Hydra Pale Ale
Abandoned Building Brewery
- From:
- Abandoned Building Brewery
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 8.57%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 7
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 07, 2020
- Added:
- Dec 28, 2015
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 12
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
4.07/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was a leftover from my most recent BOS visit & when it required a photo upload, it got shunted to the side until now. This was release No. 6 & I am happy to add it to The CANQuest (tm)!
From the CAN: "A rotating hop experimental Pale Ale. Just as the mythical Hydra creature [possesses] many heads, this beer is made with a different exotic hop combination every time we brew it."; "This beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized. Sedimentation is normal. Please keep refrigerated and drink fresh for optimum flavor."
I Crack!ed open the vent & given the CAN's questionable age, I went with an extremely slow. gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I do not abuse those beers in my backlog & this one was proof thereof. It foamed beautifully to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with very good retention, leaving nice lacing in its wake. Color was a gorgeous Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5) with NE-quality clarity, forcing The Gelt Gang to rise up from my couch where they had just watched the Penguins lose to the Lightning & limp sadly into my kitchen for a taste. It seemed to perk them up, so it CAN't be too bad! Nose was more caramel malt than hops, so it had begun to fade, no doubt. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was MUCH hoppier than the nose had led me to expect! It had a pronounced PNW hoppiness of pine & evergreen with less malty sweetness than I got on the nose. Interesting! It did not rise to the level of an AIPA in terms of its hoppiness, nor was it ever an SNPA, but it was certainly a worthy beer, even in advanced age. Finish was quite dry, still hoppy & very refreshing. I had no problems with this one. YMMV.
Feb 07, 2020From the CAN: "A rotating hop experimental Pale Ale. Just as the mythical Hydra creature [possesses] many heads, this beer is made with a different exotic hop combination every time we brew it."; "This beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized. Sedimentation is normal. Please keep refrigerated and drink fresh for optimum flavor."
I Crack!ed open the vent & given the CAN's questionable age, I went with an extremely slow. gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I do not abuse those beers in my backlog & this one was proof thereof. It foamed beautifully to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with very good retention, leaving nice lacing in its wake. Color was a gorgeous Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5) with NE-quality clarity, forcing The Gelt Gang to rise up from my couch where they had just watched the Penguins lose to the Lightning & limp sadly into my kitchen for a taste. It seemed to perk them up, so it CAN't be too bad! Nose was more caramel malt than hops, so it had begun to fade, no doubt. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was MUCH hoppier than the nose had led me to expect! It had a pronounced PNW hoppiness of pine & evergreen with less malty sweetness than I got on the nose. Interesting! It did not rise to the level of an AIPA in terms of its hoppiness, nor was it ever an SNPA, but it was certainly a worthy beer, even in advanced age. Finish was quite dry, still hoppy & very refreshing. I had no problems with this one. YMMV.
Rated by thewall44 from Massachusetts
3.27/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.27/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Hydra 5, kind of piney, kind of hoppy, crisp and decent but kind of average
Nov 19, 2017
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire
3.61/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
From a 16oz can, dated 01/24/17. Purchased unrefrigerated at Spirit Haus in Amherst. Served in a nonic.
Pours a cloudy tawny-gold with a meager half-finger-maybe of foam, minimal retention, and sparse, speckled lacing.
No nose to speak of. Maybe a little caramel and lemon flower but, honestly, I could be imagining it just because I'm trying so hard.
Taste is bready with caramel, minimal hop bite, peaches and grapefruit, spruce tips and white grape. Fruity bitterness lingers briefly.
Robust, medium-thick body with excellent carbonation and a clean, dry finish.
Overall, a solid but not exceptional, vaguely-hoppy APA.
Feb 24, 2017Pours a cloudy tawny-gold with a meager half-finger-maybe of foam, minimal retention, and sparse, speckled lacing.
No nose to speak of. Maybe a little caramel and lemon flower but, honestly, I could be imagining it just because I'm trying so hard.
Taste is bready with caramel, minimal hop bite, peaches and grapefruit, spruce tips and white grape. Fruity bitterness lingers briefly.
Robust, medium-thick body with excellent carbonation and a clean, dry finish.
Overall, a solid but not exceptional, vaguely-hoppy APA.
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts
4.51/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.51/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pours hazy, orange in color with minimal head. Taste is pale malt, grapefruit, and candied orange. Dry and bitter body, but there is a pleasant underlying sweetness that adds to the complexity. Juicy, but not overly so. Really impressed that they got this much flavor into this low ABV. Should have gotten more of this one...An excellent pale ale that stands out even among the great pales I have had recently.
Feb 05, 2017
Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts
3.81/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can dated 1/24/17 into the modified tulip glass
A - A touch hazy, golden colored, modestly carbonated.
S - Herbal, touches of tangerine, sweet malts and dried pineapple.
T - Very much follows the nose, sweet, with some tropical fruits, and fresh cut grass
M - Medium in body, passive carbonation and a dry finish.
O - A delightful pale ale, worth seeking out
Feb 02, 2017A - A touch hazy, golden colored, modestly carbonated.
S - Herbal, touches of tangerine, sweet malts and dried pineapple.
T - Very much follows the nose, sweet, with some tropical fruits, and fresh cut grass
M - Medium in body, passive carbonation and a dry finish.
O - A delightful pale ale, worth seeking out
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut
3.69/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a cloudy orange-juice color with afinger and a half of fluffy head that settles to a cap leaving lots of soapy lacing. Faint orange citrus aroma... taste follows. Well balanced.
Jul 15, 2016
Reviewed by cbutova from Massachusetts
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Foundry draft pour Northampton MA. Full notes last weekend.
A- Fairly clear deep golden body into a becher from the taps. Thick creamy white head rises quickly displaying good retention. A few webs of lace stick to the glass permanently.
S/T- Mostly herbal and very floral hops with orange and stone fruits. With time the citrus fruits grow as well as some of the mango tones. Grapefruit definitely comes to mind.
MF- Medium bodied with a frothy texture and high end carbonation really making the hops pop off. Crisp and smooth leaving the palate with a clean bitterness.
A solid hoppy pale ale joining the ranks of some great hoppy beers coming out of the Western MA area lately. Abandoned Building only seems to be getting better and better.
May 14, 2016A- Fairly clear deep golden body into a becher from the taps. Thick creamy white head rises quickly displaying good retention. A few webs of lace stick to the glass permanently.
S/T- Mostly herbal and very floral hops with orange and stone fruits. With time the citrus fruits grow as well as some of the mango tones. Grapefruit definitely comes to mind.
MF- Medium bodied with a frothy texture and high end carbonation really making the hops pop off. Crisp and smooth leaving the palate with a clean bitterness.
A solid hoppy pale ale joining the ranks of some great hoppy beers coming out of the Western MA area lately. Abandoned Building only seems to be getting better and better.
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