Baby Got Hops (Hip Hop IPA Series)
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smells awesome; sweet and sticky, with a tad of bubblegum maybe? Malty and hoppy, but resinous; not what I was smelling. Creamy, carbed beer that did go down well, but between the taste and all, it is not their best effort however I hope it's because I got an old twelve pack. Drank from Reidel beer glass, and poured from the can.

 

 

Can, no date:
Pours an amber to reddish color, with a nice slightly off white fluffy head. The head lasted with a covering film throughout the pour (in a nucleated glass), with streams of lacing here and there.

Nose is a mix of grassy and grainy (with warmth a little pine). I can't tell the age on the beer, but if there were a little age on it, I wouldn't be surprised since I am missing the citrusy notes described and expected from the mosaic. Considering it was added in January, I can't think it's TOO old, but could be around its turning point.

The taste has a light honey-like sweetness to it that doesn't get much of a chance to shine as a grassy note converges with the opening taste early. There is a turn to a cirtrus note, orange or orange peel with even a little tropical fruit sweetness briefly in the transition. These flavors are short lived as the ending pine needle takes over and lasts through the end.

A nicely carbonated beer that lifts the beer and bitterness just enough. The pine taste wants to dry the tongue a little but the feel never gets too resinous.

A solid brew in which I can see some good qualities, but I am not sure if I am getting the best version of this beer. I do think the "red malt" holds up to a fairly bitter beer without providing too much of a contrast. Would like to get another try of this that I know is fresh to nail down this review.

 

4.128
Pretty good dark tasting

 

 

I really must applaud Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant for their CANtinued embracing of CANs! Admittedly, they are shrink-wrapped and many are 16 fl.-oz., but for a place of their size to be such a major CANtributor to The CANQuest (tm) ... Impressive. Equally impressive is The Fridge, here in Lancaster, PA, where I scored this latest Manayunk CAN. If you come to visit me, we will hit The Fridge & The Friendly Greek Bottle Shop, so be prepared.

From the CAN: "Drink Local [within an outline of the great & mighty Commonwealth of PA and on the side of a CAN of spray paint]"; "Zesty & Citrusy Red IPA"; "The Place Where We Drink"; "Grain: 2-Row, Crystal, Midnight Wheat[;] Hops: Mosaic, Zythos, CTZ[;] OG: 15.5 Plato[;] IBUS: 70[;] ABV: 7.1%"

The Crack! revealed a brimful craft CAN, but I have shied away from CANducting an inverted Glug of late. Instead, a gentle one will have to do, plus it reads, "Unfiltered" on the CAN. Even so, I got a finger of soapy, tawny head with great retention in spite of my restraint. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled resinous, not dank, per se, but very oily & fresh. Pine & grapefruit melded together & my mouth began to water as a result. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was lightly bitter, more grapefruit than pine, but with a light nuttiness from the malt mixed in. Warming, I got a berry-like flavor that was completely unexpected, but quite pleasant. Nutty & berry - it was like a decade or so ago when AIPAs were really starting to come into vogue and making a transition from traditional EIPAs. This beer was very evocative of those beers - hopped, but not overly bitter with enough malt to be discernible. Even more interesting was its relatively high ABV. Finish was dry, but with an odd amalgam of flavors that added up to fruits and nuts. I like this!

 

 

 

 

pours dark ember, thick and rich; fresh citrucy and earthy nose, a scent of strawberries present. taste - zesty as advertized, some smokyness, malt and alcohol well babalnced, lasting bitter finish notes.