Old Man Hopper's India Pale Ale
Rust Belt Brewing Company

 

 

 

Tap at the brewpub

Pours a deep clear golden with a white lacing.

Smells of light citrus hops and a hint of honey.

Honey malt flavor with mildly floral fresh hops.

Medium body with a light carbonation.

A very drinkable and balanced IPA that is sessionable even at 6%. It's not especially unique or outstanding, just very drinkable.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle > Hop Sun pounder glass.

A - Pours out an excellent gold color, big thick foamy two finger head, nice lacing.
S - Smells of grapefruit, orange, very very floral in the hops department, some sweeter honey and caramel malts.
T - Up front is a nice sweet and tart foundation, then the floral hops hit you big time, lots of bitterness mid to end, finishes a little soapy.
M - Medium body, well carbonated, but astringent and overly bitter soap feeling to it.
O - This actually isnt that bad of an IPA, Its in the middle of English or American, but still has a nice floral hop presence, good bite, it just gets overbearing kinda fast. This one surprised me, but its still a far cry from great.

 

 

L- Cloudy bright amber/copper color topped with an off white head, that fades slowly to a cap but leaves little lace on the glass.

S- A bit lacking here for an American IPA, some floral hop notes but malt dominates the aroma.

T- Citrus hops and sweet malt in a reasonable balance, not a very hoppy American IPA, it’s more along the lines of an English IPA. The finish has a bitter grapefruit wash and is clean, I don’t think there are a lot of hops in this and that leads to the clean finish with minimal hop residue.

M- Medium in body and carbonation, there is a bit of creaminess to this one but not enough to get it more point in this category.

O- It’s OK, not really a good take on the style, the 6.0% ABV is where it should be. I think this one suffer from an identity crisis, it’s mild as either an American or English IPA and doesn't fit the style of either.

 

 

 

 

I wanted to like this brew from nearby Youngstown. It is sold at a very popular price, as are the rest of their beers. But overall it is kind of lack luster.

It's a cloudy but nicely colored brew with a decent head. It is a little too balanced - not over the top enough. The initial taste is just OK but the aftertaste is better - quite good.

I might try this again if I ever saw it on tap, but otherwise once was enough.

Bottle poured into my stemmed Allagash glass.

The beer pours a hazy reddish brown color with a decent head that lingers for a short time. The aroma is malty and sweet like a red ale smells to me. This does not smell like an American IPA, maybe more like an English IPA, but here it is listed as an American style. The flavor is very malty up front and tastes like an Irish red ale at first, then the hops dominate the flavor and the bitterness ensues. The mouthfeel is very average. Medium body and low carbonation and very smooth. This IPA is strange. It isn't overly great and it is very forgettable. It seems like a hoppy Irish red to me and lacks a lot as far as American IPAs go.

Bomber bottle served in a pint glass.

A loud pssst upon lifting the cap, followed by a rush of foam out of the bottle and onto my countertop. At least i got an immediate chance to assess the aroma. ... so where in the ratings do we deduct for this?

The beer is a hazy, dark amber. A good bit of sticy foam is left clinging to the glass.

The head is remakably creamy and long-lasting, especially for an IPA. The flavor is about mid-way between an American IPA and an English IPA, which is to say it has a somewhat subdued and earthy hoppiness. Good bitter/sweet balance, although with a touch of sourness that I am not pleased by.

M; slighly more full than average body for style; relatively high carbonation; rather smooth.

O: I enjoyed this beer more than the individual ratings indicate. Given the reasonable cost, I would buy it again.