Hops Inc.
Haven Gastropub

 

 

this brew is a real treat for me, courtesy of drlovemd87, my source for all things distant, rare, and otherwise unattainable. not that this is a whale or anything, but its one heck of a good pale ale. honey wheat colored, with less than an inch of white head that holds on as long as it can before just a thin film of lazy bubbles remains. its got a rather generic hop complexion, C varietal stuff with little else, but i will say that the hops are fresh, and the timing of the additions is spot on. it has maximized aromatics, and when i sip it, it has maxed out oily hop flavors too. grapefruit and unripened sweet corn, delicious and tasty. its a use of common hops in an uncommon way, and i dig that hard. good bubbles on it, just enough to wipe the palate clean, and the body is medium. i also consider this perfect abv for a beer in this style, and it drinks light for that heft. highly refreshing, a great first beer for me from these guys. do they bottle at all?

Had on-tap at the Library Alehouse and was very impressed. I was told the brewmaster comes from Drakes, impressive enough, though I would choose this beer any day over Aroma Coma/Prieta. It comes across smooth and clean and extremely drinkable. Lots of floral hops in the nose and the taste includes tart citrus as well. Lively, vibrant mouthfeel. A real winner from Haven. Not as dank or cheesy as some West Coast IPAs get, more in line with the natural clean drinkability we get from IPAs in the same weight class from Beachwood or Hill Farmstead, and that's saying a lot. Bravo, Haven.

On tap at Haven Gastropub in Pasadena, CA.

Pours a clear gold with a foamy white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thick rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, herbal, and slight tropical aromas. Taste is much the same with herbal and tropical flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a hop presence that leans more towards the herbal side of the hop spectrum.

Served on-draught at Haven into a 4.5oz sampler glass as part of a 4-sampler flight. Expectations are average. Cost was $2.00 USD. Reviewed from notes. Identified as an IPA on Haven’s beer screen. 6.9% ABV.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of white colour. Decent creaminess. Nice thickness. Decent (~3 minute) retention.

No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Body colour is a somewhat vibrant pale copper with yellow hues.

Sm: Floral hops. Pale malts. Lilac. Light hop oil. Pleasant. Hop character is not aggressive. Mild in strength. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Floral and pleasant. Very balanced and tasty. Refreshing pale malt body. Some pilsner malts. Shockingly well balanced, actually. Great subtlety. Good marriage of floral hops to malt. A bit oily. Actually quite impressive for a local IPA. I didn’t expect it to be this good. Good complexity. Good flavor intensity and duration, with well selected hops.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Lightly oily. Light refreshing presence on the palate. Good body. Complements the flavor profile well. Ideal carbonation. Very well executed. I’m impressed.

Dr: Very drinkable. I’d definitely get it again. The best beer I’ve had from Haven so far. Impressive stuff. Possibly the best IPA brewed in the greater LA area. I might need to come back for a growler of this. Worth revisiting.

Low B