Hop Wave 5
Equilibrium Brewery

Hop Wave 5Hop Wave 5
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From:
Equilibrium Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #374
ABV:
8%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,880
Avg:
4.27 | pDev: 6.09%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
44
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 21, 2023
Added:
Sep 07, 2018
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  3
Hop Wave 5 takes one of our favorite Citra/Galaxy DIPAs, dHop5, supersizes the hop charge and adds a touch of lactose.

Aside from all the great things about this beer, it includes an experiment to boost the citrus character of its aroma. We will continue to apply this to the next several releases for evaluation but we’re very pleased with the effect.

Hop Wave 5 pours a milky straw yellow releasing pungent aromas of citrus, pineapple, passion fruit, and peach all integrated with a sorbet twist. The taste is a soft and bright creamy tropical flavor that is dangerously drinkable and balanced.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.78 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Jan 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by RBorsato from Virginia

Nov 01, 2022
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.96/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Gold in color with a fingernail of dishwater white on top. Large floaties are present. The aroma is of passion fruit, lemon, and lime. I’m tasting papaya, lemon, lime, and passion fruit. The mouth is dense and lightly sticky.
Sep 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.65 by Jcal2023 from Pennsylvania

Sep 01, 2022
 
Rated: 4.32 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Jul 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by festizio from California

Jun 24, 2022
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
To make a great IPA, those hop flavors must come in waves. What's amazing is how Equilibrium gets so many waves of flavors that evolve from only two hop varieties- Citra and Galaxy.

Getting much more than five, Hops Wave 5 gets going with a lathery and pastel straw. Off of the foam rolls a bright and citrusy perfume with tropical highlights and an herbal freshness. Creamy though to start, the early flavors favor the malts and their richer pastry, creamy and honeysuckle sweetness.

While the malt and cereal profile slowly wears off, the taste turns to those hops and their leading citrus flavors of branch ripe tangerine, red grapefruit, and nearly limey zing. With a backdrop of mango, passionfruit, papaya and gooseberry, the flavors are equally as exotic as it is racy. Trending herbal with aspects of hemp, gin, verbena, green tea and sassafras, a somewhat winey flavor comes with a stern and drying bitterness.

Medium bodied but starting out richer and sweeter, the beer trails into a bitter finish with an off-dry mouthfeel. Laced with spruce, grasses, hemp and tropical fruit rinds, the beer closes on the bitter side of bittersweet and with a fairly long linger of peppery hops and gin-like botanicals, that simply come in waves.
Jun 22, 2022
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Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep copper in color, very much like a NE Style. I would label this an imperial NE style IPA. Head is white and has nice caressing kisses along the glass. Nose papaya or mango. Taste is soft with a touch of bitterness. Like most beers, I wish it had a bit more bitterness at the end.
Jun 22, 2022
 
Rated: 3.96 by Scottsbeer from Florida

Jun 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.17 by Pens1967 from Louisiana

Apr 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.03 by slhuggy from Virginia

Feb 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by warrendietrich2001 from Nevada

Feb 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.1 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Jan 22, 2022
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Reviewed by TheIPAHunter from California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Hop Wave 5 is one of the single best beers EQ produces. Milky banana haze w/ fantastic lacing and staying power. Huge wafts of tropical fruits assault the nasal cavity in the way of predominant pineapple & starburst. Taste follows w/ additional hints of peppercorn and creamy bitterness. The addition of lactose is masked nicely underneath that signature EQ bubblegum yeast note. Full-bodied and voluptuous like a glowing mother. Exquisite.
Jan 22, 2022
Photo of jngrizzaffi
Reviewed by jngrizzaffi from Texas

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a very cloudy golden yellow color with a thick foamy head. Head retention is good. Lacing is very good. Juicy citrus aroma. Orange rind with a hint of pineapple. A little bitterness of orange rind on the taste with a nice juicy citrus flavor following it. Medium bodied with mild to moderate carbonation.
Jan 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by hockeypuck from Maine

Jan 15, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by kjkinsey from Texas

Jan 09, 2022
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Canned on 12-08-21.

A - Opaque medium to dark with soapy lacing.

S - Pineapple, citrus, spicy citrus rind, mango, overall slightly pulpy.

T - Mango, citrus, spicy citrus rind, peppery spice, pineapple, and pine bitterness.

M - Big medium body.

O - This is really enjoyable and would recommend.
Dec 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Aug 06, 2021
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Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

3.84/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from a 16 oz (473 ml) can into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass; canned 04/27/21.
A: Pours an opaque, golden orange color with a one finger, foamy, fluffy, white chiffon, strong (nearly a half finger) retention, and intermittent rings of sticky lacing.
S: Fruity initially with pineapple and white grapefruit, including the zest. As it warms, more caramel and cream corn.
T: At least semisweet. Flavor pallet zesty at first, but composed more from caramel and corn elements of the nose. Solid but not overpowering bitterness.
M: Medium bodied with moderate effervescence. Creamy toward pillowy and zesty (at first).
O: Tasted first, but then read the notes. Citrusy at first, check, but fruit only present briefly. Creamy, but the grains seem outsized if fruit was the goal IMHO. Certainly drinkable and different.
Jun 17, 2021
Hop Wave 5 from Equilibrium Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 44 ratings