Hop'solutely - Allentown Brew Works

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First of all, this bottle was from Fegley Brew Works, so both Allentown and Bethlehem get credit, although it reads Allentown on the label. Secondly, it is described on the label as a "Tiple India Pale Ale", despite being lower in ABV than Dark Horse's Double Crooked Tree. Who's zoomin' who, here?

From the bottle: "Handcrafted in our small brewery with great pride. Family run, urban made, and fiercely independent since 1998."

My pour netted me a finger-and-a-half of dense, rocky, off-white head with good retention. Color was a cloudy orangish-amber. Nose was big with grapefruit from the hops, underlain with a caramel malt sweetness. Wahhoo! Mouthfeel was medium and the tang of the citrusy hops was immediate on the tongue, followed by a wash of caramel sweetness and then some heat just after the swallow. Finish was dry as the Sahara and the sticky lacing that was beginning to appear was beautiful. It will hurt to gift the other bottle away, but I have a buddy who has been very good to me and is deserving.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:48:50 | More by woodychandler

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy amber with a pretty nice head that sticks some lacing to the pint glass

Smell: Sugar-coated tropical fruit - pineapple, tangerine and grapefruit; a bit boozy

Taste: Sweet malts, up front, build through mid-palate while, at the same time, the tropical fruit hop profile moves the beer in a competing direction; way too boozy, after the swallow, with the fusel alcohol really detracting from the malt and hop flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation and some warmth in the gullet

Overall: Sweeter than I like my DIPAs but was still looking good until the fusel alcohol arrived - dial this one back, guys!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 00:45:51 | More by brentk56

B33R501

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pretty good huge beer picked up a 4 pak last night, very fresh.

poured in my wegemans coffee throwaway dont care much about the color, good head retension, lots of lace on the cup. nice hoppy aroma, big bitter blast grapefruit and some pine. malty sweet but not overbearing, good mouthfeel and very satisfying.

bottom line 9 bucks per 4 makes this a great value. gotta get this fresh though, i had an old bottle once that was terrible.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 12:25:45 | More by B33R501

facundoCNB

New Jersey

1.78/5  rDev -52.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

a clear golden yellow pour with no head at all, slight foam around glass. smells nothing like an ipa, dipa, or imperial ipa.. citrusy orange peel, banana, pepper, not much else there. there's a weird medicinal type bitterness in the taste that makes me want to pour this out. this is pretty foul. i was really excited to see what an 11.5 abv ipa would be like - and i had heard good things about the brewer's fruit beers... i am REALLY let down. tastes burnt, earthy, boozey, medicinal.

medium body with mild carbonation. overall, this beer is terrible. i can't find a good excuse to drink this, and it's pretty insulting that i bought this as a "triple ipa" when it tastes nothing like an ipa, imperial ipa, or pale ale in general. i have taken a total of 4 sips and am now going to pour this down the drain. waste of $3 but really glad i didn't go for the 4 pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 03:00:43 | More by facundoCNB

haazer

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle into a pint glass.

A- Hard pour produces a thick two finger white head, stays put for awhile despite high abv. The brew is a hazy unfiltered lemon yellow color. Becomes very dark and hazy towards the top.

S- Initial smell is of lemon peel. There is a lot of sap notes in here. Pretty zesty with some spices, and a huge base of caramel malt. It's not as hoppy as I'd expect so this bottle may be old.

T- Bitter lemons, sour apple, and some booze. Maybe some other fruits such as melon, but the sour apple and bitter lemons stand out. Booze is a bit harsh. This is too much for me.

M- Light to medium bodied with middle of the road carbonation. Theres some heat definitely from the abv.

O- Another fellow BA has told me that this is night and day between draft and bottle, with the former being better. I gotta say the bottle version was a bit much, too boozy and the apple flavor was off putting. Good if you want to catch a buzz I suppose, but theres a million better DIPA's out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 03:06:46 | More by haazer

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Pours a light golden yellow with great clarity. The initial one finger head dies slowly to a thin film with a halo. Spotty lacing.

S - Very sweet citrus and malt aroma coupled with faint alcohol.

T - Strong bitter pine hops mixed with some sweet orange and sugary malt. Alcohol is very noticeable on the front and afterwards with a burn. Numbs the tongue a bit after it goes down.

M - Medium bodied, favoring the thinner side. Good, tingly carbonation.

O - This beer was a bit off the mark. The alcohol isn't well hidden and the flavors don't meld well. The sweetness comes across a bit like sugar water, but the initial hop bite is nice. I probably won't get this one again, although the alcohol bang (or burn) for your buck is certainly there.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 02:53:08 | More by NoLeafClover44

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Beautiful golden in color. Small fizzy head. And slightly murky. The color does it.

S: Pine and flower hops. Honey. A little alcoholy. Pretty malty for an IIPA. Vanilla pudding. Vanilla icing. Slight, slight woody. Butter. A buttered roll.

T: Buttery. Flowery. Caramely. Vanilla. Really sugary sweet.

M: A little oily. Thick and chewy tho. Good coat on the tongue.

O: We drank this next to Capt Lawrence's IIPA, Hop Slam, and Hop Riot; and this hung with 'big boys' for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:56:18 | More by gkatsoris

themind

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is a good micro brew from Fegleys. This beer has a kick and a four pack would level most lesser men. That said it has a good aroma and the taste is very satisfying.

The alcohol content can be tasted in the beer, otherwise I would give it a higher rating. When you drink this you know where your headed if you grab another.

Overall if you like hoppy beers and seek the hard to find beers this one is for you...if you dont live in the tri-state area.

Bottom line...its worth drinking!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 13:16:50 | More by themind

ReelBigwigFish

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Stella chalice

A: Clear filtered golden light amber color with minimal bright white frothy head after an aggressive pour

S: Lots of hops and malt in the aroma, very sweet, and a good amount of boozy alcohol. Sharp pine resin, grapefruit, fresh green apples, and some earthiness in the smell. It actually stings my nostrils a bit.

T: Follows nose with a pretty noticeable alcohol feel, and somewhat overpowering sweetness. There is an earthiness in the finish that doesn't jive with the rest of the flavor. This is a tough score to give for taste because many DIPA's that get an "average" taste score, are just that, average. This one is actually too much of everything, and needs better refinement.

M: Boozy, syrupy mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation.

O: Hop'solutely is like they turned every dial to 11 and hoped for the best. Lots of alcohol sweetness, lots of malt, and LOADS of hops. Which might sound like a good idea, but it's just too much to be a great IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 20:37:55 | More by ReelBigwigFish

kennylopez

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a 12oz bottle into a globe glass.

Appearance: a rather clear golden yellow with a big two finger thick head that lasts and leaves rings of lacing as I drink it.

Smells: there is a mild malt character through the citrus/pine hops.

Tastes: A big pine hop that has orange zest and a little malt backbone.

Mouthfeel: weighing in at 11.5% this is a super smooth brew with little burn and great carbonation.

Overall: I really enjoyed this one, and at $8 a four pack I would make it a regular if it was always around

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:13:03 | More by kennylopez

Bobancheff

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- This beer was poured into a pint glass. Has a white foamy inch of head. Moderate lacing

S-You can smell that it is packed with hops it smells potent.

T- For being 11.5 percent alcohol it does hide it very well. It goes down smooth for being so potent.

overall- It will sneak up on you and get you. After 6 or 7 you should be feeling alright.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 03:55:59 | More by Bobancheff

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy orange from all the hops. Almost looks like a hefeweizen. White 1 1/2 finger head that laced nicely. Head dissipated slowly for a high abv beer.

S: Citrus, grapefruit, hop bite that stings the nostrils. Slight malty background.

T: Lemon, citrus, pine, bitterness, caramel, lime. Really balanced. BU/GU is in good relationship.

M: Light and dry although still a hint of malt sweetness.

O: Excellent beer. Definitely for celebrating something fantastic. Have a 4 pack and you're a goner. Enjoy the deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 17:31:57 | More by JerseyKirk

keanex

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Clear amber with a very thin, quickly disappearing white head. Slight amounts of carbonation showing itself in the body.

S: Strong, citrus and piney smelling hops, not much else tough. Alcohol shows itself in the nose though.

T: Alcohol on the foretaste into a sweet mid with a grapefruit, apple, piney bitter finish.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation.

O: Too strong, the alcohol takes away from the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 18:18:16 | More by keanex

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A - Clear golden brew with a small white head. No lacing.

S - Grapefruit pith, saaz hops. It is a decent, but subdued aroma.

T - Upfront strong citrus pith, white pepper, spruce tips, some peppery alcohol with a hint of honey. It is not very sweet. The aftertaste is only a tiny bit bitter. No where is the flavor really screaming at you, but it is heard - and it is nice.

M - Smooth, thin, refreshing.

D - It has a very nice flavor that is well balanced. I've had better DIPAs. I've definitely had worse. This might be the most quaffable DIPA (or TIPA) I've had that is well past the 10% marker. I've enjoyed this four pack - and I might just buy another.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 07:30:28 | More by mrasskicktastic

coalcracker

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy orange/gold with only a moderate amount of carbonation and head.
Smell: Extreme aroma of citrus, more so than in any other DIPA I've had. Also a slight earthy aroma and just a bit of that bready backbone.
Taste: Immediate burst of hops (most notably consistent of citrus: orange, lemon, grapefruit) riding on top of an alcoholic wave- this is fairly noticeable. A bit medicinal in nature. Definable slickness with a bready malt backbone that seems to be a bit less than average for this style. Hop presence persists through the back end of the tasting.
Mouthfeel: Below average body for the style, slick on the tongue.

Overall: Very strong DIPA (or triple IPA) with quite a hop presence. Alcohol not well-hidden, but not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 00:44:46 | More by coalcracker

braski

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance- nice medium to light color

smell- hoppy, a little boozy but not too much at 11.5

taste- lots of citrus hops,well balanced for a heavy hitter

mouthfeel- medium/full with a nice finish

overall- one of the best high alcohol beers i ever had, would never geuss it at 11.5 if it didn't say on the label. i could finish every night off with one or two of these, love it

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 04:42:22 | More by braski

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy brownish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong with hops and citrus. Taste is also big on hops, grapefruit, a touch of alcohol, good bitterness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 14:19:03 | More by tone77

jmarsh123

Indiana

1.93/5  rDev -48.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a hazy orange with 3 fingers of white head that stick around for a while. Spotty lacing down the glass.

The aroma is mostly pine hops. A little bit of earthiness and caramel malt sneak through.

A touch of citrus hops up front. Not really much to this until the end and then it's not a pretty picture. A weird medicinal piney unpleasant bitterness coats the tongue. Taste like wet cardboard and band-aids. This one definitely has some oxidation.

A bit too thin but the high carbonation level tries to cover it up.

This is pretty awful. If I ever want to have this experience again, I'll cut my finger and lick my band-aid all day. I think my drain even winced on the way down.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 00:38:42 | More by jmarsh123

Brenden

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Still working through some notes...

This beer's color is something of a dark yellow-orange nearing amber. One finger's height of off-white head manages good retention and leaves a mix of spotty and patchy lacing in good quantity well down the glass.
The nose is certainly hoppy, mingling citrus, resin, and an herbal/floral mix along with a woody aspect and an interesting sweetness. A bit of caramel malt peeks through and balance is good, though it could be better. Someone wanted to go as big as they could, and a fusel alcohol shows it. Balance is lost for an attempt at overpowering, it seems. This is a nice aroma, but shows a lack of refinement.
Nothing could be said differently of the flavor, which could be generally summarized as sweet and hoppy with a highly fusel alcohol edge. The bitterness is nice, but the sweetness edges on cloying and a little more balance is needed.
The body is on the fuller side of medium, with good depth. The level of carbonation is at a median in my opinion, and there's enough crispness to stay lively and smoothness isn't foregone.
To summarize: a good beer that needs some refinement and balance.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 14:15:47 | More by Brenden

GreenGoblinCC

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a 4pk over the summer on vacation in PA. The 1st one...Amazing! Hop Overload! Great citrus, pine and grapefruit overtones! Reminds me much of Bell’s Hopslam. At 11.5% this tastes well balance and masks the Alcohol perfectly. Sat on the remaining couple....like all IPA the hops have mellowed out a tad. Still very good, balanced and potent!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:24:12 | More by GreenGoblinCC

mcslain

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had some high hopes when ordering this beer after hearing the hype about it. I somewhat anticipated that it might not be 'as good as Pliny the Younger', which is Joe Sixpacks opinion. But I was willing to give it a shot with a hopeful heart.

Pours somewhat pale caramel gold w slight head. Leaves some sticky lacing but nothing impressive. Smell is pine, grapefruit and sweetness.

Crisp taste w medium to thin body. Good deal of carbonation. Initial taste is 'wow, that is sweet' w grapefruit hops. Moves on to piny bitter hop taste after swallowed. Lingering sticky sweetness.

Overall way to sweet and inconsistent for my tastes. This one left my feeling like I just ate a dozen boston creme donuts or something. You know, the feeling you get when you've had too much candy? Somewhat disappointing...

I do appreciate the bruising 11.5 abv which is pretty well hidden. Kudos to the brewery for just going big on this one. Others obviously enjoy it. It just wasn't my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2011 18:27:06 | More by mcslain

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has a nice hazy golden body, with not a lot of head and a think white lace around its body. The smell was a little weak of hops, defintly not as strong as i would except with a triple. The taste is hoppy with some citrus notes, i get some grapefruit. Very nice mouth feel and overall a good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 01:53:11 | More by chefhatt

shangwang

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally decided to try this one after several positive reviews from friends.

Poured into a pint glass. Hazy and straw colored with a thin layer of fluffy white head that left some chunky lacing on the glass. Lots of potent smells- tropical fruit, citrus, and pine really stand out. Tasted more subdued than I expected after smelling it - there were the typical tastes I would expect from a DIPA - citrusy sweetness up front with a hoppy bitterness at the end, but the sweet hung with the bitter for much longer than I expected. There was plenty of piny taste, but I kept waiting for a punch and it stayed smooth throughout. Nice and crisp in mouthfeel with a decent amount of carbonation.

I hate to give straight #'s when reviewing, but this one was very consistent - not necessarily excellent in any aspect, but certainly above average and very pleasing to drink. Looking forward to the next one!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 00:28:09 | More by shangwang

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: mild cloudy/straw body, trace head, patchy lacing

S: grapefruit, peach, mango, pine

T: grapefruit, pine, long sticky bitter finish

M: med/heavy body, big oily/sticky mouth

O: Quite nice, could be world class with
slightly more head + lacing. Would get
again + recommend to other hop heads.
Abv well hidden; sneaks up on you.

YUM, GIVE IT A GO!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 16:06:55 | More by BeerLover99

OutFox

New York

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz Poured into a a wine glass at Jersey Wine and Spirits in Jersey City NJ

A - Very clear, amber color. Small white head, not all that great in retention. Suprisingly clear.

S - This is suppose to be a triple but it didnt smell anything like one. Very mild on the hops. I think the bottle I had is a little old so dont everyone take this review to heart. Smells midly of hops but more of malt. Small citrus undertones.

T - Tastes strongly of alcohol. Tastes much more like a wet-hop than a triple IPA. Very light bodied which to me isnt normal for anything over a single IPA.

M - Very light. I mean like single IPA sort of mouth feel, not really coating.

O - It was just ok in all honesty. I might have had an old bottle, which isnt the brewery's fault at all so my review might not be spot on. I just wouldnt call this a triple IPA at all, which is what the bottle says.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 19:01:27 | More by OutFox