Hopitoulas IPA - New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (NOLA)

pjwin

Louisiana

2.03/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Flavor was very watery with no malty, sweet taste.

I hope that I got a bad batch or my growler messed with it. It tasted like it went flat right from the get-go.

Heard it was good straight from the tank though and forced carbed with CO2.

I just wasn't impressed by this beer, but it has a great name.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2010 21:45:17 | More by pjwin

charlzm

California

2.28/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured at Jackson Brewery, New Orleans, LA into a red plastic Solo cup on May 11th, 2012. Consumed as I walked around the French Quarter.

Beer is a medium yellow with a fine, foamy, one finger, off white head.

Aroma is soapy, sort of like Samuel Adams Boston Lager sometimes smells. No hop aroma.

Flavor is strange; minty and soapy notes up front, some thin bitterness on the finish.

Overly astringent but well-carbonated, at least.

Yuck. Stay away from this one. I poured about half of it down a storm drain on Decatur Street.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 04:31:54 | More by charlzm

mjc3151

Illinois

2.86/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Large amount of head. Very clear, you can see the bubble moving upward through the beer.

S - smells of hop bitterness

T - I mainly get lots of bitterness. A little bit of hop flavor, but mainly just hop bitterness. A little too bitter for me.

M - creamy mouthfeel partly due to the head, medium carbonation

O - too bitter, not enough of a balance of taste to warrant a repurchase.

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 19:22:32 | More by mjc3151

One2Remeber

Florida

2.88/5  rDev -24%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A: Brightly clear, vibrant light reddish orange body. Frothy, big bubbly, dirty white head.

S: Light caramel sweetness, orange/citrus hops are muted at best (no BoD). Distinct mineral/metal smell.

T: Rich caramel malt sweetness, hints of grainy bread, followed by a mineral, watery taste. Big metallic finish that lingers.

M: Medium-full body. Heavy bitterness, hops linger and CO2 bites.

O: Received from a friend that visited NO. Have to assume this can is old as hops are present but weak. Would try again but this attempt failed.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 02:51:10 | More by One2Remeber

Reaper16

Alabama

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

served on-tap @ Wilhagan's, Tuscaloosa, AL, into a pint glass

Pours a pretty typical orange-blonde color, with slightly less than one full finger of off-white head. In other words, this looks like your average IPA. No real haze to speak of, but the clarity of the body doesn't yield anything interesting. Lazy carbonation.

The aroma is also pretty average. Grass, pinecones, oranges, grapefruit. Hopitoulas doesn't achieve anything out of the ordinary, or especially well-executed. It delivers basic hop aromas in a basic way. There's some malt here too, but it's an afterthought.

The malt, as if it were mad at me for thinking it an afterthought as I smelled the beer, shows up more strongly on the palate. Caramel & biscuit malts make for a beer with an odd tang to it when tasted in combination with the [basic] hop profile. The one bit of excitement here is the flavor of cherry that shows up on the midpalate. It tastes out-of-place, but at least it breaks up the monotony a bit. There is nothing wrong with this IPA, but it doesn't excite me in any way. I've brewed better IPAs, which is not a great sign. I could justify scoring this a 2.5, but the level of hops is high enough that the beer can satisfy a hop craving in a pinch. It's just not going to be very flashy or substantial while doing so.

The mouthfeel is very much in the realm of medium-bodied. It's a bit sweet overall (with the hops masking that with bitterness, of course). Overall, this is an average IPA. I don't have a lot to say about it that's bad. It's competent, but not in any way remarkable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 04:21:32 | More by Reaper16

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a nice amber slightly copper beer with some nice frothy bubbles coming up the glass. The head is about 2 inches tall and a bit ecru.

S - Aroma is bland. Slight malt notes and a bit of the hop character but nothing to really write home about. Quite disappointing.

T & M - Taste starts off similar to the nose. Quite mild with some soft malt sweetness and some slight bread notes. This is followed by some slight hop citrus notes and some pine that doesn't last long at all. Very underwhelming flavors.

O - Very disappointing and bland.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 02:17:54 | More by JoEBoBpr

northaustin

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

serving type is the draft pack. before i start the review i must point out that this beer is horribly over-carbonated. not sure if this is a problem with the beer itself or just the draft pack but eitherway, this is absurd. close to 99 percent foam every pour for close to two weeks now.

appearance: a clear light honey color with off white head. short retention, with a very thick solid lacing.

smell: a sort of corny caramel mixing with light citrus and grassy notes.

taste: 2-row with a minimal hop flavor, that is mostly towards the end of the sip.

mouthfeel: slippery and oily.

drinkability: besides the issue with the foam, this is perhaps one of the more drinkable beers i have come across. it is refreshing and comes in a convienient package for a fair price.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2011 20:31:38 | More by northaustin

deebo

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Again on tap at huck Finns. A pint for a buck-I'm in!

A-burnt orange in color and cloudy with a short but sturdy head-decent lacing

S-hops hit me first-grassy floral and slightly earthy carried with a nice whiff of caramel malt

T- very similar to the nose. You get whiffs of hops with plenty of toasty sweet malt that finishes distinctively grassy and slightly bitter

M-nice mouthfeel. Good malt backbone for a 6% beer. Moderate carbonation carries the hops in nicely

O-A solid ipa. I like the body. The hops are a bit on the grassy side but this a solid IPA

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2012 00:03:28 | More by deebo

zbkai189

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a soapy whitish head that recedes quickly. Brew is medium copper colored with moderate carbonation.

S - Strong grapefruit. Some pine. Some alcohol.

T - Grapefruit hits you first and stays awhile. Good bitterness.

M - Tingly and a little bubbly for my taste.

O - Decent. My first experience with NOLA Brewing Co. Will try a different brew next time, though.

Serving type: can

12-14-2012 23:49:44 | More by zbkai189

Francepants06

Louisiana

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured in a 24oz hefeweizen glass

The appearance an orange to dark orange in color, a medium size white head which dissipated slowly.

I smelled some hop and floral notes.
I tasted a little bit of caramel with bitter hops, and a bit of floral notes with it. It was light but very bitter hoppy, I'm more of the flavor and aroma hop kind of guy when it comes to this style. Not a bad beer and it was at a decent price.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 02:00:04 | More by Francepants06

seedsofchaos

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On a recent trip to New Orleans I had this brew both on tap at the Avenue Pub (best beer bar in NOLA) and then also took home a draft pack (aka "party pig"). The draft pack is kind of fun because I can really give this beer a fair review through multiple pours of it. The draft pack is approximately a full case of beer so you do the math as to how many times I have now sipped and smelled this beer. :)

A: The head is quite healthy on this little guy. Depending on the exact pour, I typically get a two to two and a half finger head that is foamy and fluffy. As the head dissipates, it leaves a lovely lacing around the entirety of the glass. The brew itself is a golden and amber color almost reminiscent of a watered down version of their brown ale. Looks great, though, as the color also reminds me of a Stone IPA.

S: You really have to have the right pour to get the most out of the bouquet, I've found. A great pour will put out great citrusy and floral hop character. I get no pine at all, though people have described smelling it. I actually don't get much else beyond a sweet malt smell.

T: The first thing that hits your mouth is hop bitterness. It's a little choppy after that and reminds me more of an APA than a true IPA. I get a little bit of the hop character and flavor (again no pine, just citrus and floral) but then the malts and other flavors really become evident. I get shelled walnuts, a little biscuit, caramel malts, earthy undertones and just a touch of orange or some type of citrus rind. The nose and the appearance definitely get the higher marks here and, for the style, the brew's taste is just a bit off.

MF: It's medium bodied and carbonation was great... Then again it was fresh from the tap at the Avenue and practically fresh off the tap from a draft pack at my house. :)

D: Unfortunately, it's not something that I would drink every day but as for "true" drinkability, I have to give it good marks. It's ABV is higher than a standard Macro but not too high to make it unsessionable. It's not too heavy or light and, for the average beer drinker (non beer geek), it's something quite decent.

All in all, this is a great first offering of an IPA from a great craft brewery that's just putting it's roots into soil. I would have to say that the style is just a bit off and more like an APA than IPA. I think we can expect great things from NOLA as they perfect their style!

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2010 13:27:09 | More by seedsofchaos

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful amber with reddish hues. Not much hed but we.l carbonated. Smells non descript. There is a bit of hops on the nose. Mostly citrus and grapefruit but very subtle. Tastes malty and hoppy. Mostly malty. The hops have faded a bit (age??) and left the beer a bit lackng. Overall a very good mouthfeel and fairly drinkable but not the best beer every

Serving type: growler

01-31-2011 02:05:01 | More by Urbancaver

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a wine glass from a 16 oz can. Tallboy 4-packs are $8.99 in New Orleans. NOLA began canning this about two months ago. Something incomprehensible printed on the bottom of the can; if it's a date, it's worthless.

A: Less copper depth that with the usual IPA. Thin head that fades fast. Very little lacing.

S: Slight bubblegum sweetness and a whiff of citrus. Not huge, but nice.

T: Uncomplex, easy-drinking IPA. It's strongly bitter, dominated by grapefruit pith. Kind of a palate wrecker.

M: Lighter than some. Nice carbonation.

O: This is the most variable beer I've experienced, both on draft and in cans. A can from about a month back was gorgeous, had me buzzing that Hopitoulas stood up with the big guys. But this 4-pack has been unspectacular, but solid.

Serving type: can

11-18-2012 22:19:12 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this one while out sightseeing in New Orleans! Served from tap into a nonic. Poured golden yellow with a two finger off-white head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, earth, earth hop, and subtle spice. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, spice, and spicy hop. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. This beer really had a lot of potential to be great if the earthiness would have been toned back some. The fruit aspect going on here was quite enjoyable, but the earthiness just cut right into this and stopped it in its tracks. Really a shame if I am honest. Worth trying at least once to judge for yourself.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 16:28:03 | More by thagr81us

brentk56

North Carolina

3.54/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with an amber color capped by an inch of foam that does a nice job lacing the pint glass

Smell: Reasonably hoppy, though the malts are not shy; a bit of caramel and some pine, though both aspects are understated

Taste: Biscuity and caramel malts, up front, with some piney hops arriving, in the middle; some mint and aspirin flavors, in the finish, though the overall effect is not overly bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A little too malt forward for the style though this is about as good as it gets for an IPA in this part of the country

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2013 01:15:00 | More by brentk56

Mistofminn

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this 1 L swing top bottle/growler in a trade with BA jstassi. Thanks for the chance, Joey!

Pours a clear golden amber color, no cloudiness or haziness. Has a huge tan head that is very chunky and leaves tons of lacing. Lively carbonation rounds out the look.

The nose is pretty fresh hops, mostly floral but a bit of earthy hops. Pretty good smelling, but nothing world class. I'm impressed.

The taste, unfortunately, isn't as good as the nose. The hops are much more muted, and the malt backbone comes through much much more. There is also an unpleasant plastic or rubber taste, not sure if it picked that up in transit or if it was intended. It's good tasting, but nothing great.

Mouthfeel is medium to light. The lively carbonatio settles down and gives a nice bubbly mouthfeel, nothing too sharp. Pretty refreshing.

Drinkability is ok. If it tasted more like it smelled it would be fantastic.

Overall, not a bad beer. I know absolutely nothing about NOLA, so I can't say anything about their brewery or brewing practices. This is a good beer, but with a few tweeks it could be fantastic.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2009 18:46:11 | More by Mistofminn

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Barley Oak.

Golden copper color, with a generous eggshell white head, about a fingers worth. Laces well.

Smelled crisp, with some floral hop bitterness, and hints of citrus.

Some bitter hops, but not overwhelming. That earthy citrus that came through in the nose.

Crisp, and well carbonated. Medium bodied, and a decent feel.

Drinkability is fairly high, it's tasty, and good ABV.

This is a good IPA, but there are many others that are much better...like the Stone IPA that they had on tap as well, which costs $1 less...

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2009 17:47:18 | More by EgadBananas

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served at Jacque Imo's in New Orleans.

Golden color with off-white head that lingers pretty well.

Smell is malty with citrus hop pungency. Musty smell.

Taste is caramel, malt, and mild hoppy citrus. Grapefruit and orange presence. Good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with lots of carbonation.

Overall this is good and definitely worth a try.

Serving type: can

02-10-2013 22:20:47 | More by TrappistJohnMD

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from tap at Lagers in Metarie, LA. Poured into pint glass. Pours a orange/copper straw color; some slight head and lacing. Smells of very mellow hops, some pine and sweet malt. Taste is very malty for an IPA, sweet malts, some bittering pine hop flavors as well. Its a very drinkable and tastey IPA, but not spectacular. Best IPA from Louisiana probably...

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 03:45:46 | More by DrinkSlurm

Ek0nomik

Wisconsin

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

Poured In: Pint Glass
Had At: The Avenue Pub (New Orleans, LA)

Stopped at the Avenue Pub during my visit to New Orleans. Picked up a burger and fries and watched the New Orleans football game. Man, the people here sure love football. It's pretty funny to watch these guys/gals.

Appearance: Pours a nice copper and golden color with a finger of head. Slightly effervescent, and there is a generous amount of lacing on the side of my glass.

Smell: The nose picks up hops with a good malt backbone. The hop profile is earthy, revealing some pine and grass. It's also got a citrus component to it, revealing some grapefruit and orange. A very nice smelling beer.

Taste: The palate just isn't quite as good as the nose. The hops are there for sure, but it's muted. The first flavor is caramel malt, followed by the hop flavors listed in the nose. The aftertaste is more earthy than citrusy, and I am partial to the grapefruit flavor that lingers in the mouth.

Mouthfeel: A medium bodied beer, well carbonated.

Drinkability: This was a good beer, but it was forgettable. It isn't something that I'll actively seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 22:22:34 | More by Ek0nomik

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass at Avenue pub

Appearance: 1/ inch head, orange-brown in color, clear, moderate carbonation

Smell: pine and floral hops

Taste: big dose of pine hops with some caramel taste to smooth things out

Mouthfeel: light bodied, sweet start with a bitter middle and a finish, moderate carbonation

Overall: A good piney and hoppy IPA. A beer that I could have several of and enjoy. Nothing mid blowing but a solid beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2011 18:01:36 | More by tigg924

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

served from the tap at the Avenue Pub, in a pint glass.

Appears clear amber color, with white head. smells of grassy hops, slightly floral. tastes of biscuity malt, earthy hop flavor. Medium body, fairly smooth carbonation.

Overall - balanced well, nice IPA

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2012 04:02:10 | More by jmdrpi

jabergess

Georgia

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

This is the second time I've had this one. Two days ago at the Avenue Pub and today at d.b.a. Color of a clover honey with a nice thick tannish head. Great lacing. The smell is grapefruity, citrus goodness. Taste is the same grapefruit hoppyness. Mouthfeel is thick and kinda sweet. I would be over the top on this one if it didn't have a bitter finish that hangs on. Not as over the top bitterness as some I've had though, that's why I give it higher marks all around.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 01:00:23 | More by jabergess

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to Bulbman for sending this one up north to me. The beer poured out as a really nice copper color. The head comes and goes within a few minutes. There is a light amount of lacing. and not much retention. The smell of the beer has some subtle pine and citrus notes along with a malt sweetness. The taste of the beer has more pine and a dry malt finish to it. The mouthfeel of the beer is medium bodied with a decent carbonation. Overall it's a pretty good beer. Not the best IPA I've had but it was nice to try.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 19:32:40 | More by Knapp85

cvm4

Mississippi

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap at The Chimes

A - Cloudy gold in color. One finger head with a good amount of lacing.

S - On the nose I pick up citrus notes (lemon & grapefruit) with a hint of pine.

T - It hits you with the citrus at first and develops into a pine taste with a slightly hoppy/bitter finish.

M - medium body, somewhat higher carbonation. Easy drinker, not syrupy or overbearing.

O - A solid offering from NOLA brewing. A tasty IPA that doesn't overpower your senses or leave you underwhelmed.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 12:04:42 | More by cvm4