Hop Beard
Fonta Flora Brewery

Hop BeardHop Beard
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From:
Fonta Flora Brewery
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #1,330
ABV:
6.9%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,723
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 10.35%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
104
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 25, 2024
Added:
Nov 04, 2013
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  5
IPA intensely hopped with simcoe, citra, amarillo and CTZ.

70 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by StonedTrippin:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
this is not the kind of beer i know these guys for, its the wild stuff and the saisons, not the hoppy beer, that sets them apart. rather pale in color, a lot of strong hop aroma, hard to pick out any specific varietal but there is obvious grapefruit to this, fresh lime and grass, and even kiwi fruit. some pine and some oily bitterness too, not quite enough grain in here for this to be balanced it doesnrt seem, but i dont mind that, the hop intensity is appealing, classic to an extent. the flavor is fresh and bitter, and not just in the finish but all the way through it. grapefruit and lime are strong to me, white cranberry or something with a slight tang, oily feel but still light to me, deep green vegetal sort of pine at the end, good carbonation and relative dryness in the feel. not a whole lot of malt to this, and not all dry hops either, a little old school charm to this, and a good beer overall, drinkable and all, but certainly not as dynamic and interesting and high end as i have come to associate with fonta flora. everyone needs an ipa i guess, and this fills that role well, but its sure not a highlight in their portfolio...
Jul 22, 2018
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by Inscoe from Florida

Feb 25, 2024
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Reviewed by clayrock81 from Florida

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured a see-through gold body with orange tint and decent head with lace down the glass. Mild aroma of skunky and oily hops with some piney dankness. Beer is light to medium bodied with a moderate juicy sweetness that is like grapefruit and then there is an earthy and oily bitterness that leads to a smooth yet grassy sweet finish.
Feb 21, 2024
 
Rated: 4.56 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Nov 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

Nov 15, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by khargro2 from Tennessee

Jun 02, 2023
Photo of Khocolate
Rated by Khocolate from Tennessee

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Just one word “FANTASTIC “.
May 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Apr 17, 2023
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

3.81/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
I broke out the Strangebird IIPA glass and filled it with this almost clear pail gold beer (SRM 3-4). A 2” white froth gradually settles and transforms to sea foam. Ample clouds of fine carbonation are barely visible as individual bubbles as they slowly migrate upwards. Small archipelagoes of delicate lace decorate the glass. With warmth the beer turns gem clear.

The initial aroma is also delicate with mild papaya and floral notes. Lemon and pine sap follow, joined by grapefruit much later. There is also a weird smell of natural gas and burnt rubber that comes and goes for brief moments.

The flavors are dramatically milder than is typical of this style. It has none of the fruit and floral freshness. The aromas and flavors seem to be divorced. It is earthy and grassy with bitterness reminiscent of an old school West Coast IPA. The finish is long and modest, adding a little sweetness.

A medium body with the texture of slick cotton. The alcohol is as expected. Carbonation is soft and ample. There is a mineral/metallic quality and mild astringency.

This can had no date, and I suspect it may have some age issues. Regardless, it is enjoyable even though it is a bit of a letdown.
Dec 29, 2022
 
Rated: 3.98 by walkinginplace from North Carolina

Nov 23, 2022
Photo of MacMalt
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On draught at Der Nachbar in Durham. Served in a pint glass. It pours a clear, golden yellow with a half finger of fluffy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. A rather subdued nose; mostly lemon, grapefruit, and some floral hop notes. It's dry, crisp, and decidedly bitter. The citrus is classic West Coast: lemon peel and grapefruit rind, along with generous amounts of earthy, resinous pine needles. I don't taste any berry or sweet fruit from the Citra and Simcoe hops and I assume the Amarillo and CTZ hops are used for bittering. If so, then they do the job well. This ale is very crisp and drinkable. The 6.9% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, Hop Beard is a very solid West Coast IPA. I'd like to try the DIPA version. It was a great selection on a hot, muggy afternoon.
Aug 27, 2022
 
Rated: 3.94 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Jul 31, 2022
 
Rated: 3.65 by StrangerTides from New York

Jul 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.95 by abrodsky from Massachusetts

Jul 07, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Jun 29, 2022
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed as pint #2 on our visit to Whippoorwill Farm 4-16-22 for $6.50.

This was a very dank smelling and nicely bittered WCIPA, 7/10 on my bitterness scale. A nice combo of pine, grapefruit, and maybe a touch of tropical hops. Definitely worthy of a shot!
Apr 16, 2022
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

2.88/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Scored a single can of this from the single cooler impulse buy at that mini mart in Carmichael, CA. I think they were like $2 singles, so why not go for it?

Pours yellowy golden, the most familiar of all beer colors. 1/3" white head. The aroma wasn't aroma hops. There was plenty of bittering hops noticeable and a light wooden caramel malty vibe. Citra and Amarillo hops seem completely lost in the shuffle.

Taste might display even greater bittering hop intensity and caramel drapes. The woody caramel contingent is high, the copper bitterness is even higher. Do not go in here looking for a sweet citrus effect. Even the bittering hop pine like notes get overshadowed in favor of even less desireable hop flavors, bitter intensity and wooden caramel stickiness. The only hop intensity seems to be Simcoe. Columbus (Day today) doesn't really make an impact either. Really lacks dryness to the body. Throwback 100ibu crystal malt days like beer, even tastes like a double ipa heft wise, but lacks much to say in a positive manner.
Oct 11, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by cryptichead from Illinois

Sep 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Skabiski from Maryland

Mar 20, 2021
 
Rated: 3.9 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Aug 29, 2020
Hop Beard from Fonta Flora Brewery
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 104 ratings