Cold Hop British-Style Ale - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: 1/3 inch head, hazy, orange/brown in color, moderate carbonation

Smell: citrus hops, bread, and caramel

Taste: bread throughout, citrus hops with some caramel

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium/low carbonation, slightly sweet with bitter backbone

Drinkability: To me this is average IPA. Not a bad beer, but nothing I would reach for again.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 16:05:29 | More by tigg924

WhiteOak

Connecticut

3.23/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yellow/orange in color with a white head that settles leaving some lace.

The smell is bright, crisp Pine and apricot.

Hops take the attack and continue to dominate this beer. More malt would be appreciated to balance the structure.

Light/medium bodied and dry.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2010 02:31:41 | More by WhiteOak

boatshoes

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Brews Cafe on my most recent visit. Hadn't heard of this one from Boulder Beer before. Thought I'd give it a try.

Appearance- Pours a darker amber golden with about a finger and a half of creamy white head. Head dies back to a ring around the edge, very mild amount of lacing left as well.

Smell- Nose is big and fruity, with lots of grapefruit rind and a bit of orange. Some sweet bready malt showing through as well, along with a whiff of alcohol.

Taste- Again, starts off with big and fruity hops that lean heavily on the side of grapefruit rind. However, a good dose of caramel and sweet bready malts show through thereafter. A bit of alcohol does in fact show through on the finish as well.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is nice and slick and despite the alcohol on the finish, I found this one to go down quite easy.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good take on an English IPA. Lots of fruity hops but also a solid amount of sweet malt. Quite drinkable as well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2010 17:22:55 | More by boatshoes

BB1313

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

August 11, 2010 printed on the back neck of the bottle. Label says it's a British-style Ale. Pours a beautiful bright gold w/ a slight orange haze which you can see through. Nice white head that gets smaller but stays w/ the beer the whole way through, decent lacing. Smells pretty fruity w/ citrus notes and malty bread notes. It tastes just like it smells w/ a slight spice. There's a bitterness but not overboard at all. There's something going on in the beer that I can't put my finger on, but I like it. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, not overly bitter, crisp and refreshing. Drinks very well. I can't say this is a session brew at 6.5%, but it's pretty hard to drink just one.

This is easily the best English IPA I've tried so far. Boulder Beer comes though w/ this one, recommended if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 06:17:51 | More by BB1313

bnes09

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy orange in color with a thin white head that quickly disappears leaving some lacey lines.

Smell is very crisp, citrusy and spicy. Complex and luring.

Nice hop bite upfront, piney and a bit soapy. This beer may be expired since it has an odd soily taste after the initial bite lets up.

Medium bodied and mild carbonation. Also a drying finish without too much texture.

Its a descent IPA. A good hop character with a crisp feel and smell. Refreshing on a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 03:40:33 | More by bnes09

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark golden color that borders on amber with a huge fluffy whit head that sticks around for a while. Wow what a nice nose. Spicy floral and resinous hops with hints of toffee and maybe some butter. Gives off and almost herbal aroma at times. Flavor follows the aroma quite well. Starts with a fruity floral and resinous hop that melds into a bit of an herbal note. The some malts come forward to reveal some toffee and a hint of butter. Finishes with a lingering spicy herbal note. Creamy resinous mouthfeel, rather full body, ample carbonation. Wow I enjoyed that one although it is not what I expected while opening the bottle. Well done Boulder, and welcome to NH.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 00:21:22 | More by johnnnniee

zhooker

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From tap, to growler, poured into a 12oz mug. Pours golden and very hazy. A finger's worth of head builds and dissipates. Not much lacing as the mug empties.

The aroma is hoppy, but it is a very floral and fruity hoppiness -- not searingly 'green' or bitter. Reminds me of chamomile, lavender, and pear.

Mild, sweet, and fruity on the tongue. The malts are toned down, and the hops do all the talking. However, much like the smell, its not a pronounced hoppiness. The first few sips seem more along the lines of a softer pale ale, but the hops do eventually catch up with you, and their bitterness builds on the back of your tongue. This is not at all an offensive bitterness -- it's very agreeable, well balanced and sweet-ish. Still, over the course of the mug, some of the earlier floral and fruit notes were lost to this bitterness.

This has a pretty average mouthfeel. Crisp enough to please on a hot day, but with enough body to give you something to think about. The hops rile your tongue and cheeks a bit, and I am guessing that the carbonation from a standard shelf-bought bottle might intensify this. From tap to growler to mug I had no complaints though.

This is a pretty good beer, and I look forward to the rest of my growler. It may go without saying, but I would not recommend it to anyone leery or weary of hops. It tempers its hoppiness well, but a whole glass would be a lot to take for those hop-averse.

Serving type: growler

05-17-2010 05:24:32 | More by zhooker

silver0rlead

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a lighter amber color with a thick and frothy white head that retains well and leaves awesome lacing, this one is a real looker. The aroma has some classic british hop characteristics of flora, mint, mineral, and earthiness, along with some biscuit, honey, fruity esters and a bit of alcohol. The flavor also starts off with a European hops blast with notes of mint, flora, pine and grass, along with some biscuit, bread dough, toffee, caramel, fruity esters, and a bit of an alcohol burn. The mouthfeel is bordering on oily but isn't unpleasant, and drinkability is quite good. I really dug this beer, and I'm not normally a big fan of English IPAs...the intriguing blend of hops really adds a nice complexity (they used british, american and noble hops).

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 02:54:23 | More by silver0rlead

david18

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a good pale ale or low hop ipa. Whenever you see something like cold hop or fresh hop it conjures up an image of refreshment. This was a great beer that was not too heavy on any characteristic and a great beer for most seasons.

I would recommend this if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2010 21:21:54 | More by david18

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a caramel color with a small head. Smell is heavy of hops. Taste like it smells, very hoppy, a tad bitter. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this makes for a fairly decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 00:47:32 | More by tone77

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Julio's in a 12 pack mixer

A: This beer pours a somewhat hazy golden color with a one finger of white head to it. Head retains nicely leaving wispy chunks of lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is oddly of some roasted malts mingled with a hop character that is somewhat earthy.

T: Taste starts with the roasted malt flavoring, somewhat bready. Earthy hops come through in the middle. Finish is somewhat of sweetmalts and a hint of piney hops.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, lightly oily feel with a dry finish.

D: Goes down easily, ok balanced. A decent beer to sit with for a bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 02:39:27 | More by Jayli

Mistofminn

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy amber color. Very nice color. About two fingers of off-white head are produced, and it has decent retention.

Even though this is an English IPA, I was hopping for more hoppy characters. This is definitely more malty than hoppy so thats kind of disappointing. I still get light notes of floral hops, and a larger note of sweet English malt.

Taste is very subtle. It's not bad, just very muted. I was expecting more maltiness given the nose, maybe even a little hop kick. What you get is a muted, slightly malty and only very subtley hopped IPA. Again, it's not bad, I was just expecting more. As it warms, the flavors come out a little more.

Mouthfeel is medium, with a bitter aftertaste that I wasn't expecting. Sharp and crisp texture. Drinkability is ok, nothing special.

Overall, English IPA's are not my favorite style, and this one is no exception. I'm more of a fan of over-hopped American IPA's than the overly malty English version. This is better than others that I've had, but just didn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 06:20:39 | More by Mistofminn

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The ale pours brilliantly clear deep golden color with copper highlights and a clingy white head. The aroma is moderately hoppy, floral, spicy and a bit of citrus. There is a medium-low malt aroma as well, a bit like crackers and slightly sweet. The flavor is moderately hoppy upfront with a bit of malt and hint of esters toward the swallow. The finish is a bit prickly with medium-high hop bitterness lingering. The carbonation is medium-high and body medium. Overall a fairly balanced ale with a nice hop flavor. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 01:26:36 | More by uwmgdman

Finn

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours hazy burnt orange, and holds up a decent amount of sticky lacing.

Aroma: Sharp hop aroma, rich sweet malts

Taste: malty bicsuits are quickly joined by a sharp hop flavor profile, with moderate bitterness. finish is pleasant but doesn't linger very long.

Mouthfeel: medium/full body with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: High drinkability. This is an interesting and unique ale. and quite tasty. well crafted and well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 02:01:39 | More by Finn

climax

Kansas

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass, Cold Hop poured a murky gold hue with a pretty good sized off white head. It faded pretty slow and turned lumpy as it sank.

The aroma is pretty well-balanced. Lots of sweet toasty malt is equaled by fruity and floral hops. Mostly caramel, grapefruit oils and and some cidery notes made up the fla.vors

Flavor seemed a bit more hoppy than the nose. The sweetness and caramel is evident throughout, but further in the background. Grass, grapefruit, and resiny pine made up a real good hop profile.

Medium bodied, and the mouthfeel had an excellent crisp dryness to it. The finish was chalky and toasty. This is a well-balanced good tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 01:39:11 | More by climax

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle with a stamp of NOV2509, this is the last of a mixed 12-pack picked up in ABQ. Pours a dark gold color with a creamy, light tan foam that recedes quickly and leaves a touch of lace here and there.

Nose is nutty, earthy and caramely with a nice whiff of pine sap hoppiness. Bit of bread dough and mild fruitiness. Pretty good smelling brew.

Taste is mighty tasty as well. Well balanced with plenty to offer on both ends of the spectrum. There is a definite hop attack at the beginning and finish, flavor then bitter while the malts are both sweet and toasty. The distinctive flavor of maris otter malt comes through nicely without being too overpowering. I think this is my favorite beer from Boulder I have had. Very easy to drink and does not taste or feel like a 6.5% beer. I would have no problem buying a sixer of Cold Hop were it available locally.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 05:39:45 | More by twiggamortis420

GarrisWH

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy golden-tinged copper color with one finger of off-white head that drops down at a moderate pace, leaving some decent lacing behind. Decent retention as well.

S - Pretty mild aroma, with some lemony, floral hops and some grainy malt smells coming through mostly.

T - A balanced flavor, with some floral, citric, and slightly spicy hop flavors leading into somewhat bready, caramel malt. Finish is a bit dry and leaves some of the floral hop qualities lingering into the aftertaste.

M - Medium bodied with fine carbonation that lends a nice smoothness.

D - All in all, a solid and drinkable beer. Nothing spectacular, but it has good flavor and maintains a nice balance. Wouldn't turn this one down in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 08:13:30 | More by GarrisWH

HOPFENKOPF

Oregon

3.13/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured a hazy cooper-orange with an off white ½ inch head that quickly dissipated into more of a film. The laces where apparent early on but nothing to write home about.

The nose seemed mild, with slight citrus, pine and floral notes.

The taste was not what I expected. It was more of a pear, bready thing going on with slight lemon citrus. The finish was dry and the malt tones rise with the temperature of the beer.

Both the mouth and carbonation where slightly under medium.

I was not all that impressed with this beer. It was drinkable but with so many other options out there I would not buy it again.

It is possible that this beer was old. Was purchased at a quick mart and have not seen this beer local in some time.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 22:18:25 | More by HOPFENKOPF

mntlover

Tennessee

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy copper color with thumb sized off white head that falls quickly with sparse lace.

Aroma is nice soft hops fruity mingle with floral with a caramel malt background.

Taste is hops not like the nose more herbal, earthy minty like. Malts come thru almost seems like they have and earthy metallic note but could be the hops?

Mouthfeel is medium with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is ok a nice change, but not something i would really repeat buy.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 19:33:15 | More by mntlover

riored4v

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a SN Tulip glass. 1 finger, off-white head that fades to 1/2 finger.

Smell had a great citrusy aroma that was accompanied by fruity and floral. Mellow maltiness.

Taste had a nice hop presence that was both bitter and aroma/flavor. Orangey, fruity/citrusy upfront w/ a grassy finish. Low level of malt sweetness that is mainly in the middle. Finish is fairly bitter. Maltiness does present itself a little more as it warms up.

Mouthfeel is light/medium with good carbonation and a dry finish.

Drinkability was good. On the bitter side for a English but nothing overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 00:31:35 | More by riored4v

mudbug

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice hazy orange with a medium 1/2 inch head that settles into a cap
Aroma of malt and bitter hops
Taste is upfront bitter in a good way, as the beer warms up the maltiness comes on strong, overall very balanced.
Some breadiness with a dry finish, good quaffer, easy drinking.
I'd drink this anytime, Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 01:23:00 | More by mudbug

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle a hazy amber-orange with a healthy off-white head and sticky lacing.

The aroma is light with faint malts and citrus.

The taste is quite citrusy with orange, pine and grapefruit. Finishes with sweet caramel malts and a hint of cinnamon.

Medium bodied, a tad sticky, and moderately carbonated.

This was much hoppier than expected and a pleasant surprise. I think I'll have to put this one into my regular rotation.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 23:26:35 | More by Monkeyknife

Morey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

December 2009 stamped on the side of bottle.

Pours a cloudy goldish orange with a decent white head following a medium-aggressive pour. The lace seems to be sticking very nicely to the side of the glass.

Smell is rather mild but some citrus and grape like aromas are apparent. Very little hop aroma.

What Cold Hop lacks in smell, it makes up for in taste. First you get a tingling sensation from the hops followed by the citrus and grape like flavors that were also present in this beer aroma. Finishes rather smooth.

Mouthfeel is a little on the thin side, with good carbonation.

I could drink this beer as a session, but I'd be in trouble after a sixer.

Morey's Bottom Line: A refreshing beer. Not ground breaking, but very good none the less. Something I'd buy a case of to have on hand for a session brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2009 00:05:36 | More by Morey

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: On tap, poured into an imperial pint glass down at Kelleher's on 11-19-09.

Appearance: Slightly hazy dark burnt orange beer with a thick ivory cap with good retention.

Smell: Bright piney goodness, and lots of it; this smells like a Christmas tree farm. There are some light toasty malts in the background as well; overall this is nicely balanced with neither the malt or the hops blotting out the other

Taste: Bigh fresh pine flavors combine with a light, delicate bitterness and just a bit of malt in the background. This is nice, light, and drinks like a session ale, even though the abv% is a bit on the high side for that. It's quite tasty and enjoyable, it's just a little bit lighter than you'd expect.

Mouthfeel: Light-light side of medium bodied

Drinkability: High

Conclusion: This is a really nice, nearly sessionable English IPA. The malty notes aren't quite as forward as they are in many English examples, but the hop bitterness is well-balanced with the malt and is fresh and tasty. A bit simple, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2009 17:12:25 | More by BedetheVenerable

Brandt

Montana

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this beer poured out a cloudy copperish tone with minimal head

there is a very resinous hop aroma here as well as a more earthy character. there is sweet malty undertones in the beer that balance nicely

the flavor of this beer is very good, a good strong bitterness with a dilute sweetness and great floral fruity hops

the finish for this beer is med body with a great coating of bittering hop on the tongue. had this quickly at denver international airport before waiting in the security line and it was well worth it. very nice ale

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 23:47:12 | More by Brandt