Vic Secret
Stoup Brewing Brewery & Taproom

 

draught
Meringue type, off-white, sustaining head. Very clear, deep amber/orange look. Caramelized tangerine and spiced malt aroma. Tangerine peel bite dominating the flavor profile but with a good balance with the malt. The subtle bite lingers into the finish. Have to admit, thought this was the name of the beer. Didn't know it is the name of an Australian hop!

 

real tasty one here, seems like these guys really are excelling in the hoppy styles right now. this is quality beer, and distinctive enough to hold my attention. i love vic secret, but this doesnt drink like dry hoppy juice, it drinks like northwestern ipa, man i miss beer like this! there is a nice bitterness running through it, lightly grapefruity, clean, before the vic secret kicks up, mango and pineapple and passion fruit to it, lemongrass and even a coconut and botanical layer, bit wrapped with the bitterness the whole time. freshness is on point, and there is a classic sort of pine resinous texture to this, especially as it warms, more from hops than grain, and a nice sturdy but well hidden abv to make it a pretty sweet bang for the buck! the vic secret hops is distinctive here, and this is apart from a number of other ipa types we had in the same session, this stood out as different, even while being bitter, which i feel like is a rarity with cool hops anymore, seems like they are all getting dumped into the same bucket of under attenuated haziness. this was a nice change of pace, a very hoppy and full spectrum brew with nice balance and freakishly high drinkability for its strength. all on our little group were impressed. ive become a big stoup fan on this recent trip to washington! hard to go wrong with this awesome hop!

Clear golden ale with a very nice floral nose. The carbonation was minimal but adequate, mouth feel was pretty wet and not very dry or bitter on the finish. The delicious hop flavor reminds me of Nelson by Alpine brewing, I'm guessing they used similar NZ hops. For me, these hops satisfy something very satisfying and thirst quenching. Their character is more floral and delicate rather than piney or fruity, and somehow this smell and flavor has me sniffing the glass before every sip, almost like drinking a smooth white wine in a greenhouse full of gardenias. This really hits the spot for me today on the first day of summer, I'd definitely recommend this if you find it