Hopalicious - Ale Asylum

Treebs

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by 5/18/13, just getting to this in time. Received in a recent BIF box. 12 oz. bottle served in a Westbrook tulip.

A: Pours a golden orange color with a thick and frothy put white head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly to a thick cap that leaves sticky sheets of lace down the glass.

S: Floral notes with a dried grass backing. Toasted grains with some light citrus notes. Not a whole lot going on, but it's solid.

T: Same as the nose. Dried glass with a light floral aspect to it. The citrus notes are slightly sweet with a grainy sweetness on the finish as well. Very mild bitter aspect to it, but the finish is pretty is clean.

M: Light bodied with a nice medium carbonation level. Highly drinkable with a clean finish.

O: The flavors aren't going to knock your socks off, but it's nicely balanced and highly drinkable. This is like a "dumbed-down" Daisy Cutter. A solid brew that I could enjoy a few pints of on a hot day like today.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:57:03 | More by Treebs

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best by date is blank. Tasted 15 April 2013.

Pours medium orange with one finger of white head. Some small particulates scattered throughout. Besides that, it's hazy, only see-through enough to make out the thick column of bubbles in the center. Decent retention, okay lacing.

Smell is light sweet citrusy hops. Oranges, a bit of tropical fruit. Delightful.

Taste is, well, not exactly bland; more like thin. I like what's there, though I do wish there was more of it. It's light, slightly grainy, and crisp. A faint dry bitterness. I'm actually liking it a lot, the more I drink it. Not potent, but composed and refreshing.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, and pleasantly dry in the finish. Sizzly carbonation, fizzing and flaming throughout. A great fit with the rest of the beer.

This is a really nice, really drinkable pale ale. Great hop aromas, clean taste and mouthfeel. I see more of this in my future.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 06:44:46 | More by zeledonia

KFBR392

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Light copper color. Low amount of carbonation on the pour and throughout drinking the brew. Some lacing on the glass but in random areas.

Smell: Sweet bubble gum smelling hops. Solid backbone of malt, pine, and straw. Accents syrup, buttered popcorn, and molasses which do not take over the brew, only provide some unique depth. Very light and refreshing aroma which kept me coming back for more.

Taste: Hops on the front. A very sweet body gets quickly interrupted by some nice hop bitterness. The sweetness returns to the palette on the aftertaste and sticks around for a while. This beer has a lot of character which makes it very high quality.

Mouthfeel: Chewy, gummy, very drinkable.

Overall: Happy with this brew. Nice depth and good flavor. Will have to try some other products from Asylum.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 00:52:45 | More by KFBR392

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.49/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
5.8% ABV, Best Enjoyed By: blank.

A - The golden-orange body shines bright even with a light particle haze but the real show-stopper is a monstrous cream-colored thick and rich head. It's retention turned to a rocky surface is only matched in awesomeness by the incredibly thick and art-like lacing it leaves on the glass.

S - Hopalicious has a fantastically potent blend of fruity and floral hop aromas that's more akin to an IPA. Mandarin orange and nectarine create a nice fruity medley around light pine and a slight citrus tang. A crystal and light malt sweetness stands strong in the background comfortable letting the hops steal the show.

T - Neither the hops nor malts dominate the flavor the way they do in aroma, instead they work harmoniously. The flavor starts off smooth and malty with no real flavor definition but shifts seamlessly to the hop bitterness. The hops lack the big fruity punch but retain the floral aspects; flower pedals and light pine-needle mingle with a small squirt of citrus.

M - Hopalicious is well carbonated but without the serious throat-bite at the end; instead, this beer is a bit creamy and smooth. Bold hopping in this pale ale imparts a dry and bitter profile that finishes with a touch of alcohol warmth in the stomach.

O - Ale Asylum has struck gold with Hopalicious, a delicious and round-bodied pale with a great aroma and inviting appearance. The flavor lends itself very well to a (richer) hoppy session beer that has great drinkability!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:08:58 | More by BeerFMAndy

wmumba

Michigan

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is very hoppy and tastes great.

It has a nice yellow color toward brownish. It has a nice head when poured into a pint glass. They recently moved the brewery to a larger facility and have switched from the stubby bottle to long necks. The quality is still A-1.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 11:30:33 | More by wmumba

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.59/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice yellow, with a good haze and a nice half finger of white head, decent lacing

Smell is all citrus at first, lemons, orange, limes and grapefruit aromas are all present

Taste is more of the same citrus charachters followed by a nice sweet malt precense, finishes clean and crisp.

Mouthfeel is light medium, pretty standard for a APA

This is a beer I pick up to switch it up every once and while from NG Moon Man, I really like this one, I have had a couple of bad 12s and 6ers though.... Once they get that under control I will be picking this up more and more... Glad this 6 was good, the last was not, neither was the 12 before it.

One other thing, I do not really understand why have a blank white spot with best buy written above it.... Why not put the best by there instead of leaving it blank.

All in all I will base my score off of this beer, I do not review beer from bad batches or that is infected as it is not fair to the overall score.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 18:17:08 | More by nickapalooza86

DrBrewDay

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served from a bottle at ~45F

Appearance- Murkry straw yellow with thin white head

Aroma- citrus citrus and more citrus. Some bread

Flavor- a great platform for the cascade hop. There is little malt flavors detected. Slightly watery

Mouthfeel- medium light to medium. Carbonation seems acceptable

Overall- of all of the ale asylum beers that I have tried (Ambergeddon, Contorter, Madtown, Satisfaction Jacksin) this is my favorite

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 16:26:15 | More by DrBrewDay

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank this dozens of times and never bothered to review it. Thanks Wayne for this one!
Bottleneck printed "212001", whatever that means.

Into a pint glass it pours a brightly saturated orange, on closer inspection it's hazed with a veil of micro-sediment hanging in suspension. Ample head of foam, receding to a thin skim after a few sips, leaving behind plenty of residual lacing in the glass.

Softly sweet caramel and pale malts, citrusy orange peel. When fresh the hoppiness is really satisfying.

Light mellow feel, extremely drinkable with grassy green hop notes and sustained bitter orange peel in the aftertaste. Easygoing malt character that isn't overly sweet thankfully. The composition is seamless, and its just an effortless APA to drink. Definitely a gateway craft beer for those hop-averse but craft-curious beer drinkers out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 22:39:54 | More by emerge077

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a hazy amber with half inch of head (quickly diminished)
scents of sweet grassy hops, caramel, slight citrus grapefruit.. heavy on the malt profile.
earthy hops up front followed by a sweet ruby red grapefruit flavor. a faint taste of the malt behind all the citrus/earthy hops.
medium body with almost no carbonation.
if this were more carbonated it would change the beer entirely. it is a unique hope flavor, definitely, but unfortunately that's all this beer has going for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 20:38:43 | More by facundoCNB

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 11/02/12 notes. On tap in Madison, WI at some restaurant. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a hazy orange brown color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, light pine hops, grapefruit, fruity malts, and bready malts. Lots of citrus and nice hops; quite good.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, fruity malts, bready malts, biscuit, light pine hops. Nice but not quite as good as the nose.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. No real bitterness and pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice local pale ale. Nice hops and citrus in the nose, though it wasn't quite as strong in the taste. Easy to drink and would have it again, though I enjoyed some of their other stuff better that weekend.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2012 21:01:44 | More by mdfb79

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured into Founders Snifter.

Appearance: slightly opaque, yet brilliant and glowing straw yellow bodied beer. 2 fingers of white head that some decent staying power and nice lacing.

Smell: Big oranges and oranges zest. Hints of lemon zest and juicy grapefruit. Little bit of bready malts.

Taste: Mild bitterness, with big citrus flavors! Oranges are everywhere in this beer. I am digging it. Just like in the nose... the lemon zest and grapefruit notes are in the supporting cast to the oranges. Nicely balanced beer with a biscuity malt profile. Oranges go from start to finish with this beer. Mild bitterness that does stick around very long and does not linger. It makes you want to drink this beer fast!

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. This is very drinkable.

Overall: Really Nice APA. Drinkable and flavorful. Big "N" Bold hoppy oranges in this beer. This is an awesome local that more people need to discover. Ale Asylum really did this beer right! i did not even know what was sitting in the beer cooler, I have passed this beer by way too many times...not any more! Seriously underated WI local.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 05:16:03 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, no date code or markings, poured into pint glass
A- Hazy golden/orange in color with one finger head, thin layer stays around
S- Light aroma of citrus, hops, and a noticeable maltiness, nothing special
T- Starts right away with nice hop flavor, malt balance comes soon after with a little bit of pine, not bad at all
M- Nicely carbonated, piny oiliness helps the beers a lot
O- Overall a solid APA, nothing over-the-top, just a nice mix of citrus to pine and hops to malt balance

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 04:58:12 | More by BasterdInABasket

Strix

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear straw, good initial head, great lacing.

Nice pine scent, fairy faint nose though.

Bready malt, subtle pine , grapefruit, and lemon blend, very nicely balanced. Flavorful but not palate-obliterating.

Mouthfeel crisp, well carbonated.

A very nicely done APA. Well balanced and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 02:15:06 | More by Strix

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Served chilled...

A) This brew settles in the glass a hazed orange. There was about a finger of foam, which bubbles about, before settling to a collar. Not much lacing.

S) Quite nice... Piney and a some grapefruit with a light sugar dusting.

T) The nose on this is a bit sweeter than the flavor that follows. This has a pleasant hop bitterness that is piney/grassy and features some citrus rind and zest. The malt balances this out well enough.

M) Fairly light, but not thin or watery by any means. The carbonation has some zip, and this stays crisp and refreshing. The citrus rind lingers a bit on the finish.

O) A nice APA right here. Definitely worth a try. Glad to recommend...

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 01:55:47 | More by RoamingGnome

DuaneSCarr

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A wonderful APA. I have never heard of this beer.brewery before a friend from Wisconsin - who makes a yearly New Glarus beer run for me when he goes home - brought back a bottle. I coaxed it out of him - I am glad that I did!*S*

Appearence - poured into a DFH logo snifter - pours an orange/brown with a medium head and very nice lacing. A very pretty looking brew.

Smell - I could smell the hops when i cracked open the bottle! Always a plus! Smell in the glass not as intense. Still can pick up a nice subtle flavor.

Taste - Nice hop taste with a subtle malt background.

Mouthfeel - smooth - I have to remind myself this beer is an APA and not a DIPA. Very drinkable.

Overall - a very nice, hoppy APA. I now know when my friend returns to Wisconsin, I will be requesting more of this beer and I will look to see if it has a cousin of the "Imperial" style?
The people of Madison and the great Dairy State are a lucky bunch!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:12:57 | More by DuaneSCarr

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass.

3.5 A: Well hazed medium orange color. A little over one finger of creamy off-white head. Retention is about average and a short ring of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Bready malts and yeast. Citrusy hoppiness with plenty of orange and lesser amounts of mango and papaya. Also some sugariness. Not overpowering, but pleasant for an APA.

4.0 T: Moderate neutral malt sweetness with a touch of bready yeastiness, but clean overall. Mild, but superbly pleasant citrusy hoppiness. Perfect for an easy drinking APA.

4.0 M: Medium to slightly heavier body. Lower end of good carbonation, which works. There's some weight to this brew without it being either chewy or creamy. Quite nice.

4.5 D: This is so easy to drink. Mild, but sufficient hoppiness, super clean, and well balanced puts this one as a winner.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 21:35:40 | More by DavoleBomb

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not yet it Best Buy Date.
First of several WI beers as i just returned from a family gig there.
Label hints at loads of cascade and if this is what that smells like - yum and well done. Summer clear fresh flowery citrus slight grass and a hint of oil. Very nice.
One of the slower developing heads I've come across but it's thick and dense and covers a dark gold slighty cloudy body.
First notice a slightly light body with a bit of a aqueous quality. The bottle description is correct with a ample hop flavor but a low level of bitterness. The hop flavors pretty much match the aroma, just balanced a bit differently. A slight grainy quality to the malt.
A real nice drinking beer. Soft feel overall and very inviting.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 20:03:17 | More by garymuchow

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a clear lookig yellowish gold color. The head was white and fizzy, with a good amount of bubbles rising to the glass. The lacing was minimal with just some scattered suds around the glass. The smell of the beer is a bit more earthy and malty than I expected. The taste of the beer is also more grainy than I originally thought it would be. The mouthfeel was clear and crisp, light bodied and had a sharp carbonation to it. Overall this beer sounded like it was going to be a bit more hoppy than it actually was. The beer itself isn't bad just not exactly what I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 22:52:55 | More by Knapp85

TWStandley

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Tulip.

Poured a golden color with a 2 finger white head.

Smelled of faint hops, nothing too enticing about the smell.

Taste was average - certainly a hop presence but a beer called "Hopalicious" needs to have much more to offer in the hop arena. Remarkably boring.

Mouthfeel was average.

Overall a very average APA. Wish there was some more complexity and flavor to it. Tastes a bit watered down and is not very exciting.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 19:20:37 | More by TWStandley

Athena

1.73/5  rDev -56.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A presumptuously-named disappointment.

I’d never heard of Ale Asylum brewery, or Hopalicious, but picked up a 6-pack yesterday while visiting Wisconsin, as I love trying new pale ales. Intrigued (Provoked?) by the beer's boastful name and promise of "lush citrus aroma and bold hop flavor," I selected Hopalicious over reliable standby Sierra Nevada and was ready to be wowed by the former's "eleven separate additions of Cascade hops," or at least appreciate their presence.

A mistake, I realized, on my first watery sip. This is not a hoppy beer. I tasted hops, faintly, but they were so diluted that I wouldn't classify Hopalicious a pale ale at all without the disclaimer that it is a particularly watery one, with the corn-forward sweetness of a macro-lager. The beer's citrus character, on the other hand, was present, but generic. Not the complex peel oil hints you find in a well-hopped (or at least interesting) APA like Half Acre's Daisy Cutter or SixPoint's Bengali Tiger--think lemonade.

Overall, a disappointment that brought to mind an unfortunate shandy made from MGD and Sprite.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 16:38:00 | More by Athena

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle ~undated~ poured to a pint glass. Received a couple weeks ago from my brother in beerdom, Metalmonk, - thanks, Jeff!

Pushing the groan-inducing, eye-rolling limits for "made-up beer names that include the word 'hops'", Hopalicious' label features a Norse-looking serpent-dragon and a hop cone that looks oddly like a diamond-patterned egg. 'Fermented In Sanity'. Miller's boast of 'triple-hopping'? Fuck that. Ale Asylum's neck label brags of ELEVEN separate additions of Cascade hops. Nice.

A: Pretty color, a coppery-gold with a warmer butterscotch core. Steady carbonation, speedy and glass-filling. A modest head (not quite a finger) of creamy white - fades quickly and only leaves a scattering of lace. Demerit for a couple notable floaty bits hanging in suspension.

S: Fragrant, grassy and somewhat sweet. A light, desserty fruit - a lemon square or baked scone. Even a hint of 'tropical' fruit, pineapple maybe?

T: The lemony/flowery aroma is expressed well in the flavor, although there's more spice in the finish. A slightly brassy metal could be my taste buds way of trying to grasp a freshly-sawn pine woodiness. Sounds like a big hop-bomb, right? Wrong. Bitterness is nicely held in check. Enough biscuity malt and caramel comes through. Finishes a little on the dry side.

M: My first sip seemed a little thin as it crossed my tongue, then - hello! - big coating citrus zest and tingling spice. Carbonation is present, but isn't abrasive. The hop oils work a subtle magic, lingering and coaxing my saliva, beckoning for the next sip. In the end, medium body.

O: Went down oh-so-well. I was actually pissed that I drank this one so quickly. Blame it on today being the first workday of spring where it actually FELT like 'spring' (dry, mid 60s). Or blame it on this being a damn tasty beer. Whichever the case, I'd like more.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:58:47 | More by msubulldog25

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very clouded-over burnt orange sunset color promises much in the way of hop presence. There are even some floaters (presumably yeast) and I don't mind that. I know a lot of beer drinkers snub their nose at it, but I like it. The head is a creamy off-white beauty.

Big citrus notes in the nose, also some peach, red apple and a little pear. Slighter shades of pine. Caramel-like sweetness offers balance.

Definitely a hop-forward pale ale, one of those beers that tastes big without the big ABV. The only thing that keeps it from feeling total west coast is the generous malt layer, like caramel or toffee taffy, sweet and (thanks to the hops, surely) a bit salty. Herbal/pine notes linger, especially prominent in the finish. Slight medicinal twang going on too, but not annoyingly so, and it's the thing that pushes down an almost creamsicle-like overall personality. Maybe more baby aspirin than anything... seriously, think "baby aspirin" when you drink this. You'll see. (And hey, I dig baby aspirin...)

Texturally it's smooth and on the softer side, but carbonated enough to provide some energy.

Of all the great Hop pun beer names out there, Hopalicious is one of the least creative. But who cares? It's the quality of the beer itself that counts, and this one is excellent on all the levels that matter. Bottom line: super solid and super satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 17:19:32 | More by Metalmonk

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to sonoma01 for the bottle.

Pours a cloudy bright deep gold with a faint head leaving little retention.

Smells of light citrus/lemon hops with a touch of pine and malt.

The lemon comes through a lot more in the flavor. Lemon and orange hop sweetness comes off right off the bat. Not a ton of malt to this one and has a nice bitterness for an APA.

Fairly juicy hop presence and medium carbonation levels.

I was pleasantly surprised by the hop profile and this beer in general. A very good easy drinking beer I'd be happy to have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 19:05:31 | More by jmarsh123

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got HOPALICIOUS with a nonic pint. A very big thank you to Geneseohawk!

Appearance- The foam is bright white and gets to two fingers in width with a craggy lid. The foam is puffy and creamy and looks wet.

The body is a hazy amber-gold with no visible carbonation.

Smell- The nose is a little hoppy with a citrus and piney note. The citrus is most like lemon. There is also musty quality here.

Taste- The malt is pretty sweet and does a nice job of making this drink smooth. The biscuit malt is the first thing on the palate, and is quickly followed by the not over the top flavor hops.

They are peppery, a little piney, and have a hint of grassiness. Not as much citrus here as I picked up on the nose. It instead has that fresh grass flavor. The finish has barely any bitterness, but just enough, and introduces an earthy note.

Mouth feel- Very creamy and easy to drink, there is not much more you could ask for in this nice medium bodied beer.

Overall- This beer has just enough flavor hops and a solid malt backbone to be a wonderfully balanced pale ale. The hops could be even more pulled out and explored in my opinion, especially if you are going to call it Hopalicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:32:13 | More by Pintofbrown

minterro

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer was acquired in a trade with jegross2

A&S: Kinda a weak piney scent (like a weak hopslam) citrus notes in this one. Not very complex or balanced, but it still smells half way decent. Pours about 1 and ½ fingers of off white (almost yellow) fizzy head that turns pretty foamy after a minute or so. Clumpy foamy lacying. Murky orange colored beer. Bubbles slowly rising from the bottom.

T&M: Pretty darn bitter towards the end. A little bit spicy toward the end. This beer is pretty one sided, not much going on malty-wise. Well hopped for a pale. On the watery side of medium very close to being low bodied, medium to high amounts of carbonation. Its refreshing.

Overall: It’s pretty ordinary Pale, nothing really standing out, and nothing really special. I wouldn't recommend this beer for a good example of the style, nor a bad example.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 20:00:03 | More by minterro