Hops Of Wrath - Dust Bowl Brewing Company

vfgccp

New York

3.19/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A - Bright, hazy apricot body. Thin, fine white head with nice retention and poor lace.

S - Grapefruit, green wood, peach preserves, lemon leaves.

T - Super earthy. Dusty peach, lemon, raw wood. Dry, slightly funky pot.

M - Medium body with a light, dry finish.

O - Great nose, but unfortunately the flavor profile falls short of expectations.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:38:41 | More by vfgccp

ebrauser

Utah

3.3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber to a pint glass

Appearance: Thick white head on top of a clear, pale gold base

Smell: Grassy with small bits of pine and grapefruit. Nothing overwhelming or incredibly hoppy.

FLavor: Bittersweet taste with a fairly prominent hop base. Bitterness is a little abrasive but not in an over-hopped way. Finish is lingering citrus tartness.

MF: Smooth and a little creamy, with a little more sweetness than expected. Very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 01:48:07 | More by ebrauser

ThePaleRider

California

3.38/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Scored the 6 pack while on Thanksgiving vacation in Yosemite.

A - Very dark ambery/orange. Very nice off white, one finger head. Very nice retention and lacing on the glass. Crystal clear without any floaters.

S - Plenty of orange, lemon, and mango piled up on some bready malts that also seem to be giving off a hint of something spicy.

T - Starts off very dry and bitter. Not picking up a whole lot of the citrus. Seems to drink a pretty heavy on the malts with the hops just being there to add the bitterness. Not as hop forward in flavor as I like my IPA's.

M - A little watery without a lot of afterthought. Loads of carbonation!

O - Eh, not too impressed. Way too many other IPA's in the world to settle for an average one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 22:45:04 | More by ThePaleRider

shleepy

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Hopyard in Pleasanton on 9/1/2011 (going through my notes and posting older reviews).

A: Golden, clear. Medium head and head retention. Tiny white bubbles.

S: Subtle, earthy hops.

T: Light on hops for an IPA. Super-balanced with the malt flavor. Ultimately, it tastes more like an ESB or British pale, rather than an American IPA. Pleasant earthiness and green tea flavor. Light fruitiness (certainly not as much citrus as a lot of West Coast IPA's, though).

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Minus points for being un-IPA-like, but it's a tasty, highly drinkable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 23:06:12 | More by shleepy

brewerburgundy

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

20oz pour into a shaped pint-like glass at the Standard Pour, Standard (Sonora), CA.

Like a proper West Coast IPA, the beer is a very clear middlin' orange with a nice sticky white head.

Sharp citrus dominates the nose; grapefruit, lemon, with a good bitterness apparent. Fits the profile for a good Californian IPA but hops aren't flowing from the glass like the top examples and it seems to be balanced right in the middle.

Moderate bitterness greets the tongue, and like I guessed, not destructive bitterness. Grapefruit and orange have the attention with malt that doesn't garner much attention.

I like where the Standard Pour has their carb set. After twenty minutes this one is a softy in the mouth. Not flat but not spritzy.

I'm glad there is another Central California brewery, but so far this is their only beer. Please be more interesting. I understand the need for a beer such as an IPA to pay the bills, but experiment and let us decide. Good IPA, but there is no lack of those.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 22:56:57 | More by brewerburgundy

kaseydad

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Pete's Brass Rail in Danville.

Brought to the table in a pint glass and I view a bronze copper ale with no head whatsoever as Pete's tries to fill the glass as much as possible, which I like and dislike at the same time. Can't fault the beer on this one. Hoppy aroma with citrus but lacking anything special. Not overpowering. Very hoppy taste with a peppery finish on the swallow. Very long bitter aftertaste. A lot of grapefruit in this one. Rather thin mouthfeel. Drinkability was so-so for myself but worth a shot for all the grapefruit lovers out there. I would love to give this another shot from a bottle as I feel it was somewhat shortchanged due to the pour and possible dirty glass.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2010 18:31:52 | More by kaseydad

Burlyn

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A dark golden honey color with a medium lasting head.

Smells like citrus and earthy hops

Citrus all the way. A little floral and malty. Not nearly as hoppy a most beers of this style.

Medium bodied with a good level of carbonation

Overall I'm happy to see a central valley brewery producing quality beer such a this. Although its a lot less bitter and hoppy than the average American ipa. In a way this is appreciated since this makes it pleasant mild and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 07:07:40 | More by Burlyn

TheSixthRing

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a crystal clear, bright golden orange with an off-white, frothy 2-finger head. Good retention. Lace clings to the side quite nicely.

Smell - Faint aroma. Pine sticks out. Mild citrus. Faint breadiness.

Taste - Malts come across light and bready, while the hops show moderate citrus character. Light pine. Faint orange pith bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light in body, with moderate carbonation. Very smooth. Goes down clean and with relative ease.

Overall - Hops of... Wrath? Hops of Moderation might be a more apt name for the brew. Not to say it's a bad beer, just a poor choice of name for a beer that's shows more balance than the name might infer. This beer lacks strong flavor, but it does have a nice, drinkable and approachable quality. Even so, the name it's just.... it's a head scratcher.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 09:02:01 | More by TheSixthRing

ReDave

California

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice light amber orange.

Nice white head fair lacing.

fair aroma, nice ipa style could be an old bottle.

Not bad taste, 3.99 bomber, nice pretty good IPA for the price...

Pretty good balance with a nice strong ipa bitter forward

nice bitter aftertaste.
I'd get this again!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 02:36:06 | More by ReDave

aero13

California

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

I was in Modesto this weekend visiting my In laws, so needless to say much of my time was spent was in pursuit of some decent beer in this smaller city.

Found Hops of Wrath on tap at the BJ's next to the mall. It was the only IPA on tap and the proximity to the brewery made me excited to try this Cali IPA.

The color is light copper and has a fairly translucent consistency. The flavor was fresh and smooth, with the traits that guarantee that I will be happy...

-Grapefruit undertones
-Piney taste
-Low malt content
-Easy to drink

I went through 4 pints while watching the NBA slam dunk contest and left feeling toasty, but not overwhelmed or headache inducing.

If you love a delicious Cali IPA with these qualities you will be happy with H.O.W... I found a box of them at the Bevmo and after sampling a 22' I decided to bring 5 back south with me. The bottle certainly isn't as good as the tap (ce la vie) but is essentially the same flavor spectrum with a bit of a metallic hint. No date on the bottle or the box, but these were fresh from the brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 02:10:43 | More by aero13

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this from the awesome trader Bitterbill, cheers Bill!

Pours an effervescent honey color with 2 fingers of fluffy cream colored head. Average head retention & lacing, sort of a letdown, this drags down the overall rating

S: Rindy & citrussy hops that fade a touch as this warms

T: Grapefruitty & herbal hops up front, some biscuitty malt & dryness up front. Earthy hops, dryness & grapefruit also show as this warms. Finishes with much grapefruit & herbal hop bitterness, plus a touch of honey malt

MF: Medium bodied with fairly lively carbonation, making the hops pop. Great balance and a touch of creamyness

Great drinkability, not exactly in my AIPA wheelhouse, but close enough to please most hopheads. I'm fairly impressed with my first beer from these guys!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 04:47:05 | More by russpowell

Klym

California

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a surly nonic.

This is probably the best example of a B+ beer I've ever encountered.. It's just so good, without anything about it being great or exceptional. A really nice balance of hops (though they get a little bit too bitter toward the end), with citrus sprits and a malty backbone. I really enjoyed drinking this and would totally pick up a bottle if I'm just looking for something to enjoy while watching a movie or something. My now go-to IPA in terms of availability and decency. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 22:30:30 | More by Klym

berkey

California

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hop Yard San Ramon. Served in a pint glass 09/03/10.

Medium sized nicely retained head tops a clean pale amber body. Spotty lacing.

Aroma is pleasanty bitter with some minor citrus but isn't exactly dizzying with hop complexity. Sturdy but clean bread-like malt backbone doesn't have a problem cutting through.

Floral and grassy on the entry with a lingering dry but clean bitterness on the aftertaste. Not as intense as the name might have some guess if they miss the literary reference but very easy drinking for what it is.

I'm not completely certain this does enough to distinguish itself in a very crowded local IPA market but the brewer seems to know his or her trade well enough to make me curious to see what else they offer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2010 04:46:28 | More by berkey

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

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

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #39 (Apr 2010):

Clear and copper, with an impeccable off-white lacing on the glass ... a beautiful-look- ing brew. Orangey, with mineral salt, floral notes and a little biscuit in the nose. Crisp medium body with a deep smoothness that runs well with the assertive hop bitterness. Fruity, with hints of caramel, hermit cookie dough and a little bread. The malt stands tall enough and does not topple over as the hops make a hard push of bitterness and flavor. A bit of orange rind, herbal and faint tobacco show as the hops unfold. A quick kiss of warming, alcoholic, fruity esters in the middle lingers on the breath. Long hop finish with a base of malt to help it along.

Sip after sip, the hop flavor grows on you, and near halfway through the bottle, this beer becomes near exceptional. Soft goat cheese coated with fresh cracked black pepper, can- died walnuts and fresh figs seem like a good pairing here.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 02:19:33 | More by BeerAdvocate

armock

New York

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

Bottle from BevMo in Modesto, CA

A - Poured a copper color with an off white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of citrus hops on a decent malt backing

T - Lots of bitter citrus hops up front with the caramel malt in the finish

M - This beer has a medium body with higher carbonation to it

O - Overall this is a good IPA has a good flavor thats enjoyable and keeps me coming back for more worth getting if you see this fairly new brewery around

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 23:54:26 | More by armock

jvillefan

California

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving Type: 22 oz. bottle poured into perfect pint glass

A: The beer is a medium amber color. When poured into the glass there was an ivory colored head that took nearly 40% of the glass.

S: One of the most pleasantly fragrant beers I have had in a while. There are hints of citrus and pine. The overwhelming aroma comes from the very clean and crisp smell of hops.

T: This is one of the best IPAs I have ever had. The hops are at the forefront of the bold and bitter taste. The pine and the citrus that are found in the aroma is mirrored in the rich flavor of this beer.

M: The beer is a little viscus but not as much as some other IPAs. If there is one fault in the beer then it is here but the mouthfeel is still above average.

O: This is my second time drinking a 22 oz of this beer and it will definitely not be my last. I could drink this beer every day.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 01:54:32 | More by jvillefan

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz to a snifter, no freshness date. Serving this one a bit warm

Pours an orangish gold with 3/4 finger of foam. Good transparency and very mild carbonation. Lacing isn't bad either, this beer meets most the checks of a good ipa

There's an aroma of up front hops with a sweet fruity malt. Hints of grapefruit, lemon, and some pine shine through with a splash of alcohol. Malty citrus is what distinguishes it from other ipas

The taste follows well, very hoppy with a strong fruity citrus. The malt is balanced well which the fruit comes across better with instead of the hops. The result is pretty interesting and well executed

Feel is also on par with the rest of the beer- nice bitter bite backed up with a sticky dry finish. Alcohol's well concealed and this stuff is pretty easy to drink

Overall this beer is probably one of my favorites I can't usually get from my excursion to California last month. Also stands out against many of the ipas I've had so far, something I'd get regularly given the chance

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:11:40 | More by lordofstarside

floraday

California

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a wine glass.

A: Burnt orange with a great head and long retention. Lots of lacing. Great carbonation!

S: Very nice! Lots of grapefruit and pine. The hop aroma is rather pleasant and inviting, not over powering. Some roasted malt comes through towards the end.

T: Lots of malt balanced by bitter hops. Smooth! A nice IPA. The grapefruit and pine comes through nicely on the palate.

M: A nice dry finish. Very clean!

D: Great IPA! Hops and malt are balanced very well. Great brew coming out of Turlock!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 01:50:02 | More by floraday

AleEvangelist

California

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Today, I had the privilege of tasting Dust Bowl Brewing Co.’s IPA, the Hops of Wrath. For starters, Don Oliver is by no means an inexperienced brewmaster. He’s been homebrewing for a couple decades now, I believe, and the beers of his I’ve been privileged to try have been STUNNING…..all of them. :) So when I saw the Hops of Wrath at my local Save Mart in Oakdale, I couldn’t help but grab a bottle. I had a feeling that this was Don’s beer, as his dad had told me that he was opening a brewery in Turlock. I was ecstatic! Now the beer:

Appearance: The beer pours like a pale with a nice head that had some staying power. Even now, after it’s been sitting for a bit, there’s a thin layer of foam, with nice lacing on the sides of my glass. The color was pale amber, which you’d expect for an IPA. In short, it’s pretty. :)

Smell: Served cooler than room temp, but not cold. This beer appears from the aroma to be extremely well-balanced. I can smell sweet malty notes mixed with some floral/citrus from the hops. In all, not overly-hoppy in the nose, which bodes well for for the flavor. This beer is not hops kicked up to 11, which makes for a more traditional IPA vs. a West Coast style. (Nose is slightly stuffy, sadly.)

Taste: A very balanced blend of hops and malt! American brewers have tended to the extreme ends of hoppiness and alcohol lately. Stone is a good example of this. Those are great beers, but this leans more toward the traditional IPA side of things with aromatic and flavorful hops. It’s really tasty, bursting with the resin-y hop flavor associated with excellent IPA’s. Plenty of malty sweetness to balance it. If you want to taste more hops in this beer, I think it could be served colder. I prefer balance, so I served it more cellar temp which let the hop notes play second fiddle to the excellent maltiness! Still, the finish is all hops. The hop flavor loves to linger on the back of the tongue to remind you that you are drinking the Hops of Wrath. If they don’t hit you in the front of the palate, just wait a minute!

Mouthfeel: Since the beer is not overly alcoholic, it’s not as chewy as more extreme IPA’s would be. Not watery, by any stretch of the imagination, but very drinkable. Also not syrupy, which definitely helps the flavor not be so darn sweet.

Overall: This beer is VERY drinkable. Served colder, the hop notes would be more prominent, but they’re not missing at all. I spent the evening drinking some Noble Pils from Sam Adams, so I’ve been enjoying hoppiness all evening. This beer was the perfect closer to a great day! Well-balanced is the key to this tasty beer, something that takes skill to hit. A lot of people make IPA’s, and they war with who can use the most hops, or the highest alpha-acid hops. Someone who balances perfectly with malt possesses skill, and I look forward to seeing what comes from Dust Bowl Brewing Company!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 19:14:47 | More by AleEvangelist

jeffjeff1

California

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My wife got this for me a while ago.

Appearance- copper color, nice size head with good retention, nice lacing

Smell- citrus and piney hops

Taste- mostly citrus hops, nice bitterness at the end

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- very good, nice citrus and bitterness

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 20:06:13 | More by jeffjeff1

jackorain

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a standard shaker pint glass at St Stan's/Hero's in Modesto, CA.

Pours a very nice golden/copper hue topped with a white ½ inch tall head. The retention was of a decent time period as I took some notes. The lace left behind was also nice. Lace was left in the form of several cascading rings coinciding with the previous level of the beer after each pull.

Initial nose is of grapefruit and pine ops with bready, doughy malts briefly surfacing to only to fall back and allow more grapefruit to come through. Nice but not very complex.

Pine hop bitterness and flavor hit 1st which is quickly followed by an onslaught of citrus flavors, with grapefruit in the forefront, some tangerine and lemon come through too. There is a big bitter bite that fights of the initial attempts of the biscuit and bready malts to come through. As my palate acclimated to the bitterness, some biscuit and bread notes did begin to shine through. The finish is a return of the grapefruit with some added bitterness that is reminiscent of the rind of grapefruit with some white ptih attached. The bitterness lingers quite a while after each sip. Not balanced by any stretch but this is expected from a west coast style IPA of which this is a fine example

The mouth feel is quite creamy with a medium body. Carbonation is vibrant but doesn't overpower the creaminess.

This is a very fine beverage of which I could have easily down several more than the two I had, but I had to drive.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2009 16:32:36 | More by jackorain

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy orange-ish to yellow color with an off white head. In the aroma, orange citrus, almost like orange juice. In the taste, orange citrus tartness and a nice hop. Almost tastes like a IPA made with orange juice. A hop bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry orange peel like aftertaste. Big orange juice like with nice hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 18:46:48 | More by OWSLEY069

BeerOnTheWall

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type: 22 oz. bottle poured into standard pint glass

A: Clean, light golden hue, gorgeous thick head when poured into the glass that lasted a few minutes leaving behind nice lacing on the glass.

S: Sniffff....ahhh! Hops. Citrus, pine, a slight hint of malt, but mostly clean fresh hop notes coming through.

T: WOW! This is a nice West Coast style IPA. Lots of citrus and a little bite of spiciness up front, still lots of hop flavors on the mid palate with hints of sweet malt, bitter finish lingers with more citrus notes.

M: Good, medium body, creamy for an IPA. A nice surprise...you wouldn't know by the taste that there is this much body to the beer.

D: I could drink this again and again. I have had it on tap as well. If you like IPA's, this is a must try!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 18:11:45 | More by BeerOnTheWall

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a sturdy head that leaves plenty of foam around the pint glass

Smell: Very pithy, with plenty of pine, as well, and an underlying cookie dough malt character

Taste: Cookie dough and caramel together in the malt base with a pithy blast of pine that joins by mid-palate; the malts, which re-emerge after the swallow, provide a unique character that blends nicely with the hop elements

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: The malt character of this beer sets it apart from other IPAs; still, it has a nice hop presence, as well, that will satisfy any hophead

Thanks, duels, for the chance to revisit

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 23:44:51 | More by brentk56

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a bottle of this at Beer Revolution, just because I hadn't seen it before, I love IPAs, and it was a reasonable price. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a well made beer and quite tasty. Pours a nice orange amber with a creamy white head that fades to a thin cap. Nice citrusy and piny nose, with a bit of creaminess and parrafin in the background. Grapefruit and orange interplay with pine and spicy herbs. This is an IPA with some oomph to it. Nice bitter flavors playing off of some sweet, clean malt. Lots of pine and grapefruit pith up front, with a lingering bitter finish tempered by a delicate, sweet creaminess that is very appetizing. The more I drink the better it gets. I really like this quite a bit. Big, chewy, bitter mouthfeel, with some relief from the light, sweet malt. This beer is relentlessly bitter- in a good way- and far more so than some of the big reputation bitter IPAs out there I've had. At 6.6%, it packs a lot of flavor on a relatively slender frame. Kudos! Hope we see more fine beer from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 07:32:19 | More by Georgiabeer