Hop Tarts
DuClaw Brewing Co.

 

Slightly fruity, not resinous on the hops. Tasty, but nothing spectacular.

The packaging implies something that might be a little sweeter, more dessert-like, but this is nothing like that...

...The beer is a hop-attack. The can listed 6 or 7 different hops, and it describes a beer brewed with a variety of berries. I think the process helps take the bitterness-bite out of the hops, but there is definitely no sweetness to this brew- truly a hoppy beer but without that puckering hop bitterness others have made with so even a less number of hop styles.

 

16oz can poured into a snifter

A- pours amber in color with a pink hue, one-finger creamy white head has great retention and leaves some lacing behind

S- pine and citrus forward hop aroma up front with some peppery notes. Undertones of strawberry jam and pastry crust

T- citrus and piney hops follow the nose up front, immediately followed by a sweet undertone of strawberry at the mid-palate. The finish gives some citrus zest with more jammy strawberry

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish

O- hides the alcohol very well with a nice fruity strawberry note throughout

16 oz can with a hard to read canning date stamped on the bottom that looks like 17 November 2020. There also appears to be a hop (picking?) date of 15 September 2020. $3.69 from the Wall of Beer in Clemson SC.
Look. Pours with a slightly hazy, dark amber body and a modest size but semi-durable bone colored head.
Aroma. Berries and bread with subdued hops.
Flavor. Well balanced and harmonious, with notes of wild berries, baked bread, honey, and herbal hops. Mildly bitter overall.

Overall. Innovative, distinct, complex, harmonious, refreshing and recommended.

 

 

 

As if hop dominance wasn't enough, there's a consideration of fruit that comes with Duclaw's berry-forward imperial IPA. Its hoppy and tart combination is something perhaps more meant for pastries.

Pouring rather burgundy rouge color and close to clear, Hop Tarts casts a scent of berry, citrus, herb and baked goods above a creamy off-white foam. Gentle sweetness graces the tongue with toasted shortcake, light honey and an overall wafer thin maltiness.

As the bitter and tart flavors unfold on the middle palate, its the fruitiness of berries that bring a cobbler-like presence of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. But the hops aren't completely overshadowed; they back up the fruitiness with orange, grapefruit, lime and a tropical fruit medley. Trending moderately bitter, a bite of fruit peels and fruit skins lead right into a tart, off-sour taste as a yin to the hop's yang.

Medium bodied and trending lighter, the beer's juicy presence is a juxtaposition to the hop's drying resins as the beer finishes bitter and tart with a medium long afterglow of pine, grassiness and peppery hops extending well past the fruitiness or tartness.

Served in a Tulip glass from the can.

Appearance: Amber color with medium bubbled to the body which is a mostly translucent. Pour created an off-white head which initially rose about 12mm off the body.

Smell: Pale aroma consisting of hops with citrus.

Taste: Tarty and fruity bundled with a mellow sweetness and doses of hops. Still more bitter than fruity and very complex.

Mouth: Medium bubbled with a semi full body and a crisp carbonation. Comes off dry, yet the body still sticky.

Overall: Good brew, was expecting more fruit considering the description but has more of a fruit infused west ipa description to the recipe. Would I chase the world for this beer, that's a hard no...but worth grabbing if it crosses your eyes. Salud!

 

Bought on a whim @ Mt. Pocono beverage. I like Frosted Wild Berry Pop-Tarts despite being far too old for that, and the packaging of this one makes me wonder if Kellogg's is involved somehow.

L: A solid amber. Minimal lacing clings to the very top of the glass. A small halo follows the beer down.

S: Bread and butter with a little bit of syrupy sweetness that doesn't remind me of Pop-tarts, but is very nice in a wine-like way. A surprisingly grown-up bouquet.

T: If you bought this hoping it would taste like Frosted Wild Berry Pop-Tarts, you won't be disappointed. If you bought this hoping it would taste like a complex DIPA, you will probably be satisfied, as well. Sweetness and fruity hops dominate, but a malty backbone balances it out.

O: I'm glad I checked this out! It tastes special and does a pretty good job of delivering a worthy Pop-Tart experience together with a potent buzz. Tart-heads rejoice!