Everybody Wants Some *Idaho 7*
Hoof Hearted Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange, slight haze, big white head, great lacing. Grapefruit for days, little dank, little mineral but not in a bad way, little stone fruit. Slick, medium body, clean finish with some linger. Overall a great DIPA.

 

16oz can, undated, poured into an Alchemist Heady Topper stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a hazy and cloudy golden color, a finger or two of foamy white head, soapy and puffy with good retention that yields plenty of sticky lace. The aroma is just okay, lightly tropical, really piney, bitter and earthy, grassy with a big malt backbone, crusty, doughy but not a ton of sweetness. It's almost as if it's waiting to open up but never gets there, this is my first experience with Idaho 7, the expectation of light fruit and something bitter like black tea is definitely spot on, but as a single hop expression, perhaps it takes a certain type of palate to really enjoy it. The flavors mirror the nose, light fruitiness, bitter black tea, pine, grassiness, lightly floral and something herbal, hop spiciness, resinous hop oils and crusty male that tastes a bit stale. The mouthfeel is okay, a bit thin, lighter body, higher carbonation that is moderately prickly, especially so at the finish which is quite dry.

Verdict: A mediocre DIPA from Hoof Hearted. Really dry, really bitter with a heavy dose of stale malt that doesn't have a ton of redeeming qualities. Is drinking a can of this hard? Of course not, it's hoppy and fairly enjoyable, but does it stand out in the overcrowded world of IPAs? Not a chance. I've had some really tasty beer from Hoof Hearted but this one just isn't for me. My gut says that this is a hop that is best used in a blend, maybe as a bittering hop, but on it's own, it's a bit overpoweringly bitter, dry and herbal.