Alpha Experiment: Topaz
Country Boy Brewing

 

 

Testing out the current climate of the hop scene, Country Boy's Alpha Experiment series showcases single-source hops in all their unique glory, layering them on a dry and juicy IPA base that provides the perfect stage of vivid hop display.

Topaz's bright orange-copper hues are suggestive of citrus and tropical fruit. And as the aromas mount, they do so with moderate grapefruit and orange. With melon, pineapple and apricot rounding out the nose, the initial taste is short with caramel and sweetened with light honey.

With the sweetness in retreat, the Topaz hops take full command of the middle palate, offering up as much tropical mango, pineapple, and kiwi as it does pink grapefruit and the zesty tang of under-ripened orange. Yet as the bitterness mounts, the fruit trends grassy and sharp, closing with dry pine needles, dry herb and a hint of juniper.

Sharply bitter and pleasantly grassy, the beer finishes dry, clean and crisp. With a fruity and grassy linger in aftertaste, the medium bodied beer rewards hop-heads with an aromatic tang, a tropical center and an herbal closure.

This was my first time with Topaz hops, as I've never heard of them, and I think this showcased it well. The malt base is light and allows all the hop flavor to come out. It has herbaceous flavors, leafy, cilantro, lupilin, resin and pine with a slightly grapefruit and honey finish.