Hoppy Trails IPA - Appalachian Brewing Company

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Transcribed from notes dated Sa, 25 Sept 2010.

It was listed on the board as " Hoppy Trails Amarillo", suggesting that they were perhaps doing this beer as a single-hop varietal, but I am not going to clog up the database by adding this variation as a new beer.

It was still cascading (no pun intended, for once) from the hand pull when it was set before me and it settled into just better than a finger of eggnog-colored head with good retention. Color was a hazy honey-yellow, like raw honey, actually. The nose was slightly hoppy, but not overwhelming. Mouthfeel was silky smooth and the hops were 1968 mellow, man. I dig hops, but they need not come like a sledgehammer to the face. As I drank, a beautiful sticky lacing began to appear. The finish was pleasantly hoppy, leaving me satiated, but not waxed. This is how to do some maintenance drinking. Groovy!

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

02-19-2011 16:31:28 | More by woodychandler

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on cask at ABC Harrisburg, served cask temp in a standard pint.

A - A hazy golden amber w/ thick 1 inch creamy band of white

S - slightly dank hops w/ mildly citrus aroma and subtle floral notes

M - A smooth malt w/ mild bitterness w/ a creamy texture and slightly resinous feel

T - Mild citrus tastte w/ subtle acidity and gentle sweetness from the malt w/ has grainy flavor the slighly bitey bitterness carries an amarillo citrus taste w/ more of an orangey taste than grapefruit, but it certainly falls in the American style w/ a more semi-dry finish. The flavor is slightly maltier from cask conditioning

D - A tasty American IPA, I liked the cask treatment and would probably order this again. I remember patronizing ABC the first year they opened and this was an Anniversary recipe. It seems strange to review this all these years later, but it is drinkable even if tame in the current market.

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

05-13-2009 02:07:45 | More by Slatetank

AltBock

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was on cask at the Gettsburg Appalachian Brewing Company around 8/30/2008. They served it to me in a standard pint glass.

On cask, "Hoppy Trails" poured a bright and hazy gold hue. No golden lemon or orange, gold! Sitting on top of this golden brew was a creamy 1 inch head of white foam. It had pretty good retention that left behind a small creamy white film and one big streak of lace around the glass. The aroma was mildly hopped with citrus hops, a hint of grapefruit, a dash of sweet sugar, a pinch of pine at the end. The taste was also mildly hoppy. But unlike the aroma, the taste was all about the citrus hops and the grapefruit. No malts, sugar, or pine, just the hops and grapefruit. It was a light bodied beer with an aftertaste that echoed the initial taste, nothing but citrus hops and grapefruit. The only things I can about this beer was that it was an average IPA and that was fun to try on cask.

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 401 Buford Avenue, Gettysburg

09-04-2008 22:13:05 | More by AltBock

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IPA is dry hopped with Northern Brewer hops and hand-pumped near room temperature..

A: The ale has an amber orange color, very clear, with a thick 2 finger billowy head. The beer, as consumed, leaves extensive layers of lace in the glass.

S: The aroma is a citrusy hop scent with a drier subtle character that comes from dry-hopping.

T: The taste continues with the subtle hop character. The dry hopping has imparted an earthy, citrus hop flavor that really kicks in as the beer moves to the back of the mouth. The additional hops provide a big citrus hop flavor that finishes nicely.

M: The ale's hoppy character is both subtle and spicy.

D: The dry-hopping has added a nice element to the ale, giving it an added depth and flavor that the regular draught version often misses.

Previous Reviews:
12-Jul-06, Cask [Cascade and Willamette], 4.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 4.0, 3.90

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

12-31-2006 19:26:04 | More by akorsak

mjc410

Virginia

2.58/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A beautiful pour yields a very lasting, small bubbled white head. The body is slightly hazy, and just on the edge of transparency. Color is a bright yellow-gold. I can smell the hops from a foot away! An incredible lemon scent, backed by a bit of slightly sweet caramel malt. The taste, however, is not up to snuff. The beer was served almost at room temp, too warm even for cask. Full of bitter lemon, very light, and almost soapy. There's no malt presence here, and thus no balance. The mouthfeel is very light, with low carbonation, and is thus very smooth. Could use a bit more thickness. I would like to try this again in the future, perhaps bottled. Altough I would imagine having it at the brewery (which I did) would be the best experience. Still, after being unable to finish this, I was given a freebie, which helped some.

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-13-2006 14:17:24 | More by mjc410

simmons

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This IPA is golden in Color that has a thick white head that least a long time. The aroma is mild, the malt is just right not too strong and not too light. The hops has a perfect usage. This cask conditioned IPA is great, but is very hard to get a hold of so if you find it get it. It tastes like the Hoppy Trail IPA but the cask condition IPA has a lot more body and a crisper taste.

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

03-10-2004 12:14:46 | More by simmons

psugrad98

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This ale is a tribute to the Appalachian Trail which runs close to the brewery in Harrisburg, PA. The warm and cask conditioned nature of this beer only adds to its complexity and vigor.
Medium amber in color, slightly cloudy with itty bitty beautiful floating yeast particles. Full bodied, with a rich sweet nature and an magnificant amount of hoppy bittness. This is very hoppy with a dry bitter finish. Only for HopHeads!!

Serving type: cask
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

06-24-2002 13:22:20 | More by psugrad98

smakawhat

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head pint glass.

A somewhat cloudy body, very pale amber and lemon dark yellow in color. Good slow rising carbonation. Head is off white and manages two fingers tall, with a little bit of a creamy character while forming. Settles to a slow 4mm tall puck and soapy collar.

Subtle brown sugar and caramel like malts, with a little bit of toasty quality. Hop angle is present but it's very tiny with the malts dominating. Slight spicy, faint citrus possibly with a sweetness quite noticeable.

Palate fills with a good pine like quick bitterness. Aftertaste leaves some good hop aromatics with a nice coating but quite fleeting also. Good malt backbone and brown sugar like sweetness matching with the pine and somewhat resin like bitterness. Mouthefeel is slightly weak, but nothing that doesn't let the flavor coat or get out of control. Not boozy. Pine action gets quite noticeable and larger as the beer gets consumed.

Overall nothing earth shattering here, but a decent enough IPA that is enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

06-14-2013 01:02:25 | More by smakawhat

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

a: This was a clear golden color. It was served to me with a small, fizzy head.

s: Bready malts with a little honey and caramel. Hop aromas are grassy and herbal with a hint of citrus rind

t: Very much hop forward. A little biscuity malt with light sweetness quickly over powered by leafy, grassy hops that are quite bitter.

m: Slick and a little sticky.

o: For my money, maybe the best everyday beer on the board. Broad Steet Barleywine excepted.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

05-23-2013 02:05:34 | More by DIM

mpcrump

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: More yellow than amber. Very light shade. Thin white head that dissipated quickly. Very little lacing left. .

S: Piney earthy hops and biscuit malts. A very slight hint of citrus.

T: Biscuit malts up front with a little bit of citrus. The hops bring a bit of bitterness at the end.

M: Right in the middle - medium body and carbonation. Dry with a slightly bitter finish.

O: Definitely a beer I would drink again. Doesn't top my list of top IPA's but this is a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

05-16-2013 12:16:34 | More by mpcrump

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Weathered orange coloring with a slight mist and healthy dose of effervesce. A cream-buff colored head is rigid and foamy, fairly sturdy at a finger high while leaving a generous amount of foam lace lashes.

S: Sticky pine and white grapefruit grind for aroma. Decent at first but doesnt hold long. average strength.

T: Sweet toasted grains upfront for flavor, wet lemony-pine, with a kiss of hops and a strong flowery dry finish. Nice dry hopping lingers on while a toasty warm malt base backs up.

M: Nice presence of carbonation, light to medium maltiness with a lingering dry hop finish off the tongue.

O: Overall starts out wet and fresh, finishes with a lingering dry hoppiness. Nice quaffer, aside from a weak nose the dry hoppiness stays with you a bit after the swallow making amends.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

04-18-2013 23:09:27 | More by beerthulhu

DmanGTR

New York

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from notes while at the brewery.

Poured lightly hazy apricot amber, frothy white head that kept well and left islands of lace. Aromas of biscuit, warm bread, light caramel, and honey are fronted by well balanced tones of earth, grass, grapefruit peels, and herb. The flavors show themselves like that of the aromas. Perhaps a bit of pear or apricot thrown in as well. Very nicely carbonated, drinks fairly well. A well made IPA for everyday imbibing.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

01-07-2013 02:02:22 | More by DmanGTR

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another IPA transported by a friend from Stateline Beverage on the MD/DE border.

12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness/bottling date info.

Pours clouded dull light apricot. The lite tan head is long lasting and fine. Very slowly goes to a high clinging collar, nice lite sheeting and an equally quality looking webs and spots of lace.

Faint nose of grapefruit.

Nicely hopped up IPA. Citrus level is way up, bitterness is way down. Fruity, crisp, fresh tasting, light and enjoyable.

Hoppy Trails indeed. Nicely done, sessionable and worth tracking down IPA.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

01-04-2013 03:52:51 | More by Billolick

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

served from the tap in a standard shaker pint glass at the Collegeville location.

appears bright golden in color, with white head. Big hoppy aroma of citrus, pine, and earthy notes. Taste has similar flavors,hop dominated. Medium body, higher carbonation.

overall - a nice IPA, not over the top

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

12-06-2012 03:22:08 | More by jmdrpi

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On tap at the Lititz pub:

In a pint glass:

A: slight amber to yellow body with a thin white head that died after a good fifteen seconds. Some really light lacing was left.

S: piney hops up front with the typical earthy malts backing up a normal English IPA as it should be.

T: basically the same adding a bit of biscuity fullness to the finish and adding a nice sweet aftertaste to it.

M: medium with a dry feel on my tongue, sessionable

O: this is good for its style and for me, but nothing that is spectacular.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

11-17-2012 20:13:07 | More by kangarooAdam59

nimrod979

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle. poured into a pint glass. Packaged date is undistinguishable.

Appearance: Pours a lighter shade of yellow than most IPA's. Thin. White head. Retention wasn't great. No lacing.

Aroma: Decent balance of some piney earthy hops and biscuity malts. Faint hints of citrus.

Taste: A little more impressive than the aroma. Similar in description though. Dry biscity malts are prominent. Light notes of citrus rind and a nice piney bitterness that brings up the back end through the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodided. Medium carbonation. Dry. Bitter finish. Not bad. Nothing knocking my socks off either.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

10-18-2012 23:58:08 | More by nimrod979

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a clear golden-orange color with a huge white head. The head fades rather slowly as it is quite thick and leaves a nice level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell - The aroma is heaviest of a biscuit and pine nature. Mixed with these aromas are some lighter notes of a citrus and earthy nature.

Taste – The taste begins with a biscuit and bready base with a nice dose of citrus hop flavor. Initially it is also sweetened with some lighter fruit flavors up front. As the taste advances it dries out some with more hop flavors come to the tongue. At the end, some heavier notes (but not too heavy) of a pine and earthy hop flavor come to the tongue, leaving a slightly bitter flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the medium side; decent creaminess with a light chewiness. The carbonation is on the average side as well. Fairly nice for the hop flavors but maintaining a good drinkability.

Overall – A decent IPA with some nice pine flavors.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-23-2012 01:29:16 | More by Darkmagus82

mgironta

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This brew poured with a one finger head that left some lacing on the glass. The body is an orange-yellow with medium carbonation. On the nose, there are mild hops and grapefruit, which I would expect. On the taste, there were some hops and pine to it, but definitely not what I would want or expect from an IPA (after looking, I found that it was 45 IBUs, pretty low for the IPAs I’m used to). There’s really just not much to this beer. It was also a bit thin. The finish is quick and unremarkable. I just was not a fan of this brew. It needed to be a bit hoppier. This was just a mediocre beer. I wouldn’t seek this out again.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

09-17-2012 02:57:19 | More by mgironta

oline73

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear light amber/golden color with a half finger of fluffy almost white head that leaves a ring around the glass.

Smell: There is a light malt sweetness up front with some citrus peel hops in the background.

Taste: More hop forward than the smell. Citrus peel hops with a sweet malt backbone. Just a slight floral character. The hop bitterness it a little bit boring.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the thick side for the style with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Nothing delicate about this beer. Not terrible, but it's missing any wow factor.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-30-2012 02:52:01 | More by oline73

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at the Collegeville brewpub

Clear golden-orange pour, bubbly carbonation, and a small white head that left dabs of soapy lacing on the glass. Aroma of tame citrusy hops and biscuity malts. Basic humdrum IPA taste, with a decent balance of citrus/pine hops and biscuity pale malts, toasted grains. Nothing too daring going on. Light-medium body and fairly drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

08-28-2012 02:07:47 | More by Rifugium

magine

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a nonic.

Pours a hazy golden orange. Near white pinkie thick head initially, then settles to a thin lace layer. Some nice lace is left. Decent looks.

Brew smells of sweet earthy floral hops, maybe a bit of pine. Good malts in the nose as well. Some citrus notes come out as well maybe. Good nose.

Good body; sweet crisp hops upfront, leading to a mellow smooth nice bitter finish. Has a nice sticky finish in the aftertaste. Good floral and fruity hops here. Nice malts balance things out here. A good session brew.

Not a hop bomb, but not every IPA has to be. An interesting and clean easy drinking IPA here. A good solid IPA that is local. My first try for ABC brewing and it is good stuff.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

07-27-2012 00:41:26 | More by magine

merc7186

New York

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at the Harrisburg brewpub poured into a 5oz tasting glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes All Light, Thin White Head, Great Lacing

S: Floral, German Malts, Hybiscus

T: Floral, German Malts

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Semi Bitter

Overall, a nice IPA with some good english malt backbone.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

06-19-2012 01:47:26 | More by merc7186

dickroop

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I like the label on this beer - blue and green, busy but scenic. (This beer is brewed in Harrisburg, PA, and there's a nice little picture of the Pennsylvania RR bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River, just north of the city - it's a great nostalgia trip to see this bridge pictured here!!) The beer is pale golden amber with not much head or lacing. Aroma is faint citrus with earthy background and a little caramel malt. This is one of those beers where you wanna get some nose so bad that you end up dipping the tip of your nose into the brew, and there's just not that much to be had :-(

Taste is a burst of citrus hops, not much malt evident, but some floral elements. There's a long bitter finish that has muskiness and/or metalic side notes - not sure how much I like that. Mouthfeel is generally good - solid and satisfying with some hop oiliness and chewey maltiness. It's a rather one-dimensional hop blast, which would be OK if they hit the flavor better.

I will keep drinking this, with pleasure, but wishing it tasted as good as the samples I had when they had a tasting where I bought the sixer. I'm pretty sure it's fresh enough, and it's better than many IPAs, but it doesn't rate as high as I remembered on first taste. Goes down easy, and it's a worthwhile IPA.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

04-22-2012 22:26:28 | More by dickroop

tone77

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy beige color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is dominated by hops, a touch of citrus. Taste is very hoppy, piney, very bitter, no malt balance to speak of. Feels medium bodied and bitter in the mouth and overall for me it just seems a bit unbalanced, to much on the bitter side for my taste.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

04-07-2012 18:09:43 | More by tone77

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fairly bright orange color with a small head that leaves minimal lacing.

Light orange citrus aroma. Citrus and pine hops flavor lead to a spicy, slightly peppery bitterness.

Medium body with good carbonation and a pleasant lingering bitterness. Tasty. A nice drinking IPA.

Serving type: bottle
@ Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg

04-03-2012 01:48:31 | More by CliffBrake