Canyon Of Heroes - Half Acre Beer Company

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer has a hazy aged orange body with a lumpy beige thin head and bubbles that pop off at the base.

S- The dry papery green hops have a bigger juicy orange hop aroma in the finish.

T- The fruity and citrus pith hops are supported by some nice malt notes that add a bit of sweetness in the finish. There is an orange rind hop pungency that lingers in the aftertaste and grows a bit along with the sweetness as it opens.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a crisp fizz and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer has a fresh crisp hop flavor with good malt support. A nice solid IPA that is big but very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 15:28:03 | More by rhoadsrage

timc100

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Great offering from half acre - fresh bottle from brewery.

A: Gorgeous opaque bright orange/yellow - like grapefruit juice. Nice foamy white head, does not quite coat the glass entirely.

S: Really nice - very interesting blend of tropical hop nuances. Big sweet orange, mango and grapefruit, some pineapple astringency. Some malty breadiness. Not very powerful, but really nice.

T: Considering the tropical sweet aromatics it is surprisingly bitter, in a great way. Less complex than the nose - bitter grapefruit, orange zest, slight pine and resin.

P: Smooth, medium body.

O: Really surprised - one of the more interesting single IPA's I've had. There isn't any in there, but I sense galaxy hops, which is always a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 22:38:30 | More by timc100

jeonseh

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A - Hazy golden brown with small white head

S - Orange with light zest to it. Light pine and slight orange juice.

T - Bitter pine up front with light grapefruit and orange with light orange soda. Slight earthy and floral component to it

M - Slight carbonation. Body is slightly watery and light

O - Decent IPA overall. Worth a try but not their best offering

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:38:25 | More by jeonseh

hagbergl

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Bought a 22 oz. bomber at the liquor store in Kimbark Plaza in Hyde Park, Chicago. Served in my Firestone Walker tulip

Appearance (3.75/5): Unfiltered goodness. It's opaque orange with a small one finger head of white foam. I would have expected a bit more head in a middle-of-the-road ABV beer like Canyon of Heroes. Oh well, can't have everything. This is still a good looking beer.

Smell (3.75/5): Pineapple and tropical fruit hops in the nose, with a little earthy spice kick to it. As with all of Half Acre's hopped up offerings, there is something unusual going on with the hop profile that is instantly recognizable from nose.

Taste (4/5): Complex hop attack. Floral and grassy up front, progressively more bitter as it goes down; strong pine and pink grapefruit citrus flavors in the back. Has a malt sweetness underlying the hops similar to Daisy Cutter that compliments the tropical and citrus fruit hop flavors but cuts the bitterness. Personally, I would have liked a little more aggressive bitterness.

Mouthfeel (3.25/5): A lighter mouthfeel, a little lacking in terms of body and carbonation, though (medium-low carbonation). I really enjoy the smoothness, but the mouthfeel is not as solid on this as other beers I've had by Half Acre.

Overall (3.75/5): This is a very decent beer by the good folks at Half Acre, but it's not nearly as good as some of their other seasonal releases, like Double Daisy Cutter. Nice tropical fruit and citrus flavors pervade this beer, but its achilles heel is the mouthfeel, which I think is undercarbonated. Maybe next time that'll be tightened up. Let's hope so. This beer has potential with its interesting hop profile and nice malt bill.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 18:27:24 | More by hagbergl

GbVDave

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into 2 pint glasses. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Pours a moderately hazed bright orange with a 1 1/2 fingers of creamy eggshell colored foam on top. Good retention = lots of lace.

S: Loads of citrus pulp & zest. Mild malty backbone lends a touch of caramel. Touches of freshly mown lawn as the bomber progressed.

T: See above. Tastes exactly as it smells.

M: Relatively light bodied with hop bitterness taking the lead and steamrolling the malt smoothness right out of this.

O: Yet another great hoppy beer from Half Acre. They make it look so easy.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 19:36:24 | More by GbVDave

MasterSki

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at the Half Acre Tap Room, and then again out of the bottle. Served in my Half Acre pint glass.

A - A finger-plus of white foam settles to a solid cap and specks of lace. Hazed orange-skin body.

S - Interested hop aroma, with an mix of citrus zest, pine, grass, and an oddly dank and pungent onion note. Significantly better than the other beer I had based on this hop (FFF Cortez, which smelled like almonds). Lightly sweet pale malt backdrop, with a bit of icing sugar to it.

T - Taste has a bit more biscuit and sugary malt to it, mingling with citrus flesh and zest, as well as a moderate pine and herbal bitterness. More balanced than the aroma, and quite a bit more so than Anicca, even when this was super-fresh.

M - Medium body, with sufficient heft for 6.1% but perhaps a tad watery. Moderately zesty carbonation, juicy, and a bit oily in the finish.

D - A neat IPA that is quite easy to drink. The El Dorado hop makes a better showing here, so I look forward to future beers based on it. As usual, Half Acre gets it right on the hoppy beer front. I had no problems polishing off a bomber on my own.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:43:01 | More by MasterSki

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz, Jan/Feb '13
White wine glass

A: Cloudy bright yellow/orange. Didn't get a ton of head. On swirl I get that bright white layer and collar. Carbonation is ok.

S: Fruity hop aroma: apricot, peach, mango, papaya, etc. Touch of piney spice. Minimal malts. Maybe some wheat?

T: Upfront, you get that sharp twinge from those fruity hops. Prickly on the tongue. You taste some of those apricot and mango like flavors. Then it sort of falls flat in the mid palate. Thin bodied there. The finish is clean and dry and refreshing.

M: Light medium bodied here.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 14:25:58 | More by inlimbo77

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a very hazy orange color with small, white head.

S- Mixture of citrusy and piney hops. Scents of grapefruit, orange, zest, and even a little peppery.

T- Fairly bitter in the taste. Very piney. Fades into light peppery taste, zest, and a little more piney. Slightly floral

M- A bit thick, drying

Overall- Pretty good IPA here. Reminds me of a more English style one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 01:51:06 | More by BeerBuckeye

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours a beautiful, hazy, glowing light orange. A finger of thin frothy foam.

S: Soft, sweet aroma of tropical fruit. Some mango/apricot. Little bit of pine. It doesn't knock your socks off but it smells pleasant.

T: Pine, wheat, grain, herbal, earthy, grassy and a little malty.

M: Fairly light-bodied, medium carbonation. Crisp with a watery finish. As it warmed, it became progressively less enjoyable.

Overall this one disappointed me. Not nearly as good or unique as I had hoped it would be. This was brewed with Summit, Chinook, and El Dorado hops. The latter of which I had never had before and was excited to try. In the end though, nothing too exciting about this beer. It looked amazing and had a nice aroma but I wasn't a fan of the grainy, wheaty, grassy combo of flavors. It really could've used a touch of sweetness to balance it out and keep it interesting. The watery finish didn't help out either. Not a down-right terrible beer but unfortunately a fairly mediocre one. I still love you though, Half Acre.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 22:28:53 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

Etan

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz into a pint glass.

A: Pours a pale orange with a nice white head.

S: Juicy NZ hops lay down some tropical fruits. Pineapple, mango, clementine, cream, a little bit of bitterish grapefruit pith. Light cracker malt underneath.

T: Taste brings light mango, cakey sweetness, grapefruit, apricot, a bit of oniony, grassy bitterness, wash of slightly sweet bready malt in the finish.

M: Light-bodied, moderate carbonation.

O: A good showcase of the NZ hops, although the finish is a little watery. Reminds me of Galactic Double Daisy Cutter.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:24:55 | More by Etan

emerge077

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From the commercial description, you'd think the name would be "Stabbed in the Guts IPA" or "Surprise Seppuku". Were knife fights all the rage back in the cowboy days?

What we have here is yet another citrus-forward, well rounded and drinkable IPA from Half Acre. The first few whiffs really wow you with the citrusy grapefruit/orange rind leaning just enough into tropical territory. Later some sandalwood and green herbal notes surface, field wildflowers.

Hazy sunshine orange, spotty seafoam lace, good coverage on the surface. Punchy hop bitterness, orange peel and some pale malt in the middle. On the lighter side of medium bodied, easily drinkable. Overall a well rounded IPA with no flaws, seems to be Half Acre's calling card.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:19:01 | More by emerge077

Treebs

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

22 oz. bottle served in a Half Acre snifter.

A: Pours a hazy peach color with a bubble white head forming on the pour. It dissipates to a thick, frothy ring. Soapy lace is left down the glass.

S: Nice bursts of citrus. Bready malt backbone. Pineapple with some gassy notes as well.

T: Bready malts. Sweet in nature, with some dried grass and orange marmalade notes. Dried mango with pale malt finish. Lemon peel bitterness shows up after the drink warms a bit.

M: Medium light bodied with a residual sweetness on the finish. Medium carbonation level.

O: Nicely balanced between the fruity hops and sweet, bready malts. Highly drinkable. The touch of bitterness on the finish adds another nice layer of flavor that picks up an otherwise dull finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 18:41:21 | More by Treebs

Vonerichs

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden orange and crystal clear body. Minimal head and no lacing from the growler.

It has a pleasant citrus scent with some grassy aroma. There's also a grainy malt characteristic.

The taste has orange and lemon zest, grassy and herbal hops, and is fairly balanced with some bready and grainy malt.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with adequate carbonation.

Overall, a fine IPA that's very approachable and drinkable.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2013 01:14:52 | More by Vonerichs

overnightstorms

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

poured into a teku

A- cloudy pale golden yellow. Ok head and lacing. Lackluster head could be because I got a growler of this a three days ago but it should be ok.

S- Grapefruit, yeast, bread, tobacco. Fairly mild nose. 

T- Tons of grapefruit, orange, tangerine, tropical fruits, pine, some bitterness, and a great bready finish. 

F- pretty light body. Bitterness hangs around the whole time. 

O- This beer isn't too complex but its got a great fruity taste and cozy bready finish. Super drinkable, tasty, and quenching. This would be a great beer to serve with friends or at a family get-together. 

Serving type: growler

02-14-2013 08:32:50 | More by overnightstorms

Florida9

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Very hazy amber in color. Forms a minimal fizzy white head no bigger than a 1/4", though the retention is pretty good. Very minimal, virtually non-existant lacing.

S: Aroma is very nice. Lots of juicy citrus with a bit of mango and tropical fruit. Either Citra or some NZ hops are playing a role in this one.

T: Taste is also pleasant, but unfortunately the hopping leaves a rather noticeable soapy residue on the back end. Well, like the aroma, this one is dominated by juicy citrus, passionfruit, mango, and tropical fruit. There is only a little pale malt character, but the hops definitely take center stage on this one.

M: On the lighter side of medium in mouth. Moderate bitterness, but there is the aforementioned soapiness that distracts greatly from this beer. Mild carbonation.

O: A nice beer. If it weren't for the chemical-like soapy quality, I'd be singing the praises of how great a beer this is. However, the soapiness is very front and center.

Serving type: growler

02-10-2013 23:14:57 | More by Florida9