Did Hop Drop n Roll Change?

Discussion in 'South Atlantic' started by humuloner22, Oct 16, 2014.

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  1. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    All I have heard this summer was how great this beer was. I looked high and low and nobody had it. Then all of a sudden every reputable beer shop in the state had it. Since I had heard it was so great I went ahead and bought 4 4 packs without even tasting it, bad decision on my part. This is not really that great of a beer to me. Now I love hoppy beers, and initially I gave it a great review, but I think I may recant that, I think I was under the delusion of grandeur because I had actually scored some. I have tried to drink two of the four packs but honestly its not that good. Its too onesided to me. Its very hop dominant and has very little in the way of malt to balance it out. It's an IPA around 7%. I am from NC and was hoping we had a real winner, but I was less than impressed. Two beers in the same category around the same abv. blow this one out of the water that come to mind are Two Hearted and Sculpin. What do you think? Has it changed or was this beer over hyped?
     
  2. PA-Michigander

    PA-Michigander Grand Pooh-Bah (3,372) Nov 10, 2013 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So this is from YOUR review:

    Overall: this is one of the best beers I have had in a long time. Happy its made in my state and that I have now had the opportunity to get some finally. The hype is well deserved.

    Other glowing praise including some malt balance. Not sure where you're coming from or going with this.
     
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  3. gatheredwaters

    gatheredwaters Pooh-Bah (1,807) May 1, 2014 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    I disagree when you say it "has very little in the way of malt to balance it out." I would argue it's very well-balanced, but that's my opinion.
     
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  4. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    I was conflicted and as I stated in the original post on this thread I am considering giving it an edit. That is why I was asking if people who have had it before this last massive run think that something has changed. I have since tried it on a clean pallet and after a few other beers. It does tend to taste some better with a few other beers behind it. But on a clean pallet its too much. Maybe the batch I got was off. I really was hoping for a better beer and I believe my first review reflected my state of mind at the time. Honestly, those first couple I had were also after a couple of other IPA's. I truly wished I enjoyed this beer more. But the one I drank tonight was nearly a drain pour, sad to say. I didn't of course but it was a struggle to get through and that is not common for me to say with beer. Also, with that said I think their Jam Session is amazing, I am not lambasting the brewery.
     
  5. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    My question was has the newest batch changed. When did you have some and have you had it in the past?As I stated before it is a gold metal winner, it was impossible to find, and all of a sudden it is abundant around the entire state. I heard that they couldn't find hops to brew enough of it to distributed out of Charlotte that is why it was only found in limited quantities just around Charlotte. Then boom, in the last month its everywhere. I felt like this batch might have been rushed due to demand. Its certainly not balanced. I like hoppy beers. I love Ruin Ten, Palate Wrecker, Hop Stoopid and a myriad of other super hoppy beers, I just don't enjoy this one.
     
  6. mccorvey

    mccorvey Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2013 North Carolina

    I love it. The only IPA I've had that I prefer over it is Sculpin.
     
  7. PGH_Penguins

    PGH_Penguins Initiate (0) May 26, 2013 North Carolina

    Maybe your palate has changed?

    As for the increased availability, I heard they stopped kegging HDR to put more in cans.
     
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  8. Brandon8807

    Brandon8807 Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 Illinois

    I definitely think that HDR is a great IPA but from the last couple batches I've had I have noticed some inconsistencies from before they won the Gold and went to a production increase. I don't know if there were any alterations with the recipe but I think that they started using a centrifuge of some sort to try to extract as much as they could out of the hops used to stretch it as far as they could due to some supply issues. I've got a couple 4-packs in my fridge currently and are really good, the ones I picked up from the batch before that were a little off.
     
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  9. HopAttack3

    HopAttack3 Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2011 Virginia

    Ship me the remaining HDR for proper disposal, I'll paypal you money and my fedex account #...

    Someone I know in elkin was asking if anyone on another beer page had gotten infected HDR, he picked his up in winston Salem, no one had any beers that tasted infected...

    I get a case at a time shipped to my by a few folks in NC, it's my go to ipa currently...
     
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  10. mbbransc

    mbbransc Initiate (0) Mar 24, 2009 North Carolina

    There are probably a lot of "I heard" stories, but...

    I heard they were able to source some extra citra from other breweries who had contracts but weren't utilizing all their inventory. Coupled with that, NoDa bought a centrifuge to extract more beer from the fermenters instead of losing so much to the massive hop loads.

    Who knows.
     
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  11. CavemanRamblin

    CavemanRamblin Initiate (0) Jun 19, 2014 North Carolina

    It's a great beer, but I agree with you that it's one of the least balanced IPA's out there. It's nothing but extreme hop flavor and that's it. So if that's what you like, then you'll love it. Personally, I think Freak of Nature is significantly better, mainly due to it being a bit more balanced.

    As far as supply, it comes and goes. It used to be relatively easy to get around the state when shops would periodically go pick up loads of it from Charlotte. Then Noda tightened limits and shops stopped doing that and it became impossible to find anywhere but CLT. And now more recently places have begun to have it again.

    It was at all the Total Wines around Raleigh still as of this past weekend.
     
  12. wiltznucs

    wiltznucs Initiate (0) Jun 27, 2013 Florida

    I've had HDR a few times now. My first encounter was on draft in Raleigh and I thought it was pretty good. Not amazing but certainly better than average. More recently I've had HDR from cans and was less than impressed.

    To be full disclosure, I prefer a lighter bodied and less malty West Coast or VT style hop bomb IPA. HDR is actually too malty for me, as I prefer that beers assertively hop forward and without that malty caramel finish I'm getting with with canned HDR.
     
    #12 wiltznucs, Oct 16, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2014
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  13. NoMoreBeerBelly

    NoMoreBeerBelly Pundit (825) Dec 2, 2009 North Carolina

    I typically get a 4 pack weekly (typically canned that monday, the monday before at the latest) and have been for a while. I can't say I have noticed any difference in batches. I haven't gotten any in the past two weeks (too many new stouts coming out) so I can't comment on the past 2-3 batches.
     
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  14. NCMonte

    NCMonte Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 North Carolina

    Not sure about "change" but for a lousy IPA, and I think all IPA's are lousy, it isn't that bad. I have choked down a few, when I couldn't some other IPA's. As a more hoppy, I don't find malt balance at all in any IPA's or Pale Ales, brew I can sip it over time, which is saying a lot.

    Edit: I probably shouldn't reply on threads about IPA's... >makes a note about this<
     
  15. ShawnG

    ShawnG Initiate (0) Jul 6, 2012 South Carolina

    I didn't like HDR at all the first time I tried it...maybe 2 yrs ago on draft. Every month or so I'd try it again to see what all the fuss was about but still didn't like it.
    One night about 3 months ago I got a pint on tap and BOOM!!
    Ever since that night it's been one of my go to IPA's. It's just so different from the norm.
    However, I have had a couple lately that seemed off. One four pack was a little buttery and another just didn't have that citrusy finish I was used to. Who knows why but maybe the consistency is down while they are ramping up production.
    I'm off to get another 4pac....
     
  16. samtallica

    samtallica Initiate (0) Jul 22, 2010 North Carolina

    It is an aggressive IPA. If that is not your thing, it is not the beer for you. I know a few people who drink other IPAs fairly often that think it's "too bitter." My palate was ruined long ago, sadly. I no longer have any perception of bitterness in beer. I remember what it tastes like, but I no longer get that sensation on my tongue.
     
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  17. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    Both of those "I heard" stories are true. NoDa did stop kegging Hop, Drop 'n Roll, and they also acquired more Citra hops. The result is now a lot more cans out there, and not just in Charlotte.

    For me, I don't think the beer's changed at all and still love it -- but then many of us have enjoyed the beer well before it was a medal winner and might not be subject to "delusions of grandeur."
     
  18. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    That is what is so peculiar to me. Every indication based upon my friends who told me about this beer is that I would love it, because I love really bitter hop forward beers. But this one just doesn't click. Although I will say I picked this one up about a month ago all from the same batch I would assume. I drank it fresh that day, a few days later, and then I waited a week and tried it again. Then I drank it again last night and it only gets worse. It has thin, overly bitter taste to me. I know people love it and that is why I was asking if it has always been this way or if something had changed. I think based upon some comments that it is a bit different but probably not too much than before.

    I was actually chatting with a guy at the local beer store and he said he preferred Jam Session and I agree, I have had it several times in the past and the newest batch and I like it. He also added that he hears a lot of people say the same thing. I also agree that my palate has changed but its generally toward more aggressive flavors, which is also peculiar to me as to why I do not enjoy this beer. Although I do love IPA's some just don't hit for me and I guess this is one of them. Which is my misfortune because everything about this beer pointed toward a win for me.
     
  19. wcu80

    wcu80 Pundit (967) Feb 2, 2005 Georgia
    Trader

    I've been drinking the shit out of HDR for a long while and I haven't noticed any decline in quality whatsoever.
     
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  20. humuloner22

    humuloner22 Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 North Carolina

    Love the store and don't want to down these guys at all. But this was the exact batch.



    https://twitter.com/AppVintner

    I don't know if you can see it, but the headline says the only reason they could get the HDnR was because they helped them find hops. Maybe the batch of hops was off or something. I will pick up a newer batch and see if I find it to be any different.
     
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