Ace Of Spades - Hopworks Urban Brewery

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

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

Docer

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Yay, had on-tap finally for lunch today....

- Rather clear copper amber... small white head, mild to little lacing....

- Huge citrus smell.. some pine, and floral notes... a hop forward monster with subtle caramel and roasty grain scent....

- Wonderfully smooth and balanced double IPA... huge citrus hop, some pine.. caramel and roasty flavors...

- Not sticky or overly oily which is shocking to me... not even all that dry.... almost a thirst quenching IIPA... if that makes sense!

- Huge huge marks on drinkability... might be too hoppy for some... but this hides any sign of being 9.2% alcohol by far.... certainly zesty and fruity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2009 22:12:55 | More by Docer

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

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

thanks to egrace84 for sharing this brew! Thanks Elliot!

poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: Golden orange bodied beer almost getting to an amber color. 2 fingers of white head that drops down quickly.

Smell: This beer smells of super potent pine and grapefruit hops. Smells really resinous.

Taste: This beer is a hop monster! High end of moderately bitter almost tipping the scales at high bitterness. Brutually big pine, grapefruit rind and more citrisy flavors. You dont get much from the malts in this beer the hops just overtake everything. The bitterness just lingers around for quite a while after taking a sip!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. This beer is oily and resinous, but has a dry finish to it. ABV is hidden well.

Overall: If you are new to hops stay away. This beer will destroy you... For a true dedicated hophead that likes a big bitter hoppy beer that gets down to business fast... its a good choice. Its a hoppy palate wrecker!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 17:09:05 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

draheim

Washington

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear amber w/ a 2-finger sudsy off-white head, good retention, lots of sticky lace.

Aroma is grapefruit, pine, and earthy tropical fruits.

Taste is acidic grapefruit rind, pine, mango, peach, and booze, balanced by a blend of caramel and pale malts. Resinous, sticky, and very bitter.

Mouthfeel is slick and a little oily.

Overall a good strong DIPA, perhaps just a little more malt-forward than I prefer. Well-crafted.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:57:11 | More by draheim

grittybrews

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a rich sunset amber into a tulip with a finger of quick-receding off-white head. Juicy aroma of grapefruit, orange, and pine with just the slightest hint of boozy warmth.

Moderate carbonation and a thick, syrupy, resinous mouthfeel. Lots of grapefruit and orange citrus up front followed by just the right amount of sweet caramel malt that lingers for quite a while before the pine bitterness shows up towards the finish.

A little sweet but with plenty of hops to balance and just enough alcohol warmth to keep things interesting. Really a treat.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 04:04:42 | More by grittybrews

vkv822

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into snifter.

The appearance is a clear amber with slight copper hues and a nice foamy off-white head.
The aroma is a delicious mix of fruity citrus, resiny pine and floral hops. The flavor is similar to the nose, though a nice bit of malt sneaks into the beginning, but is soon taken over by strong hop notes. There is a decent amount of alcohol presence, but does not become over-powering. The mouthfeel is oily and medium bodied with a very nice amount of carbonation. This is a very drinkable DIPA, though it does seem a bit stronger than 9% alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 03:05:30 | More by vkv822

zeledonia

Minnesota

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

Brought a bottle back from a recent trip to Oregon. Drank it July 22, reviewed from notes. Wish I knew the age, but I can't find a date on it anywhere.

Pours a cloudy amber color, thick and syrupy, with a minimal off-white head. Head retention and lacing both pretty low.

Smells strongly of fruity and flowery Cascade hops, with a heavy malt dose underneath. This smells like fresh leaf hops, which is amazing. But it could us some more dimensions to it; as is it's a strong dose of one hop variety.

Taste is not quite as good as the smell. A balance of malt and hops, with heavy caramel malts. Quite rich, a rounded richness that stretches through for quite a while. The hops break through late, but aren't really that strong in the taste. They're present as a potent bitterness, and as a little bit of fruity lightness. Finish is long, with a mix of bitter and sweet.

Mouthfeel is heavy and sticky. Long finish.

A strong, balanced, malty DIPA. I like it, though I would appreciate some more hop presence in the flavor. All that fruity, floral deliciousness that I smell isn't as strong in the taste. But it's quite good all-around, with a nice bitter finish. Probably the best organic beer I've had yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 03:30:52 | More by zeledonia

snaotheus

Washington

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

22oz bottle poured into a large snifter shaped glass

Pours brownish amber, pretty clear, very little head, but looks like a lot of small, slow, fine carbonation going on in there. Smell is honeysuckle sweet with a lot of piney hops, some orange blossom floral. Smells good, but a little muted (maybe not the beer's fault -- I'm a little congested).

Taste is very bitter, lots of grapefruit rind flavor, overpowers most everything else. There's some of the floral and honeysuckle sweetness in there somewhere. Opens up a little as you get into and it warms up a bit.

Mouthfeel is quite dry. Overall, a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 00:15:49 | More by snaotheus

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

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

On tap at Hopworks in Portland Oregon.

A: 1/8" cream coloured head over cloudy reddish amber liquid.

S: Citrus hops, malt, and yeast.

T: The taste is peppery and malty with a bitter flavor and a dry finish.

M: Medium level of fine carbonation.

O: A good Imperial IPA with high IBUs.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 06:57:57 | More by DaftCaskBC

loren01

Oregon

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

A: Pours a clear reddish/orange color, nice head with great lacing
S: Malty, dark fruit, citrus scents
T: Dark fruitiness up front with citrusy hops, lots of booziness at the end.
M: Medium bodied beer, good amount of carbonation
D: This is an interesting beer, not what I expected. Seems like this is more of an American style barleywine. This would make a great winter sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 03:15:18 | More by loren01

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

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

22 oz bottle generously shared by El Douchous, or as we call him around here, Duane.

Pours a slightly cloudy medium orange with slight retention and some stick.

Smells of caramelized apples

Tastes much the same with a lingering bitter rind finish along with smack of blood orange. Malts serve as a healthy support system by propping up the firm fruits.

Carbonation on the low end with a medium bodies feel makes this drink a bit syrupy

Overall, a pretty good double

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 01:05:53 | More by BarrytheBear

chumba526

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This ale appears light orange with a two inch off colored white head that dissipates quickly.

It smells like a big bag of dank bud. There is a potent tropical fruit/ pineapple smell. It smells dank and slightly skunky but not in a bad way. There is a subdued caramel sweetness. I could sit here and smell this beer all day and night.

It tastes very fruity: there are hints of orange, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. There is a pleasant mild sweetness that comes with the fruity flavor. There is also a bud like dankness to the beer as well. All of these unique flavors lead to a palate wrecking bitterness. The bitterness however is not one dimensional. Traces of the citrus fruity flavor linger with the bitterness quite well. I am really digging this IIPA. The bitter citrusy dank flavor lingers for awhile on the palate. It is quite complex ale.

The carbonation is moderate low. It has a really nice mouthfeel that adds smoothness to the beer.

Though the alcohol is quite high this is very drinkable though it is very much so a sipper. It is one of the most complex IIPAs I have had for a while.

Though I have like most of the stuff I have had from HUB this beer gave me a new respect for HUB.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 01:07:26 | More by chumba526

djbreezy

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had this both on tap at the brewery and out of a bottle. This review is observed from a 22oz bottle poured into a belgian-style stemmed glass. Even had a foil cap on it from the release...nice.

appearance - pours with a nice head, leaves some lacing on the glass, transparent orange/amber

smell - piney and resinous hops on the nose, very earthy smell

taste - incredibly piney hops, some caramel malts back this thing up, but as you continue to drink it the hops dominate, finishes with an alcohol and bitter taste

mouthfeel - medium, silky, light carbonation

drinkability - while the hops dominate this beer and make it very delightful, the alcohol is really strong and i get wasted just thinking about the beer

I have to warn...in the two times I've drank this beer it has given me a horrible hangover. I'm rarely destroyed by beers like this so don't be surprised if you experience a similar situation.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2010 05:35:59 | More by djbreezy

mjl21

California

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

Acquired via trade...thanks Mike. 22 ounce bottle poured into a SA perfect pint glass. Comes in at 9.5% and 100+ IBUs. No bottling info is given.

A-Pours a crystal clear amber color and it has a one finger off white head that dissolves quickly into a bubbly ring. Bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom. Not much lace is left in between sips.

S-Off the bat the aroma reminds me of some of the better Midwest DIPAs that I have smapled. There is plenty of tropical fruit flavors such as pineapple and mango. Grapefruit is also prevalent. It has a sweetness to it that gives the beer a candied fruit aroma. It also has an earthy/dusty element to it. As it warms it gets more and more resiny.

T-Lot of hop flavor in this one. It is quite resiny. Midway through each sip it hits the tongue with bitterness and booze. The tropical fruit flavors are more noticeable in between sips. It has a big malt backbone and caramel sweetness lingers.

M-Thicker bodied with a creamy mouthfeel.

D-This seems stronger than 9.5%. I had this beer after a big dinner and I started to feel it after the first 10 ounces. This is one to sip on.

This is a really big DIPA. I would like to see some of the booze toned down. The hop profile is really nice. Hoping to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 21:23:16 | More by mjl21

seeswo

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a reddish-golden light brown. Nose is tropical hops, malt sweetness and a bit of booziness. Another malt forward DIPA, this one uses the malt sweetness to balance against the juicy, grapefruit hops. Not as much of a tropical hop bomb as some beers, but the balance works pretty well. Again, my preference is for the malt to be in balance or trailing the hop flavor in a DIPA. This is a solid contributor to the spacious 2nd tier of good, but not elite DIPAs. This one just narrowly misses a really nice balance - demanding a bit more hop flavor to really excel. The mouthfeel is nice - a good head, good carbonation and some hop stickiness hangs out on the tongue, but isn't excessive. Overall, I could really see this beer potentially being fantastic when super fresh, but that is not what is in front of me. I can only assume that this is fresh enough, but with some additional hop flavor, it could really excel.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 04:07:31 | More by seeswo

OakedCanuck

Washington

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

22oz bottle poured into cervoise.

A - Pours a clear, deep amber. Very little head formation, almost none. Minor lacing remained. I would have liked to see a nice rocky head, but no big deal.

S - The whole gamut of hoppy bitterness smell here. Mostly tropical fruit, grapefruit, tangerine, papaya, lemon. Pine and juniper as well.

T - Hop bomb here. Lots of flavour exactly like the nose. All kinds of juicy citric hops. Grapefruit, orange and some grassy graininess to it. I picked up very minor, almost non-existant, malts.

M - Slight heat at back of mouth due to high ABV, sticky, very drying.

O - This is an awesome IIPA, a true hop lovers beer. It would have been nice to have a touch more maltiness, but really not a big deal as this beer is all about the hops. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 14:34:40 | More by OakedCanuck