The Hoptimizer IPA
Village Idiot Brewing Company

 

11 1/2 years on here and never did I review a beer in a crowler, until today. Someone I trade with got me this a while back and I finally got around to cracking this 32 oz'er down on this cool morning. I'll give any brewery in my home state a go and for a first impression, this wasn't that bad. Not much information was given on the can except that Village Idiot was located in Mount Holly and that the ABV was 6.8%, and not the 6.5% listed on here...

Nice pour to this, as the beer had a deep and hazy golden hue to it, with plenty of head on top to boot. Deep rings of soapy lacing were left behind as the head had a nice retention as I worked my way through this. Not a strong aroma to this but there was a good amount of honey sweetness present to draw me in. Metallic hops, citrus pith, and a grassy undertone all combined for an unusual, but relatively pleasing taste that was pretty full while making this beer seem more like a balanced Pale Ale than an IPA. A low amount of carbonation, spicy malt presence like bread, and medium body kept this from feeling too heavy though this could have been a bit more balanced!

Just the right amount of alcohol in here given the massive size of this. Nice job on this beer as I'm intrigued as to what else these guys are capable of. Time to start canning and getting more New Jersey breweries onto the proverbial map!