Hoopla Pale Ale - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

This pours a mostly clear, red orange color, with a slight light brown head. There is a scent of hops mixed with some sweet malt. The texture is kind of thin but yet it delivers a flavorful sweet grain flavor that finishes with a slightly dry finish with a little smokiness to it. Overall it’s kind of so-so. It’s more of a red lager with a pale ale finish than a full on pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:45:20 | More by Lemke10

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Didn't know this was in cans so it's a good thing I waited since bombers were like 7 bucks. Got the can for $1.75 and still paid too much. No canned date but a number "20712A2BA" on the side.

A - Holly carbonation! I am not sure if anyone else got a glass of foam but it took forever to settle. I know for a fact it wasn't shaken since the can wasn't bloated and I know how to tilt a glass. After it settled I was even a touch disappointed since it was quite a dark shade of amber brown, much darker than a pale ale should be. At least it had extreme lacing from such a bubbly pour.

S - Some piney resin, touch of pale malts, some biscuit malts. Not bad.

T - Well the taste was pretty good it wasn't too hoppy or malty, but it wasn't really that great. Forgettable.

M - Due to high carbonation it left the palate with a light beer taste as bubbly as champagne, again not great for a pale ale.

Overall not something I would track down again especially since I can get Mojo IPA for the same price which is 2x better. Be careful with these cans too they seem to be uber carbonated.

Serving type: can

01-22-2013 20:06:53 | More by DrDemento456

PrivateEquity

Kansas

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Orange tinged gold, finger and a half off-white head. Nice lacing down the glass. This is the best thing the beer has going for it.

S - Bready, caramel nose. Earthy hops. Nothing too spectacular.

T - Good taste. Nothing too spectacular. Little piney resin, grassy notes. Lacking sweetness. Flavor doesn't last long enough.

M - Dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O - Drinkable APA. No a go-to APA, but every once in a while is a good one to get. To be fair, though, on average I would usually prefer an IPA

Serving type: can

01-07-2013 03:57:27 | More by PrivateEquity

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Small but lasting, bar-pour head. Dark amber color and semi-cloudy (i.e. more than hazy). Leaves a thorough blanket of lace.

Good hop presence on the initial smell. The aroma is peppery with only a touch malt present.

Starts with a neutral, slightly toasted, pale malt flavor. This slides into a more dry malt taste as the hop bitterness kicks in. The finish is moderately hoppy. The body disappoints as it is very thin with an elevated level of carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 17:40:32 | More by smcolw

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear, bubbly mix of brass and copper hues. Nice head after the pour that leads to a strong foam for all twelve ounces.

Floral and fruity hop, malt, and yeast aroma mix. There's also some tinny aromas. I get some light tropical fruit and flower aromas here and there.

Toasted crackers and biscuits roll in with differing hop bitterness. Tropical fruit, earthy grass and flowers. The bitterness is slow in letting go of your palate.

This is an interesting APA that seems to seperate itself from the standard style lot. Glad I tried this beer.

Serving type: can

12-21-2012 14:30:39 | More by scruffwhor

zeff80

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with a small, white head of bubbly foam. It left thin traces of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled fruity with grapefruit and orange peel.

T - Sweet caramel with a bitter piney bite. Some mango, grapefruit and orange flavors, too.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a nice sessionable APA in a can. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: can

11-28-2012 03:23:27 | More by zeff80

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from tap into a sampler tumbler. Poured a slightly hazy dirty golden yellow with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, grass, earth, earth hop, and wet dog. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, spicy hop, spice, and grass. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty average brew. Nothing on the brew really stood out to me if I’m honest with the exception of the wet dog note I got on the nose. Phew! If you own/have owned a dog and smelled them after being out in the rain, you know what smell I’m talking about. I have no idea where this came from, but it was definitely distinctive. There was a ton of earthy notes going on throughout this one. Worth trying to say that you have ticked it, but I wouldn’t order a full pint without getting a small taste of it first.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 12:09:28 | More by thagr81us

jkrich

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from an undated 12 oz. bottle: bright and clear cooper color with a sustained, foamy white-head that slowly dissipated leaving some very intricate lacing on the glass.

The aroma was nicely floral with tropical fruit wafting from the glass.

The mouthfeel was very spritzy with solid carbonation. The flavor began with a pleasant hop bitterness that lingered on the palate. The faint buttery, malt comes forward on the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is surprisingly soft and rounded for such a light bodied ale. The ale is far from complex, but is flavorful and refreshing for what it is: a light, sessionable ale that can be enjoyed by most beer drinkers.

Serving type: can

11-03-2012 22:57:35 | More by jkrich

Bitterbill

Wyoming

2.88/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A canned version, it's very cool looking. Speaking of looking, I don't thin I find a date canned/best by date on it unless this is it: 2 08 09 etc..

It pours very nicely, a clearish deep gold with a 2 finger head of fluffy foam that is a slow shrinker. Good lacing ensues.

Taking a few whiffs, I get some floral hops that are nice but that seems to be all I get.

The taste is kind of bitter, bitter in not such a good way. Is there such a thing as burnt hops? Bitter gone wrong, imho. There's no saving grace of a malt backbone or, at least, not much of one that I can attest to.

I'm not enjoying this very much and I have 5 more cans to deal with. There's some slight notes of grapefruit that I can taste now but that isn't going to save how I feel about this brew. This one is screaming for some balance and the screams go unheard.

Serving type: can

10-18-2012 19:31:07 | More by Bitterbill

EgadBananas

Louisiana

2.75/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark caramel colour, with a pale coloured head, no lace. Aroma was spicy, herbal hops, some malt sweetness and a hint of nuttiness. Lightly bitter taste, some more herbal hops, and a bit of sweet malts. Somewhat of a crisp body, average.

Wasn't really digging this. Too herbal of a pale ale for my tastes and didn't really have a whole lot of character.

Serving type: can

10-05-2012 12:31:53 | More by EgadBananas

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense off white head that has very good retention properties, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface and a coating of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of citrusy and floral hops are present in the smell.
T: The taste has flavors of caramel and toasted malts along with notes of citrus and floral hops. A very slight amount of bitterness is noticeable.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is a very easy drinking and sessionable APA, but still manages to provide some nice flavors from the hops.

Serving type: can

10-04-2012 02:20:16 | More by metter98

drabmuh

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In a can, served in a Boulder beer company shaker pint. Boring pale ale. Beer is orange and mostly clear with a faint haze, moderate carbonation, nice white head, looks like beer.

Aroma is plain and mildly hoppy with a hint of graininess in there.

Beer is medium to light in body, grainy on the finish and overall just a meh beer. I don't think I'd bother to have it again but I did use a few of the cans as a cooking solvent, turned out fine.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 21:27:49 | More by drabmuh

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: single finger head with some lacing on a clear golden with amber hues body.

S: hemp, earthy hops, caramel malts, breads and hint of gingerhead.

T: breads and caramel malts with hints of orange peel, cereal, chocolate. earthy and herbal hops with a little bit metallic presence.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: easy to drink pale ale. This one favors the earthy and herbal with a very bready base. Easy to drink, a little light on the hops even for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 01:01:07 | More by kylehay2004

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to woodychandler and his huge box-o-beer for this one. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of piney hops. Taste is hoppy, bitter, a bit piney and minty, a touch unbalanced. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall I found this to be a mediocre beer.

Serving type: can

09-27-2012 21:23:03 | More by tone77

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear very dark copper to amber in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation and a light amount of particles in suspension. The beer has a finger tall light beige head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the majority of the surface of the ber with a small thick patch and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit, earthy, and floral hops (with some bitterness) over the much lighter caramel malts.

T: There is a light amount of caramel malt flavors up front with some lighter notes of toasted malts. After that the hop flavors come out with citrus/grapefruit, earthy, and spicy hops all showing up. There is a moderate to strong bitterness in this beer but it does not really linger.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and very light amounts of dryness in the finish.Slightly thin/watery.

O: A very strong flavor and aroma of hops in this beer and just a touch too much bitterness in my opinion to make this beer an easy drinker. Enjoyable but not a beer that I would go out of my way to have again.

Serving type: can

09-24-2012 22:53:02 | More by dbrauneis

mastodonj

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this originally at the Kyle Hollingsworth annual fest at Boulder Brewing in July 2011 but
here I'm tasting the 2012 version but in a can which are all over the Boulder area liquor stores right now.

Poured into a diconic
Massive lacing with a medium amber color looking very "organic" and hazy.

Smell is a standard mix of malty hoppiness for a good APA.

This beer is really all about the aftertaste and mouthfeel.
The aftertaste hits the back of the throat with the flavor of a particular hop
which I think is Centennial (I'll check against a reference beer and edit this if needed).
More bitter than floral.
Maybe some alcohol hit there?

Overall, it's worth checking out. If you're a fan of the bitterness, then go for it. If you
like a more floral, piney fresh-hop flavor then you're not going to be thrilled with this.

Serving type: can

09-20-2012 00:24:49 | More by mastodonj

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The CANQuest (TM) finds me knee-deep in the hoopla today, but no sign of Grace Slick here in my kitchen. My thanks to Blargimus for sending this to me as part of a massive shipment of CANs. It is now available in my area so if anyone would like some, let me know. Bear in mind that it is a limited release.

From the CAN: "Our collaboration brew with Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist of the String Cheese Incident, Hoopla's fruity, floral hop aroma and flavor will have your taste buds dancing! For more information on Hoopla, free music and more, please scan here [QR code] or go to boulderbeer.com/beers/hoopla-pale-ale."

I went with an inverted Glug to follow the Crack, resulting in two-plus fingers of dense, tawny head with great retention. Color was a deep gold with NE-quality clarity. Nose was grapefruit hops underlain with biscuit malt. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was bitter, but tea-like in its intensity. I have had hops tea on a couple of occasions and this was much like what it tastes like. Finish was semi-dry, but it just seemed to be lacking any Ooomph. Since SNPA is a) the standard-bearer and b) it also comes in a CAN, this is not going to replace SNPA in my cooler. Sorry.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 18:44:29 | More by woodychandler

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a good robust pale ale, much appreciated here. pours a copper color, nice and clear, with a milkshake thick caramel colored head that lasts. smell is bold but balanced, lots of english malts, pale and caramel at least, maybe something munic too, hard to tell because the hop profile is also very prominent, piney and honey sticky. flavor is all of the above, and i think i like this as much as any boulder beer, which i guess isnt saying that much, but this is very satisfying. i spent the day canning tomatos and dilly beans and this was great stuff for that, refreshing enough to quench the thirst only a hot kitchen can generate, but autumnal enough to remind me im preserving the harvest and that colder evenings are coming. in that context it was magic. feel is good, more body than a lot of american pales, nice for fall. pick some up.

Serving type: can

09-02-2012 23:24:51 | More by StonedTrippin

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ooh, a new Boulder beer. Always down for that.

This is an easy drinking ale. Plenty of interesting character on it, but nice and steady and in no ways obnoxious. Hops bring out a perfect balance of character. I like this ale a lot. It could easily be a regular beer. Very well made.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 05:24:06 | More by RblWthACoz

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer is a nice pure copper color with a frothy mocha colored head that recedes to spotty film froth. Good sticky lacing remain on the glass.

The aroma is mostly hop bitterness, some pine, and some malts.

Boulder Beer know hops, and this one is no joke either. Lots of bitter grapefruit and piny hops that overshadow the slight sweetness of the malts. But there is a nice rich malt body in this that makes it balanced.

Mouthfeel is sticky and medium bodied.

Overall, I think I liked this at first, then as I kept drinking it became more average. And seriously, how many Pale Ales do Boulder make? It seems like that's the only thing they brew.

Serving type: can

08-30-2012 18:16:24 | More by JuicesFlowing

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Clear but still very copper with some brassy hues and a head one finger thick.

Aroma: Piney and grapefruit notes in the front. Light mustiness, bready malts, note of pear.

Taste: Light carbonation, lemon, green tea, faint grapefruit bits, and a fairly smooth finish.

Notes: This one is unique in a good way it does not taste like a traditional American Pal Ale. The tea notes are a bit different but that's not too bad. It's decently drinkable. Cheers.

Serving type: can

08-24-2012 03:28:57 | More by horshack7

morimech

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz can. Clear amber color with just over one finger of head. The head quickly settles to a thin film. Quite a bit of lacing is left down the glass.

The aroma and flavor reminds me of a smaller Sand Creek's Wild Ride IPA or even Masala Mama. Has a toasted, musty malt base that I absolutely love in my pale ales. I get pine and earthiness from the hops in the flavor. More floral in the aroma. To this drinker, it works. Bitterness is moderate but seems high because of the lack of sweetness from the malt.

A little undercarbonated but nothing unfavorable. Good sized body for an APA.

This beer works for me. I only bought it because it was in cans but glad I did.

Serving type: can

08-19-2012 18:45:39 | More by morimech

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Local bottle store just got this in cans; no apparent dating on the can. Poured into a Duvel tulip and has a clear, light amber/orange appearance in the body with a thick, two-finger light tan head. Decent rings of lacing left on the glass.

The aroma is fairly weak overall. Some light citrus and floral hops with some light, sweet malt in the background.

The taste is a slight improvement over the aroma. The hop bitterness leans toward the pine and citrus side. The hop flavors dominate, but blend fairly well with some light caramel malt. Not very complex, but not expected for a pale ale.

Light mouthfeel and very drinkable. Overall, solid for a pale ale and nice to have it in cans now.

Serving type: can

08-16-2012 22:02:21 | More by FanofHefe

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.68/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice yellow and orange meld, 5/8" head on it, white, decent retention, not much in the way of lacing. Aroma, hey uh, where's the hops? Smells slightly stale, old.

Taste, mostly bitter, barely a hop or discernable malt presence here, just bitter and a little bit of cloying. Just reeks of bittering hops and no flavor or dry hops. High bitterness for no reason seems to contribute to the higher abv on the mouthfeel than there should be.

Boulder can make a decent hoppy beer, but lately, I don't know if they just dumped a lesser/older batch in Reno or what, but damn, a usually reliable brewery is becoming less so lately.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 23:04:15 | More by Beerandraiderfan

phishsihq

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hoopla pours a clear, burnished gold, with just a touch of amber. The brew is topped a thin off-white head that provides a decent amount of lace. Notes of toasted bread meet a wonderful bouquet of floral and citrus hop aromas. A distinct earthiness quickly fades into slight citrus and piney hop flavors before meeting a sturdy pale malt backbone. smooth and easy drinking, Hoopla is medium-light in both body and carbonation. We luckily found this brew on draft at String Cheese at red Rocks a few weeks ago, and it is quickly becoming a summer favorite!

Hoot!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:06:53 | More by phishsihq