Hop Vivant
Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery

 

L: copper color one finger head settled to a nice lace
S:?
T:fruity hint of hops
F:smooth nice finish a nice after taste
O:good overall

yeah this is a really bomb double ipa, i wish they would make it a little more frequently than they do. its loaded with citrus from orange to lemon to asian grapefruit, this thing is juice bomb, but its not without its roots in the west coast style, oily and sort of thick, as sweet as it is bitter, and just dank and resinous all the way through. hard to not just adore this one, it has a lot going on. good clarity, tall white head, and an impressive radiance to it, sunny orange and attractive. the nose is amazing, tangerine zest and heavy hops throughout, must be some citra in here, but there is a lot more than that happening, something far less delicate, and it really works super well. the flavor is a lot like the nose, drivey with the hops all the way through, but fruit driven to my palate. tangerine again, but more bitter here now, lasting on the tongue. texturally cool to, bigger than a lot of them, but no booze at all, and not as sweet later on as it tastes. dynamic and distinct, it easy to get into trouble with this one. deserves to be mentioned among the better strong india pales made in colorado. these guys just plain dont get enough credit sometimes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the Vine Street Pub into a wine glass.

A-The beer is almost burnt orange in color with significant haze. You can see a bit of carbonation supporting the short, dense, creamy light-tan head. I get a good bit of lacing on the glass as I drink.

S-The aroma is well-hopped, as you would expect, with citrus flavors (orange) being most noticeable, but there is also some floral notes, and a bit of zesty spice. Alcohol is well-hidden and malts are mostly in the background, but this beer has a nice toasty base to it.

T-The taste is also heavy on the zesty, lightly-juicy orange flavors. I also taste some peach. This beer is more bitter than some of the newer, sweeter IIPAs out there. Pine and floral flavors play a supporting role. Also, some spice and toast. Nice.

M-The feel is medium to full in body for the style, with an oily coating feeling that I really enjoyed. Carbonation is pretty mild and creamy.

O-Nice to finally catch this beer on tap, and it mostly lives up to its reputation. There not much to say other than to say this is a really well-done IIPA. It is flavorful, balanced, and well-constructed. The mouthfeel, in particular, is a high-point for me. Probably the best Mountain Sun beer I've ever had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at brewery

I believe this is their seasonal imperial IPA; it's almost red in color; crisp looking; light lacing; very small head; very grapefruity on the nose; a little sugary on the nose as well; this beer tastes like fruity pebbles; good and easy hop taste, but not overly so; really soft in the mouth; I don't notice any overly heavy malt flavor; the beer lingers; hints of anise with a mouth swish; slightly bitter too; the beer sticks to your throat long after a sip; this is a good beer.