Hop & Lock
Bhramari Brewing Co

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murky glass of grapefruit juice with a quickly vanishing off white head. Smells like oranges with hints of grapefruit and piney hops. Thick beer is fizzy and sweet with lots of orange and grapefruit juice flavors. Finishes with a nice pithy bitterness. Very good NEIPA.

 

Poured from a 16 ounce can (less than 2 weeks from can date) into tulip glass. A frothy 1 finger head formed atop a hazy grapefruit meets orange juice colored body. The head goes down quick though. Scents of citrus and hops hit the nose strong and the flavor follows accordingly. Taste delivers on the promise on the can - juice bomb - a full juicy satisfying flavor. There's a tad more carbonation here than I like but all in all this beer drinks nicely and makes you want another. This is my first Bhramari brew, will definitely seek out more and visit them when in Asheville next.

 

 

 

This is actually a New England IPA...

The sample under review is a pint can from Bestway in Greensboro, NC. It is a double IPA. The label reports 8.5% abv and 42 ibu. The beverage was canned less than two weeks ago at HiveMind Brewing Company.

Look: grapefruit juice. That appraisal may be influenced by the proximity of a grapefruit here in my room, but fruit juice is a good approximation. The label says, "Hazy Juice Bomb". So far I've had good luck drinking hazy beer, so I don't regard haze as a negative indicator. On the contrary, it piques my interest.

An aggressive pour into a pint mug raised a thick creamy head, which quickly dissipated. That's good. I was able to finish pouring and start drinking.

Smell: The nose promises hops. It's a deep, nuanced promise. The label lists mosaic, vic secret and el dorado. I had to google 'vic secret hops'.

Taste: Wonderful. It delivers on the promise. Flavor is undimmed by the haze.

Feel: Despite its juicy appearance, Hop & Lock goes down like beer. The head may not linger, but the fizz never stops.

Overall: I want more. This can was sold as a single, which automatically makes it special. I would buy a six-pack, if such a thing should appear on the local grocery shelf. I want to order a flight at Bhramari Brewhouse next time I visit Asheville.