Hop Notch IPA - Uinta Brewing Company

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hop Notch IPA opens with a lovely hop aroma, full of pink grapefruit, grapefruit rind, pine resin, dandelion stem, eucalyptus, mint, anise, and pepper, and the potency and variance of these aromas speaks volumes of the care and craft that went into hop selection alone. But an equally nice layer of malts and sugars rests just beneath, bringing syrupy orange, nectarine, berry, and cherry fruit esters, scads of brown sugar, and rising whole wheat dough sprinkled with flour. As a whole, the nose is excellent, showcasing a wide variety of aromas that play well off each other, and while hops do dominate here, they do so in a polite fashion, instead of overpowering everything else.

On the tongue, the beer is of course immediately hoppy, and geared toward the more bitter hop flavors, with pine resin, dandelion stem, and grapefruit rind immediately apparent, and shades of more sugary pink grapefruit just beneath, textured with pepper and mint. The 82 IBUs do bite at the tongue and soft palate, but neatly so. The malts are somewhat more difficult to locate here, overshadowed by the hops, but toast crust and biscuit can still be found, as well as toasted pecan and a few orange and apricot notes. The aftertaste is mainly the more bitter hop notes, with some sugars and breads remaining, and lingers on the tongue for a long time. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is very good IPA, but hindered somewhat by the mere strength of the hop flavors, which do tend to dominate the flavor profile, and prove strong enough that in subsequent sips some of the sugary malt flavors are lost altogether, leaving only grapefruit rind and pine resin on the tongue. For hopheads, this will be a sure treat, but a greater sugar content would have balanced the beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 16:40:07 | More by jondeelee

OB1

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +19.3%

06-18-2013 23:56:35 | More by OB1

RyV

California

4/5  rDev +0.5%

06-18-2013 05:56:04 | More by RyV

BBrewington

California

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-18-2013 05:54:45 | More by BBrewington

imdrunkprolly

Ohio

1/5  rDev -74.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I can only rate this okay as the quality of this beer has drastically reduced to undrinkable. What was once me almost jacking off to the smell of this beautifully fruitful smell is now seeming like junk beer. I'm not a typical reviewer as you can tell, but I know my beers. I almost think that since the big guys hold most distribution to these small guys that they might have tampered with the product in rebuttal to the law, like keeping their beer in a 140 degree warehouse. Oh well, back to brewing my own alcohol, won't miss this ripoff economy driven beer, or any of them, not one bit.

I also advise any drinker to come back to non consumer society and grow something and make beer out of it. It's easy and pretty much anyone has an extra acre besides people in city paying 1000x more just to be crowded.

Oh and, for 10 dollars a 6 pack this is a super ripoff just like all of these "craft" brews. I'll make a whole barrel for zero. Have fun with your chemical petroleum hops, it's why most beer tastes like shit anymore.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 05:25:08 | More by imdrunkprolly

GratefulNole

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-17-2013 16:19:45 | More by GratefulNole

chefduff2

New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-17-2013 14:02:50 | More by chefduff2

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Beligan Tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear dark golden hue with white head that slowly dissipates leaves a good trail and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Nice hoppy aroma with hints of citrus.

T: Hoppy bitter flavor with a decent malt background. Citrus middle and ends bitter.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Solid ipa – nice and hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 02:55:28 | More by ckollias

Barmato

New York

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

06-17-2013 00:02:03 | More by Barmato

greenboat

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-16-2013 19:07:32 | More by greenboat

midnitesun11

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-16-2013 03:45:01 | More by midnitesun11

foureyedgeek

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-16-2013 02:28:38 | More by foureyedgeek

mychalg9

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-16-2013 00:43:31 | More by mychalg9

Blueribbon666

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.5%

06-15-2013 11:52:01 | More by Blueribbon666

SarcasticAaron

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -30.9%

06-15-2013 07:01:06 | More by SarcasticAaron

brewskis

Indiana

3.66/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark orange color with finger and a half tannish white head that goes down slowly and leaves a blanket of lacing. Smells of light grapefruit, some pine, some grass, oranges, a resinous quality to it, some light bready notes as well as some carmel sweetness. Taste is pretty much like the smell. It starts with grapefruit, oranges, and lemon. Then the malt comes in and balances the beer fairly well. Lots of sweet breadiness. Then the hops of the more bitter variety come back. Lots of resinous pine, as well as some grapefruit and oranges. Nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel to accompany the resinous hops. Medium body. The bitterness lingers after each sip. Wouldn’t mind getting this again. Decent ipa that comes in cans.

Serving type: can

06-15-2013 03:21:01 | More by brewskis

JC333

New York

4/5  rDev +0.5%

06-15-2013 01:32:30 | More by JC333

saucy626

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

06-14-2013 04:58:37 | More by saucy626

TommyLiam

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-14-2013 03:08:29 | More by TommyLiam

awicker

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-13-2013 22:32:27 | More by awicker

gleemonger

California

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-13-2013 18:32:19 | More by gleemonger

goblin7704

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.5%

06-13-2013 18:06:49 | More by goblin7704

DrDaves49

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

06-13-2013 06:00:00 | More by DrDaves49

Paccamacca

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

06-13-2013 05:08:49 | More by Paccamacca

DCH

New York

4/5  rDev +0.5%

06-13-2013 02:22:08 | More by DCH