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Hoptimization IPA
Brothers Craft Brewing
- From:
- Brothers Craft Brewing
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #3,085 - ABV:
- 7.1%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #22,902 - Avg:
- 3.71 | pDev: 11.59%
- Reviews:
- 51
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 17, 2024
- Added:
- Jun 07, 2013
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 61
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Pantalones:
Reviewed by Pantalones from Virginia
3.95/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle #4 from the six-pack I picked up a week or so ago. Bottling date is January 19th, 2016 so still super fresh.
Color is a nice dark gold, bordering on orange in places; it's hazy but not opaque, and with the help of a flashlight (or just holding it up to a light) I can see some bubbles rising up from the bottom. Decent layer of white foam on top, which shrinks down to a thin cap on the surface after a couple minutes, leaving a thicker ring around the edges, a few thicker spots with some big bubbles, and a few trails on the sides. The foam leaves pretty substantial lacing along the sides as the glass empties out.
Smell is some piney-ish hops right away, followed by a blend of malt and spiciness that comes across as a little cedar-y in combination with the pine. A bit of slightly sweetish fruitiness in there too. On further sniffs, I'm also reminded of those bagels or bread loaves that come with onion bits, sesame seeds, poppyseeds, etc. coating the top. It's a nice smell overall.
Taste is very similar to the smell -- piney/spicy hop blend (maybe a teeny bit grapefruit-y as well?), with lightly toasty bread-crust malt, and a bit of sweetness mixed in there too, often blending in with the slight citrusy flavor from the hops. Definitely still reminds me of those bagels I mentioned in the smell section, but that's not a bad thing at all since I really like those bagels. XD
Feel is really nice. Not too light, some noticeable carbonation but it's never prickly; there's a bit of a thicker/heftier sort of feel to this one, which I find to be appropriate for the ABV, strength of flavors, and hazy appearance. I remember taking note of this when I had a sample as part of a flight at the brewery too, so I'm guessing that's a pretty consistent thing for this beer even though the exact flavors and smells might not be (it mentions right on the bottle that they alter the recipe from time to time, using a rotating blend of hops.) As nice as the taste is, the mouthfeel may actually be my favorite part of this one.
Overall, this is a tasty beer that I'm glad to have around (and especially glad that I was able to stumble across such a fresh six-pack of; living within barely over an hour's drive of the brewery probably helps with that) -- definitely not a "pure hop juice" IPA so it may not meet your expectations if that's your thing, but fans of a more balanced IPA that's hoppy but still has a malt presence to it should enjoy this one.
Feb 02, 2016Color is a nice dark gold, bordering on orange in places; it's hazy but not opaque, and with the help of a flashlight (or just holding it up to a light) I can see some bubbles rising up from the bottom. Decent layer of white foam on top, which shrinks down to a thin cap on the surface after a couple minutes, leaving a thicker ring around the edges, a few thicker spots with some big bubbles, and a few trails on the sides. The foam leaves pretty substantial lacing along the sides as the glass empties out.
Smell is some piney-ish hops right away, followed by a blend of malt and spiciness that comes across as a little cedar-y in combination with the pine. A bit of slightly sweetish fruitiness in there too. On further sniffs, I'm also reminded of those bagels or bread loaves that come with onion bits, sesame seeds, poppyseeds, etc. coating the top. It's a nice smell overall.
Taste is very similar to the smell -- piney/spicy hop blend (maybe a teeny bit grapefruit-y as well?), with lightly toasty bread-crust malt, and a bit of sweetness mixed in there too, often blending in with the slight citrusy flavor from the hops. Definitely still reminds me of those bagels I mentioned in the smell section, but that's not a bad thing at all since I really like those bagels. XD
Feel is really nice. Not too light, some noticeable carbonation but it's never prickly; there's a bit of a thicker/heftier sort of feel to this one, which I find to be appropriate for the ABV, strength of flavors, and hazy appearance. I remember taking note of this when I had a sample as part of a flight at the brewery too, so I'm guessing that's a pretty consistent thing for this beer even though the exact flavors and smells might not be (it mentions right on the bottle that they alter the recipe from time to time, using a rotating blend of hops.) As nice as the taste is, the mouthfeel may actually be my favorite part of this one.
Overall, this is a tasty beer that I'm glad to have around (and especially glad that I was able to stumble across such a fresh six-pack of; living within barely over an hour's drive of the brewery probably helps with that) -- definitely not a "pure hop juice" IPA so it may not meet your expectations if that's your thing, but fans of a more balanced IPA that's hoppy but still has a malt presence to it should enjoy this one.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.88/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Taster at brewery. Medium golden pour, sparse head, streaky lacing. Piney, hoppy aroma with a dank edge. Taste comes in sticky, hoppy, piney, green. Pretty hoppy for an East Coast IPA.
Aug 08, 2023Reviewed by NeilSilber1 from California
4.23/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours golden haze with off white foamy cal that sticks to the sides of the glass. Notes of citrus and grapefruit rind with floral and light orange and lemon overtones. Good IPA punch at 71 IBU’s abd 7.1% ABV. Good Malt Of The Earth Beerclub this month IPA brews.
Oct 23, 2020Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana
3.93/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Beautiful hazy burnt orange color with a dense white head, there are citrus aromas, along with a nice malt aroma on the nose.
The citrus (primarily oranges) is forward on the taste, and there’s a really nice malt component for balance in this nicely bitter old school IPA. I’d try this again.
Sep 28, 2020The citrus (primarily oranges) is forward on the taste, and there’s a really nice malt component for balance in this nicely bitter old school IPA. I’d try this again.
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio
3.34/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
My good friend and old neighbor from The 'wego gave me a bottle of this beer. It poured a hazy orangish with white head that is leaving a nice lace. The scent had strong floral and hemp hop notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with floral and herb spice presence. The mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a decent beer.
Sep 07, 2020Reviewed by teromous from Virginia
2.05/5 rDev -44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
2.05/5 rDev -44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
There is a date stamped to the barcode on the bottle: "06.09.2020"
Appearance: The beer has a nice medium gold color with a slightly cloudy appearance. The head is medium and white with mostly dense bubbles and a few larger ones. It has some strings of lacing.
Aroma: It smells skunky.
Taste: Some lemon flavor. That skunky aroma makes it onto the tongue.
Mouthfeel: Bitterness feels alright. Carbonation is decent. Drinkability is low given the skunky character.
Overall: It's a pretty poorly made beer. I wouldn't recommend it or drink it again.
Jul 24, 2020Appearance: The beer has a nice medium gold color with a slightly cloudy appearance. The head is medium and white with mostly dense bubbles and a few larger ones. It has some strings of lacing.
Aroma: It smells skunky.
Taste: Some lemon flavor. That skunky aroma makes it onto the tongue.
Mouthfeel: Bitterness feels alright. Carbonation is decent. Drinkability is low given the skunky character.
Overall: It's a pretty poorly made beer. I wouldn't recommend it or drink it again.
Reviewed by ThePold from Virginia
4.43/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Extreme Pizza, pours with a generous head, plenty of lacing. I don't know why this isn't rated higher, it's a good solid ipa. Plenty of hops and bite, a bit cloudy, not overly bitter. People should buy this!
Sep 02, 2019Reviewed by hoppyhobby from Virginia
3.92/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A good American IPA. Good hoppiness and effervescence. Slight bitterness on the sides of the tongue. Not overly hopped yet enough to have good flavor and not too heavy to enjoy on a hot day.
Apr 25, 2019
Hoptimization IPA from Brothers Craft Brewing
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
304 ratings
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