying to make their presence known in a light caramel and spicy essence, but they definitely stay in the background, allowing the watery grapefruit mixture to take center stage.

The beer is considerably thick in the mouthfeel for it's single IPA style, but the carbonation is right on.

Final note regarding the taste of this beer: After smelling it and moving onto the tasting - it's almost like the bottom dropped out... The taste just wasn't on par with what I was expecting. In fact, I've had a similar sensation (though more vivid) when smelling, then tasting Stone's Levitation. Maybe the hops were fading after 2 months? This may be the case...

★ 1,841 characters

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this at Beer Exchange in Greenville while stuck here for the ice storm. 22oz bomber, bottled on 12/09/10:

A: A clear apple juice type color with a nice golden hue to it. A thick 2 inch off white head that fades slowly. Good.

S: I get a nice balance of bitter hop bite and sweet citrusy malt. Get a little apple scent in the middle with some bitter grapefruit scents on the backend. Good.

T: An earthy bready hop upfront with some mild caramel sugars hidden in the middle. Some bitter grassy tastes on the backend with hints of booziness. Ok.

M: Medium body with a heavy carbonation. Super dry finish. Ok.

D: Seems a little hot and heavy making this more on the average side.

All in all, this is an ok brew. Not great or good, but ok. If you like IPA's with an interesting blend of hop and malt and super dry finish, then you may want to give this one a go. Otherwise, many better IPA's on the market. Not a good segway IPA.

★ 933 characters

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle (courtesy of BrewerDan) into a standard pint glass. Poured a cloudy light copper color with a large off-white head which settled slowly and left a nice amount of lacing. Nose was citrus (grapefruit, apricot, pineapple and orange) with some floral notes. Taste had hints of caramel, brown sugar, and citrus but was pretty slanted toward dry and bitter. There was an odd musty flavor that I didn't care for. Body is medium, resinous and sticky. Alcohol is well hidden. I guess my previous encounter with Boy King set too high a standard but, for whatever the reason, this was a disappointment. I will try it again since there is always a chance I got a bad bottle but...I won't go out of my way for it.

★ 714 characters

3.32/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to beerwolf77 for splitting this one with me.

A- Pours an uber cloudy, totally suspended burnt orange. A half finger worth of head that recedes quickly but leaves some good lacing.

S- Big hops but there is about 4 months of age on it so it has started taking on some barleywine characteristics. Some nice malts and tropical fruit shine through all else.

T- Some nice piney hops but again you can tell they have faded quite a bit. With that being said, the malt has really started to take a hold of this beer.

M- Medium to full bodied that is full on the tongue but the carbonation isn't too prevalent. A little dry on the finish.

D- Pretty much average in all aspects but again, this wasn't a fresh bottle. I would like to try it fresh.

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3.36/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hazy amber color with an off-white head with decent retention and lacing. Light grapefruit and biscuit aromas. Seemed kind of light in the aroma department. Some grapefruit, a touch of lemon, and some biscuit in the taste. Light body with medium carbonation. A decent beer, but seemed like a Pale Ale with the alcohol of a IIPA.

★ 328 characters

3.36/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I know I'm a bit new to this, but I have never seen such a wide variation of reviews for a beer. Is it possible for a beer to be both a "A" and a "D"? I think I ultimately ended up in the middle. The appearance was a deep orange with a good head. The smell was more malt than hops. Kind of the opposite of what I expected. The taste was okay, but it was bordering on being a bit hot. The mouthfeel was okay. Overall, I wish I had a better rating for this beer. It's a homer, and I want to support. But, on the other hand I'm not sure that it plays outside of SC. If you're not from Carolina it might seem a bit average.

★ 619 characters

3.37/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

From can to tulip.

A. Dull copper color, with a frothy egg shell head that slowly retreats to a spotty film. Moderate effervescence. Very poor clarity, almost cloudy.

S. Unlike some IPAs, I get notes of honey, bread, and malts right off the bat. The nose is a little boozey and the hop profile does not jump out. After looking around i notice some resin as it warms. This is shaping up to be a curious beer.

T. As with the nose, this very bready and malty. More of a Kolsch or even a pilsner, than an IPA. This is a sweet IPA and the hop profile is not well defined.

O. Not smooth or crisp. Moderate carbonation and full to moderate/full body.

M. I was under impressed by this ale. I do not like Kolschs and this could pass for one. Very much a German malt presence. The lack of hop profile led me to my rating. I was visiting Charleston and the beer guy suggested this. I'm glad I got the try, but will not recommend this IPA.

★ 936 characters

3.38/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Chris for sharing this.

A - Pretty nice looking beer. Orangish golden color with a decent sized head and some nice lace.

S - Citrus hopes, particularly grapefruit with some pineapple. Caramel and bready malts comprise the backbone on this. Smells good, but nothing special.

T - Taste was shockingly disappointing for me. There is some bittering right off the beginning, and then you get hit with some citrus fruits. Slightly over-malty, which had trouble mixing with the hop profile. I wouldn't call it bad, but it was average. As Alex would say, "I was whelmed."

M - Sticky, medium bodied, slightly dry finish, good carbonation.

O - Not a great beer, I can drink it and don't mind, but not something I would seek out. Maybe it is better on tap.

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3.42/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Big thanks to Bobby8405 for the bottle.

A - Hazy orangey-gold, with a small white head but tons of lace.

S - The aroma is hoppy orange-citric; strangely faint.

T - It is a mild or reserved flavor; more heavy on dryness and bitterness than specific flavor.

M - The very bitter and astringent finish lingers extensively.

D - In my opinion, COAST is consistently unimpressive. Somehow the product is just a step away from being 'there'.

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3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

In an all IPA trade with, shockingly, HeadyHops81

22oz - bottled 7.28.10 - consumed 8.30.10

The color is lovely. A milkier auburn than I'm used to seeing from a bottle. Pours more like from a brewpub draught.

The smell is pleasent, but initially all pine. Not overpoweringly PINE, but pine. That fades and a grapfuit aroma is more present.

The taste is distinctly "ipa", but more traditionally "ipa" not the cram-in-every-hop ipa/dipa/iipa. It's good. Solid high-average tasting ipa with a flavor that doesn't stick around for too long.

The mouthfeel is a bit on the watery side, but not unpleasant about it. Excellent carbonation.

I'd keep going back to it. I don't think I'd personally grab it over a FinestKind, but I'd not pass it by and would grab one out of the fridge happily most days.

(9th)

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3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap in Charleston.

A. Hazy red-orange, white head, low retention, a little thick lookin'.

S. Cascade or something like it, lots of malt sweetness, oranges, booze, sugar. Two main notes here: sweet malt and grapefruit hops. Sorta like a less aromatic version of a Foothills Seeing Double (another fine beer). Needs more in the aroma department in my opinion... a little timid. At 7.7% it needn't be.

T. Sweet, with a relaxed citrus hop presence. Lots of malt here, the hops are there but could be dialed up a bit... it's smooth, boozy, and warming... Hop Art ain't overly sweet, but could've used more oomph from the hops and maybe a little less alcohol... it's in that grey zone between an American IPA and a Double IPA.

M. Very clean, average carbonation, smooth, and goes down easy. Finish is sweet sugary malt with a lingering hop bitterness.

Hop Art plays it safe, and I'm sorry to say that. It's a decent beer, (in fact there's very little wrong with it) but I was spoiled by Coast's other two successes. There's a good beer in here somewhere, but more risks need to be taken to bring it out. Still worth a shot, and if you're local to Charleston it'll likely be fresher than anything else on tap.

★ 1,210 characters

3.45/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Tallboy can into a snifter.

3.0 A: Murky copper plum color. Not quite one finger of frothy off-white head. Retention is below average, especially for the style and a short ring of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Mix of a few different hop components - pine and grapefruit, nondescript spiciness, orange with a touch of lemon zest, and floral. Mild bready yeastiness with honey and caramel notes. Despite the complexity, it's not as vibrant as I'd like.

3.5 T: Moderate bitterness. The bready yeastiness is pretty strong and distracting at times. Caramel and a slight toastiness. The hops are primarily piney with grapefruit. The other components listed in the smell are there as well, but all pretty subdued.

3.25 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Lacking creaminess but it is rather chewy due to the yeastiness.

3.5 D: It's not bad, but I prefer cleaner, less yeasty IPAs as a general rule.

★ 911 characters

3.46/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks goes to kkipple for this bottle. A nice extra in our recent trade.

Bottle split and poured into my standard pint glass.

A: Golden yellow, one finger of off white head, tons of sticky lace

S: Mild citrus hops, just a hint of malt, rather muted overall in the nose

T: light citrus and pine, sweet malty finish, nothing really exciting

M: Medium body light carbonation

D: Overall decent. Nothing real memorable.

★ 422 characters

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber with a bottled on date of 11/26/09, poured into a Duvel tulip.

Hazy caramel/orange body with an initial 1.5 finger off-white head that reduces fairly quickly, yet still manages to leave some lacing.

Aromas are a little tame for my liking, but certainly pleasant. Citrus and floral notes at first, becoming strongly grassy as it warms up. Plenty of bready malt.

Lots of pine flavor right away, although oddly I didn't pick up much in the nose at all. Sharp grassy bitterness as well, especially at the finish. Medium-thick bodied with moderate healthy dose of carbonation and a bready malts. The overall flavor profile is at least briefly fairly aggressive, a nice surprise after the tame bouquet. After the swallow, the pine stings for a moment then disappears suddenly. The lingering finish is quite dry with some husky grain notes. There's an element of creaminess that seems to aid in blunting some of the hop bite.
Overall impression: Decent IPA, although a bit on the mild side.

★ 995 characters