Hop Box - Joseph James Brewing Inc.

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.36/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a clear slightly orange golden color with a tight, white head that leaves a nice sheet of lacing.

Smells of citric hop notes along with some floral notes.

Tastes of the citric hops upfront on top of an okay malt backbone. Hops lead off with citrus, herbal, leafy, and floral notes that are not overly bitter. The malts swing in with a bit of toasted bread and toffee to add sweetness. This tends to lean to the sweet side of the spectrum. A bit of heat is noticeable on the end.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is just an okay DIPA which doesn't really warrant a second look.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:44:39 | More by ocelot2500

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.3/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Thanks merc...
The beer pours a hazy amber with a fluffy off white head that laces. The nose is caramel forward with a slight citrus hoppiness soon after (ugh barleywine?). The taste is surprisingly worse than the nose with potent sugar, a touch of booze, and slight hoppiness. I could imagine this getting better as it warms...but I'm not going to give it the benefit of the doubt. The mouthfeel is relatively sweet, with a very minor bitterness. It's not the worst DIPA I've had, but it's pretty close.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 00:12:06 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

2.88/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Thanks to Wiscobrew for this bomber.

A: Orangish/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, Thick White Head, Good Lacing

S: This smells like a bad, gritty barleywine. There is zero bottle dating but I am going to say that this is an old bottle.

T: This is completely devoid of any hops...

M: Great Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, ...this is either an old bottle or just junk.

Overall....nothing more to say.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 00:07:42 | More by merc7186

DannyHartman

3.43/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a very healthy head appears atop a pretty clear golden orange brew.... The head of this beer left plenty of trails during the drinking of it.

I take a whiff, and I get upfront dark caramel maltiness with piney and citrus notes like that of mostly grapefruit.

While drinking, I get a bunch of malt and bitterness.... There's tastes of caramel and grapefruit with a decent aftertaste of alcohol.

This is a well carbonated, medium-to-full bodied beverage that has an almost syrupy aftertaste left on the palate.

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the hoppiness of this brew for being an "I.P.A.".... However, this brew isn't that bad.... Pretty cool that it's brewed out of my backyard, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 18:42:29 | More by DannyHartman

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.48/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into DFH Signature glass. I can't find a bottling date.

A - Pours a copper-orange color with good clarity. Two fingers of cloud-like head rise above the rim of the glass. Shows great lacing.

S - Tropical fruits, pine sap hops, and caramel malt. Smells a bit sweet, with balancing hops.

T - Begins sweet with bready caramel malts. Bitter hops follow leaving a slightly astringent pine flavor behind. Mild alcohol burn on the finish reminds you that this is a big beer. I liked it less as I drank more.

M - I think much of the carbonation was lost in the huge head. Medium thickness.

O - I was initially impressed by this beer's appearance and complex aroma. The flavor has great hop flavors, but disappoints with an astringent and boozey aftertaste. Lacks carbonation despite the pillowy head. It wasn't terrible but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:37:56 | More by NoLeafClover44

smerrell

Pennsylvania

2.6/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy amber with a lingering white head.
Smells like it may have gone bad - sour notes that are not entirely pleasant.
Taste pretty much like is smells- funky, sour, likley infected with something bad.

Overall, I hope that my bottle is the exception - I won't be buying another

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 03:19:01 | More by smerrell

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear orange with a 2 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. A nice latticework of lace forms around the glass on the drink down.. Smell is of herbal hops, malt, and alcohol. Taste is of herbal hops and alcohol up front with a malty finish. The aftertaste is slightly vegetal like onions/garlic. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good DIPA in my opinion. I am surprised by some of the lower reviews on this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 04:01:47 | More by UCLABrewN84

peabody

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a darker amber well filtered and decent carbonation. Lacing on the glass.
Smell is grapefruit rind/pine and alcohol. Not really strong but def. there.
Taste is boozy at first then sugary malt and grapefruit rind leaving behind a sticky tongue.
Mouthfeel is a little sticky but finishes like any good IPA.
This is not a great IPA but it is a very decent one.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 21:24:17 | More by peabody

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.03/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a little dark for my ipa preference, owes more to the color brown than it does orange or yellow. 1/16" of head isn't so impressive looking. Aroma is anything but hoppy. Not repulsive, just a kind of empty wet wood and earth kind of aroma.

Taste, a little more yeast estery than almost every ipa I can think of sans, flying fish maybe. Big malt base, low carbonation, heavy thick mouthfeel, hops just really absent from this thing.

And the kicker, this stuff is relatively expensive. Kick me in the balls and steal my wallet why don't you . . .

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 05:51:24 | More by Beerandraiderfan

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Picked this up tonight at the COOP... shared a bottle with inflatablechair... Pours a pretty clear lite orange.... nice lacing and retention.

Nose is good... a fair amount of citrus hoppiness and a bit too much caramel maltiness for my preference.

Pithy bitterness is a bit minor up front but finishes big and bitter... perhaps blowing out mid palate hops a bit... still a little bit of citrus hops show ... a touch of sweetness makes the bitterness a bit more enjoyable... body and carbonation are about right.

I think this is a steal of a deal at less than $2/bottle, but it seems pretty muddy on the palate IMHO... Okay beer at a fantastic price.

4.5/4/3/4/3

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:57:20 | More by JohnGalt1

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a brisk, carbonated amber hue, with a nice, two finger off-white head. Retention and lacing are a bit tamer than expected.

S - Smell is of ripe, candied orange and grapefruit peel, caramel malts, and hints of lemon.

T - Taste is of candied citrus fruits (the aforementioned grapefruit, orange, and lemon) with plenty rich, biscuity caramel malts, and a bit of pine and alcohol at the end. Hops are a bit tame for DIPA standards, but nonetheless, it's pretty tasty.

M - Medium-full body, with moderate carbonation. Not much "slick, hop oil" feel to speak of that's common in DIPA's, which makes this one too easy to quaff down for it's strength.

O - Overall, it's a decent contender in the competitive DIPA category, and it's cool to start seeing some craft beers out of NV. However, the hardcore hop disciples might find the hops too docile in this one. I enjoyed it though.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 06:34:31 | More by Flightoficarus

ehammond1

California

1.85/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, MrHirschybar!

Clear golden orange and amber with a thick, pillowy, persistent whipped cream colored head that leaves sticky sheets of lace all the way down the glass. Gorgeous.

Quite a strange aroma, and certainly not like any other DIPA aroma I've ever experienced. It's tough to pinpoint, but this smells like soured citrus and grapes, a bit of lemon, and some funky barnyard/wild yeast. Strange. This smells wild...literally. Below average for a DIPA. Strangely unique and somewhat interesting for a wild ale. Though, with a name like Hop Box Imperial IPA, I can't give it very high marks.

Again, this is a sour ale, and certainly no DIPA. Maybe they threw on the wrong label. The flavors consist of funky barnyard yeast, hay, grass, lemon, and stinging sourness. Sounds good, right? Well...it kind of is, but not for a DIPA!

Medium mouthfeel with ample carbonation.

Identity crisis in a bottle. This must be seriously infected. This no longer even resembles any sort of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:00:45 | More by ehammond1

kawilliams81

Illinois

2.42/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a 16 oz. snifter.

A- Cloudy dark orange. 2" creamy white head and lots of lacing.

S- All citrus, pineapple, orange, guava, grapefruit

T- WTF! Is this supposed to be sour? Has the sweet citrus notes at first but then sour notes over power this beer.

M- Medium body, very creamy, abv is not noticeable at all.

O- Just a mess of a beer. Not hop bitterness to be found and sourness is just weird.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 22:05:57 | More by kawilliams81

kkipple

South Carolina

3.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this because I'd never heard of it.

Bubbly, deep caramel... huge head, for a DIPA, that takes up half the glass. Massively sweet, fruity nose - all kinds of tropical, guava, especially, and orange... but also a musty, somewhat stale note that doesn't really sit well. Some hops, but they are buried under the fruit.

Yikes... this is weird... extremely creamy, mouth filling body gives way to an odd flavor blend - sweet caramel malt, very fruity (Amarillo, etc) hops, and a distinct lack of bitterness that is (usually) the hallmark of this style.. hmm... that said, it's surprisingly "light" and easy to drink, and the alcohol barely registers. At least for now. The finish is pretty basic, akin to having just drunk any malt-forward beer. Where did the fruit go?

Hop Box is just an oddity... I'm not sure if it is supposed to be like this or what, but points for being different... I don't think I've had a DIPA as sweet, fruity and easy to put back as this one... the nose is pretty average, but I dunno... I kinda liked it.

I also find this REALLY hard to believe at 9.3%.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:39:04 | More by kkipple

ElGordo

Oregon

2.33/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Picked up at Whole Foods n Las Vegas before heading out to the national parks of Utah. Enjoyed in a plastic cup in a hotel room outside Bryce Canyon. Pours a golden-orange color with a pretty, creamy white head that leaves a good bit of lacing on the cup (surprisingly). Aroma is very sweet and fruity, big on tropical fruit notes and some esters more common in a Belgian golden ale than an IPA. It's possible there's an infection here.
Palate is thoroughly off for an IPA, and since no other reviewers noticed it, I'm guessing there's a bad batch or this case was left out in the sun for a while. Big tropical fruit esters up front, along with some nice hoppy bitterness with notes of grapefruit. Malt profile is subtle, light, and a touch sweet. Finish is a lingering fruity sweetness with just a touch of bitterness.
Body is overly foamy and light, especially for the style. Overall, I'm sure I got a bad or mistreated batch, but still, I can't recommend this at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:45:29 | More by ElGordo

mikechance

California

3.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer has a very nice rusty orange color with a big head and lots of carbonation. I pick up grassy, lemon, and malt in the scent. It leans heavily on the malts for flavor compared to most IPA style beers. It goes down very easy with little to no aftertaste. It’s an interesting beer, but hard to compare big the West Coast hop monsters --- more Dogfish in style, but not in execution. An interesting beer, but nothing I will need to ever to back to.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 02:57:06 | More by mikechance

FosterJM

California

3.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

624th Review on BA
Bottle to Bruery Tulip
22oz

Total wine & More, Las Vegas

App- A dark glowing orange with some lighter highlights radiating outward. A bit of a one finger bottom up head and a line of lace as the beer falls.

Smell- This is fast approaching American Barleywine territory for me. A darker citrus presence with a lot of malt and a little sweet

Taste- A very rich citrus with a huge spicy malty background. It was a bit of fresh bread with some spicy nose besides the malt. A bit unbalanced and not close to a DIPA for me. Missing a lot of bitter for balance or some juicy hops.

Mouth- Medium bodied and Medium carbonated. A bit too thick for my DIPA tastes.

Drink- It was a local I had to get in LV. It was okay but a bit lacking in what I was hoping for. I probably wont come back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 02:34:49 | More by FosterJM

wedgie9

Tennessee

3.33/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From notes. Tasted in August 2010 from a bottle received as a trading extra. Pours a clear light brown with very little head, but just decent lace. The nose is caramel malt with good fruitiness, featuring mostly dried fruits, and a nice grapefruit hop aroma that sneaks in under everything else. The flavor has some sweetness up front, but is a little more bitter than expected from the nose with the citrus and almost raisin fruitiness coming through as well. The body is fairly full, but has somewhat of a watery texture with very little carbonation and a long bitter and fruity finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 01:18:49 | More by wedgie9

RJLarse

Washington

3.65/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I bought a bomber of Hop Box at a beer store in Las Vegas. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a bronze/gold color and hazy. Creamy off-white head.

Smell is a sweet scent, some caramel notes and a fruity pineapple aroma.

Taste is also sweet, some caramel malt flavors with a hint of sour citrus, and some alcohol heat at the end.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and cloying. There is a lingering bitter aftertaste.

Overall a decent DIPA. ABV too high to be sessionable, My bottel says 9.3%. Frankly I think I'd like this one better in the winter season, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 23:28:21 | More by RJLarse

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a clear slightly dense aged copper body with a thick bubbly beige and slightly sticky head that has a swirl of microbubbles in slow motion supporting it. The last pour has a hazy dense body.

S- The caramel malt sweetness grows as the beer opens with a green pungent note that is softer in the finish. When the beer warms quite a bit there is an alcohol aroma in the finish.

T- The sweetness of malt is softer than in the aroma with a green herbal pungent finish that has a slight mint quality to it and a pungent bite that lingers after the finish.

M- This beer has a full mouthfeel with a soft alcohol heat as it warms and the sweetness coats the mouth after each sip.

O- The thick pungent hops don't have a lot of hop flavor or aroma and the nice sweetness of caramel malt reminds me of a barleywine. The bitterness in the aftertaste is just to strong compared to the rest of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 21:15:30 | More by rhoadsrage

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

FYI- My bottle states an alc/vol of 8.2%. Thanks again to my BA buddy alexgrahamlv for the trade!

A- Pours with a slight yeasty haze, but is mostly clear. The color is a rusty amber and provides me with a modest head, that settles rather quickly into a patchy film. Carbonation appears to be moderate as well, with lots of fine looking bubbles rising slowly to the top. The lacing is something that is lacking unfortunately, only leaving behind a somewhat oily film on my glass.

S- A good mix of hop bitterness, but not overwhelming for an Imperial IPA, along with some mild peppery spice, and sweet citrus and tropical fruits. There is more of a malt character to the finish than dry/bitter.

T- I don't think this resembles much of an IIPA flavor wise at all....the caramel/toffee sweetness of the malt is much more noticeable than than the hop profile, which is there, but is much more subdued than the stated 90 IBU rating. I find the finish to be more of a blend of the citrus fruit found in the aroma, plus a pine/juniper like flavor. The aftertaste does leave behind a more bittering character on the palate.

M- The carbonation is very mild, leaving this a smooth, creamy tasting brew with a medium body. The candy like malt, mixed in with the fruit is quite noticeable and really shine on the palate.

O- I actually quite like this, as I'm not a hophead! Hop Box reminds me a lot like my favorite style, English Pale Ale, with just a hint more hop profile. The alcohol is very well hidden IMO, and I'd have no problem drinking several of these on a warm evening on the patio, such as I did with this review. A decent beer, but I think the style that the brewery is going for needs to be tinkered with if this is what they want.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 02:05:50 | More by ChrisCage

jdense

Oregon

2.85/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle hand carried back from Lost Wages from Lee's Discount Liquor, poured into Gulden Draak tulip 2.27.11.

Popped cap results in a small 'pftt' oh oh. Hard pour left barely a quarter finger of quickly dissipating head, then a thin broken layer on top of reddish medium amber cloudy body, no visible carbonatioon, flat as a pancake. Crystal malt, sweetish almost candi sugar, dominates the nose, some tropical notes, but alcohol is noticeable in the nose. Taste mirrors nose, very noticeable alcohol heat, not much bitterness on back end, once again ABV too noticeable. Mouthfeel much too light, little if effervescence with some cardboard notes. I'm gonna have a hard time finishing this bottle. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 01:17:58 | More by jdense

Brewbro000

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown that seems slightly darker than i would expect for an IPA. Almost no head and any that was there receded very quickly in my FW pint glass. Smells of sweet malts and caramel with only hints of any hop aroma. What hop aroma is coming through is piney and resinous with no citrus. Taste is similar to the smell being dominant in malt profile. I expected a more balanced beer but this one is heavy on the malt, light on hop flavor and the balance isn't ideal. Hops come through at the very end of each sip and this beer is starting to grow on me a bit. Smooth mouthfeel with moderate carbonation, body is almost accurate but may be a bit to syurpy due to the malt sweetness. I would drink another but probably not much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 22:23:18 | More by Brewbro000

JMad

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I poured a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass...

The liquid is a murky brown with almost no head, the little head that was there disappeared rather quickly.

I could smell moslty toffee and caramel, with hints of alcohol and sweet grapefruit.

It tastes mostly of sweet caramel malt, with just a hint of some piney hops.

I think this beer tu'rned bad, it was thick, musty, a had little carbonation.

This one may have been on the shelf a little too long.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 21:52:29 | More by JMad

jrallen34

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -19%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle given to me by Destral, poured into my Darkness glass...Pours an ugly murky dark orange. Hardly any carbonation at all, no head surfaces except for a few sparse bubbles on the side of the glass...The aroma is super malty tons of caramel and bread, a little pineapple, no hops, a bit of alcohol. Doesn't smell bad, but no balance...The taste is terrible, at first almost devoid of flavor then comes moldy grass, stale hops, and alcohol. This is not a good combination at all. The feel is really light, a weird harsh finish.

This is a skip in all regards.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 00:30:46 | More by jrallen34