Snake Hollow IPA - Potosi Brewing Company

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.01/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Frankly, I'd rather have a hollow snake, 'cause at leas then I'd know what I'm dealing with... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear copper-brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises candied orange peel, light grapefruit peel, pine resin, and sweet caramel. The taste holds notes of sharp grapefruit rind (and peel), sweet toffee, and sharp pine needle. Everything has an astringent quality to it, making for a not-so-enjoyable experience. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, not the best IPA by any stretch of the imagination, but not horrid. Just kinda sub-average.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 17:23:23 | More by TMoney2591

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear golden orange with three fingers of creamy, bubbly white foam.

Smell: Sweet honey, light floral and citrus hops, and some biscuity malt. Pleasant but fairly muted.

Taste: Mild pine, honey, floral hops, and light orange peel with bready and caramel malts. Very sweet, almost like candy corn, with a nice hop bite in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, crisp, lively, refreshing, and smooth.

Overall, this is a solid little IPA from the good folks at Potosi Brewing. I found this a really simple but well-balanced IPA with a pleasant sweetness and amazing drinkability, especially considering it's 7% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 16:01:51 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

pweis909

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Well carbonated with a big white head that recedes quickly to a thin, persistent head. Golden-orange in colore, with a chill haze.

Smell. Citrusy aroma with some Fruity Pebbles tossed in there. The fruitiness gives way to citrus, which is more persistent.

Taste. Sweetish first impression gives way hop bitterness. Alcohol is noticeable in the dry finish.

Mouth feel is ever so slightly slick initialy, prickly in the middle, and slightly astringent in the finish.

I was really impressed with the initial smell and hop flavor I got from this beer, almost scored it a 5 on that count. The alcohol (both my ability to taste it and ABV) detracts a little from my enjoyment of this beer, as I prefer something more in the 5-6% range.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 22:00:31 | More by pweis909

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into an Imperial pint.

A - Medium sized cap of off-white head holds a nice cap. Great clarity to a light copper beer. Left a couple little specs of lacing to the glass.

S - Real nice citrus (orange rind) hop profile, maybe some cascade or centennial. Even getting some lemon tones.

T - Malts try to sneak through early but are swallowed up by citrusy hops (orange peel like). The toasty malt backbone actually sits in the background nicely. Solid punch of bitterness with a strong hop flavor lasting beyond the finish.

M - Bone dry, medium body, medium carbonation.

O - Solid IPA. The more I drink the more its bitterness comes across as sharp. Citrus throughout but alright balance to it. Nice and dry finish, crisp and quenching.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 00:45:07 | More by Jparker37

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Never had anything from these guys so I grabbed some of this when I was in WI last week. No date on the bottle which always worries me with this style, but I went agianst better judgement and grabbed some. Poured into a pint glass.

This beer pours a dark orange with a thick white head. Nose is pungent with orange, pine, lemon. Good moderately full mouth. The alcohol is noticeable in this one as the 7% comes with a bang. I wouldn't want to down too many of these at once, and this is on a full stomach. Nice bitter character, wih a mild spicy profile. but there is a dry sweet biscuity character as well which makes this more English to me. I would think this is a nice hybrid between American and English IPA. Bitter and tasty, but plenty of sweetness and dry finish as well. A tasty beer that I am glad I picked up.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 18:30:15 | More by Onenote81

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Light copper color with a medium sized, foamy, soapy, airy, bright white head. Average retention leaving a decent ring of lace.

S - Caramel malt is pretty strong. Pretty balanced IPA. Some citrus, some pine, and some earthy/herbal hops. A little disjoined hop aroma, but the fact that it's so balanced hides it well.

T - Very balanced caramel malt heavy IPA. Some toffee and bread flavors as well. For the hops there are orange and earthy hops with touches of herbal/pine hop flavors. Much earthier than sweet or fruity. Reflects the malt driven flavor with the hops not necessarily jumping out of the glass.

M - Medium body with average carbonation. Fairly slick and oily.

D - Easy to drink and not too bitter (a bit of a kick on the finish). But I can't see me wanting to grab another like some of the better IPAs I've had.

Notes: Very balanced and malt driven. Not a citrus or fruit bomb and more of an American/English hybrid (more American though). Ok but not anything noteworthy.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 02:28:28 | More by FreshHawk

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dr. K for the bottle. I poured this into a New Belgium tulip.

A) Nice clean copper, with a half a finger of head. There was okay retention and a little lacing. Carbonation also noted.

S) Nice sweetness, which included pineapple and a fruit cocktail aroma. There was a nice floral presence as well.

T) Not as sweet a the aroma. There was light citrus, but more hop bitterness, pine, definitely a little alcohol. Finishes with some citrus rind. A nice balance.

M) Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. This was really pretty smooth. The bitterness and rind to this one really coat the mouth.

O) This was a pleasant surprise. It's not that my expectations were really low, but this beer definitely exceeded them. Worth a try....

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 01:47:23 | More by RoamingGnome

Florida9

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a shaker pint with only a minimal white head. Slightly hazy amber in color. Light lacing. Aroma is a blend of toasty malts, pine, pine resin, and a mild skunkiness . Flavor is much better: a blend of clean, grainy malts, toast, and pine with some lighter citrus notes. Strong dry bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied, with good carbonation. Borderline astringency. This is an IPA that pushes the line with bitterness, but still seems able to deliver.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2011 03:17:12 | More by Florida9

mobius387

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass

Appearance: golden and clear

Aroma: this beer smells great. Strong grapefruit on the nose

Palate: medium body, little carbonation.

Taste: along with the pine and citrus this beer tastes very sweet. Honestly I think I taste some candy corn or some sort of candy

Overall: a very good brew and a nice ipa

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 00:31:47 | More by mobius387

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Transferred over from my tasting notebook.

Really amazing craggy four finger head that stayed up like a meringue on this one, very pretty lacing, clouded orange-amber in color, I couldn't say for certain what texture the brew itself was because the head kept getting mixed in with every sip and making it all creamy. Not like that's a bad problem to have, I suppose. :) Almost too carbonated, the foam just kept regenerating right up until I finished the pint off, although the rise of it did slow down some after five minutes. This foaming action kept throwing heavy doses of the nose into my face throughout the session. Produces a lovely aroma of pineapple, tangerine, pine needles, orange peel, lemon peel. Taste starts out sweet but quickly flashes from sweet caramel coated pineapple chunks to the bitterness of juicy grapefruit pith and changes back to pine resin for a the lingering finish.

A top 20% finisher American IPA by my standards.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 03:55:15 | More by WastingFreetime

schoolboy

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of my few beers I brought back with me from Wisconsin. I had one along the way and it went down nicely. I wasn't really in the mood for beer tonight but that seems like a good, objective time to do some tasting.

It doesn't taste as good as it did late Monday night in Chicago (when I was in the mood) but it's good. nice floral, hoppy taste without a great aroma. The aftertaste is first rate.

The label says all profits go to charity! Go figure.

This is a real IPA/AIPA. Before my trip into the Wisconsin countryside this past week, I thought that most of their micro-brews tasted too much like macros. That may still be a problem, but I found plenty of 100+ year old micro breweries like this that are making great stuff. THey just don't make it to Ohio. Cool.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 01:33:43 | More by schoolboy

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams pint.

A: Pours a clear, golden orange color with one finger of off white head. Good retention and lace.

S: Peaches and mangoes, a little understated but still inviting.

T: Leads with mellow, dry biscuit, followed slowly by a growing pine bitterness. Pine lingers on the long finish. Very mellow, and yet plenty tasty.

M: Light and refreshing, very soda-like and a bit astringent.

O: A calm and thoughtful IPA. Not my top pick for an IPA, but plenty good enough (and also individual enough) that I would surely buy it again. Well done, Potosi.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 23:52:16 | More by AmericanGothic

Mako82

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into snifter glass

A - Golden in color, slightly cloudy. Poured an off-white head that was foamy and lasted quite long.
S - First smell was of hops and citrus, with soft smell of malts.
T - Taste did not quite live up to the smell. I thought there would be a stronger hop and citrus taste. Picked up some piney flavor. Fairly bitter from start to finish
M - Little carbonation, fairy dry feel

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 16:42:00 | More by Mako82

HopHeadHurls

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a pretty amber/copper-ish color, more straw like and light than a lot of IPAs I have seen recently. About a 1.5-2 finger head on the top that recedes very quickly, leaving some semi-heavy lace around the glass.

S - Honestly, the first smell I got was metallic, which is NOT a good sign of things to come. However, this was fleeting and was quickly replaced by a surprising and pleasant smell. This definitely smelled fruitier than I thought it would and less piney (than I thought it'd be - pine is still the main smell other than citrus here). You can smell some lemon, orange, and maybe grapefruit in there I think, and it doesn't smell quite as hoppy as a lot of other IPAs or pale ales in general. Very pleasant smelling unless you get that metallic smell up front...very odd.

T - So this beer was quite odd...I thought the citrus smell came through more than the pine smell, which surprised me. Also, you get the hop feel without a lot of hop taste here...there is a big grassy hop taste that comes through briefly, but I feel like the citrus and malts overpower that. I actually find it interesting that it seems more grassy than piney. It does not hide the ABV very well and gives you a bit of a spicy taste to it with a very bitter finish. My biggest issue with this beer will now be stated: before you hit that hop bitterness I got a HUGE wave of a metallic taste (granted it was only slightly metallic, but it seemed to linger forever before the hop bitterness kicked in). I am not sure if this is an issue with just getting a bad bottle or if that's just how it tastes based on their brewing equipment, etc. Either way it was not pleasant. This beer just wasn't quite as balanced as I like...something (besides the metallic taste) seemed off.

M - The mouthfeel was also surprising, as it was quite a bit lighter than a lot of IPAs that I've had, but still had that resinous feel to it, that it coated your mouth and sort of stuck there. This beer definitely dries your mouth out as you're drinking it.

O - Don't get me wrong, aside from the metallic aspects this beer is not bad, it is quite decent. However, if I'm going to pay money for a craft beer, I expect something more. I'd try it again to see if the metallic deal was just a one time thing, but I don't see myself clamoring for this beer, especially with all of the good IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 16:16:43 | More by HopHeadHurls

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presented in a brown 12 oz. bottle and poured aggressively into a Delirium Tremens tulip.

Pours an orange amber with a one-finger, bone white head with decent retention and excellent lacing. Aromatics of fresh citrus hops and juicy pineapple.

Creamy mouthfeel with a sweet caramel malt opening and hint of rosewater. Bittering hops announce the middle with suggestions of pine, grapefruit and floral notes. Great balance between malt sweetness and bitter citrus hops. Mild carbonation continues throughout session. Finishes bitter.

Crisp, clean and refreshing. Nice interpretation of the style. All profits to charity? Give it a 5 for altruism.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 20:15:10 | More by CaptainIPA

muttyd

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear pale amber body with a fluffy white head. Mild citrusy hop aroma combined with a sweet pale malt backbone. Flavor follows the nose with a biscuity malt sweetness, florally citrus hops and a bitter grassy finish. Well carbonated and medium bodied. Well balanced mellow IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 22:44:08 | More by muttyd

adman08

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a light sttraw amber color with slight head.
S-Aromas of citrus and sweet malt. I notice a hint of straw aroma as well.
T-Herbal and citrus hop flavor with very good malt to balance the bitterness.
M-Decent malt body. Good carbonation.
Overall, this is a very good IPA. Great balance of hop flavor and bitterness with malt backbone. For someone looking for a good representation of the style this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 00:38:04 | More by adman08

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #49 (Feb 2011):

Pale amber, clear with a sizable head. This one is dry hopped to the hilt, with big aromatics of citrus, peppercorn, pine and fruit. Smoothness is not shy and wraps tightly around the tongue. Hop flavor has a soft oily character that unleashes sugges- tions of pine, grapefruit, wild herbs and mild tobacco. Malt rings in with ample sweetness and a firm biscuity flavor within to build a great foundation. Spicy warm alcohol is a bit fruity. There's balance over the boisterous bitterness, yet the hops are still showcased. A good drink that we'd love to come back to.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 00:23:31 | More by BeerAdvocate

Axic10

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle thanks to Barrythebear. Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden orange with a half finger of head that settles to a thin layer.

Smell: Primarily earthy, piney hops on the nose.

Taste: Very grassy and earthy taste. A slight hoppy bitterness, but not too intense.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a dry finish.

Overall: Decent beer that is focus more on the bitter aspect than a citrusy one. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 01:31:26 | More by Axic10

mjryan

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yeah, wow. IPA. Hops! Fresh and wonderfull. Great beer. Floral aroma. Lots of Pacific Northwest hop character. Orange zest and wild flower. Delicious. Not sweet, and not terribly bitter if you are used to hoppy beers. very good. I'm guessing this is very fresh as I've had and enjoyed this beer in the past, but this is in another realm. Goes to show that freshness is key when it comes to hoppy beers and reviewing obviously old ones is futile and stupid.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 03:15:33 | More by mjryan

Strix

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pale cloudy orange, good head.

Pine and citrus are the main smells.

Very big pine note, some citrus peel. Lots of power, not a lot of balance.

Mouthfeel full and quite resinous.

This was all right, but I didn't find the hop blast to be countered by anything else.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 23:40:41 | More by Strix

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to BeerFMAndy for the bottle. Served in a Cantillon tulip.

Pours a transparent copper color with a single-finger white head that leaves behind quite a bit of lacing as it falls into a thin collar around the edges. The nose brings forward some bready caramel with a hint of toffee. Some mild citrus in the background, though not all that much. The flavor has a mild hop bitterness, though no real hop flavor. There's way too much caramel malt that adds too much sweetness and body. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Slightly-bitter finish. Not much going on here. Some hop bite, but certainly nowhere near what I would expect from an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 01:59:44 | More by Thorpe429

stbo101

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: This poured a dirty yellow/gold with a medium off white head which dissipated slowly.

S: Light smells of hops, malts and citrus which are not overpowering.

T: This is not the heaviest IPA I've tasted, but it was a bit bitter for me when served cold. As it warmed it became smoother and much more enjoyable.

M: Thin.

D: Easy to drink once it warms. It had an unusual aftertaste that was a bit unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 22:33:56 | More by stbo101

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Initially pours a very creamy orange, but that clears up instantly to reveal a sparkling, well carbonated, orange/gold beer with a two finger fully off white head. There's a little haze, but the head is so beautiful and that balances it out. 4.5

S: Hoppy, mostly citrusy, but there's a little grassy spice in there. There's something a little off, I can't tell if it's a little skunking or maybe a little solventy? I'm just not digging the aroma, the hops don't seem to blend together very well. 3.5

T: Not as hoppy as the aroma would have suggested, and much less citrusy. There is more herbal/grass notes in the taste. It's also a little sharper/more bitter than I was expecting from the aroma and would like to see. There's no off flavors, and the hoppiness is balanced by a little malt which lends some nice caramel notes, but overall, it's nothing phenomenal. 4.0

M: Sharp and lacking in body. There's a nice carbonation, but this beer just doesn't push through enough body for my palate. 3.0

D: It's ok, definitely something I would suggest to people to go ahead and try, and good enough I'll try other beers from Potosi, but I personally won't seek this beer out again. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 14:37:22 | More by mdwalsh

ZAP

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice workman like IPA. Not a ton of bitterness but the hop flavors are good....grassy hop feel with a touch of citrus. A little spritzy feeling and about medium bodied. Gives off a touch of a hoembrew flavor.

Nothing special about this but nothing terribly wrong with it either. Definitely a drinkable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 04:06:54 | More by ZAP