Hop Runner
Yonkers Brewing Co.

Hello there bud... to paraphrase Samuel L " THIS IS A TASTY BEER!". Offering the inclined a good healthy dose of IPA goodness the Hop Runner doesn't disguise its intentions. Drawing you in with a pale amber glow this brew is strongly effervescent. Head is pronounced and lacy as you draw down a pint. Overall the scent conotates malty goodness with slight citrus and hops lingering behind bread overtones. Once on your tongue welcome to citrus grove with strong orange peel and coriander spice flavors. Body is a medium with a toothsome feel and suds at the back of your palate. Malt depth of flavor is balanced by the hop forward pine taste on the tongue. Overall well balanced and leaves you with a dry finish. Always positive as you're apt to hoist this pint again soon. Higher gravity on this lends to pairing this with robust foods. The dry finish makes this perfect with a burger or bangers and mash. American through and through you'll detect notes of rye spice. ABV is on the high side but this seems to have been brewed for as an INTENSE session style ale. Drink up bud.

 

Pours cloudy yellow gold color with a 2 finger thick foamy white head that faded slowly and left fine lacing coating the glass. Smells of piney notes and then a mix of citrus like tangerine, grapefruit, orange peel, lemon zest, Orangina soda, some biscuit. Tastes just like it smells but with more citrus hoppy flavors, a nice orange juice bitterness and light peppery spices as it fades.

Pours a clear golden amber large color. A finger length foam white head displays great retention.

The aroma is very West Coast with its notes of citrus and pine. Pithy notes of orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime. Herbal notes of grass and pine resin.

Typical West Coast flavors emphasize hops forward notes of grapefruit rind, orange pith, lime, pine resin and grass. There is a smooth yet bold bitterness throughout. The malt base has flavors of dry cracker, however, it feels a bit too thin and not bold enough. Medium bodied with soft and smooth mouthfeel that could have used a bit more crispness. The carbonation is moderate. The finish is resiny and dry.

Easy enough to drink, however, I feel like as a West Coast IPA it lacked a bit of a punch. I say this because the thin malt body didn’t support the hops and the mouthfeel was a bit too smooth to provide that extra kick. Good but not great.

Clear golden amber worth a sizable head and a fair amount of lacing.

Clean malt and light caramel with the usual California style hop barrage. A bit more pine on the front side with a citrus finish. Clean dry finish with a lingering hop oil and bit

Taste follows suit. A healthy caramel and bready malt flows into a pine first, grapefruit citrus hop display. Some mild tropical fruits. Pineapple and mango sweetness. Dry finish is clean with a bit of hop oil lingering. A touch of crackers.

Feel is crisp with a full but mellow carbonation. Medium weight and a nice quenching swallow.

A solid west coast IPA.

 

 

the first beer i have ever had from these guys, and my golly does it appear underrated here on BA. this really impressed me, an almost candied hop complexion to it, very unique in this day and age of samey hoppy beer. thanks to my brother for saving and sharing the can, it really was one of my favorite ipa types from our trip back east! the hops on this are crazy, i get dehydrated pineapple and mango, crystalline almost sweet oiliness from the hops too, and a candied orange thing, its forward, even punchy, setting in earlier than this level of hop intensity usually does in a beer, almost from the second it hits my lips its really robust. i would bet they use a cryo or lupulin powder hop ingredient for this, it has that concentrated level of pungency, but im not sure how this is actually made, if its not that, its even more crazy. sweet clementine, orange marmalade, lemon curd, even a light dill note or something else culinary and herbaceous. tastes fresh too for a can thats been in the fridge a minute. nice popping carbonation is held as long as it takes me to drink this, so every sip has life to it, carrying the hops beautifully. i am so impressed with how dynamic and distinct this is, a really well made beer that i will be on the lookout for next time i am back that way. one of the best beer surprises of our trip, this stuff is killer! grossly underappreciated here i reckon...

 

 

Cloudy and golden. Moderate head. Excellent streaky lace.

Relatively mild aroma. Some tropical fruit and grapefruit rind.

Juicy and semisweet with a lot base pale malt. The hop, while pronounced, is overwhelmed by the sweetish liquid. Good body with a below average effervescence.

 

 

Golden appearance with 3 finger head and sheetlike lacing. Nice citrus and piney aroma. Pretty straight forward hops meets pine and citrus. Medium bodied. Not my favorite but enjoyable.

Pours a light gold with small white head. Can dated 6/03/17 four months old. Nose is pine, hops, citrus. Taste is hoppy, piney, citrus, fair notes of mint, basil, oregano, caramel malts, orange an grapefruit peel. And hints of lemon. A touch of bitterness on the finish. Mouth feel is light to medium and dry. This was quite a different beer from the normal hop bomb. Very easy to drink, packs a punch at 6.4% with no hints of alcohol. I would've liked more of the caramel malts and also, to try a fresher can and discern any differences. Not bad. But not great.

 

 

 

 

A: slight haze; deep gold in color; 1+ finger big bubbled ivory head that receded to a wispy cap little lacing;

S: citrus and pine;

T: citrus and pine with a fairly strong caramelly malt presence; mild bitterness on the finish; after a few sips, my palate didn't really pick up the malt anymore;

M: medium bodied; light to moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;

O: the higher level of malt I picked up for the first few sips threw me off a bit; seemed under carbonated;