Snake Hollow IPA - Potosi Brewing Company

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

Buebie

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown bottle, producing about a half inch of white head. Color is a pale haze filled marmalade of orange. Head is slow to recede, leaving behind a thin cap and generous collar.
Aroma is sweet malt, mild hops producing an earthy spice and floral leaf. Really minute though for aroma in the hop department.
Hops much more present in flavor with leafy fresh hop hemp, spice and earthy flavors. Also not so forward in flavor are the hops and its almost sour like. With a 'I just brushed my teeth and am now drinking beer' flavor. Malt coming through all of that, lemon peel.
Mouthfeel is spot on, carbonation zing.

I have one more bottle and will alter the review if necessary. But overall, not the best ipa I have encountered.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 05:34:48 | More by Buebie

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

KI9A

Illinois

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

A: Into the tulip. Deep gold, nice heaad, nice lace.

S: Citrusy hops dominate, not much else.

T: Way too much on the bitter hops, not balanced well. No real detecable malt backbone. Almost reminds me of an amber ale, that had a butt load of hops added to it.

M: Medium body, decent carbonation

D: Too unbalanced to really enjoy. It's not a mess, but, a bit unpleasant. With all of the really nice IPA's around, this is one that not on my list.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 19:31:07 | More by KI9A

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

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

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

gatornation

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a very nice clear copper orange color with minimal lacing and diminutive head..the smell is citrus and toast/bread ,some pine grass and malt..everything a good ipa should have but in this case its all slight to me..the taste is the same all the ipa ingredients are there but is to slight not enough punch or flavor to savor over..mouth feel is crisp its medium..its drinkable but not one i would go out of mt way to buy..probably wont try this one again

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 00:22:09 | More by gatornation

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

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into standard pint.

A- Pours a light copper that is completely transparent and tons of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. A good finger and half worth of head that sticks around for a while and leaves a little lacing.

S- A little bit of hops comes through right away and a lot of breadiness. A little bit of malt in there to go with some sweet sugar.

T- Like the nose, faint hops with no real bite. A big malt backbone and again some slight yeastiness. Balanced but underwhelming.

M- A lighter bodied brew with an abundance of carbonation that tickles the tongue. No real hop bite to speak of.

D- Light in body and pretty refreshing. Pretty middle of the road IPA from a smaller brewery in WI.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 00:32:47 | More by Wisconsinality

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

mynie

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazy red with a small white head. Very much your average AIPA.

Smells faint. Light hops, light malt. Balanced, but light.

Tastes much more assertive, but a little off balance. Big toffee malt moves into a syrupy, aggressively alcoholic malt middle, with the west coast pine hops rushing in at the end.

All of Potosi's old school beers were delicious and expertly brewed. This--this seems like a poor attempt to buck the trend, like if your grandpa started wearing one of those douchebag hoodies with fake graffiti printed all over it. The hoodie might fit well, and there isn't necessarily anything wrong with him wearing it, but it just doesn't seem right.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2009 16:18:18 | More by mynie

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

alexgash

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle.

Crystal clear golden orange body. Tall, two fingers of thick, whipped, light beige head. Nice lacing too. Slightly subdued nose with notes of pine sap, lemon rind, and sugary malt.

Light toasted malt up front. Shortbread cookie and a little toffee malt in the background. Hop flavor and bitterness starts slow but builds toward the finish. Muted pineapple mixes with pine to provide moderate hop bitterness. Fruity malt before a drier, herbal-bitter finish. Moderate body with a slightly slick feel. Not bad, but I can't tell how fresh this is (nothing on bottle), so I don't know if it is supposed to be hoppier. Still, as it drinks now, it is a nicely balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 02:06:01 | More by alexgash

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"All profits to charity" - guess ya' can't go wrong on that (within limits I guess). Poured into Sam Adams glass.
Kinda' a classic herbal, grass and citrus American hops aroma. Reasonable balanced and reasonable interesting. Citrus increases with time.
Orange-gold and mostly clear. Big head, especially as poured aggressively only towards the end. Good lacing.
Grassy/herbal bitterness a dominant taste and part of the very long finish (and not quite pleasing enough). Starts complex yet kinda' clean. No apparent fruit or sweetness at start. Malt flavor is a bit bland and mostly for tempering the bitterness and hop presence and less for addition to the flavor profile. Bitterness bigger than the hop flavors, which didn't match the best of the aroma.
Feel is good. Smooth body and carbonation.
Certainly a drinkable beer. Nothing remarkable, but worth a try and would pick one up in the brewpub.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 02:20:17 | More by garymuchow

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to my buddy StumptownBadger for this one. Bomber, poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours bright orange with nice clarity. Steady stream of carbonation up the middle of the glass. 1 finger of off-white head. Pretty good lacing.

Smells pretty good. Light caramel malt with some subdued grapefruit and orange. A hint of something spicy/medicinal- cloves? Subdued, but well balanced.

In the mouth, once again this beer is somewhat subdued, but there is a nice malt/bitterness balance. A healthy dose of caramel malt, but not too sweet. Some juicy grapefruit and orange, then a surprising earthy bitter finish. Didn't pick up that earthiness in the nose.

Medium body and carbonation. Aside from the earthy hop bite on the swallow, finishes fairly crisply without lingering sweetness.

Pretty good IPA. Put down the bomber with ease.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 20:15:56 | More by PDXHops

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to my boy Andy for splitting this one.

Poured into my pint glass the beer is an amber golden hue. The off white head fills a solid three fingers of the glass and recedes slowly to leave a thick coating of weblike lace. Great retention on this one.

The aroam is a bit hard to pick up. What I do get with deep whiffs is malt and light citrus hops. Nothing out of ordinary.

The flavor is yet another average lightly hopped beer with a good dose of malt. Not much to see here people keep moving.

Medium body with average carbonation.

Overall drinkable yet forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 17:16:35 | More by beerwolf77

AmberMan22

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crisply clear golden wheat color. Blanched head retains nicely, good deal of lacing left all over.

Smell is frankly unimpressive. Way too citrusy and pine-based. Overwhelming to the point where it almost smells like someone washed grash with an orange-scented cleansing agent.

Taste is equally forgettable. Probably honestly one of the worst IPA's I've had so far, though the one's I have had were quite good.
The hops are certainly present, but again lost behind the citrus/pine blast that is unwarranted and overdone. The maltiness behind this salvages this into a drinkable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2010 00:07:12 | More by AmberMan22

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

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

jera1350

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear burnt orange color with a thinner tan head. A little lace, not much.

Very nice citrusy hop nose. Oranges and tangerine. A little malt sweetness.

The hops taste a little more earthy and piney. Not quite as enjoyable as the nose let on. The bitterness is not real strong. A good beginner tasting IPA. The malt is there and adds sweet balance. Kind of hard to describe this one.

The carbonation falls a bit short, could use a bump up. Otherwise this one is medium bodied and pretty smooth.

A decent run of the mill IPA. As mentioned before, this would be a good introductory IPA. I don't think it would scare off the masses because it's balanced. I got a six pack and will enjoy them, but I probably wouldn't pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 02:03:29 | More by jera1350

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle tried 9 Jun 2010. Courtesy of R&S, thanks!

Poured in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker glass. Very big off white head. Medium carbonation. Hazy orange amber color. Sweet and resiny aroma, a touch soapy. Lightly orange sweet, then becomes fairly bitter. Lightly resin throughout. Touch of aspirin again. Dry mineral aftertaste. Medium body. Warming ethanol.

Not sure where the aspirin is coming from, have we not noticed it in IPAs before?

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 03:47:03 | More by htomsirveaux

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you Mr. Dostal. Much appreciated.

A - Nice copper body with a frothy white head and decent lacing.

S - Grainy malt with a slight grapefruity hop aroma.

T - Bitterness throughout with increasing intensity as the brew moves to the finish. While difficult to get much through the bitter flavor, there is a hint at floral hops trying to get out.

M - I think the feel is this brew's finest quality. Thick and almost chewy.

~ This a decent drinker. I would really like to try it on tap because I think the bottling may have taken a bit out of it. There seems to be some lurking complexity I think may be visible on draught.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 01:43:06 | More by cdkrenz

cokes

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear golden copper with a moderate stack of stained ivory suds.
The nose is fairly closed, grapefruit and pine squeak through, as does some toasted breadiness. It smells decent, but requires strong inhales...though it does open a bit over time.
Through the mouth, it brings a sturdy breadiness, backed with hints of toast and nuts. It turns a tad sweeter as it goes, approaching fry bread. Hops are boisterous, but lack a certain amount of clarity. Grapefruit and pine are here, as well as pineapple, hay, and metal, and some gin-centric botanicals.
The body is fleece like, with a medium carbonation. It doesn't distinguish itself uniquely in the IPA realm, but it has some session capacity.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2010 06:38:23 | More by cokes

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