Hopdinger - O'so Brewing Company

Giveit2medark

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a growler into a pint glass.

This beer poured with a beautiful dark golden color and maintained a thick creamy head.

I picked up a citrusy almost green hop aroma along with a moderate malty smell.

The flavor starts off malty and finishes hoppy i would like a bit more hops up front.

Serving type: growler

08-25-2009 22:46:22 | More by Giveit2medark

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle.

Pours hazy gold with an inch-plus head of white. Retention is moderate with a partial skim coat and stringy lacing for the duration.

Aromatics have a mild amount of biscuity malt and pine bark. Bread crusts follow through.

Light to medium bodied with a crisp mouthfeel.

Toasted malt with balancing, piney hops and a light bitterness on the palate.

Finishes with some lingering toasted bread ends and stale pine bark.

Either this beer is quite faded or totally oversold by the label description.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:22:03 | More by brewandbbq

KFBR392

Illinois

3.14/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Beautifully present head which peaked at about two fingers and retailed at about a half a finger. Golden slightly peach color to this brew. Very active carbonation throughout. Heavy lacing left on the glass with each drink.

Smell: Unexpected banana/yeast aroma on the front of this brew. A little bit of malt but that odd front aroma keeps coming back. The hops are felt in a crispy dry aroma.

Taste: Follows the aroma pretty closely. There are some unique flavors going on here for an APA. Yeast and some leafy greens on the front. Buttery taste rides from the body and sticks around on the palette after drinking. Different overall.

Mouthfeel: Bright and active. Active carbonation shows itself quite a bite.

Overall: Glad I gave some local Wisconsin products a shot. This one was okay, certainly a unique representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 03:11:00 | More by KFBR392

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Hopdinger is ok...I was hoping for something similar to 2Bros Bitter End, but ended up a bit more bitter than BE. Thebeer poured a nice clear copper with finger thick head that is lacing nicely. The smell is floral and slightly bitter....tones of citrus and pine. The taste is essentially bitter from start to finish. There is a slight malty sweetness in the center. Not a lot of pine or citrus but definitely present. The mouthfeel is medium body with big carbonation. Overall it is ok.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:51:42 | More by WoodBrew

MickeyBeer

Illinois

3.16/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A- Pours a nice clear orange color with about a finger of white head.

S- The floral smell of the hops is present but is not particularly aromatic.

T- Slightly bitter and hoppy but did not quite have the hop bite that I was hoping for. I had hoped a beer named "hopdinger" would be a little bit more complex and bitter.

M- Mouthfeel was medium-light for the style. Crisp with a medium-light carbonation.

O- I love IPAs and APAs but this beer did not quite deliver what I had hoped for. It was not bad and I would drink it again, but I will not seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:41:02 | More by MickeyBeer

guityler83

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured into a tulip, I got 2 fingers of bright white foam with spoty lacing. Crystal clear light orange with copper around the edges.

S: not sure.. my nose is stuffed

T: Piney and bitter at first, toasty and bready backbone. I think the beer I have might be slightly older.. i get an oxidized charecteristic from the resiny hops.

M: High carbonation, almost like its was bottle conditioned, slightly dry, bitterness gives a lingering astringency.

O: Beer was ok, but I would like to taste a fresh example.. maybe I'll update this when i do.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 00:44:17 | More by guityler83

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in an Ohio State shaker pint glass.

I know a spelunky jag normally means some sort of cheap, crappy beer, but this was in the fridge and I wasn't gonna argue. It pours a clear brass-amber topped by a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises general pine, mild grapefruit peel, and a distinct caramel backbone. The taste brings in more of the same, with a focus on the pine sap. Sadly, though, everything comes through muddled and bland, with little-to-no real hop presence beyond the vague sense of pine that pervades like the soreness of a stubbed toe. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, this is an okay IPA at best, but one that, to me, lacks any real character. It's kinda bland, very boring, and doesn't lend itself very well to repeat drinks.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 22:00:49 | More by TMoney2591

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No dating that I can see, so I'm not sure how old this is.
Really nice and fresh hop aroma with fruitiness of both sweet light fruit and some citrus. Faint malt background.
Quite clear, darker amber with browns, reds and orange. Tannish head with good height and decent stamina.
Flavor not quite as bold and interesting as the aroma. Little heavier grain quality and not as much of the freshness and lightness of hops as in the aroma. Bittering is soft, but grows with warmth - not yet too much. There is a shot of sticky resinous - of which I am not a fan. However, a little positive pine works fine and that is in there too.
Carbonation on the higher end, but not to excess. Quite soft and moderate feel.
A little unrefined and not quite clean enough in the flavors. Love the aroma, it's top notch. But the flavors are more messy - they blend a little better as warms.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 17:34:33 | More by garymuchow

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Surly pint glass. I picked this one up on my recent trip to the Motherland.

Pours a dark rusty amber with barely a sheet of lace on top. The nose is a little musty with notes of wood, green veggies, and malt. This fades out to a sweet syrup like aroma that is quite pleasant though. There's a good amount of bubbles bolstering this beer. Good creamy smooth finish, but a tad drying.

The hops in this beer aren't all that juicy and flavorful, though they do impart a good amount of bitterness. Biscuity malt with a lack of residual sweetness. This is a dry, bitter beer, that is decent, but not all that refreshing. I probably wouldn't reach for this one again, as there are scores of better options of this style out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 18:51:21 | More by Onenote81

pweis909

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to a pilsner glass, the beer is amber, with chillhaze. It has a strong head, initially, which recedes to a thin white foam the clings to the side of the glass.

Piney hops are the dominant component of the aroma and flavor profile. While it leans towards hop bitterness, it is not unbalanced as there is a slight sweetness that it plays against.

The beer is slightly dextrinous in the mouth.

This reminds me a bit of Bells Two Hearted, maybe not quite as agressive, but that is not too shabby.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:42:58 | More by pweis909

TWStandley

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip.

Poured a golden/slightly hazy color with a 3 finger fluffy white head that disappeared quickly.

Smell is not quite as strong as I would have hoped, but some nice piney/grapefruit scents.

Taste is refreshing - would like a bit more complexity from the hops and a slightly maltier backbone, but not shabby.

Mouthfeel - nothing notable.

Overall a solid APA, but one that I will likely not seek out.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:32:16 | More by TWStandley

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a nice golden color with a very large white foamy head on top. The lacing is clumpy and sticks to the glass with every sip. The smell of this beer was very hoppy with some notes of earthy yeast in there that kind of reminded me of some Belgian ales. The taste of the beer was bitter, loaded with hops that go from citrusy pine to earthy dry. The finish still reminds me of some Belgian Pale Ale's I've had in the past. The mouthfeel of the beer has a lively carbonation to it and had a medium body as well. Overall I think this beer was good, I expected it to be an IIPA from the label it had but after tasting it I thought it was supposed to be a Belgian IPA and turned out that it's an APA on here. So it's a little scattered in my opinion. Not a bad brew though at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 01:54:09 | More by Knapp85

birchholz

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into tulip pint. No date.

Appearance: Dark Amber in color, very clear with noticeable carbonation. Fluffy head that dissipates quickly, thin layer sticks around. Moderate lacing.

Aroma: Lots of hops upfront, mainly grapefruit, orange, melon, a hint of pine.

Taste: Hops predominate with the malitness playing cacth-up. Hop profile reminds me of a toned down version of Two Hearted. A little bit of earthiness/funk with a sour finish that isn't terribly appealing.

Mouthfeel: Nice and full, decent carbonation, little stickiness on the palate. A little watery overall, but not bad for an APA.

Overall: Not bad, wish I knew how fresh this one was. Not something I’d seek out, but wouldn’t pass up either.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 23:09:31 | More by birchholz

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

O'so Hopdinger, O'So Brewing Company, Plover, WI.
"Pungent. Hoppy. Crisp. Floral. Bitter. Piney. Resinous. Engaging."

Well, great, now I don't need to write anything, do I?

I will, anyway.

Murky, dank deep amber hue, considerable carbonation and head. Billowing and lacy. Gigantic. Impressive….whoa, if I don't watch out, they'll have me expressing myself in one word statements.

Aroma: Yup, bitter, floral, piney, resinous, citric, pungent, hoppy, ….let's not repeat ourselves. It hits the notes you want in a double IPA. A little hint of honey in there, too, unless I'm imagining it. And I'm not.

Taste: bitter and pungent, and all that all over again. Malt flavor keep up with the huge hops, and there's an astringency added in that I can't help feeling was unintended. Don't think I tasted this when I bought it back in November. Yeah, why did this sit in the fridge for 3 months? And is the brew older than that, actually? No bottled on date, no way to know.

This bottle is definitely funkier than when it was (I think) fresh. A little sour happening here. Lesson learned. Drink those hoppy beers up, don't sit on them, like the Pliny the Elder label implores us. We're not hens, and they're not eggs.
It does not mean, in any way shape or form, that a week or two or three will make them undrinkable, but …hey, maybe I'm wrong.

I do like this like this. It has a Belgian quality that I find utterly diggable. Not crisply clean like a HopSlam or any kind of palate buster like a Maharaja and nowhere as smooth as an Abrasive Ale. But, quite flavorful, and unique. Lively carbonation, non-stop hops. I do like it.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:28:02 | More by feloniousmonk

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle tried 24 Oct 2010. Courtesy of R&S, thanks! Served in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker.

Large tight creamy light beige head. Well carbonated. Coppery with a faint haze. Piney, resin and floral in aroma with quite a bit of orange zest too. Starts with a lot of sweet piney resin upfront. Juicy and fruity with lots of resin throughout. Becomes more orangey in the finish and aftertaste. Medium body, moderate ethanol.

Quite easy to drink, thirst quenching.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 02:11:54 | More by htomsirveaux

cavedave

New York

2.75/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Very cloudy, dark amber, thin beige head, finally a whispy cap. Some spotty lace. Not the most beautiful pale for sure.

Not much of an aroma either. Some sour yeast, biscuity malt, hints of pine and herbal bitter.

Low/med. strength flavor. Starts with that sour yeast, not tart, definitely sour flavor, some caramel sweet joins, then some hops try to muscle in, but the limp pine and sallow citrus do little more than make me wish for a better beer. Finish gains a touch of bitter to end sour and unsatisfying.

Mouthfeel is too low carb., not clean flavors, not dry enough finish, doesn't clear out very well.

This beer is not a hopdinger, it is not a good pale ale, and is not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 21:59:14 | More by cavedave

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.73/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth pint glass. I think I got this bottle in late November, but no bottle date information to be found as to the age.

A: Clear orange amber color. Finger and half of fluffy white head. Sticks around a while and leaves some lacing trails.

S: Smells like a pale ale. Clean citrus hop aromas. Mild maltiness. I thought this was old, but still smells good actually.

T: Actually a really enjoyable little sip. I get a really clean and bright hop bite in the tip of the tongue. Malt balance is perfect in the mid mouth. And a crisp clean finish. This is still a tasty bottle. Low ABV easy drinking pale.

M: It's light but probably still fits in the medium bodied category.

O: It's a solid little B grade pale ale. I find it hard to go over that for a simple pale ale that doesn't wow me with hops etc.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 14:20:40 | More by inlimbo77

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

2.68/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured in to Founder's tulip glass.

A - Deep amber colour with orange and yellow glow around the edges. One finger of cream coloured head formed with good retention.

S - Earthy and citrus notes with a big sweet malt backbone. There is a slightly off-putting aroma that won't go away (yeast?). The bitterness is apparent by not overly pungent.

T - Bitterness up front with floral and earthy notes coming to the forefront. The citrus notes that were evident in the nose are very subdued and almost unnoticeable. A slightly sweet caramel malt backbone provides some balance. The bitterness lingers in the finish.

M - Medium body. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 19:31:46 | More by TheSevenDuffs

augustgarage

California

3.08/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Burnt orange with flame highlights roils beneath a soft placid beige cap which recedes to a thin but lasting layer of foam. Delicate sandy lacing, no real legs. Good retention.

Surprisingly malty aroma with biscuity elements reminding me of an English Pale Ale or even a Bitter. Grassy hops with a touch of citrus emerge slowly. Faint oxidized papery smell as well.

The palate follows the nose (including the slight off notes, which mar the presentation of the more gentle hop flavors), leading into a crisp dry finish with a long grassy/weedy aftertaste.

Fairly light-bodied, but nearly creamy as well. Moderately carbonated with a zesty feel.

It seems like there is a decent beer lurking beneath the surface, but sloppy product handling leads to a mediocre brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 04:03:45 | More by augustgarage

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From 10/23/11 Tasting Notes

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass.

A) Amber with a little haze. Not much head, half finger. The head was gone pretty quickly, leaving a few little foamy islands floating about. Some patchy lacing.

S) Piney with some citrus zest, mainly grapefruit.

T) Mostly pine... I was looking to the malt for some better balance, but it didn't happen with this bottle. Quite a bit of citrus peel in the finish, and it definitely lingered.

M) Medium body and pretty well carbonated. Decent texture. The aftertaste was a drawback for me.

O) Had this in Door County two years ago, and I was pretty impressed. Not so much with this bottle. I'll probably give it another try sometime, but not for awhile.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 04:48:33 | More by RoamingGnome

beagle75

Iowa

4.15/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a nonic glass.

A: Slightly hazy, light amber color with one finger of off-white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass and a few streams of bubbles ascend through the column.

S: Caramel is heavy, with resinous piney and tropical hops adding to the illusion of sticky sweetness. Aromatic malt makes this beer smell like a cake doughnut.

T: Begins dry, with balanced toasted malt and freshly piney and herbaceous mint hop aromatics. Acidity is mild and appropriate into the middle, where bready qualities become a bit more pronounced without upsetting the overall evenness of the profile. Earthy hop flavors accompany the moderately bitter finish.

M: Medium viscosity, sticky on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: Here is a beer that does not taste like it smells--while decadent for the style, the aromas suggest a beer that could get messy once tasted. Instead it boasts a well-executed profile of flavors that come across as being taut and in perfect balance. It shows plenty of late-addition hop qualities, but the overall bouquet could be improved with the involvement of some more interesting cultivars, such as the ever-popular Simcoe or Citra.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 22:30:14 | More by beagle75

lurpy1

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Split a few bottles with several friends, but I did get enough of a taste to draw my own conclusions. Came in expecting a clean, highly hoppy experience, didn't really get either of the above. Balanced drink, which is not bad, but to the point that the hops were not sufficient. Also came with an earthy, almost dirty feel to the beer, which didn't create much of a "party in my mouth" sensation.

Not horrible, but it was quickly discarded in search of more interesting beers. And it gets an F minus in truth in advertising - if the beer is not extreme, don't give it an extreme name.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 17:04:33 | More by lurpy1

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy copper color with about an inch of beige head on it.

Smell has a light hop aroma but is pretty balanced overall.

Taste is a little more hoppy than the smell. Pretty good flavor throughout.

Mouthfeel is fairly light. Very easy to drink beer.

Overall pretty enjoyable beer. It grew on me more and more as I drank it. Nice and hoppy for a pale ale. I'd definitely drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 22:41:45 | More by richkrull

Brenden

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for this little local extra in a trade go to BYOFB.

This beer's color is unpolished copper, thick and hazy orange with some brown in the depth. If it was in a plastic jug with no label, it could easily pass as apple cider. A big, frothy off-white head stands at nearly 3 fingers tall and slowly recedes, leaving a craggy cap that lets loose with some patchy lacing.
The hops bouquet in the aroma is delicious. Pine and floral hops abound but with quite a bit of sweetness balancing from toffee-like malts additions. it's certainly earthy as well with a touch of grassiness that doesn't impart so much of the herbal character it sometimes does.
A little bit of something delicious from the aroma is lost in the flavor, though it's certainly a good one. The malts that were so strong take a back seat, which is good but detracts from the delicate balance. Without the sweetness to it, a little bitter harshness is allowed to come through. Still, this is a good, well-brewed pale ale, and it's not as though the sweetness is lost altogether.
There's a crispness in the mouthfeel that carries through, and a nice smoothness fills out a medium body without being too filling. Carbonation is at a good level.
This is a great beer from a little brewery and one I'm glad I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 04:00:36 | More by Brenden

mynie

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice pour, thick orange with a very pretty and retentive white head.

Smells a wee bit dull. Decent hop profile, green and piney, but not very aggressive or variegated.

Tastes a bit stronger than it smells. The hop profile starts things off, west coast all the way, and gets balanced out pretty nicely by sweet, lightly soapy malt.

Two words to describe this beer would be "thin" and "sweet." Those aren't bad things, and this ain't a bad beer, but it's just not what most of us look for in an APA.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 02:31:09 | More by mynie