Left Coast Hop Juice - Left Coast Brewing Company

yamar68

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Glowing amber gold body with a few fingers of off-white head which leaves a good amount of lace. Body is completely still.

Some melon and pineapple on the nose... sweet and subtle malts can't seem to mask the alcohol content.

Chalky toffee and vanilla overwhelm the hop profile I had expected. The alcohol content doesn't do us any favors.

Lame. Color me unimpressed.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 05:23:36 | More by yamar68

gregy55902

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Hop Juice Double IPA. No freshness date, but the guy at the store said they JUST had put it on the shelf (so hopefully it's very fresh).

A - Poured into an XL snifter. Very pleasant darkish-orange color; not cloudy but not opaque either. Very minimal head - what was there disappeared within several seconds, and all that was left was a nice ring of bubbles and lacing.

S - Plenty of juicy citrus hops and bready/carmel-ly malts. 5 hop varieties, but it's hard to tell which ones. I am slightly worried that this will be a malt bomb.

T - Hops. Malt. Too much malt.. way too much. The malt overpowers the hops and dominates the taste. A tad disappointing. The hops are there, but just barely.

M - Decent carbonation levels, although more carbonation would liven it up a little.

O - If you tout your beer as a heavy hitter in hops with the name 'hop juice,' then I am expecting the bottle to punch me in the face and force heaps of hops down my throat. I don't know how old this beer is, so the hop characteristics may have faded (but I'm inclined to think the beer is just like this).

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:59:18 | More by gregy55902

morimech

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a darker amber color with one finger of head that had good retention before settling to a thin cap. Impressive amount of lacing is left down the glass.

Hoppy aroma which is expected. Not that strong of a aroma but has nice citrus elements.

Packs a bitter punch but lacks the hop flavor payoff that many of the better DIPAs have delivered to us. Flavor consists of citrus, a little tropical fruit, and a surprising amount of sweet, caramel malt. Not the malt level and flavor you expect from a west coast brewer. With this malt comes the equally surprising ABV level, and alcohol warmth.

Big body for a pale ale. Has nice smooth carbonation but enough to help with the bitterness and alcohol.

What I want from a DIPA is hop flavor, not just tongue punishing bitterness. What hop flavor you do get is good, just need more of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 21:46:22 | More by morimech

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice.

Appearance: Pours a deep and slightly hazy copper amber orange. Moderate amount of bubbles and about two fingers of off white head which slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: Big hop forward aroma of grass, citrus, and pine with some bready malt backing. Rich and juicy hops upfront with herbal and grassy hints along with some pine resin spice. Citrus hints of grapefruit, orange peel, pineapple, mango, and lemon. Bready malt sweetness with hints of sweet caramel, biscuit, grains, toffee, and yeast. A juicy and wet smell.

Taste: Lives up to the aroma with a sharp and ripe taste of big hops and sweet malt. Big bitter hop taste with earthy notes of grass, pine resin, and citrus fruit. Citrus notes of grapefruit, pineapple, orange peel, mango, and lemon. Also some herbal and floral hop notes. Solid sweet bready malt background with notes of caramel, grains, biscuit, toffee, and yeast. Very hop forward, lush, and bitter taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very oily, juicy, and bitter. Starts somewhat sweet and finishes dry. A little alcohol heat is felt.

Overall: Pretty decent for a more in your face hoppy brew. One of the more oily IPA's I've had but I like the aggressive hop taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 06:56:32 | More by MattyG85

joshbhs04

California

3.2/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: clear with an amber hue
S: Bread Malts with very lil hops
T: malt forward IPA, The hops really don’t shine as much as the name states.
M: Sticky mouthfeel, thick and good
O: Not really worth the price of admission. The name suggests a lot more hops but I had to really dig to find them on the palate. Wont buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:03:44 | More by joshbhs04

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.49/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Dark gold pour with a trace of residual foam and modest lace. Smells malty, fruit sweet with herbal and citrus hop. Taste is rather astringent in the pungent sense with moderate bitterness and pith as well as grassy essences adding some flavor. Substantial malt backbone lends fruity sweetness. Medium body with effervescent carbonation. Mild lingering bitterness and fruity sweetness on finish. These are some solid elements but the whole seems unorganized.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 02:33:45 | More by JackieTH

rringler

California

4.41/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy, copper color. Pours with a half finger of white head that dissipates quickly. Little lacing, but I'm drinking this out of a plastic cup, so that might be affecting it.

S: Hops. Dominated by earthy, herbal hops, with a bit of sweet malts in there. There's no reason to doubt the bottle's claim that the brew is dry-hopped for two weeks; it smells like it.

T: Complicated. Starts with some darker, dank fruit tastes, but then moves on to mild bready malts, before finishing with the earthy, herbal hops that it smells of. While there's no shortage of hops, they're not as bitter as other IPAs, so don't let them scare you off. It has a bit of a dry, alcohol taste, though it is 9.7% abv.

M: Medium to medium+ body; slightly thicker and oilier like a DIPA should be. Carbonation is very good.

O: Excellent example of what a West Coast DIPA tastes like. Grab one and pretend you're in SoCal.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:04:17 | More by rringler

TTAmod

Michigan

3.54/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber poured into pint glass. I can't find a date, but we just started getting these, so age shouldn't be an issue.

A: Dark amber color with a thick tan head. Good retention.

S: Dank, leafy raw hops and a strong dose of caramel.

T: Strong hops along with a strong malt base. The hops aren't of the citrusy kind, but rather of the herbal, raw, leafy kind. Tobacco, marijuana, and other strong herbal hop flavors dominate this brew. The malt base is very strong, as well. It's sweet, but not overly sweet. I guess you could compare this to ST Unearthly. This beer isn't very bitter, but ends on a slightly dry note.

M: A bit of a thick, full mouthfeel. Pretty typical for this kind of DIPA. Pretty easy to drink considering the high ABV.

O: This isn't a bad beer. For the price, you get a very bold, strong herbal DIPA. I would probably buy this over Unearthly, which has a similar taste profile but is quite a bit more expensive.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:56:54 | More by TTAmod

popery

California

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From notes, 3/6/10. Bottle, home. Surprisingly good DIPA. This beer pours a medium amber with a smallish white head. The aroma is quite good, a mix of a variety of hop flavors - mostly floral and citric. There’s a touch of caramel malt, but this is clearly a hop ride from the outset. The flavor is pretty much all big chewy hops. I guess it’s dry, but it’s hard to taste much beyond the hops. If that’s not your cup of hop tea, then you won’t like this beer much. There was a definite paint thinner note when the beer was colder, but it fades to further hoppiness as it warmed up. Mouthfeel is a bit rough, but them’s the breaks with hop juice. Super hoppy DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:36:29 | More by popery

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber to snifter, nice bottle art

Good copper gold with a finger of foam. Good lacing and retention, very little carbonation. Great looking brew. Smells of strong hoppy citrus with a strong malty base and some alcohol. Taste of fruity hops and malty booze. Alcohol undercuts much of the flavors leaving it a bit bland. Feel is again boozy, but drinkable. Overall while it's not exactly terrible, I'm not impressed with this beer. I don't think I'd get it again

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 03:13:14 | More by lordofstarside

RockyRaku

Arizona

3.2/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

Nice. Poured from bottle to a round glass. Very nice copper color, clear in the light. The nose is bread like and a hint of alcohol. The head was creamy…thick when poured and thinned out with some lacing on the glass. The taste was powerful, but not mind blowing. Hoppy, floral notes...herbs and some spiciness and again a taste of alcohol. Very clean, but long lasting mouth feel with a dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:36:57 | More by RockyRaku

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

a clean amber pour with 2 fingers of foamy head. citrusy sweet smell, pine, caramel, and grass notes. a sweet malty DIPA with a heavy booze kick. tasty bitterness fights the sugary backbone from the malt and confuses the hell out of my palate. the alcohol taste is VERY strong in this one. medium body with a good amount of carbonation, alcohol warmth is very present. a pretty good DIPA but a bit too strong in the booze flavor and weak in the hop department for something called hop juice!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:56:09 | More by facundoCNB

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A half finger of head on a cloudy, deep copper colored body.
The aroma is a sharp lemon, orange and pinewood. It's a nice combination.
The taste has a malty sweetness undercurrent with a dry strong bitterness dominating the profile.
The texture is a little fizzy, moderate carbonation and medium body.
A solid DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:18:32 | More by Fatehunter

Murrhey

Montana

2.53/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed from notes.

A- Finger and a half white creamy head. Nice retention. Little lacing. Semi-cloudy copper color.

S- Big, citrusy hops. Not much else.

T- Metallic tang of bitterness. Punch in the taste buds. Balance isn't there.

M- Heavy carbonation and fluffy feel. Dry.

O- Nothing really terrible, but not a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:57:55 | More by Murrhey

jsulko

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours a dark golden color with a decently robust slightly off white head.

Smell is dominated by carmel sweetness and a slightly oily piney smell

Taste also centers around the sweetness. Slightly oily pine hop bitterness but not enough punch for a DIPA.

My first try from this brewery and left a little underwhelmed. Bottle was new to the shop so I don't think I can blame on age. Seeing the reviews I don't think it is a brewery I will revisit.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:49:18 | More by jsulko

Florida9

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: clear golden copper in color. Forms a moderate off white head that reduces to a thin surface coating. Leaves some moderate lacing.

S: aroma is a fairly strong blend of pine, citrus, and alcohol.

T: taste is fairly malty; moderately sweet caramel malt followed by orange, candied orange rind, light grapefruit bitterness, and pine. Slightly earthy and more sweetness on the finish.

M : Medium bodied, but sweet with a slight syrupiness. Appropriate carbonation. Mild to moderate bitterness on the finish.

O: a decent DIPA, though far too sweet for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:03:44 | More by Florida9

DRyan

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a nice golden slightly orange with a frothy white head the dissipates relatively quickly but laces nicely. Smell is hops and malty sweetness. Taste is crisp, some hoppiness but not your average pine or citrus, more on the bitter end. Mouthfeel is pretty average, not too thick not too thin, really nothing outstanding but nothing lacking either. Overall a pretty decent DIPA but nothing exceptional, but for the price it's a nice higher ABV beer that goes with my spicy dinner nicely.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 01:06:52 | More by DRyan

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

one of those huge bitter but sweet big india pales. this one pours oddly light for what it is, almost looking like a wheat beer, with a delicate white fizzy head. the smell is quite bitter, very high alpha. barely there malt smell and taste, the hops do all the heavy lifting here. it is almost like hops through a juicer now that i think about it, eerily oily. plenty of carbonation, and a body thats only medium because of the weight of the alcohol, which isnt disguised at all. it kind of sticks to my teeth frmo the sweet finish, even though its also painfully bitter. a curious beer, but one that is out of balance in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 02:41:23 | More by StonedTrippin

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours golden color with one fingered white head and lots of lacing.

Smell is musty oranges, lemon and pine.

Taste is hops from the beginning. Very bitter throughout. Bitterness lingers on the palate. Slight bit of malt character.

Mouthfeel if medium bodied with lots of carbonation.

Overall this is a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 23:49:50 | More by TrappistJohnMD

depechemode1983

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark golden color with orange hues. The head is off white and foamy with decent retention. The lacing is decent and spreads even around the glass. The nose is mostly sweet. You get hints of honey, orange and candy sugar. The bitterness is surprisingly toned down for a DIPA. The taste is very sweet as well. Upfront you get all the tropical fruit and sweet candy flavors with a good balance of piney bitterness. It seems unbalanced at first but the finish is bitter enough to balance it all out in the end. The mouth feel is full bodied. It is also moderately carbonated and smooth. Overall not a bad beer. For a DIPA it is very balanced. I think it is one of the most drinkable DIPA i have tried. PS..The alcohol is very well hidden for 9.7% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 08:54:48 | More by depechemode1983

ThePaleRider

California

3.63/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Nice amber/orange color with a thick white head. Head leaves some nice lacing on the glass. Lots of sediment floating around in there.

S - Orange, caramel, and pine. Definitely hops right up front where they belong.

T - Orange peel and bitter hops. I love how bitter this beer is. Not very well balanced with the malts but I'm down with strong hops. Lots of pine in the aftertaste.

M - A little oily with a nice medium body. Very nice carbonation. My M score was pretty much based on how happy I was with the carbonation of this brew.

O - My kind of DIPA with a lot of bite, but maybe not smooth enough for the average joe. Very drinkable and I would definitely pick this brew up again.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:59:37 | More by ThePaleRider

UCLABrewN84

California

3.73/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle pour from Wowcoolman’s tasting.

Pours a honey orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, and some perfume aromas. Taste is much the same with a honey flavor as well. There is a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but not something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:05:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden amber with a mountain of eggshell head, good retention as well. Expected some hop haze, but don't see much. Nearly a 5 in my books. Big hops in the nose as expected with big citrus (pineapple and orange). Very sweet smelling as well with some floral and pine. Taste follows with big citrus hop and less prominent floral and pine. Puckering bitterness for sure, it's a bitter one, but not as extreme as some DIPAs I've had. Overall a fine DIPA, but not amazing.

I almost wrote about how bland the beer was, but it came through after I downed some water, I guess just being thirsty after biking home can kill the palate as well... lesson learned.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 01:49:46 | More by IllNate

absolete

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into oversized wine glass.

A: Light rosy, copper.

S: Fresh orange rind.

T: Pretty complex, but balanced. A bit of sweet citrus up front, but can really spread apart and gives you a lot to wrap your head around as it finishes. However, at other times it is a little too much like juice. A bit too sweet, not enough crisp, cleansing bitterness to wipe the pallet.

M: Fine. Nothing really stands out as good nor bad.

O: It's a good beer. Not for me, but certainly a good beer worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 22:41:43 | More by absolete

bmwats

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a tulip.

A: Medium golden hue. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Settles fairly quickly, leaving a blanket of foam and a substantial beer ring. Sparse spider web lacing.

S: Syrupy sweet hop and malt sluice.

T: Hoppy and a little sweet.

M: Hefty but a little shallow. Dry finish.

D: Hop bite dictates a slower drink.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Decent body with a nice head. Nose is basic but full. Flavor follows suit. Characteristic of the style...hoppy with a slight high alcohol sweetness. Overall, this is a pretty good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 04:53:00 | More by bmwats