Hop Happy - Milwaukee Brewing Company

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a MKE tulip.
7.5% ABV

A - Faintly hazy, this golden amber beer has a good level of carbonation feeding the excellent, frothy ivory head, which leaves thick rings of lace coating the glass for a picture-perfect IPA!

S - In keeping with classic midwest-style IPAs, there is a predominant hop nose, but immediately apparent is balance. Light citrus cascades down to earthy tones with resin following. Caramel and toasted, earthy amber malts follow leaving this brew smelling pretty simple, but it works.

T - The balance, once again, takes front and center. Plenty of malt backing allows some caramel and toasted amber malt flavor to penetrate the overarching hop profile of English earthy tones; dried leaves, pine resin, and grass clippings with some American-style citrus drops lingering on the finish.

M - Medium-bodied, smooth, and pretty soft from the addition of oats, balance remains key here; a good helping of hops through the boil lets this IPA finish with considerable lingering bitterness but the malt base and style boundry-pushing alcohol even it out with some sweetness.

O - Summed up in one word? Balanced. Hop Happy has plenty of English and American hops that add character and bitterness while smooth maltiness finishes out. Enjoy this IPA with pizza dipped in hot sauce or sprinkled with crushed red pepper for a complimentary zing of spice, elevated by the hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 22:15:20 | More by BeerFMAndy

KFBR392

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Appearance: Amber copper color. Above average carbonation throughout drinking. Almost a finger of head on the pour. Thick lacing left behind after each drink.

Smell: A little faint but what is there is very pleasant. Tangerines, grapefruit, pine, caramel, and some hints from the alcohol content. The aroma was very much on edge which gave me some strong hope for this brew.

Taste: Watered down hops I wouldn't say hit on the front on this brew but provide a slight bump. Hints of grapefruit and alcohol carry the body. There is a straw texture left on the palette. Overall, not much going on.

Mouthfeel: Light. Not nearly as much of a hop presence as I hoped.

Overall: I was in Beloit, Wisconsin and decided to get a mix six of some local products. This is the first of those. Okay, but nothing I would buy again or recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 23:59:57 | More by KFBR392

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle, poured into the Boulevard tulip. Coded bottled on date on the bottom of the bottle, but the label at the top says copyright 2011, so I'm assuming this is a pretty old beer. I have had this beer before and was unimpressed, so my expectations are pretty low already.

A - Pours a hazy amber honey color with a giant three finger tan root beer soda looking head. Very creamy looking head hangs out for pretty much the entire time you drink the beer.

S - Because of the glassware I'm assuming, I am actually able to decipher the vaguest hint of hops, unlike the last two times I drank this beer when I just scratched my head and wondered if I was drinking the same beer as everyone else. Cascade and centennial hops? Uhh, if you ask me just forget about it, it smells like an imposter.

T - Has that musty copper kettle malt taste mixed in with some apple cider, but there is virtually the most minimal hop bitterness present, this should be called IPA Light. With a name like Hop Happy IPA, this beer's utter lack of hop bite is disappointing to say the least. Obviously, this beer is partially on the stale side, so maybe I am being overly harsh, and I would gladly give a fresher bottle another shot. However, this beer just tastes very mediocre to me, and a poor example of an IPA. On the other hand, I could definitely see this beer pairing well with the traditional redneck BBQ - ribs, chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, or with Mexican cuisine like tacos.

M - More of a sticky honey taste this time around, with a nice moderate level of carbonation in the body, and a somewhat surprising bitter lingering. This beer's 7.5% abv is barely noticeable, and there is hardly any alcohol taste at all, just the taste of stale dusty apples.

Overall, I would have to say that out of the three bottles of this stuff I have drank, this has been the best bottle so far. I am still unimpressed, but it was better than it has been. In my defense, I did drink a six pack of Miller Lite earlier. I would try this again, but only if it was a much fresher bottle.

Milwaukee Brewing Co. Hop Happy IPA ---2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:41:15 | More by mfnmbvp

Buebie

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured hard from the bottle to the glass. 2 inches of tan head, falling back quickly to leave a thin film and minimal lacing.
Copper mahogany in color.
Aroma is like the little engine that could, but never quite does. I think I can I think I can....
Mild sweat bready malt and some background hops that present with fruity pebbles and hemp.
Taste is a little better, starting out sweat and malty, a well balanced flavor. Becoming a bit more bitter and finishing with a crisp bittering hop profile. Hemp, leafy hop resin. Kind of a mixture of cascade and centennial.
Feel is slick with a little thicker creaminess and carbo prick.

Overall the flavor was the high point on this guy and all else seemed to lack for me.
A decent offering into the ipa category as flavors were pretty damn good.
This is a much improved brew over their other offerings IMO for hop forwardness into flavor.
Good summer brew on a hot day and a nicely placed alcohol punch.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 01:46:46 | More by Buebie

BadgerBeer

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got a 6 pack at a local liquor store in Madison.

Big fan of the IPA's, and this one is alright in my book. While not the best IPA in my book (would have preferred a bit more hops), it still was refreshing and relatively smooth IPA that I enjoyed.

I'd recommend this beer to someone trying to get into the IPA style, or someone who is looking for a non-overbearing IPA.

If pairing with food, I would suggest something spicy to kick the hops up an extra notch.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 03:55:05 | More by BadgerBeer

ChadQuest

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Clear sunburst color with a healthy head, light lacing.
The nose gives the cascade impression of citrus and resin, leaning towards citrus.
Flavor wise in addition to the cascade notes there is a earthy noble hop note and this is oddly sweet on the finish, the hops come out up front and fade out to a rather sweet finish, not bitter in the least after the initial impression. Almost closer to a pale ale, but more straight sugar.
Mouthfeel is stickier and more full bodied then other IPAs.

Odd, interesting IPA. I normally like them dry as a desert bone, and this is a departure, but it is unique. A tick below average, cascade doesn't do it for me either.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 06:12:27 | More by ChadQuest

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into an imperial pint glass.

A - Hazy amber, with little off-white head the lacks any retention or lacing.

S - Dank wet smelling hops. Very pungent and in your face. Comes across mainly as grapefruity. Has a delicate alcoholic tinge to it, even a kiss of sweet malt.

T - No sign of malt early on when hop bitterness quickly ambushes with the bitterness being perceived on the sides of the tongue. Not the most refreshing hop flavors but impactful and ever present.

M - Has a dry medium body with light carbonation. Has a clinging hop finish that refrains from being crisp.

O - I enjoyed the dense smell of this beer but there was little character to the hops and malt in its flavor

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 01:34:56 | More by Jparker37

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.34/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

The first stop on my return jaunt through MKE (as they call themselves) centers on their normal IPA. It pours a clear amber-brass topped by over a finger of cream-white foam. The nose comprises orange zest, grapefruit rind, very light pretzel, and a touch of sweet caramel waiting to be acknowledged in the background. The taste generally brings in more of the same, though now everything is duller, the fruit a touch rindier, and the caramel even more subdued. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a decent IPA at best, one that promises good tidings but doesn't quite deliver all the way. It ain't bad, but not something I think I'd ever recommend for someone looking for an IPA fix.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 00:30:58 | More by TMoney2591

doucmehu

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Casanova in Hudson into a pint glass.

A: Pours a solid golden orange with a slight haze, nice puffy white head. Significant lacing.

S: Plenty of sticky pine and mild orange rind, earthy, grassy freshness. Well rounded but not overwhelming.

T: Follows the nose, with the earthy hops taking precedence over the sweet, citrusy hops. Solid malt sweetness rounds it out, but again nothing too in your face. Just an overall solid IPA flavor.

M: Pretty standard stuff, with an acceptable amount of carbonation, stickiness and bitterness in the finish.

O: A solid IPA, nothing terribly memorable but also seemingly well made. The hop and malt profile work well, with flavors that compliment rather than clash. A very approachable, drinkable IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 05:08:35 | More by doucmehu

AbsoluterZero

Wisconsin

2.78/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: The beer pours strawberry blonde with a solid stripe of tin looking white head. You can clearly see the carbonation.

Smell: This one's only got a very faint smell to it. When you get your nose close enough to be in danger of dunking, you can finally sniff out a whiff or two of hops.

Taste: A pretty bog standard and one dimensional IPA, to be perfectly honest. There's a very light taste of orange peel and spice to it, but the prominent flavor is the hops...which isn't horribly strong.

Mouthfeel: The beer has a decent gravity to it, but the carbonation is a little bit higher than I tend to like in IPAs (that last bit is all personal preference, mind you). My problem here is that there is very little hop resin that sticks to the inside of your mouth. I like that. I miss it.

Overall: I wanted to like this beer...I really did...and although this beer certainly isn't bad, it's not terribly good. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about it. MKEBC, if you're reading this: more hops, please.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 02:24:02 | More by AbsoluterZero

logansboat15

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased in a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles at Woodman's in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. I was attracted by the new retro-designed packaging recently adopted by Milwaukee Brewing Company.


I am not sure if this is the same recipe as Milwaukee Brewing's old IPA brand, but this incarnation tastes better than the earlier version that I recall.


When poured into a tulip glass this IPA produces a massive foamy head and the beer itself appears a deep, clear amber color.


Straight from the fridge it smells rather malty and bread-like with surprisingly little citrus or sharpness of an American IPA than I expected. With a rise in the beer's temperature a floral, citrus note comes through, meeting my expectations of the style.


The taste is fresh, sharp and hoppy, with a spicy, dry finish. This beer is a refreshing, delicious, and worthy of putting into my rotation of "go-to" beers to bring to holiday parties and summer cook-outs. As this brew warms toward room temperature it takes on a nicely balanced flavor profile of malt-versus hops.


The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth and would be a prime candidate to introduce the uninitiated to the world of American India Pale Ales.


Hop Happy is a very agreeable beer at an affordable price. Try some tonight.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 22:19:12 | More by logansboat15