Hopnotic India Pale Ale - Cricket Hill Brewing Co.

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.74/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Cricket Hill Brewing Co. - Hopnotic India Pale Ale

First things first from reading the few recent reviews and the old reviews, I am guessing they changed the formula for this brew because after I reviewed mine I read others from earlier dates and it sounded like we were drinking different brews. The label changed as well but that doesn't always been the brew did. Anyway, just wanted to mention that.

Look - Pours a slightly hazy mostly clear golden amber orange with a massive foamy head that dissipates quite slowly and leaves lots of sticky lacing. Bubbly and medium carbonation.

Smell - Sharp citrus and piney hops with a faint bready malt backbone.

Taste - Snappy carbonated and then juicy lemon hop intro, then fades to bitter grassiness and bready malt.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied, somewhat creamy in fact but otherwise on the dry side. Rests bitter. Boozy for its low ABV, a little throat hot. Decent drinkability.

Overall - A light IPA, crisp citrus and refreshing. I am not seeing most of the same negative qualities on some of the older review, again I am guessing this is a reformulation attempt. I did notice that it is a little on the tart side, but otherwise this is a decent brew. Would not recommend this one to hop heads necessarily and if I did I would call the hops lemonade hops, not really my favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 11:22:07 | More by JMScowcroft

Kendo

New York

3.75/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured from the bottle into a tumbler-style pint glass. Body is hazy tangerine orange with a fluffy 1.5-finger white head. Leaves behind some good thick rings of lace.

S: Juicy citrusy hops - think oranges or clementines. Touch of biscuit/bready malt underneath. Solid nose, though for some reason I think it smells more like an APA than an American IPA. . . . Wait, I see it's listed as an English IPA. Hmmmm. . . . Slight mustiness keeps this from a higher score.

T: First impression is the citrusy hops again. Some grapefruit, some orange. Kind of juicy hops over bread doughy malt. Finishes with a juicy hop bitterness that's pleasant; lemony and minerally bitterness on the back of the tongue. Again, tastes more like an APA than an English IPA; the citrus gives the impression of American hops (C-hops perhaps) rather than the British counterparts (Fuggles, Goldings, Kent).

M: Creamy in feel, call it medium in heft. Carbonation is a bit lacking.

O: Decent. Better than I expected, to be honest, given the reviews here and the reputation of this brewer. Maybe I got one that's uber-fresh (I'll check the bottle for dating info). I bought a single bottle at Price Chopper and doubt I'd buy a full sixer of this (there are so many IPAs that I like better than this), but I'm not unhappy with the purchase at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 00:12:18 | More by Kendo

metter98

New York

3.69/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy pale yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off fluffy white head that has very good retention properties and consistently left a short head covering the surface as well as lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of pine resin hops are present in the nose along with some notes of grapefruit citrus.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has hints of floral and spicy hops. It has a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and somewhat crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems a little hoppier and bitter compared to other English IPAs but has a nice amount of flavors of hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:52:55 | More by metter98

tdm168

North Carolina

3.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

A - bright, hazy orange with a huge, dense cap of thick, foamy, pure white head; really good retention

S - huge bready malts, some faint citrus

T - creamy, bready, soapy, citrusy, mildly bitter finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This beer is almost what I would have expected. It's dominated by bready malts with a nice citrusy hop character. Unfortunately, it has an intense creamy, soapy, almost lactic off-flavor that ruins everything. This is definitely not a beer I ever want to have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 22:05:54 | More by tdm168

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - hazed brass color with a huge white head that stayed as a thick layer leaving a heavy sheet of lacing behind.

S - bitter and earthy.

T - lots of bitterness with just a hint of malty sweetness towards the finish.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - it's just ok.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 21:43:37 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

JG-90

New Jersey

2.59/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Bottle into glass

A - Slightly hazy copper/gold, pours a medium head with moderate lacing

S - Cake batter, bread, very faint malt, hops, and citrus. Can tell from the smell that the name "Hopnotic" may not be an accurate description.

T - Tart citrus/grapefruit (too tart) and bread/batter. A small amount of hops and malt on the back end, not what I expected/ hoped for with this IPA that should be showcasing the hops.

M - Very high carbonation, light-medium body

O - Not a terrible beer, but not as advertised. Too thin, carbonated, tart, and lacking in hops to be a good IPA, especially one called "Hopnotic"

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:23:20 | More by JG-90

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours hazy orange with a long lasting fluffy, white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of citrusy hops, biscuit malt pears and oranges. Body is medium and tangy. Citrusy hops, pale malt and ripe fruit fill the mouth. Long grapefruity finish. OK IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 15:42:58 | More by mikeg67

alpinebryant

Connecticut

2.38/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: Overflowing glass of foam, that is mostly white.

S: Aroma of cake batter, dough and pale malt. Some sweet hops, but nothing over the top, not what I call Hopnotic by aroma.

T: Bleh, probably the worst single ipa I have had in well over a year or two. Doughy taste, overbittered and horrible flavors all around. Just Not.... good

M: Over carbonated, light mouthfeel.

O: Please dont try this. I am reminded of one of my earlier home brews that was OK... for a homebrew...

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:06:44 | More by alpinebryant

RichardMNixon

Delaware

2.75/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

A: Mountains of foam, I had to let it die down a few times. Some nice bubbles up from the bottom through a gold-orange body to a white head.

S: Smells mostly of yeast, not much malt or hops to speak of.

T: Again mostly yeast. The description here specifies it's an English IPA, but even then I'd expect more bitterness. This would be a mild pale ale.

M: The saving grace - it's fantastic. Smooth and full with a very clean, bubbly finish.

O: Not for hop-heads. Fairly sessionable ABV could fit in well at a barbecue.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 01:43:58 | More by RichardMNixon

BlurryVisi0n

New York

2.8/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a wellington glass.

Appearance: It comes of a slightly darker gold, white head was thin maybe 1/8" off the body with a gentle pour.

Smell: Light hops but potent smell when it comes to bitter, feels a little like a euro pale lager if you ask me.

Taste: This beer is a slight Czech pilsener, it isn't as hoppy as most IPAs and no where near as tasteful hops meet bitter but light, expect a euro pale lager type of feel.

Mouth: This is true pale not a compliment...nothing spectacular here.

Overall: I was expecting a lot more, I am huge IPA fan and before getting to half glass this beer disappoints. I can't say I love it but I can't hate Cricket Hill for trying, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 06:46:52 | More by BlurryVisi0n

nickfl

Florida

2.53/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Two fingers of white foam on top of a lightly hazy, golden body. The head settles slowly and leaves nice, thick lace.

S - A yeasty aroma with notes of malt, spicy clove and wheat (it smells like a wheat beer?!?)

T - A weird, spicy character up front with notes of lemon zest and vanilla. Some more of the same in the middle that transitions to a sweetly malty finish with fairly strong bitterness.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Wow, this is terrible. The hop character is almost non-existent except for a slightly harsh and fairly strong bitterness in the finish. It is equal parts odd and bad; and let me be clear here: I am not rating this poorly because it is an English IPA and I wanted an American IPA, I'm rating this low because it is a bad beer by any standard. If anything it tastes like a poorly conceived wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:21:52 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

2.58/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: single finger head with excellent retention on a golden with crimson hues body.

S: nice strong aroma but unfortunately it smells like a wheat beer with orange peel, breads, grains.

T: again this one is more like a wheat beer than any kind of IPA be it English or American. Little hop content instead wheat, breads and some citrus make up a beer that maybe should be re-labeled. fruity phenol and yeast content.

M: light to medium body and high carbonation.

Overall: This is a strange beer. It would make a decent witbier but this one has little in hop character.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:20:59 | More by kylehay2004

lnashsig

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Eric for the chance to taste this one- #BOTG 65! A style I don't typically like (English IPA), but here we go:

Poured from bottle into glass- no bottle date visible. Pours a light orange/yellow color, pretty cloudy. Decent head, little retention. Smell- floral, tea leaves. Not what I like on my IPA's, but I guess to be expected for an English IPA. Taste- mild bitterness, some toffee, floral. Tea Leaves again. Bleh. All of this may be good for the style, but I really don't care for it. I'm going to plead ignorance for the style, not knock this beer too much for it, and move on to the next.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 22:50:26 | More by lnashsig

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I enjoyed this from a pint glass chilled. Picked up from quick six.

The color is lightly hazed golden with thick pale microfoam and lace clings in thick rings on the glass, the bead is fine. The smell is sweet and grassy with an almos floral complimentary odor of hops with mild citrus. The feel is moderately bitter with subtle toasted graininess and creamy yeast texture with slightly dry and spicy finish.

This Ipa is semi-bitter with a floral hop taste and herbal tinge on first sip. The grassy astringent aspect comes toward the middle with a light toasted grain flavor in the background and mild citrusy acidic and light tropical accent. The semi bitter taste continues after the sweet balanced finish. Overall I found nothing to complain about, yet it is not a beer that is stellar in the realm of the style either. The taste and aroma are good, but nothing really sets this apart. There aren't really any apparent flaws it is just a good drinking beer with lots of bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 13:47:12 | More by Slatetank

wagenvolks

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a (512) Three tulip.

Hopnotic pours well enough, showing a hazy tangerine body. Overly-carbonated, though, as a gentle pour nearly causes the glass to overflow with a rocky, bone-white head. Decent mottles of lacing left behind. Aroma is nice, too, with peach and mango tropical fruitiness and a hint of citrusy hops. Malts are crackery in the background, and there's almost a Belgian character to them.

The flavor is a bit of a mess, with spicy yeast esters hitting the palate aggressively up front. Again, I'm reminded of a Belgian IPA (and not a good one at that). The hops provide enough tropical fruitness to save what is an otherwise unremarkable IPA. Malts are almost non-existent. The mouthfeel is a hot mess, with huge bubbles that loll across the palate. The beer finishes with a medicinal aftertaste. Not for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 03:46:41 | More by wagenvolks

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.15/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Cricket Hill Hopnotic

Pours clear gold with a big head with good retention.

A little bit of citrus aroma with earthiness, but also a weird wheaty tart note.

Starts out somewhat spicy finishing with an earthy bitterness.

Mouthfeel is too thin and adequate carbonation.

Really not good at all. Not even remotely close to an IPA hop profile with off flavors and a thin mouthfeel to boot. It's a shame after how beautiful it looked.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 13:53:46 | More by jmarsh123

BeerLover99

New Jersey

2.6/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: dirty yellow body, trace white head,
solid lacing

S: faint lemon grass/veg, corn/grain, caramel

T: lemon grass, earthy veg, light malt, hint
of bitter/oily finish

M: light/med body, mild oily/slick mouth

O: Thought I would give this brewery another
go, but again was not thrilled. Would
not recommend, nor buy again.

OK, NOTHING SPECIAL!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 19:25:03 | More by BeerLover99

titosupertramp

Tennessee

2.55/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

There doesn't appear to be a date on the bottle.

A: Hazy golden in color, looks to have a lot of floaties. Maybe a finger of soapy white head that fades quickly leaving light lacing, sparce lacing and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.

S: Without a bottle on date, it's hard to say, but I'll guess this is an old bottle. Hardly any hop smell at all. Faint, faint grass, yeasty, bready malts. To be honest, this isn't even close to what I'm looking for in an IPA. I understand that this is supposed to be an English style IPA, but I'd still like something a little more.

T: Taste isn't half bad, but hops are still a little too subtle, even for an English IPA. I will say the hops do have a nice grassy, slightly bitter finish. Sweet, bready malts are the predominate taste here.

M: On the light side of medium. Well carbonated.

O: This isn't a terrible beer, but I wouldn't pick it up again unless I knew it was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 23:31:09 | More by titosupertramp

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +36.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Honey/Amber colored, solid 1 inch of head, constant carbonation bubbles

S - Mellow earthy, nice bitter-sweet hops

T - Bitter at first, very aromatic, earth-flowerish, sweet after taste

M - light, fizzy - totally the opposite of what i figured (heavy/bitter)

O - A very refreshing anytime beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 22:38:21 | More by facundoCNB

y2jrock60

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Very pale orange, almost yellow. The head quickly fades leaving behind virtually no lacing.

S- Almost no aroma, very mild malt tones with some grapefruit hops.

T- This is an IPA? I understand that it's an English IPA, but this tastes more like a craft lager. It's very light with a malty character. Grapefruit hops are present at the end, but are not very pronounced and only leave a slight lingering bitterness.

M- Very light bodied for an IPA with moderate carbonation.

D- High drinkable for an IPA since there is virtually no hop presence.

I wouldn't consider this an IPA, it's closer to a Pale Ale. It actually tasted very similar to Appalachian Brewing Company's Mountain Lager, which is a completely different style of beer. There is nothing offensive about this brew, but there's nothing great about it either.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 08:49:08 | More by y2jrock60

avalon07

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a yellow color and a hazy texture. There was an inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A very citrusy aroma here, with some hops as well.

T: Tasted of hops, some citrus and a bit of malt. This is one of beers that has a solid, decent flavor, but isn't exactly exciting or groundbreaking.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry, crisp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is one of those beers that doesn't try to do anything spectacular, but still manages to produce something drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 13:21:39 | More by avalon07

Georgiabeer

Georgia

2.73/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Picked up single bottle of this at a local store since I hadn't seen it in the state yet. I have to say, I was disappointed. Pours a quite hazy golden with very little head. What head there is does stick around as a light swirl and leaves some scant lacing. Light notes of citrus and paraffin in the nose, and not much else. Undercarbonated, and frankly, the beer seems unfinished with some raw wort notes of a sweet graininess and a bit of acrid bitterness. A tad grainy as well and generally it has flavors that can only be described as murky. There are some faint citrus flavors of lime and orange, but they're generally lost in the muddle. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 20:14:23 | More by Georgiabeer

metaltec15

Iowa

1.78/5  rDev -44.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle with no bottled on or freshness date poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a clear very light golden color with no carbonation at all.
S: No Hop aroma at all was not sure if I was drinking an IPA or a Miller Lite.

T: pale malt, some yeast, maybe very little herbal hops.

M: Smooth and clean and no carbonation.

O: If you are going to call a beer an IPA you need to be able to smell and taste the hops. This was a far cry from an IPA. It was lacking lots of hop aroma and if I didn't know what style it was I would think I was drinking a light lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 03:37:49 | More by metaltec15

Forb

Nebraska

3.1/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle...

Appearance: Hazy golden hue with minor head and minimal lacing.

Smell/Taste: Nose is almost in-existent but a very minor grassy hop presence is apparent. Palate is faint with a minor burst of earthy hops alongside a sweetness reminiscent of honey.

Mouthfeel: Light with mediocre carbonation.

Overall: Decent beer. Nothing I'd rave about.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 22:56:15 | More by Forb

bpw28

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Look: Small bleach white head, hazy pale gold (about a 5 SRM), nice lacing, alot of carb.

Smell: Very light citrus, bit of funk (good kind), coriander, light yeast, light yeast, sweet, light malt, fresh cut grass, oaty/hay/animal feed.

Taste:Spicy, bit bready, little grassy note, little funk not as strong as nose, mandarin orange, hop bite is weak for an IPA (IMO), perfect carb, floral, jasmine, piney tail end.

Final Thoughts: Very...interesting. I've been in the mood for a kind of funky beer, but I didn't expect it to be from a random IPA. The yeast on the bottom really changes this beer. The first time I had it I didn't realize it was bottle conditoned and it just tasted like a plain IPA. After that first, I realized it was BC, so this time I got at it and it changed the beer totally. I can't say I wouldn't buy this beer again, but I can say I will not buy it under the auspices of an IPA. A good post-post-lawn mower brew. One to have after that witbier, hef, or ipa you have after the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 14:20:22 | More by bpw28