Houblonium P38
Bullfrog Brewery

Houblonium P38Houblonium P38
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From:
Bullfrog Brewery
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Belgian IPA
ABV:
8%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 10.35%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
31
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 28, 2012
Added:
Dec 28, 2008
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.5 by ObeMaltKinobee from Illinois

Oct 28, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Sep 09, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Dec 20, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Dec 10, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by PittBeerGirl from Ohio

Nov 22, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by sideshowe from Pennsylvania

Nov 16, 2011
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
light golden amber in color with a big head of white on top. Took forever to settle down though and the first few pours were on the foamy side I have to say. Aside from that though, nice side glass lacing and a rich look to it overall had me going in for another look. Light aroma, mild hops with a hint of bready notes to it right under the surface. This peeled back into light peach and banana hints the more it warms and a touch of light grain. Flavor was again interesting, bready and grainy at first with hints of lemon and orange sprinkled in. Warming seems to really mellow the hops completely and allow almost a spicy tone to take hold. Interesting
Sep 14, 2011
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

3.03/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Growler shared by durwoodx. Thanks Darrell!

The beer is slightly hazy and appears golden orange in color. The head is small and leaves minimal lacing. The aroma brings a prominent sweetness, with oranges, yeast, hops, and a general scent of candied citrus. The flavor tastes similar to that of a tripel in many regards. Overall, a bit too sweet and out of balance with alcohol presence too forward.
Apr 17, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks for sharing this one, Tim.

A: The pour is a hazed golden orange color with a finger's worth of white head.

S: An intensely fruity aroma which I wasn't quite expecting. Pineapple and citrus (grapefruit and tangerines). A bit of apricot and peaches. Some sugar and pale malts, and plenty of yeast.

T: I was surprised by how hoppy the flavor of this was. A touch of bitterness but overall really fruity. Pineapple, apricot, peach, mango, grapefruit, melon, and tangerine all come to mind. A slight sugary quality and a little bit of bread. Yeast and oak are there, but in the background.

M: Medium in body with a moderate level of carbonation.

O: Really solid. This one didn't sound like it had too much promise, but an awesome flavor all around.
Apr 04, 2011
Photo of Bmoyer0301
Reviewed by Bmoyer0301 from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance:

Tonight I deiced to break out one of my coolest but impractical glasses that I have in the cabinet, my Kwak Belgian bubbled flute in a wooden holster. I happen to come across this glass when I was buying a bottle of Tactical Nuclear Penguin and it was sitting on the shelf for a measly $2.00, so I couldn't resist the temptation for such a unique glass. I unscrewed the growler cap and was greeted with a loud and generous hiss which was surprising since this was filled on Sunday. On the pour I decided to go slowly into the odd shaped glass because from prior experience this glass seems to create a lot of foam if your not careful. When I was done I was left with a perfect two finger thick head that was bone white and very frothy looking. As I hold the glass up to the light there is a huge burst of golden hay and orange blossom honey colors that are perfectly clear and vibrant. Not an ounce of haze or yeast chunks and I can see through my glass perfectly. As typical fashion, I gave a generous swirl and noticed the viscosity is pretty decent but not overly thick, leaving foamy legs that run down the walls pretty slowly.

Smell:

Right out of the gate this shines more Belgian than IPA style. Lots of candy sugars and phenolic bananas with flowers and earthy undertones. The hops are definitely present which present a mossy and citrus mash up to compliment all of the peppery spice going on. Slightly peachy on the finish with some faint heat alcohol aromas.

Taste:

Very impressed with the first sip! Smooth and very clean, almost creamy on the mouth feel with loads of green apples, bananas, pepper, and that classic Belgian yeast flavor that is present is any great triple. Sweet caramel and toffee round out the middle and blend with the hops to create a very easy drinking beer for 8%. Let's not forget the hops here, which is a huge aspect of this creative style. Earthy and mossy but yet mango's, oranges, and tropical fruit seem to push through the finish and make some form of muddled mess that works perfectly here. In the finish, a long and semi-sweet coating lingers around my mouth and has just a touch of bitterness that really makes me want to come back for another sip.

Drinkability:

Overall, this was another great beer in the Bullfrog's line up. With beers like this I am sure lots of people will love this place and want to try more. They only downfall is that they only have a very small distribution area and not everything makes it out of their brewpub. So if you really want to get the full line up of beer be sure to swing by their pub or find a friend who lives close and get them to send you a champagne bottle or growler. For the price this is a no brainer if you love Belgian beers or if you are looking to try a out of the box IPA this would be a great candidate. So if you get a chance to visit or are going to be passing by Williamsport be sure to stop by the Bullfrog because you will not be disappointed trust me.
Mar 15, 2011
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served on tap in a tulip at the brewpub.

A: The Belgian IPA is an amber hue, brown and red conspiring together to leave it nearly opaque. A small head, white, came along for the ride.

S: The nose is Belgian sweet, spices and yeast, before the full hoppiness kicks in. The hops are earthy, noble almost, and stand in contrast to the sweetness of the Belgian side. That contrast gets me every time.

T: The sweetness of the tripel is nearly overpowering, a spice laden journey through pale candi sugars, coriander, and fresh pepper. As the sweetness builds, the hop side runs in to balance things out. That hoppiness is grassy with herbal flavors. For the normally mild grasses and herbs, the flavor is quite concentrated, able to stand up to the sweetness of the Belgian side. Bold, the IPA leaves a nice lush hoppy finish.

M: Principally a tripel-style ale, the flavor profile runs with sugars and sweet adjuncts. The hops, as they ride in like the cavalry, seem to augment the sweetness with the grassy notes...

D: ...it all comes together nicely though. A nice beer that won't let your palate get complacent.
Mar 11, 2011
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On tap @ the Bullfrog Brewery (Williamsport, PA) on 2/26/11. Served in a cervoise.

Pours a deep hazed apricot in the glass, topped with a near finger of frothy bright-white head. This retains with a rich sudsy look that leaves back a good looking sticky latticework of lacing. The aroma is freshly floral and initially smells of bright citric fruit and bitter rind that is backed by a backbone of caramel and bread to add a deep tang in the nostrils. Yeast adds a spicy earthiness and a touch of bubble gum to the nose.

The taste is fairly aggressively bitter up front with citrus peel and spice, before being surrounded on the sides by balancing notes of sticky ripe fruit, sweet caramel, and a toasted graininess. The yeast finishes this with an earthy and musty feel that lingers on the palate. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a touch fuller, with an easy creaminess to the carbonation that makes this feel much softer than it is. There is a bit of crispness towards the back of the swallow that helps pop that bitterness and a touch of alcohol heft helps strengthen the yeast presence here just a tad.

Well done Belgian IPA here, with the yeast nicely complimenting all of that bitter and juicy hop character. I think that smooth and creamy feel really sealed the deal for me though, as it keeps this much more drinkable than I thought it was going to be. I'm glad that I finally found this one on tap here before Terry leaves. It was quite good.
Mar 07, 2011
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
A-Slightly hazed, deep copper with a veil of off-white head. Foam hangs on strong and leaves surprisingly nice lace.

S-A boatload of fresh, fruity hops. Notes of apricot and lemon with a nice spicy zing from the yeast. Light biscuit malt sweetness in the background.

T-Big, fat, juicy hops with a counter punch from the sharp, spicy yeast. Malt sweetness pokes through in the background but it is barley noticeable. Building dry finish.

M-Medium-light to medium body (gets thicker with warming), sharp and crisp with long lasting lingering bitterness.

D-Simply a superb Belgian IPA. Spicy and light with tons of fruity hop goodness. My favorite style done right!
Mar 17, 2010
Photo of koopa
Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750ml batch 2 bottle consumed 7.19.10

The malt is much more pronounced and the hops have died down a bit but this one is still drinking like a well balanced American IPA. Not getting much Belgian here but enjoyable none the less!

ORIGINAL REVIEW
750ml bottle purchased at Capone's in Norristown PA.

Appearance: Pours a radiant blood orange to murky caramell with a light yellow white 2 finger crown. Retention is decent and lace is everywhere. Attractive albeit yeast murky.

Smell: Light amount of candied malt, toffee, a hint of alcohol, and some beligian yeast.

Taste: Same as nose but with a small amount of orange citrus acidity.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with slightly prickly carbonation and a medium finish.

Drinkability: Despite a bit of bitterness and an soft alcohol tinge it remains fairly drinkable.
Feb 20, 2010
Photo of Popkas
Reviewed by Popkas from Colorado

4.07/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a golden amber with a mountainous head that lasts and lasts.

S: Interesting. Complex yet subtle. Grainy, sweet, hoppy, spicy.

T: Slightly spicy yeast right off the bat, then citrusy hops. Nice.

M: Medium creamy body.

D: Good drinkability.
Feb 17, 2010
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle from the brewpub. Its these beers that continue to keep me driving long distances back here. Pours cloudy grapefruit with a white head. The aromas, initially pineapple, and then orange. The hop selection is yummy with significant orange and fruity. Alcohol warming, bit still very drinkable and not to be missed. Creamy mouthfeel, and no overt taste of the yeast. If it began to fade over the 16 months, even better.
Feb 14, 2010
Photo of BTPete
Reviewed by BTPete from New York

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle picked up at brewery. Have had for awhile and this is the 4th time I've shared a bottle.

A: Golden red, nice head and bubbles.

S: belgian yeast, bready, and hoppy. Hops not as pronounced as once were.

T: Really yeasty and bready tasting. I like it but as it warmed it became increasingly intense in flavor. Probably shouldn't have stirred up the yeast as much as I did.

M: Relatively highly carbed, nice bottle conditioned ale.

D: Highly drinkable and everyone I have shared this with has agreed. I enjoyed the belgian yeast aroma and flavor though as I said the yeast got swirled up and it became increasingly intense as the brew went on and warmed. Would drink again.
Jan 25, 2010
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750mL bottle courtesy of barleydine, labeled batch #2 and 8% ABV, poured into a tulip.

Pours a hazy orange with a big thick, creamy beige head that recedes very slowly to a small cap with lots of thick lacing along the sides.

The aroma is spicy with Belgian yeast and a bunch of sweet light fruits, pears and apples especially. There is also some earthy hops with plenty of citrus as well.

The taste is very sweet with the light fruits up front and a good bit of spiciness from the Belgian yeast. The earthy hops are also present with hints of citrus and a slightly dry finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with tons of carbonation and a very dry mouthfeel for the style though there is a solid lingering fruity sweetness as well.

This is an impressive beer and one of the best Belgian IPAs I've tasted. The previous Bullfrogs I've had have been inconsistent, but I enjoyed this one immensely.
Sep 30, 2009
Photo of JamesS
Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

4.42/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured a very nice mid-copper color with some nice head and decent lacing. Very nice strong hop scent with a tiny bit of citrus and fruit in the nose. Great taste, a very hoppy beer with a nice amount of malt to keep it thick; a little on the dry side with a bit of wild zest and a nice fruity (cherry?) taste; finishes smooth with a nice bitter taste on the tongue. Goes down quite well for an 8% brew!
Sep 14, 2009
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is of a mildly hazed gold with a huge white head of fluff that slowly fades into a 1 finger cap. Scattered bits of lacing are left all around the glass.
Smell is of a floral, herbal, grassy, citrus blend with caramel notes. A bit odd and "off" up front.
Taste is of the aromas with more of a sweet & herbal note pulling through the flavors. Belgian yeast and hops seem to get strange at points.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, dry, earthy, lip smacking, and bitter during the finish.
Jul 30, 2009
Houblonium P38 from Bullfrog Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 31 ratings