Lupulus Erectus
Aspetuck Brew Lab

 

 

Had at the brewery in a taster glass, Lupulus is a copper color with a bit of haze, sticky head stays for awhile.

Big malty aroma with a backbone of resinous hops. Taste starts with a big malt note, caramel and sweetness, a wave of bitter and piney hops come in, subtle notes of citrus. Pretty bitter in the back-end but the malts still try to fight their way in. Oily finish.

Overall a bit disappointed with this one, way too malty and sweet and I'm not a fan of the hops they're using. These kinds of DIPAs were ubiquitous on the East Coast about 10 years ago but have significantly waned in popularity since then.

 

 

 

 

 

L: Copper to amber body with a bit of haze. Moderate sized bright white head that's extremely foamy so it leaves a beautiful rings of lacing.
S: Bright hoppy notes up front with hints of stone fruits, and little bits pine sap. Unfortunately, malt quickly dominates the nose and it doesn't offer anything other than flat sweetness.
T: Taste is also bright and hoppy up front. Some stone fruit flavors, with hints of grapefruit pith and resin. There is some sweetness, but not as much as you'd expect by the aroma.
F: I feel like the balance is a bit outta whack here. There are parts in the feel that I really love. It opens up soft, and it has a near-perfect carb. And the body is on point. However, the hop bill is intense and a real palate killer, and I am no stranger to hoppy beers.That said, I don't think the solution is more malt, but maybe a different yeast?
O:I'm not in love with this beer, but I like what I'm seeing from the brewer in its first DIPA. I hope this is a stepping stone to either an improved recipe (unless the masses love it) or a new brew that really brings it.