Ace Of Spades - Hopworks Urban Brewery

HopHead84

California

3.45/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

4/23/2010

Thanks! I've been looking forward to this one since it won gold at GABF in 2009. On the bottle I see "ORGANIC BEER" and "SUSTAINABLE" in bold typeface, yet sadly...no bottle date. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't care what you brew it with or how sustainable your process is if you don't respect the beer enough to bottle date it. ESPECIALLY an Imperial IPA. But, enough about my views on the importance of IPA freshness. Printing "ORGANIC" on the label is ostensibly more important than meaningless information like how long the beer has been sitting on the shelf. I feel so much better about myself after having read those words that temporal triviality is no longer a concern.

Poured from a bomber, the beer is dark orange with a frothy beige head, good retention, and minimal lacing. The beer displays good clarity.

In the nose I find perfumy pine, grapefruit rind, and orange pith. There is a pretty decent malt foundation that provides sweetness, reminds me of caramel, and lends a candied quality to the citrus. Alcohol is evident but it's neither detracting nor distracting in the aroma. The beer smells awesome.

The taste exhibits vibrant hop flavors in the form of bitter grapefruit, orange pith, and pine resin. This is not a dry Imperial IPA, and the sweet malt is caramel in character. This has the makings of a good Imperial IPA flavor, if not for the ridiculous alcohol presence. The booze is overpowering, and that's not something that can be remedied with age because of the style. What you taste is what you get, and this is an alcohol bomb. This is the rare case where the beer drinks like one 2-3% higher in ABV. The underlying flavors are quite good, but the alcohol profile is brutal. The finish is a bestial onslaught of bitterness and alcohol burn. Ouch. The beer displays a moderate level of carbonation and a sticky mouthfeel.

I have difficulty believing this particular batch would have won gold at GABF. The hop aroma and taste are great, but the alcohol in the flavor is monolithic and distracting. I'm working my way through the first small tulip and I can already tell that this will be a bit of a chore to finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 05:44:35 | More by HopHead84

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber into a pint glass, thanks to psiweaver for the opportunity to try this generous extra via a recent trade. No freshness dating to be found and it appears to be filtered/no sediment in the bottle.

This brew appears a clear copper orange color with a finger of yellowish head. Lots of bubbles rise to the surface in support of the head which lasts with fairly decent retention. As the cap fades, it leaves a ring of lacing that droops forming a leggy pattern about the glass.

The aroma of this brew is quite fruity with hops. A little bit of a floral component mixed with some fusel alcohol and some citrus rind and herbal notes. Some caramel malt sweetness continues to accent and build up the fruity sweetness of this brew's scent as it warms. A light amount of grassy notes are evident across the back mixed with orange zest.

The taste is modestly bitter with some herbal hoppiness. A sharp spicy hop bite is present which mixes with the fusel alcohol before becoming mildly sweet across the back from a bit of residual sugars from what seems to be caramel malt. The aftertaste is grassy with hops, somewhat herbal and catty. At times it gets a little clingy with oils but it brings out some fruity rind flavors like orange and grapefruit. The alcohol is fusel in flavor across the back which exaggerates the bitterness of the hops.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Fairly decent representation of the style and well balanced across the board. A noticeable amount of maltiness provides some hints of sweetness that get crushed by the hoppy oils and bitterness. The 9% alcohol is felt throughout and not that hidden but it is enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 23:59:48 | More by stakem

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Golden bronze with a white head, ring of retention, nice lace.

S: Lemon, citrus rind, tangerine and pine, cotton candy fruity esters and a little sponge toffee.

T: Lemon rind, tangerine, sponge toffee, pine, solid bitterness, candied pineapple.

M:Moderate body has a light residual sweetness, some hop acidity and a slightly drying alcohol finish.

D/O: Easy drinker for a DIPA of this strength, nice balance, well-crafted.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 00:36:32 | More by Derek

ccrida

Oregon

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into my large St. Feuillien goblet, Ace of Spades is a bright bronze, with a small, tight off-white head leaving scattered, foaming lace. I either like very pale DIPAs, or red ones, like this, opposed to that thick, murky orange middle ground (in case you were interested).

Smell is bright citrus hops, fairly aggressive but not quite hitting me over the head with a hammer like a expected. Still, quite nice. Picked this out of the cooler from my local whole foods. The resinous stays strong through the bomber letting you know this is no joke.

Taste is similar to their regular IPA, but cranked up a notch. Bit maltiness, nice bright hops, but really not as exciting as I'd hopped. The alcohol is strong but clean, I guess I really just expected a more gratuitous hop display, but then again, this batch has been out for a month plus IIRC. Still, as I work through it, my respect grows. Probably just a bit jaded from the 10 Barrel IPA I had, expecting this would someone be double that!

Mouthfeel is oily, bone dry (ABV), tongue-coating resins, medium bodied.

Drinkability is okay, a tasty hop bomb, but strong enough for you to check yourself and take your time. Their regular IPA is my favorite available locally, on fresh draught. I'd like to try this one that way as well to get the complete experience, but for now, color me a bit disappointed. Maybe it's just the biggest IPAs in town have reached such hop saturation, that doubling the malt to crank up the alcohol can only take away from the purity.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 01:53:48 | More by ccrida

gford217

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to hopburster for this 22oz bottle.

Pours deep, clear amber with a creamy egg-shell head that recedes quickly to a soapy cap leaving only bits of lacing on the sides.

Lots of citrus in the nose with grapefruit and pineapple, takes on a sweet juicy character. There is a light malt sweetness in there but it takes a backseat to the juicy hops.

Pithy, bitter grapefruit right up front on the tongue with a hefty alcohol burn that lingers through the finish as well. There is enough malty sweetness to keep things balanced but the bitterness of the oily hops is what I'll remember in the taste.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and really stick with hop juice. Soft carbonation and a spicy alcohol coating on the palate.

For those of you who like their DIPAs pithy with grapefruit and don't mind some alcohol presence, this is a really nice beer. Since I put myself in that category, I have to say I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 03:04:37 | More by gford217

dirtylou

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. It's IPA Day, also, FU GABF

appearance: served in my great lakes chalice, bright orange-copper body, nice white film

smell: candied sugar, orange peel, sugared grapefruit, sweet malt

taste: potent - fiercely hopped, candied grapefruit rind, moderate to high bitterness, orange, pine resin, sticky and bitter

mouthfeel: big, heavily hopped, bitter

overall: enjoy this one - been through 2 bombers and a few drafts

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 03:39:14 | More by dirtylou

dgilks

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear golden colour with a creamy, off-white head. Fair head retention.

Malty sweet aroma with some floral hops. A bit light on the aroma hops.

Smooth malt with a hint too much sweetness. Good bitterness and some citrussy hop flavour.

Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Fair.

An okay beer but as an IIPA it is too thick and malty.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 10:26:56 | More by dgilks

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

650ml bottle poured into tulip april18 2011

A clear deep amber with a couple random bubbles popping up from random places, just a short lived film for a head though and no lace left behind

S big citric hops with some guava, a little toffee and some booze

T lots of rind and a little more booze then I could smell, caramels come out a little more and there's some pine I couldn't smell, pretty nice tasting DIPA

M full bodied for the color and there's more carbonation then what was visible in the glass, slightly sticky on the lips with a big bitter bite and a aftertaste that lingers for a long time

O no real issues with this brew, quite the hop bomb going on here the booze could be better concealed but the heats not unpleasant just noticeable

looks can be deceiving, doesn't look that great but I don't taste with my eyes, pretty expensive here in Alberta at 14$ for a bomber but that being said I'm not upset I bought one

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 05:26:24 | More by wordemupg

billab914

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into my Southern Tier tulip glass. It poured a hazy, darker amber color with a thin off-white head clinging to the edges of the glass.

The aroma has a very pleasant, juicy, fruity hoppiness to it. I get a good dose of grapefruit with a little bit of a pineapple and peach fruitiness to it. A sweeter, malty base compliments the hoppiness nicely.

The taste shows a lot of bitter grapefruit and citrus rind flavors to it. I get a little bit of a fruity, pineapple and mango like flavor to it as well. The malty base again provides some nice complimenting sweetness to it.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side for the style with carbonation being a little below average. Overall I thought it was a pretty nice beer. It had some nice hoppiness to it that I really enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:21:45 | More by billab914

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

When asking Craig at 99 Bottles which of the local IPA/DPA’s I had to pick up he quickly mentioned this as one of the choices. I really am glad he did. Shared this with a buddy last night and really enjoyed it.

Soapy off white head builds aggressively as you pour the beer. Very bright and clear brass/amber color with just a touch of carbonation escaping to the surface. Tons of soapy lacing clings to the glass.

Aroma was fantastic and bursting with juicy resinous hops. There was a freshness that was terrific and a melding of some bright citrus scents with some green grassy notes and a moment of floral pine.

Pretty complex flavor profile. All about the hops, but just below the surface there were some neat malty things happening. I was getting some almond at times, which I still can’t explain to myself. But it was very nice. There was a sense of the elevated abv, but in no way was this “hot?

A sticky, juicy mouth feel. Bright and fresh.

H.U.B. always does a great job and this beer is no exception. Excellent DPA

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 14:03:01 | More by Reagan1984

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #41 (Jun 2010):

Hop-hazed pale amber, it's not lacking head retention, that's for sure. Ruby red grapefruit and blood orange rind from the hops; alcohol shows some fruit and malt shows caramel, making for an awesome aroma. What you smell is what you taste, but add in a heavy hand of bitterness. Tobacco and leather. A scraping bitterness that's fresh and pungent. Alcohol warms and lends a tropical fruit flavor. Bitter end with some trace maltiness. This beer is brewed to style and pulls no punches. Superb.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 02:53:24 | More by BeerAdvocate

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 3/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a rich medium red orange amber. Nice color. Light head and lacing. Intense hop aroma with light fruit and malt. Pleasant medium body with sweet malt, grapefruit, light and dark fruit, a hint of caramel and like the aroma, intense floral hops. The base approaches a barley wine. Nice intense bitter aromatic hop finish. Well made and enjoyable. An absolute must buy each year.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 02:46:47 | More by LiquidAmber

claspada

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice slightly hazy dark orange/amber colors with a nice inch or so of eggshell head with nice bubbles and lacing on the sides of the glass.
Aromas begin quite dank with heavy doses of resiny pine and grapefruit hops. Some blood orange and lemon rind in the background. There some sweet bready malts also emerge but are very light compared to the copious green hops. Smells a little "hippie-ish" if you catch my drift.
The tastes begin different than I expected. I get a lot of the citrus hops flavors up front with the sweet mandarin orange, blood orange and grapefruit dominate here (as opposed to the pine that dominated the nose). As it warms the pine begins to join the party and actually dominate the lingering bitter flavors along with the grapefruit. All the while there is a really nice bready and slightly caramel malt backbone to help balance out the huge hops here.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. The finish is sticky and resiny but not palate wrecking bitter. It's definitely not your beginner's DIPA for sure and it probably higher is the bitter department, but still finishes pretty crisp and clean but definitely drys out the palate and sticky throughout.
Overall this was the most hop dominant, bitter DIPA I have actually enjoyed. It borders on being a palate wrecker and probably is for you introductory craft beer drinker, but if you are a lover of West Coast Hops, this will be a definite winner for you. I definitely recommend this to any advanced DIPA drinker, if you dislike extreme resiny/sticky beers, look elsewhere. Do I need to have it again, no, but I am very very glad I did try it. Oregon is slowly overtaking California as my favorite West Coast beer state as they continue to churn out winners.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 22:59:38 | More by claspada

Arbitrator

California

3.38/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Chilled bottle into a glass. A generous gift from ramnuts. Thanks, Frank! Shared at a tasting.

A: Pours a clear amber with some tall white head. Retention is short, leaving a thin collar in short order.

S: It's slightly solventy, with an overall barleywine aroma. Pine hops, some floral perfume, and a fair amount of grapefruit rind.

T: Following the nose, there's a lot of pine backed by perfumey roses. I pick up grapefruit peel, orange rind, and tangerine. Strong caramel malt in the backbone.

M: Surprisingly solventy. Good flavors, but the balance leaves something to be desired. I pick up a lot of bitterness in the aftertaste.

D: Granted, I had this toward the tail end of a tasting, but it felt so heavy and boozy that I coudln't bring myself to finish my glass. Definitely rough on the palate. As far as West Coast DIPAs go, it's pretty skippable.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 06:54:37 | More by Arbitrator

harrymel

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011, unknown bottle date:

A: Hazy toasted apricot ale is topped with less than single finger of white foam. This falls in moments to a sheet of the same. No lacing.

S: Lots of sharp citrus notes here. The amarillo's in this are a bit overdone IMO. Lots of grapefruit, some peaches, cat piss and onion. Can't say I'm impressed, but don't feel disappointed really. Just kinda, meh.

T: Super sweet. Super bitter. It's hard to address, but it is certainly both really bitter and really sweet simultaneously. The bitterness is resiny, citric peels, spicy (think raw peppercorn). The sweetness is peaches, malts, caramels, pralines. This is quite a complex IIPA.

M: Medium on heavy for the style with moderate carbonation. Dry finish. Not quite what I look for in the style, but certainly fitting for the beer's personality.

O: I'm really torn on this beer. The appearance is far from impressive. The smell is not particularly good, almost dislike. The mouthfeel is forgettable. The taste, the taste is really nice. I would like to see more reviews on this beer to see if there is something I'm missing about this, if I got a chill haze beer, or what. It's good, not great and far from exceptional. Adjust the aromatic hop additions and we'll see how this beer improves.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 06:38:31 | More by harrymel

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Taken from notes on 3.11.11

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

I love the hidden skull on the playing card.

A - Pours a slightly reddish-orange with a thick 2-finger creamy head.

S - Smells of piney hops and grass.

T - Pine up front with a nice citrusy finish and after taste.

D - Nice bitterness and ver creamy and smooth.

O - Loved it!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 20:56:09 | More by HuskyinPDX

merc7186

New York

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a bottle poured into a snifter glass.

The beer pours great with a solid hazy orange hue to it, a nice white head ring, and mild lacing on the glass. The scent of the beer is decent with a solid resin scent and mild citrus on the back end. The beer tastes decent with a solid resiny hoppy flavor and a citrus aftertaste. The mouthfeel is decent with a decent carbonation and a dry bitter mouthfeel. Overall, a solid IPA but a little too over bearing.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 02:22:57 | More by merc7186

Florida9

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Darker amber in color with some orange highlights. Forms a rather smallish off-white head that reduces down to a creamy surface coating. Some light lacing. Clear.

S: Predominantly pone with some notes of peach, orange, and mango. Caramel malts and alcohol hang out in the background.

T: Starts off both sweet and bitter. Lots of pine with some pine resin and a little earthiness. Bitterness is strong, but fleeting.

M: On the heavier side of medium with good carbonation. Surprisingly clean in the mouth.

O: A good to very good IIPA, offering a nice balance of aroma, hoppy flavor and bitterness. Not overdone at all. Very nice. Easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 01:39:13 | More by Florida9

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.

Pours clear gold with a one inch head of beige. A few streaks and dots of lacing with a partial skimcoat throughout the glass.

Aromatics are fairly pungent but not abundantly floral or hop-laden. Heavy on the pine with traces of grapefruit coming after, with ripe malt and crisp gypsum following through.

Medium bodied with a crisp but tacky mouthfeel.

Plenty of zingy, bracing alphas start the palate, with plump malt in support. Loads of resinous pine with grapefruit oil under, and a mild sting from the bitterness.
A slightly drying mineralness keeps the sweet malt in check, as does the stiff bitterness and bright alcohol.

Finishes with a lingering, chaulky bitterness, a sting of high alpha hops, and a warmth in the throat.

Tasty beer. I prefer a much more pungent, tropical, floral nose, and more hop complexity on the palate. A pretty straightforward IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 23:03:10 | More by brewandbbq

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy copper colour, finger of soapy head with decent retention and no real lacing.

S - Sweet pine and citrus, sweet lemon iced tea and a touch of mustiness.

T - Sweet citrus off the top, with a slightly metallic oily resin on the finish. Caramel undertones linger alongside a solid bitterness. The ABV is incredibly well hidden.

M - Medium bodied ale that goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

O - Fantastic DIPA with some great flavours and delicious hop/malt balance. Glad I took a bottle for a spin but at $15 a piece, I doubt I'll take down another.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 03:53:14 | More by andrenaline

ElGordo

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a Gordon tulip glass. Body is a a pretty orange-amber color, topped by just a thin ring of creamy head that doesn't leave much lacing. Huge aroma of hops, hops, and more hops. Grapefruit and weed are the primary notes, balanced by a bit of sweet caramel malt.
Palate is sweet up front, the caramel malt blending with a slightly vinous hop character. The citrusy character comes through towards the back of the tongue, bringing out grapefruit and weed. A decent amount of heat makes its way through on the finish and builds long after the swallow.
Body is thick and full, alternately sticky and creamy. For something this super-hoppy and strong, it goes down pretty easily. One of my favorite brews each year, the Ace is difficult to trump.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 06:28:31 | More by ElGordo

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Vibrant cloudy coppery-orange with a dense white head. Sweet, citrus fruit smell with some sugary malts. Very pleasant and aromatic, almost floral. Grapefruit, orange, brown sugar and raisins in the taste. A really good blend of sweet and acidic, almost like a fruit cocktail. Very smooth with no hint of alcohol even though it is 9.5%. Drinkability is limited only by ABV and bottle size.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 05:19:20 | More by BDTyre

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a slightly cloudy gold-amber with a finger of sticky, pale yellow head.

Smell. Caramel and toasty grains, sweet grapefruit, honey and some tangerine.

Taste. Pine sap, bitter pink grapefruit rind, orange zest, floral grassy hops. Alcohol there, but not too offensive.

Mouthfeel. Close to a full body with smooth, medium-light carbonation. A little syrupy and a little warm.

Overall. A decent sipping beer. Good hop punch and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 01:16:26 | More by Rutager

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Shared this with my BA in crime andrenaline
A - slightly hazy copper orange, thumb of head with decent retention, not much lacing to speak of
S - piney and bright citrus, light herbal note and mild woodiness
T - nice citrus hop start, then a herbal and resiny charater, sweet caramel malt backbone throughout, and lightly musty
M - Medium bodied, smooth start that finishes with a pleasant dry bitter, with sweetness lingering
O - a very solid double IPA, classic flavour and very easy drinking with well hidden alcohol, worth a try but probably not a regular for me

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:39:52 | More by joemcgrath27

jdense

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle from John's Marketplace PDX poured into Piraat snifter 5.24.2010.

3/4 finger white head, medium dissipation with minimal lacing. Orangish amber body with some visible carbonation. Nose is fruity sweet. Taste is of stonefruit, peaches mangoes, malt is subsumed by the hop bill. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, with some noticeable effervescence. Need to be careful re drinkability at this ABV. Actually I prefer the tap version, which is quite a bit more brighter and less fruity.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 14:20:08 | More by jdense