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

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear amber with a not-too-large but steady head.

S - Nose has some floral notes, a bit of caramel and ripe fruit.

T - On the sweet side. Lots of fruit and a rich floral hoppiness. Not particularly bitter but lots and lots of flavour. Actually, the bitterness does catch up at the end, but definitely takes some time to build up.

M - Smooth, resinous body.

D - Really nice rich, delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 23:20:37 | More by allergictomacros

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a amber color with very small head, no lacing. It fortinalty taste and smells the same. A nice hoppy bite, but not overpowering. Finishs very smooth, and has a very dry flavor. Overall a great beer very enjoayble, very surprised, never heard of this comapny before.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 00:55:03 | More by vette2006c5r

TangTKE402

New York

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

Poured from 12oz. bottle into a pint glass. A good 2-finger head materialized that mellowed in a minute to a thin ring around the edges. Touches of lacing and a nice ochre/tan color appeared. Mildly opaque.

Predominant smells are of hops, pine, flowers, and a touch of strawberries on the end. It says British-style IPA, but the smell is mostly reminiscent of an American IPA, if a bit subdued. Perhaps its the Czech hops used?

Taste initially hits you with a musk reminiscent of damp wool. The hops and barley take over in the mouth to clear the initial muskiness away with some good dry bitterness one would expect from a Brit ale. Nothing floral or piney about the flavor, but the swallow leaves a nice dry-hop flavor in the mouth. On the swallow I could swear there was some rye in here...

The feel is a touch creamy in the mouth, but clean on the swallow.

This is a nice beer that is different from the usual IPA/Pale Ale. Drinkability is all about how you respond to the flavor. It's mild enough that if you like it, you could have a couple no problem. I could also see people taking a sip and putting it down for good...

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 00:40:57 | More by TangTKE402

brentk56

North Carolina

4.26/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a clear lighter amber color with a one finger head that leaves plenty of squiggles of lace

Smell: One of the most unusual aromas I have encountered from an IPA - I am picking up some of the vinous elements of the Nelson Sauvin hops but there is a grassy aspect as well; toffee malt galore underneath

Taste: Cookie dough and honey malt flavors that layer underneath the vinous, grassy and citrusy flavors that arrive by mid-palate; after the swallow the malt and hop flavors balance each other out

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I just wasn't expecting a beer as interesting as this; just love the balance, with the sweeter elements (that I normally would eschew) really complementing an unusual blend of hop flavors

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 01:51:15 | More by brentk56

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Please take this review with a grain of salt. I really don't like British style IPA's.

A - Poured a nice amber color. A bit hazy. Has a bit of head that diminishes into a lacy ring. Looks ok.

S - Smells a bit stale and malty rather than hoppy but I get that a lot with this style and it's not skunked. Mostly grassy hops used.

T - Not that offensive really. I thankfully didn't get a cough syrup type taste just grassy hops and bitter malt. Actually was pretty drinkable.

M - Medium body and dry. It was OK.

D - Naa.... Again I don't really like the style but it was pretty enjoyable. Didn't tarnish my view of Boulder in anyway. Good for the style I guess?

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 02:56:01 | More by DrDemento456

lordofthewiens

Maine

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

Bottle with Oct 20 2010 stamped on it.
In a pint glass it was an amber color with a medium sized white head. There was a fair amount of lacing.
It had a sweet malt aroma, as well as a floral, lavender odor.
The taste was sweet and bready, with some good piney hops.
A little on the sweet side, still pretty balanced.
I know the ABV was on the high side, but this would be a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 01:24:12 | More by lordofthewiens

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a hazy orange color with a small one finger light yellow head that instantly gives in to some sticky lacing. Nose is fruity and fresh, it's got that distinct Boulder note that they all seem to have.

Taste is mellow and balanced, it's got a good maltiness to it but it leaves a nice sharp hop bite on the tip of your tongue. It's fairly refreshing and really easy drinking. Overall a solid EIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 20:16:15 | More by kingcrowing

thecarster1

Pennsylvania

2.05/5  rDev -46.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

a- bottle poured into a pint, one fingers worth of off white head, hazy honey gold coloring.

s- bright hopy nose, slight sweetness here.

t- right off the bat, very sweet. uncharacteristicly sweet for an ipa - slmost tastes like straight sugar was added. odd aftertaste here as well, not very appealing.

m- medium, smooth.

d- not great, i'm not sure about this one. i couldn't get over the sweetness here - not drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 02:18:54 | More by thecarster1

begforme4484

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a wheat color amber, a tad on the darker side of the spectrum. 2 fingers width head with ample lacing.

Smells somewhat earthy. Hint of malts with some grassy hops there too.

Taste is right on par for an english IPA. Some pale malts floating around encompassed by grassy and earthy hops. Not very bitter, but still has enough bite.

Medium bodied and carbonation. Nice and dry.

Could drink a few in a sitting with the relatively low abv for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 01:21:49 | More by begforme4484

feelmefoam

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cold Hop pours a muddy, slightly murky orange that kinda reminds me a bit of candle wax, for some reason. Dunno. Anyways, nice upward snow of carbonation happening, pushing up a head that sits about the as tall as a pen laying sideways (one of my high-tech beer reviewing tools). The head is off-white... it actually looks like that mocha whipped cream if ya know what I'm talking about. Decent retention, decent lacing, too.

The smell is nice. Easy to find pale malt, a little fruity hoppiness, and some slightly earthy tones towards the end. The only downside is I gotta stick my honker in the beer to get a real good whiff.... not the most fragrant beer going. Good stuff though.

This is just an enjoyable beer to drink. Surprisingly complex, but it doesn't sacrifice flavor. Light pale malts (a little honey-butter biscuit? I'm making myself hungry now) accentuated by a little dank, musty fruitiness.... I like it. Maybe some grapefruit or nectarine, a bit of plum? Hard to ID, but it's tasty all the way.

Maybe a notch below medium-bodied, not a lot of carbonation, but that's ok because this is a smooth drinker. I like the creaminess of the beer, especially as it finishes.

Overall, this is a sexy beer, at least in my opinion. Smooth, sweet, hoppy(in the UK kinda way), and drinkable. I haven't had too many British IPA's, but Cold Hop is good. I'm a little buzzed listening to the Who and drinking an English IPA on a Friday night, I don't think it gets much better. Cold Hop is definitely a drinkable beer with some complexity I didn't expect. I'd probably buy a sixer of this to enjoy again if the price was right (I think this bottle ran about $1.80 at the store). Good stuff, Boulder Beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 22:49:01 | More by feelmefoam

beer2day

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Orange gold pour with very active carbonation. Nice tall 2-finger head with excellent retention and nice lace.

Light citrus nose with herbal notes. Orange and some grassiness.

Orange citrus comes out initially and really develops as the glass warms. Also getting an herbal earthiness, contributed by both hop and malt. Weak caramel backbone. Yeasty.

Feel is very creamy with a hint of fizz, only at the end.

Extremely easy to drink and 2-3 of these at a time would make for a good night.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 01:31:09 | More by beer2day

biggred1

Indiana

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

Hazed, orange amber with a finger of fine cream colored foam that leaves fine lace on the glass. The nose is fruity and herbal smelling hops with some toasty malt notes. This beer is tasty but not for people who don't like funky, earthy hops as this one is nice and dank. Fresh, citrusy fruity and resinous hop flavors with a nice toasty malt backbone. Medium bodied with perfect carbonation and lush creaminess. This is really good to my taste buds but I know quite a few fellow beer enthusiasts who would disagree. Oh well, to each his own.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 21:37:40 | More by biggred1

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle dated Oct. 4, 2010. Sampled on August 16, 2010. The pour is mainly amber and golden with a quarter-inch of foamy, off-white head that lingers. A bit on the cloudy side. A floral hoppiness greets the nose in the taste with a background of sweet malts trying to keep a lower profile. The body is medium to full. The New Zealand hops take me to faraway places but also keep me anchored to the ground with the earthy grains that accompany them. The aftertaste reminds me of flowers. A fascinating IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 19:29:49 | More by puboflyons

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

At the Blind Tiger, NYC. Into a pint glass, poured a cloudy orange/amber with one finger of white, good retention, and great lacing. Smelled of malted apple, pear, and slight herbal hops. Taste of apple, caramel, fig, and woodiness progressed to a thin finish. VERY thin, which most likely was highlighted by the cask. Decently sessionable, but a little too thin for me.

Serving type: cask

07-23-2010 18:54:34 | More by donniecuffs

racer2k

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my favorite pint glass

A - Beer pours a cloudy copper color and leaves a healthy one finger of off white colored head in the glass which slowly dissipates. Some light lacing accumulates around the glass.

S - Pleasant light hoppy aroma with grassy floral tones and a sweet grainy malt flavors in the air.

T - This beer has a nice balance of citrus, pine and spicy hops and a caramel malt, freshly baked bread flavor. There is a very nice bitter hoppy finish to this beer.

M - Medium carbonation and light to medium body which is quite easy to drink.

D - Nice beer and one that brings a lot of balance. This is something that would be perfect for a session beer selection. I enjoy the interplay between the aggressive hops and malt profile.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 11:57:15 | More by racer2k

JDH2000

Maryland

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

Bottle poured into generic pint glass.

A- pours golden amber with about a finger of white foamy head that dissipates to a ring on the outer edge of the glass. Moderate lacing.

S- Big, fruity hops is the first thing that hits you. Next comes some light hints of the malts.

T- again the big fruity (grapefruit) hops comes first with some bitterness and then mellows to taste the malts. Slight taste of the alcohol on the finish.

M- Medium bodied. Slightly oily but with the alcohol finish.

D- Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. I typically prefer the American IPAs over the English-style IPAs, but I think the blend of hops in this one really helps a lot.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 23:17:24 | More by JDH2000

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

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

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