Hopping Hare - Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse

rulisekmartin

Czech Republic

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

02-26-2013 20:11:24 | More by rulisekmartin

GreggBarton

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%

01-01-2013 18:35:02 | More by GreggBarton

Arborescence

Finland

4/5  rDev +6.1%

10-07-2012 13:09:52 | More by Arborescence

harpus

Alabama

4/5  rDev +6.1%

07-24-2012 13:20:20 | More by harpus

MEP

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

05-28-2012 16:55:40 | More by MEP

Jasba

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +6.1%

12-16-2011 21:32:21 | More by Jasba

StJamesGate

New York

3.3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear goldenrod with a crated, clingy snow white head. Toasted grain and a touch of lemon oil cleanser on the nose.
Toasted crispbread with hints of mango then EKG spice with pine notes and a bit of sourness.
Apricot finish, musty overripe lemon linger. Medium, some chew and oil, round enough.

First Gold bittering, and Goldings and Cascade for aroma, says the label.

I'm thinking I don't like First Gold much - wasn't crazy about the single hop Badger either. I'm not afraid of IBUs, but there's a harsh sourness to the hopping here. Too many sharp edges.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 17:22:11 | More by StJamesGate

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

2.48/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 500ml clear glass bottle with a BB of March 2012. The label mentions that it is 'thrice hopped'. With the hare theme I'm guessing this ale is designed for spring.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear light golden colour with good carbonation. Small white head of foam that lasts for a minute or so before reducing to a surface layer. Distinct and overwhelming buttery aroma with hints of caramel. All other notes are lost/overpowered. Not sure if this is how it's supposed to be, but it isn't good.

Taste of light malt with a strong buttery note. Despite the description on the label, I'm not detecting any aromatic hops whatsoever. Notes of stewed leaves, followed by a rather dry bitter finish. Mouthfeel is slick and leaves the palate dry. Faint buttery aftertaste.

Not good at all. Lots of buttery flavour, which I presume to be due to the presence of diacetyl. This is the latest of a number of Badger brews I've tried that are afflicted by this characteristic - I'm beginning to wonder if it's deliberate or if I'm just particularly sensitive? Or maybe it was a bad batch, but that doesn't explain the other brews they make. At any rate, I didn't enjoy this much and cannot recommend that you spend your money on it. Try something else.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 22:40:29 | More by jazzyjeff13

AEK

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.35/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml clear bottle poured into a Hobgoblin pint pot.

A. Amber/light copper coloured beer topped by a white, bubbly, foamy head. Lots of bubbles rising up the glass.

S. Floral nuances with citrus fruit mixed in. Some toffee/caramel in the nose too. Perhaps a trace of butterscotch?

T. Strong citrusy notes, most notably grapefruit, toffee and a tangy taste lurking about followed by a good hop bitterness.

M. Medium.

D. A lovely, refreshing quaffing session ale. Yet another good performer from Hall & Woodhouse.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 12:24:47 | More by AEK

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

3.18/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500 mL bottle poured into a pint glass.

I've already reviewed the cask version below, so I won't add much here, except a few observations. The cask version has a more distinctive flavor than does the bottled version. The bottled version is a bit more fizzy/carbonated than the cask, which was a bit flat and smooth in regard to mouthfeel.

Nonetheless, and interesting and sligthly unusual take on the English bitter.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 20:51:17 | More by fullsweep

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Coming in a 500ml brown bottle, BB 03/2010 served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: dark golden hue with tiny bubbles ascending from the bottom, gently, in support of a white puffy head to last.
S: semi-sharp hop resins, a clean, spicy-citric hop aroma (with a light hint of white grapes and fruit gum) and lightly salty-sweet maltiness dominate the theme - pretty attractive actually, albeit not complex.
T: the sprizty foretaste features salty-sweet malts and pronounced tangerine-ish and floral-bitter hoppiness, then a light but hard-to-miss "table cloth"-like biscuity malts (a typical feature of all Badger's ales I've had) provides a lingering aftertaste to complement the hoppy theme; finishing with a yet another sting of late hopping, slightly chewy and dry in the end.
M&D: the palate is a sharper than necessary due to the high carbonation level, otherwise the body and overall texture could've been ideal for the moderate flavour profile and the hoppiness could've been appreciated fully. Still, this is at the better end of Badger's bottled ales. I've tried this hoppy ale on cask (at the St. Stephen's Tavern in Westminster, London) and it was even more delicious without the fizzy intervention.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 17:55:26 | More by wl0307

jwc215

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask at Prince Edward pub, London:

Pours light golden amber with a swirly patch. Traces of lacing stick.

The smell is herbal and citrusy, slightly musty.

The taste is herbal, aspiriny, slightly metallic. Bitter with citric notes. It also has woody, bready notes. Finishes very dry.

It has a crisp light body.

Very hoppy for English standards. Herbal and very dry. Hoppy without being harsh. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 01:43:50 | More by jwc215

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown 500ml bottle, best before Feb 09, drank May 08.

Poured into a pint sleeve glass it was a clear, bright pale golden colour with a good white head that stayed for the whole drink.

The aroma was of hops (the label claimed it was thrice hopped), floral with a citrus fruits tang.

The taste was fairly hoppy, not by US standards, but heavy for the UK. Dry and a little bitter overal.

The dryness gave way to a metallic feel in the mouth and aftertaste, this didn't help the tasting at all.

Bit to harsh for me, the and hops and bitterness didn't seem to blend together enough and the aforementioned metallic aftertaste seemed to highlight that fact. I can understand a hop fan going for it, but not me again.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 18:27:33 | More by BlackHaddock

GreenCard

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: deep gold, lots of bubbles sticking to the glass, medium layer of frothy white foam, OK head retention

Aroma: just-ripe honeydew melon, sweet-roll dough, grassy hops

Flavor: mild maltiness with an enveloping vegetal hop flavor; slight acidity; mellow bitterness before a semi-dry finish with an aftertaste or green twigs and hints of caramel

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, crisp, pert carbonation, soft texture

Other comments: Having just gotten back from the Pacific Northwest, it tickles me to read the label on this beer which alludes to hops and bitterness, etc. Compared to some of the NW craftbrew I tried, that's a f*cking joke! Funny how people's perceptions are so different. Having said that, this beer may not be hoppy or bitter by American craftbrew standards, but it is a very well balanced brew and is SOOO drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2007 17:49:49 | More by GreenCard