Review of Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA
Posted By Ken Saturday, 21 August 2010 20:30
Thank goodness I take good notes. This is one that has been on the list for awhile to get reviewed, and finally, here it is. This is a beer that we tried with a few others the night before the Indy 500 this year, if that gives you a frame of reference of my procrastination. Hop Henge was part of Zach and Cari's "stash" of beers they keep, and was pulled out with a group of friends to sample. Being a fan of pretty much anything IPA, I was anxious to get to this one in the lineup. See if patience paid off, or this was an IPA fail.
Ken's Review
Taste: A- Hope Henge Experimental IPA was an experiment that went pretty damn right. There is a definite hoppiness to the front end that goes right to the borderline of overwhelming, but stays just enough under the radar not to immediately turn you off. Then the taste transforms into a nice mixture of citrus and a bit of a caramel taste. The blend is a nice mix of both sweet and rich, and the whole ride takes your tastebuds right to the point where you are sure it is going to dominate too much in flavor, but instead gets you just enough to where you want to go along for another ride.
Packaging: B+ Hop Henge IPA's packaging shows the words "HOP HENGE IPA" in large, red letters, with "Deschute's Brewery" and "Experimental" in smaller letters. There is a sort of artist's drawing depiction of Stonehenge wrapping around where the words of the beer come down. Can't complain on this one.
Value: B+ Not sure where these guys found Hop Henge, but the retail on a 22 ouncer of this will run you in the vicinity of $6-$7. Overall for the taste you get with it and the alcohol factor, it is not one for frequent purchase, but definitely worth the coin when you want it. If you are not a hop or IPA fan, then this isn't an area that you will probably be comfortable.
Drunkeness: A- Hop Henge comes at you with an 8.75% alcohol content. Definitely enough that the content comes through in the boldness of the beer itself, and enough that a 22 ouncer will surely give you a solid start on getting buzzed.
Overall: A- I absolutely was a huge fan of this one. Like I said, those who are not fans of hoppiness or IPA's would probably be quick to dismiss this one, but it is a solid IPA that holds its own, and is very enjoyable. I would highly recommend getting on the hop, citrus, caramel ride and see where it takes you.