Happy Camper IPA - Santa Fe Brewing Company

obrike

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Sixer at Round Rock HEB for 8 bucks and change.

Always on the alert for an IPA in a can...found this one by accident at HEB...just casually walking through the beer aisle and happened to see it...thought it was a soda can at first glance. Nice rich amber pour into my 512 pint glass...huge rocky head with nice retention...good start.

Scent was fresh, but a bit subtle...decent pine, maybe some citrus...not much more.

Man, a huge bitter hop wallop to the tongue...pine meets grapefruit meets orange...not much malt backbone on this one, but a great hop punch. Very refreshing on a hot day actually.

I gotta recommend this one...a nice canned IPA with a bitter hop kick. Uber piney, medium carbonation, some sticky resin on the tongue. Will certainly by again.

Serving type: can

07-23-2012 03:46:39 | More by obrike

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

easily the best santa fe brew ive tried to date. it is more of an american pale than an ipa in my opinion, theres plenty of malt reminicent of the saranac pale ale or another hoppy beer with a bigger english malt profile. it smells like english malt and piney hops in equal proportion, citric a little, but there is no acid here, its just robust flavors and textures. the mouthfeel has a ton of texture, thick and malty at first, but mellowing to a well carbonated bittersweet ipa with a semiquick finish and a touch of caramel left over. i agree with the label, its better than wiping your rear with a pinecone, a whole lot better!

Serving type: can

09-21-2012 05:51:10 | More by StonedTrippin

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a nice caramel-copper color with a decent cap of foam which left some residue on the glass. The aroma is an interesting mixture of hops and malt. Pine, grapefruit, nondescript earthiness blends with a solid underpinning of caramel malt. The palate, on the other hand, is a little more uncouth. Pine is all over the place as the hops dominate the flavor. Some grain attempts to peek through but it struggles to make its mark. Definitely a drinkable IPA with some sharp edges.

Serving type: can

10-30-2012 23:58:24 | More by BeardedBoffin

JHamm

Delaware

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

nice extra from emmasdad, thanks!

Appearance: nice translucant amber color with great lacing around the glass. decent two fingered head slowly dissipated down to a fine layer. carbonation bubbles up rapidly.

Smell: pine and syrupy malt. somewhat of a bready aftertone picked up as well.

Taste: very smooth, piny, citrusy hops up front with a slightly malty backbone following through to the end. while a malty flavor is there it lets the hoppy bitterness take forefront. actually very refreshing taste overall. not too bitter as the hops add more flavor.

Mouthfeel: the hops oily presence lingers overall while the carbonation adds a nice bite to this drink. no harsh aftertastes at all in this; just a very refreshing feel overall.

Overall: call it a partial snobby bias but I was a bit skeptical of an IPA in a can. This beer changed my mind. While the beer itself does not stand out as the IPA to beat it definitely is a highly respectable beer. If I lived closer to a place to obtain this beer it would be in my fridge a lot more consistently.

Serving type: can

06-04-2011 02:02:05 | More by JHamm

Fenris244

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured into my stone imperial pint glass

pours a dark amber, thin off white head has some incredible retention, good clarity, some strings of bubbles are apparent

sweet and citrusy in the nose.

very balanced good orangey sweetness upfront balanced by a kick of lemon peel like hop bitterness, nothing much lingers.

Very light in body, crisp and refreshing

overall, great summertime ipa just enough bitterness to be a satisfying ipa while keeping it tame enough to be had in the texas heat

Serving type: can

08-16-2011 00:29:11 | More by Fenris244

endincolorado

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, deep-amber with a decent off-white head that settles quickly. Adequate lacing.

Fragrant, floral hops up front with some fruit and a nice, caramelly malt to balance.

Flavors are a refreshing blend of sweet, caramel malt and some bitter, piney hops.

This one has a surprisingly full body with a nice amount of carbonation.

A well-balanced, sessionable IPA overall- and one delivered in a pretty awesome looking can.

Serving type: can

09-02-2011 01:21:46 | More by endincolorado

denver10

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a caramel orange with a nice effervescent off white head. Decent lacing. Aroma is sweet florals, grapefruit, a touch of pine, biscuit and caramel. Flavor prettty much follows suit.
A crisp, active mouthfeel. Overall, a solid amercian pale ale. Definitely something I would drink again.

Serving type: can

03-22-2013 02:09:41 | More by denver10

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

nice extra from daniloknezic! Thanks

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: Hazy burnt orange and dark gold bodied beer, maybe even a light amber color. White head that is full of small bubbles and sticky lacing. Thin white cap on top the beer.

Smell: Floral hops with some pine notes. Bready/biscuity malts.

Taste: medium hops bitterness in this IPA. Pine and grassy flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and moderate carbonation. it works well.

Overall: First beer I have had from Santa Fe Brewing Company. I enjoyed it very much. Just got off the lawn mover on a 90 degree day and this beer hit the spot and quenched my thirst. Something about hoppy beers when its hot that is a great combonation! Solid IPA nothing mindblowing, but i would buy a 6 pack if it was locally available to me. Looking forward to more Santa Fe Brewing Company beer!

Serving type: can

06-03-2011 19:35:14 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

womencantsail

California

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing this, Bobby.

A: The beer pours a light cloudy golden-amber color with a big white head.

S: Really a nice grapefruit aroma to this. It's very dank. Tons of floral and spicy hops, too. There's just a mild pine and even less malt aroma. Who knew such a pungent IPA aroma could come from New Mexico?

T: Sort of a lackluster flavor, unfortunately. There's still a bit of grapefruit and orange peel, but the flavor isn't so intense. There's some stale bread and a light malt sweetness, as well. A few hints of floral hops and a light bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.

O: I thought the nose was awesome, but the flavor just really fell off.

Serving type: can

09-05-2011 21:47:41 | More by womencantsail

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

opaque hazy burnt amber with a thick off white, frothy pillow like head. Thick gooey lace poured down the glass and lingered long after it was empty.

strong piney hops very much balanced against a nice mellowed malt sweetness. Smell did seem kinda muted though, could have been more full. was slick, with not alot of carbonation. Taste was very bitter with a dry finish, but not llong lingering as I had hoped. Came off a little oily, with a lot of bitter piney flavor.

Serving type: can

10-20-2011 01:34:04 | More by mikesgroove

vande

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A ~ Deep, dark golden amber color with a two finger layer of floating, cushiony white head....slowly, very slowly, dissipating leaving hints of lace clinging to the pint glass.

S ~ Hops and hops. Grapefruit, citrus odors creeping up the nose.

T ~ A bit of a harsh coppery flavor...good dose of tartiness? Grapefruit in the front with a bit of malt in the back. Lingers on the palate.

M ~ Pretty easy drinking IPA here. A nice balanced feel, medium to light in body presents.. a little tingling on the tongue.

O ~ My first offering from Santa Fe thanks to a fellow trader! Definitely something I'd like to try again, as well as sparked the curiosity of my palate...I sense more Santa Fe in my future at some point...

Serving type: can

05-16-2011 01:00:33 | More by vande

TBoneJones

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The can caught my eye, then i saw NM and realized i hadnt tried a craft beer from that state. And then i recalled I'm camping very soon so i thought yes, ill chance a sixer of this! Pours dark orange, carbonation barely visible, the head is fluffy and good looking with a bouncy slightly off-white head.
Smells of pine and a slight non-descript fruit, if anything apricot. 
Nice pine taste up front, nice on the tongue. There's a light quality to this. Finishes pretty dry. There's a woody-papery taste on the back -end that im not used to and didn't like much at first. But all in all, drinkable as pleasantly hoppy.
Nice smooth carbonation, bitter lingers but not too much. I like how the beer seems light or medium-bodied yet still has a thick impression left on my palette, somehow.
Not sure what's keeping me from enjoying this more than I do. I think it's the way the malt reacts with the hops in this brew. I do enjoy the pine aspect, and if anything besides a more balanced malt backbone is needed, I'd say a bit more fruit profile in the taste would make it nicer beer. Otherwise, I will enjoy this when I go camping again in a week. I will take a couple of these from the can while at the lake. And it does make me want to revisit Torpedo by Sierra Nevada, which I may have liked a bit more.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 00:07:23 | More by TBoneJones

blackie

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: copper-amber in color, slight particulate haze, nice head that retains a full layer

s: nice moderate citrusy hop aroma - mostly grapefruit rind style, slight sweet juice, caramel malts with a lightly toasted edge, hops pleasingly fresh and resinous, good stuff

m: carbonated to a light-moderate level, body around medium with a touch of malt weight

t: grapefruit rind hop flavors accompany slightly toasted caramel malts, nice pithy bitterness moves in quickly, growing well into the finish and becoming quite strong, the touch of sugars found at the start being swept up in the process

o: a straightforward ipa that has some nice hop aroma and a satisfying bitterness - no problems here

Serving type: can

03-29-2011 05:36:02 | More by blackie

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip glass. No date information. Brought back from recent visit to New Mexico. Red Zia Sun Symbol on yellow background, same as the NM state flag.

A: Clear, amber/copper, with 1" off-white foam, with good retention, spotty lacing.

S: Some resinous pine, floral, with quite a bit of caramel malt; alcohol.

T: Sweet, floral and malty, followed by increasing piney bitterness.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation. Smooth, creamy. Mild heat. Bitter, dry finish.

O: A straightforward, go-to IPA.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 22:15:45 | More by bierbrauer

HardTarget

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Excellent clarity, amber gold glass holds a finger of white, tight head that slowly drops curtains of lace.

Smell: I get the bready note that other reviews mention, a bit yeasty with a spicy hop that's both citric and floral.

Taste: A slightly soapy metallic note fades quickly into a mild IPA, full APA hop presence. Doesn't really go bitter, fairly balanced really yet showing off the blend of pine, citric, earthy hop stew.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, oily texture, almost a cask feel.

Overall: A pretty enjoyable brew. Have to admit the Zia sun got me to pull the trigger on a 6 pack as I have fond NM memories. This goes much more towards a lawn mowing APA than an assertive IPA, but that just makes it a bit more drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: can

04-19-2012 02:05:44 | More by HardTarget

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Tan to orange and clear, pretty good head and lacing.

Aroma is citrus rind, pine, hops.

Flavor is pretty nice, good citrusy component, good hoppiness, pine, some resiny notes, malt base is ample with some bread and some light caramel.

Body is medium, slick, slightly oily, medium carbonation.

Overall it's nice, and one of the few canned IPAs available. I wouldn't mind taking a few out on the boat for a day of fishin'.

Serving type: can

03-04-2013 21:16:25 | More by AlCaponeJunior

bmwats

Louisiana

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz can into a standard pint.

A: Hazy, orange golden hue. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Settles slowly. Lots of beer ring lacing.

S: Pine, honey, orange peel, and clove.

T: Very piney hop, accentuated with just a touch of sweetness and orange citrus. Something of a floral character.

M: Mouth puckering hop. Bitter finish.

D: Sip and enjoy, the hop will dictate it.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Interesting hazy coloration, nice head, and some pretty thick persistent lacing. Nose is very strong pine, with a little honey and spice. Very bitter floral hop, balanced with some sweetness. Overall, this is a pretty good quaff.

Serving type: can

05-01-2013 04:39:01 | More by bmwats

lonestar4lunch

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bit darker than your basic pale ale. Very little head out of the can but still looks strong. The aroma is noticeable right away of citrus and a light white bread.

The flavor is a bit stronger than what I was expecting. I am really enjoying the balance of hops and malt in this IPA. The piney citrus does not overwhelm but the sweet malts follow in form very nicely. I have found that I really enjoy IPA's that allow the malts to make a presence, not just straight hop bite.

The carbonation is just right and this was a very easy drinking IPA. Simple but yet very good.

Serving type: can

06-10-2011 23:11:59 | More by lonestar4lunch

Sweasty

Texas

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another canned craft offering. I always welcome new canned options. Happy Camper pours a nice crystal clear bronze. Things are topped off by a healthy two fingers of bone white head. Head settles to a ring. Plenty of lace is left in its wake.

The aroma immediately strikes as hoppy. A nice herbal hop nose shines. Resiny pine notes hit first. Behind the pine some herbal mint shows up. Some light grapefruity citrus rounds out the hops. Beneath the hops some light malt notes pop. Light caramel hits first. That's followed by some bready notes. All in all an enticing IPA nose.

Much like the nose, the taste is very herbal. Strong resiny pine strike first. The mint in the nose is more pronounced on the palate. The grapefruit is also stronger. The hops have a nice drying quality, encouraging you to take another sip. Beneath the hops a light malt shows up. A light caramel sweetness and some breadiness try to balance things out. The hops win out. The finish is further drying with a long lingering herbal bitterness.

Happy camper is a nice medium bodied brew, packed with a nice crisp carbonation.

Happy camper is a nice easy drinking hop fix. The herbal hops offer a nice switch up from the citrus bombs I usually prefer. This IPA may not be earth shattering. Nonetheless I would gladly pack this along on the next camping trip.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:03:38 | More by Sweasty

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a shockingly dark golden apple juice hue looking more like an amber. crystal clear with a weak half-finger crisp white head that fades quickly, leaving only a dab of lacing.

aroma is decently hoppy, sweet, with a good kick of malt on the tail end. not bad, but uninspired.

taste is decent with a full malt backbone. tastes dark and rich. herbal green hops with a good bit of bitterness. even and fairly balanced.

mouth is a touch on the thick side, a little slick, with some fine but hot carbonation that gets a bit prickly.

all in all, an interesting IPA. it looks dark, tastes like a rich, heavy, IPA. surprisingly, but definitely delicious. I'd love to drink a few more. not the best, and not the best IPA by traditional style guidelines, but I like it!

Serving type: can

07-19-2011 06:06:27 | More by djeucalyptus

dankster

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

One of my top five IPA's in a can

Pours a very dark orange with three fingers of sticky head. Smell is a hop smack in the face with citrus following close behind. Taste has a lot of pine and grapefruit with a oily and resin aftertaste from all the hops. Mouth is a little thick but very drinkable. overall a great session ipa with the abv at 6.5% and the price at 6.99 a sixer cant be beat. must try for all hop heads

Serving type: can

11-21-2011 17:10:10 | More by dankster

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can, picked this up because it was new and I figured it was fresh, it was. Clear orange color with plenty of sticky lacing. Smells piney and yet a little catty, simcoe? Tastes very piney, reminds me of sweetwater ipa a little. This is definitely a hoppy ipa but I'm not sure I love the hop profile.

Serving type: can

11-30-2010 03:48:27 | More by ArrogantB

mactrail

California

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big snort of Cascade hops in the mix. Rich and creamy mouthfeel. Rich with malt, but the big story is hops and more hops. Rather light bodied. Flowery, just a touch of resin, and fragrant. Not really that bitter, but more hops than I know what to do with. Nice appearance with a good topper on the amber brew. Clean and spicy.

If you're looking for a great hop blast without the tonsil curling bitter end, this is a very forgiving IPA.

Serving type: can

07-11-2011 04:47:43 | More by mactrail

mdaschaf

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bentwookie for this one! Like the can art a lot.

A: Pours an orange/copper color with a one finger white, foamy head on top. Decent retention with thin, but rings of lace around the glass.

S: Nice grapefruit up front, a little bit of grass and some spicy hops. A little bit of caramel on the back end.

T: Again, grapefruit up front, with a little more citrus than the aroma. Not much in the way of pine or grassy, and not as spicy either. Overall, it is more of a rind flavor than fruit.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Easy drinking with a slightly dry finish.

O: Pretty good IPA. Still on a can kick, can't get enough. Hope to try the other Santa Fe offerings at some point.

Serving type: can

12-07-2011 03:17:55 | More by mdaschaf

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can (love the minimalist design) into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to vonschplieffen for sharing.

A: Clear, deep reddish-amber body with an inch of nicely creamy off-white head. Ok retention, good lace. Not bad.

S: Straightforward, predominantly hoppy aroma. Grapefruit, leafiness, and a touch of caramel malt as well. Solid.

T: Sweet caramel malt up front, fruity hops on the finish. Nice, cleanly bitter aftertaste. Pleasant, but a bit overloaded with sweetness.

M: Slick, frothy medium body. Fine.

O: This is a solid, but entirely unremarkable, example of the style. I'd certainly be happy to buy it, though, as I'm a sucker for craft cans.

Cheers!

Serving type: can

10-30-2011 18:13:08 | More by woosterbill