Hops For Heroes: Homefront IPA
Revolution Brewing

"Lissen up, you Heroes! A Revolution is Brewing on the Homefront!" That was the battle cry during my earliest visit to the Nation's Freight Handler and so I gathered up my Hops, my CANs and joined the rest of my Company. When I first signed up for The CANQuest (tm), I was ridiculed & reviled, but with every passing day, there are more people getting on board. Every subsequent visit to ChiCANgo is now like preaching to the choir! We are hearing of CANs in every small town nationwide and even the Painted Women & the Farm Boys have joined us.

From the CAN: "Ale Brewed With Orange Peel"; "Pack It In[,] Pack It Out"; "Homefront IPA was created in 2011 by craft brewers with one goal in mind: to honor and support the men and women of America's armed forces. Homefront is aged on donated Louisville Slugger (tm) bats, brewed with donated hops from Yakima's Puterbaugh Farms and donated grain from Cargill, and packaged in donated [CAN]s from Crown. Released every year around Memorial Day, 2015's Homefront IPA team is: 21st Amendment, Center of the Universe, Cigar City, Fremont, Left Hand, Maui, Palmetto, Perennial Artisan, Revolution, and Stone Brewing. All proceeds from the sale from the sale of Homefront IPA are donated to military-based charities. For more information on this effort, please visit: www.hopsforheroes.com".

The Crack! released some CO2 with a "Psssh!" that was reminiscent of cartoons or a comedy routine. Along with that, I was getting some foaming through the vent, so I allowed it to have some calming time before proceeding with the Glug. The three-plus fingers of dense, French Vanilla-colored head that jumped up almost immediately frightened me & I backed off to allow it to settle. Nose smelled of orange & grapefruit in terms of citrus, pine tar for mint and an oaky scent for wood. Color was Amber to Deep Amber/Light Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13) with NE-quality clarity. The lacing that coated the glass as the foam began to fall was going to require a jackhammer to remove! Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy. The taste was a mélange of flavors, from orange and grapefruit citrus to evergreen mint to a vanilla sweetness that may have been from the baseball bats (!). The CAN read maple, but I tasted oak. It was certainly different for an AIPA! I liked it, but it also had a heat that made it seem bigger than just 6.2%, more akin to a DIPA. Finish had a woody (no pun intended) quality to accompany the hops, again more akin to a DIPA. This was quite the beer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like the idea of this beer; all proceeds go to military service. Nice beer, a bit too malty for my taste though.

 

 

 

 

A big thanks to the founding father of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of citrus hops. Taste is citrus, some pine, a good malt balance, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall a solid but unspectacular beer.

 

 

 

12 fl oz. can, with canned on date 05/19/2015 printed on the bottom of the can. I spotted a six pack of this oddity at the local beer store, and I saw it was brewed by Revolution Brewing, so I couldn't resist. I come to find this is brewed once a year by many volunteer breweries with donated hops, malts, and cans, and also aged on donated Louisville Slugger maple bats. Strange. "Ale brewed with orange peel" per the banner on the front of the can.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - Pours two fingers of thin bubbly khaki-tan head that falls quickly. Body is a medium-copper / burnt sienna orange. Mild spotty lacing, but nothing to brag about. Looks alright for what it is.

S - A weak and shoddy aroma. Mostly all bready malt. No pine, citrus, or fruity hop content to be had here. Only very minor suggestions of citrus or orange peels, and just a vague suggestion of earthy / musty woodiness is present from the maple bats.

T - Taste is the same: bread crust, grainy malt, and a mild leafy / earthy / grassy tea leaf sort of presence. Mildly fruity and orangey, but I wouldn't know this was brewed with orange peel if the can didn't tell me. Only a very minor earthiness imparted from the Louisville slugger maple bats(?) but no suggestions of maple, wood, or vanilla are apparent.

M - The feel is smooth, crisp, & clean, with some residual piney, resinous, bitter hop presence building up as the beer drinks on. Medium-bodied with good carbonation.

Overall, I'd say it drinks like a mediocre homebrew at best. The quality of the ingredients used definitely shows here. Limited craftsmanship behind this one. Worth trying, but I won't be having this one again.

Revolution Brewing Hops For Heroes: Homefront India Pale Ale -----3.5/5