Hopgasm (Amarillo)
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

 

 

 

 

Extremely hazy orange body, topped by three level fingers of tight white foam. Moderate lacing.

Aroma predominately orange, but like orange juice sitting in a glass at the table for awhile, not the fresh kick of ripping fresh fruit open.

Rolls across the tongue thick and sweet. Juicy and fruity. Lot of orange. Big bitter tingle at the swallow which lingers for awhile.

Medium mouthfeel. Smooth. Maybe a little thinner than many DIPAs.

A solid, tasty, and enjoyable beer, though not the equal of the Citra version.

Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden.

A - Pours hazy orange with a small half finger white head, dissipating down to next to nothing, leaving thin trails of lace down parts of the glass.

S - Smells of fresh grass, dulled fruit and sugary sweetness. Pretty dull initially only getting a touch better as it sits in the glass. First time I had this one the smell was better than this but this one was quite dull.

T - Starts off with some grassy hop bitterness quickly giving way to a big sugary sweetness that clings to the palate through the finish. The fresh hops add an aggressive vegetative taste that really clouds out the other flavors. Finish is pretty sweet with some light bitterness, lingering on the palate long after the finish.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation. Sweet, bitter feel from start to finish. The booze hides pretty well behind all that sweetness.

O - I would say this is the worst of the three. It lacks the pop of the Citra and the freshness of the Yakima. Give it a try if you have a chance but the Citra is the real star of the trio.

 

Draft offering at the source. The brew appears a clear golden copper with a white silky cap of foam. The suds fade painting the wall of the glass with a complete curtain of lacing effect.

The smell is fruity and floral with hops. At times it is almost candy-like moreso than malty. Not a bad aroma by any means. It is clean and enjoyable just comes across almost like a candied aspect moreso than a beer. (If that makes any sense?)

The taste is fruity and floral with a fresh hop flavoring. It displays enough residual sweetness that it almost feels like the bise suggests: candy-like. The fresh hop quality of the hops presents a touch of veggie flavoring expected of the wet hop usage.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. This is a pretty nice brew and the alcohol is well integrated behind the residual mask of sweetness. It does a good job hiding the alcohol bit its a bit too sweet for me to want to drink more than one in a session which is probably a good thing. Fans of the other hopgasm treatments will want to make this a priority.