Hop Ranch or DirtWolf

Found some Hop Ranch today. Just finished a bottle. The color was like the picture from last year. Kinda clear. Big citrus smell.

This is a fantastic beer. Very drinkable for 9%.

If I had to choose I would give a slight edge to HR due to its smoothness. And it's got a little dankness to it too as it warms up.

 

I was at the Victory Brewpub earlier this evening; primarily to drink the Hop Ticket Sticke Alt (which is good). I asked for a taste of the Hop Ranch (in anticipation of ordering it). It tasted very much like the Hop Ranch I bought in January; too dank for my palate. I decided to not order the Hop Ranch but ordered the Gose instead (which is very good).

Victory Hop Ranch simply is not pleasurable to my palate.

Cheers!

P.S. My wife stated that the Hop Ranch smelled/tasted like glue. How is that for an inventive flavor descriptor!?!

 

Lol gotta love a woman's take on IPAs. My gf made a face after trying Heady. Found is gross. I'd like to know what kind of glue smells as good as some Hop Ranch. Id get high as hell off that stuff lol

 

My fiance' who is now into IPA/DIPA's (thanks trip to San Diego!) said Hop Ranch was more "girlie" this year. lol!

 

Is anyone finding that their HR has a good amount of sediment in it? I had two more last night and after the pour...I could see the sediment floating. Let it sit for awhile and there was a good amount when I finished. All of my HR has been almost amber in color...not the light straw color like last years. I may try to get more...with a different enjoy by date.

 

Have not had the 2014 Hop Ranch, but the 2013 was amazing in my opinion. I think it beats the hell out of Dirt Wolf (which I also think is a great beer) due to the fact it has a cleaner taste.

 

Had it on tap Saturday night, it looked just like last year's version and nothing similar to the orange tinted pic posted earlier. I actually thought it taste better than last year's version, but that's just me.

 

Yes, I thought I grabbed a dirty glass at first!

 

Is anyone seeing this around in Northern VA yet by the way? I am dying to have the new batch and I have a blind DIPA tasting coming up for friends and this would be great to add.

 

Same here on the color. My case is Enjoy By May 3, 2015 and it's the same pale yellow color as last year. Nothing like the orange-color that is being posted above. That's clear batch variation with what @FatBoyGotSwagger has.

 

There is certainly a difference between the 4/26/14 batch and the 5/3/14 batch. The 5/3 is much more similar to last year...pale straw color and more familiar flavor. I did not care for the 4/26/13 batch I got.

 

Good to hear I look forward to picking up a case of the May 3 batch tomorrow when it lands in my neck of the woods.

 

I've drank HR from two different cases in the past two weeks (apologies for not noting the best by dates) and it was like drinking two different beers. ABV was hidden nicely in both, but I'm not sure the better of the two was as good as last year... Sadly, the batch variation is nothing new as I'm sure I've had several different tasting Dirt Wolfs acquired from the source.

 

I heard that victory is having a lot of problems with quality control, they have recently recalled batches of festbier and lager which is never a good sign, but they might be doing it because they don't sell well.

 

I really dug this beer for the second year in a row. Color and mouthfeel were same as last year and as previously mentioned I don't think I can name another 9% beer that hides the alcohol so well (maybe Resin). In addition the smell and taste is more tropical this year and less onion/garlic. A great beer that has surpassed Sucks as my favorite winter seasonal.

 

HR is now hitting the distributors in the Philly area. Got an email from the Beer Yard in Wayne that they have cases is. Have not heard back from them as to what batch they got. Got an email from Matt at Capone's...they got more in with an enjoy by date of 5/21.

 

The Hop Ranch enjoy by batch 21st of May is perfect. Just as good as I remember

 

The HR the Beer Yard got is the 5/21/15 batch.

 

Hop Ranch where art thou?

Not one batch has hit Morris County in NJ. Hopefully when it does it's the later bottler ones. Knowing ZNJ distro though, it's probably the first bottling and has been sitting in a warehouse for weeks while they wait for Moonglow to clear the shelves or something.

 

I have not seen HR in the NNJ/CNJ area either. But Livingston BK has 6 day old DW (best by 5/11/15). That's as fresh as i have ever seen it even at the brewery.