10th Anniversary Thunder Hop IPA
Church Brew Works

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Church Brew Works
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6%
Score:
+7 ratings needed
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 13.35%
Ratings:
3 | reviews: 3
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 31, 2006
Added:
Nov 28, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
We are ready to unveil our anniversary beer. It is called Thunder Hop IPA. Many people are familiar with the pale ale variety called India Pale Ale a.k.a. IPA. This style was originally brewed by the 19th century British brewers for export to their troops stationed in India. Since it had to survive the 6 month trip in the hold of a ship, it contained more alcohol and a lot more hops than a typical Pale Ale. Hops and alcohol helped to prevent spoilage that might have ruined a batch of this precious brew. The Thunder Hop IPA is an American IPA which is an emerging style created by hop loving brewers. It has intense bitterness, flavor and aroma. We chose to use three varieties of American hops in the brewing process. The color is copper to amber, just a bit darker than the Pipe Organ Pale Ale. The aroma is noticeably hoppy due to the use of Sterlings in the dry hop process . You will also pick up a complexity from fruit-like esters. The body is big and malty with some caramel sweetness. You won’t have to wait long for the finish, it comes Thundering in with intense bitterness.

Enjoy

BrantTheBrewer




Details:
Original Gravity: 15.5 / 1.062
Hop Bitterness: 65 IBU’s
Malt Used: Pilsen, Munich, Caramel
Hops Used: Chinook, Cascade, and American Sterling
Approximate Alcohol: 6.0%
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of rabsten
Reviewed by rabsten from West Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On cask at the Church, this poured with an incredible amount of bubbles that eventually settled into a fine, fine head. Sticky lacing, clear amber color. Very nice indeed.

Flowery hops all throughout the nose. The aroma rolled off the glass and lingered for a good while.

Tasty hop bitterness with grapefruit, clover, and mild balsam flavors.

Mouthfeel was a little watery, but the flavor held up in the mouth long enough for me to appreciate what I had. Good, solid drinkability, too.

I had another on regular draft. It had a stronger, more solid mouthfeel, but didn't lace as well or smell as nice. Still, it was a good beer too.

This was the beer that prompted me to revisit my review of the Brewery on beerfly. There's a new brewmaster at Church and he apparently likes the hops. Good. His new black and gold pale ale is another fine brew, and the recent x-mas seasonals have been fine. I'd like to see this one make a comeback.
Dec 31, 2006
Photo of Alkey
Reviewed by Alkey from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This beer I saved for last expecting it to be very bitter. So when the time had come the bartender handed me a pint. It was a dark gold and amber color with a nice layer of foam on top. The aroma was nice with pungent citrus hops. The taste wasn't as bitter as expected but very flavorful grapefruit and citrus hops with a medium bodied mouth feel. A very good IPA but like most from this style I can only drink a couple of these.
Dec 28, 2006
Photo of WVbeergeek
Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

3.11/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
They did release a double IPA under the same name in the past, but this is definitely a beer brewed for the 10th Anniversary as Thunder Hop IPA. After hearing adds on WDVE all day about their Rattlesnake pierogies and Thunder Hop IPA I had to make my trek to the Church. Appears a copper amber hue with a thin off white tan head leaves behind even thin lacing with each sip. Aromatics are sort of weak with light citurs and herbal floral presence with a caramel malt base not bad you can detect the fact that they use pelletized hops here also gives off a fruity layer that adds to the nose. Flavor is moderately bitter lacks malt balance reall lacks a complex hop character with the pellet hop burps it really seemed homogenized to me. I did detect mild citrus and herbal flavors and bitterness was ample but balance and originality were lacking a bit, kind of disapointed in the Church's hoppy offerings. Mouthfeel is medium bodied evenly carbonated comes off a bit syrupy lacks the hop oil slickness of most hoppy IPAs. Drinkability was decent not an IPA I would session with but one I would accpet on a seasonal bases for a brewery that doesn't brew a regular IPA.
Nov 28, 2006