Hop Knot - Four Peaks Brewing Company

brentk56

North Carolina

4.39/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with an inch of foam that leaves a few shards of lace behind

Smell: Floral and citrusy with pink grapefruit aromatics

Taste: A touch bready up front and then the hops take over, bringing the floral grapefruit flavors detected in the aroma; the malt stays in the background throughout, though there is just a touch of caramel in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate but crisp carbonation

Overall: Wow, this is an "under the radar" IPA that is just as good as the more notable examples of the style

Thanks, mikedR (from the other site), for the opportunity

Serving type: can

04-16-2013 21:23:50 | More by brentk56

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz can poured into a HF stem. Thanks to Paul (azdback) for this one!

A: This is very clear. Wow. Minimal haziness and a dark golden/orange color. Nice, thick white head that leaves beautiful lacing.
S: Lots of pine resin. A bit of sweetness, balanced out with some citrusy aromas. A bit floral too.
T: Very well balanced IPA. Lots of sweet maltiness balancing out with citrus (grapefruit) and floral tastes. Not as hoppy as I had expected from the smell but very tasty regardless.
M: Light/medium bodied with medium carbonation. Smooth and creamy with a bit of dryness in the finish.
O: This is an excellent IPA that has flown under everyone's radar. Glad I got the chance to try this one. Very well balanced and not too much alcohol make this an excellent and very well balanced IPA that I could drink all day!

Serving type: can

04-04-2013 04:30:44 | More by standardcherry

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.79/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks Matt!

The beer is light golden hued and and parent with a thick, foamy white head. Ample sticky lacing plastered onto the pint glass. The aroma offers pine sap, resin, dank hops. Hop forward with a sturdy malt backbone. Bread / biscuit character supports the pine hop aspect nicely. Well balanced. Sweetness seems to escalate. Lingering hop bitterness and pine. Medium bodied with ample carbonation. A solid beer.

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 23:55:05 | More by Huhzubendah

JohnnyJam

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can with no date code into a pint glass.

A: Pours a golden color with a big off-white head that settles. There is a lot of thin sticky lacing.

S: Big smell of citrus. Grapefruit big time, pine and orange.

T: Mostly grapefruit. there is a little orange and light malt.

M: A little thin but very drinkable.

O; I like it. It is easy to drink and if it was on tap; I would have it.

Serving type: can

10-19-2012 21:54:53 | More by JohnnyJam

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a golden orange pour, 2 fingers of fluffy white head, nice lacing!
smells mainly of hops with a citrus background.. orange, grapefruit, fresh cut grass.
taste is very citrus oriented, with herbal notes, and earth notes. slight spicyness towards the finish, very nice.
medium body, medium crbonation, creamy mouthfeel.
this is a really refreshing ipa.. definitely worth trying - got mine as a throw in from a trade and i'm thankful for it!

Serving type: can

09-08-2012 17:08:32 | More by facundoCNB

bashiba

Iowa

3.3/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

poured a nice clear golden with a thick white head.

The smell is lightly hoppy with a touch of lemon.

the flavor is mild with a lightly bready malt backbone. the hop flavors are mild for an IPA. The bitterness is very low for IPA as well. Drinks more like a nicely hopped blonde.

Nice smooth and creamy mouth feel.

Good but doesn't really feel like IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:23:09 | More by bashiba

RoyalT

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – This is a cloudy, brooding, faded orange in color with a nice head. The foam bubbles are unusually large.

Smell – The hop aroma is complex with some citrusy pine and a bit of grapefruit.

Taste – The hops thankfully come over well at the taste. There’s more grapefruit here and a little bit of orange sweetness. The malt is very light.

Mouthfeel – This is medium-bodied with some surprising carbonation for the style. It’s not bitter at all and actually more balanced than it smells.

Drinkability – They managed to make this beer extremely hoppy without being very bitter so it goes down quite well. It’s rare to find a beer this hoppy that doesn’t wreck the palate.

Serving type: can

06-22-2012 03:33:24 | More by RoyalT

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cask @ Four Peaks in Tempe, AZ.

A - A bit darker than the traditional brew, with nice shades of amber and red. A great, fluffy, off-white head that is typical of cask ales.

S - Much more floral and fruity. Hops shine here.

T - Where the original can be a bit too dry and lack a certain hop bite, this brew hits a great cask IPA on the head. Fruity, floral, delicious hops with a good malty backbone.

M - Incredibly smooth, creamy, and the perfect temperature. Goes down way too easily.

O - A must try for all fans of Hop Knot.

Serving type: cask

04-08-2012 01:13:03 | More by Gatch

nickfl

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - poured with a small head of white foam on a clear, dark golden body. The head settles and leaves thick lace.

S - a fruity aroma of mango, grapefruit, and pine.

T - bready malt, spicy pine and a touch of caramel up front. More of the same in the middle with a peppery character that carries though to the finish with moderate bitterness and lots of grapefruit.

M - medium thick body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - very nice, especially for a single IPA. The hop character is excellent, but balanced and the beer is very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 02:54:27 | More by nickfl

Koufax21

New Mexico

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a pint glass. It pours a light yellow. Nice fingers worth of white head. Big hop aroma as it should. The taste is clean and mild. Not what I was expecting with a name like hop knot. I think most of the hops were put in the hopback and not much in the boil. At only 47 ibu it seems almost like more of a pale ale. It is quite tasty though. It's a beer I enjoy drinking while I'm in AZ.

Serving type: can

03-20-2012 03:29:50 | More by Koufax21

Crass3000

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes on 12/29/2011

4/5 Pours out a nice dark orange with a two-finger, white head with really good retention.

4/5 Smell is nice strong citrus - mango, grapefruit, orange, etc with a little pine and some caremal from the sweet malts.

4/5 Taste is much like the nose. The citrus is definately there, the pine is a little stronger, and the caremal is there to balance things out really nice.

4/5 Mouthfeel is medium and nice for the style. Really a nice beer that is under the radar.

Serving type: can

01-19-2012 10:43:31 | More by Crass3000

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - on the lighter side of amber to gold in appearance. Half an inch of loosely formed foam on top that sinks away leaving some faint lacing and a thin layer of wispy white head.

Aroma - lemon and lime with some pineapple and mango notes followed by some sweetness and some hints of pine, floral hops and resiny-ness. Certainly aromatic enough to entice most hopheads.

Taste - you know the type of IPAs that make you say, "yes, there you go, that is what I want"? Well, this is one of those type of IPAs. Plenty of floral hop notes but also a nice punch of grapefruit and pine to remind you that this is indeed something that says American IPA and says it loud and proud.

Overall - another great canned brew from Arizona! They're giving Colorado some serious competition when it comes to craft beers shroud in aluminum. Definitely an IPA worthy of any hopheads fridge, cooler or backpack. Easy drinking, hopped-up to eleven and well worth your time.

Serving type: can

12-30-2011 04:09:59 | More by indiapaleale

beagle75

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a goblet.

A: Slightly hazy, light orange-amber color with over one finger of diminishing off-white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Grapefruit juice and lemon zest are aggressive in the nose, with lesser coniferous foliage and mineral crispness. Over-ripe tropical fruit develops as the beer warms, muddling earlier impressions of cleanliness somewhat.

T: Begins off-dry, with bready malt and hop aromatics of pine and fruit punch. Acidity is high, contributing a lot of citric and carbonic flavor. The middle is clean but retians some mild grapefruit peel, while the finish is dry, with mild bitterness and lingering toasted malt.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, acidic and slightly sticky on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This IPA is solid for a flagship contribution, comparable to Stone IPA or Bells Two-hearted, but really doesn't try to be too distinctive. Among canned IPAs it is desirable, with more pronounced hop qualities than some others, even if those qualities are predictable.

Serving type: can

12-23-2011 16:29:36 | More by beagle75

downhilldrift

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Usually, I'm not a huge fan of hoppy beers, or IPAs in general, but this one is a huge exception. The flavor of the Hop Knot packs a huge punch, and its great hoppy taste sticks around even out of a can. A bit darker in color, but still lighter than the Raj IPA, and emits an aroma of citrus and floral scents. It has a good feel to it, and goes down extremely smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 10:37:56 | More by downhilldrift

MexicanSkittel

California

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you to azdback for the can.

Pours a slight hazy golden orange. Short fluffy head fades fairly quick to a thin layer. Some strong pine, fresh hops on the nose, followed by a grapefruit tangerine zest. A tart citrus fresh cut grassiness fills the pallet. Nice hops on the tongue as well. The mouth feel is a slight thick but a very well balanced beer. The citrus and fresh hops dance on the back of the pallet for a descent amount of time.

Overall a really nice IPA. I'll be looking for this on my trip to AZ for spring training.

Serving type: can

12-16-2011 00:49:37 | More by MexicanSkittel

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #55 (August 2011):

Tarnished golden hue; white fluffy head works. Resiny, perfume-like hop nose with some citric rind, mint and pine, tobacco and fresh-cut grass ... all just stick to the nostrils. Hop juice, smooth hop juice. A lighter body than expected, and the malt is a bit thinner than expected, though the hoppiness distracts our palates enough so as not to worry. Sip after sip is a new assault on the palate. This IPA lives up to its name as it ties up the taste buds. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: can

12-15-2011 13:15:14 | More by BeerAdvocate

paulginva

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: This beer, poured from a tap at the brewery's restaurant, came to our table with an approximately 1/4" thin white head that dissipated quickly with virtually no head lacing. Carbonation was light and the body was a clear golden hue with orange highlights.

AROMA: There was a light aroma of sweet malt in the background with heavy aromas of citrus, floral and pine, and lighter overlays of grass and orange. The aroma was quite potent, nearly what you might expect from a DIPA.

TASTE: Taste followed the nose here with the exception that there was a slight taste of alcohol -- all in all, a pleasing taste for an American IPA.

MOUTHFEEL: This beer had a medium body and a slightly oily texture, carbonation that was quite lively, virtually no body lacing, and a moderately bitter aftertaste. The initial flavor was moderately bitter with a light sweetness to it, while the finish was heavily bitter with a light dryness to it.

DRINKABILITY: This was a very nice West Coast IPA. The high carbonation added a little zing to the tongue. It had a nice balance between the hops and alcohol -- not overpowering at all and quite drinkable. I'd like to have another. Would I buy it again? Sure, if I'm ever in the Phoenix area.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2011 21:49:40 | More by paulginva

kirok1999

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clear gold with a fluffy white head.
Smells mildly spicy, some hints of citrus and minty pine. A burst of hops up front immediately followed by some malt sweetness. There is a lingering citrus aftertaste, slight astringency, and some rich malts.
Overall, not a bad beer. I wouldn't drink it everyday but it would be nice on a hot summer day.

Serving type: can

11-24-2011 02:26:41 | More by kirok1999

Centennial

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Can poured into pint glass. Thanks to azdback for sending this as an extra.

A. Golden with very subtle orange hue. Virtually no head but a lot of small bubbles and substantial carbonation. Very clear.

S. Pungent Citrus and Pine hop aroma balanced by Mango Tangerine and orange coming through.

T. Well balanced, hop forward, but clean without a bitter mouthfeel lingering. Balance is excellent between the hops and malt.

M. Crisp and smooth, carbonation a little too bubbly but it helps bring the hops through from start to finish.

O. Very Good IPA, reminds me of a blend of Abrasive and Furious. Wish this was available locally.

Serving type: can

11-16-2011 06:47:32 | More by Centennial

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hop Knot looks like the only thing it's entangled was sunlight; a brilliantly bright golden colour practically leaps out of the glass, even against the light of a completely overcast sky. The perfectly clear beer shows just a hint of carbonation, with few visible bubbles and not much by of head. Certainly no lacing ever take shape.

American IPAs are all about hops and this one must have more Cascade and Liberty and Simcoe in its little finger than some do in their entire body. I could smell the citric juices right from the pour, without even having to hold the glass to my nose. I'm surprised the neighbor across the street hasn't commented on smelling them yet.

My first sip reminded me of exactly what I love about this style: the flavour of toasty malt covered in citrus-y hop resins. It may be an acquired taste, but once one does acquire it there's simply no going back to lesser flavourful things. The tastes of cantaloupe, lemon, lychee and grapefruit are too delicious not to include in an IPA recipe.

Hop Knot is indeed a hop-dominated experience as advertised, but its pine and citrus elements carry little bitterness. Some brewers go overboard on the kettle hops, leaving the sensation that your tongue's been put through a sausage grinder. Here, however, caramel malt can do its thing and there's hop flavour, but without the stinging, raspy bite.

IPAs are to American craft brewers what gladiator fighting was to ancient Romans. Hence, a lot of breweries have gotten out of control trying to produce the biggest, boldest hop bomb on the market. Four Peaks, however, includes all the confidence and character without any of the aggression. Fans of Bell's Two Hearted, Ballast Point Big Eye or Russian River Blind Pig will find a lot familiar here. Greatly enjoyed and surely recommended!

Serving type: can

10-11-2011 20:27:33 | More by biegaman

merc7186

New York

3.48/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a can into a chilled pint glass.

The beer pours okay with a clear straw color, a mild white ring of head, and some lacing on the glass. The beer smells decently with a definite citrus nose (grapefruit), somewhat bready and mildly resin smells too. The beer tastes decent with a prominent grapefruit taste up front that blends into a bready, mildly spicey, mildly resin flavors. The mouthfeel is decent as the beer was carbonated okay and leaves you dry and mildly bitter. Overall, a decent IPA with a great grapefruit flavor, definite cirtahop taste...recommended.

Serving type: can

10-07-2011 17:34:39 | More by merc7186

doughanson78

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into a pint glass. Got from Phelps in the Tickers BIF.

A: Yellowish orange color, with nice clarity. About a half finger white head, that fades fairly quickly. Not much lacing.

S: Nice citrus and floral hops, that are not over the top, light grapefruit and pineapple. The caramel malts blend nicely with the hop profile.

T: Nice caramel sweetness upfront and throughout. A good mix of citrus and floral hop bitterness, that doesn't overpower and allows the caramel malts to linger on the front of the tongue while the bitterness lingers in the back.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly creamy. Decent dryness.

O: A very good IPA. Not the best but solid nonetheless. Very well blended and refreshing.

Serving type: can

09-24-2011 21:11:39 | More by doughanson78

portia99

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can received yesterday from BOLTZ7555 in a great trade! This is a Phoenix local favorite for me that I've been jones-ing for lately - glad to have a full six pack in my fridge. Poured into a Brooklyn snifter.

A - Pours a well hazed pale orangey golden color with a low half finger of short lived foam. Only a small collar of bubbles is left around the edge of the glass.

S - Fruity, grassy, estery. More malty than I remember too...has a definite underpinning of caramel malt at the base that the hops don't quite overcome.

T - Malty sweet base to this one...mid-level bitterness and lots of grassy and fruity hops come thru and balance the prominant malt pretty well.

M - Medium bodied with a medium level carbonation as well. Smooth and balanced...wish more of the hops would come thru here.

O - Hmm, not quite the same beer I'm used to having on tap at the brewpub. No date on the can so hard to know how fresh it is. A little bit of a letdown, but good to have this Phoenix favorite at home...especially on a 90 degree, Arizona like weather day.

Serving type: can

08-26-2011 23:43:48 | More by portia99

turfy

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this courtesy of Phelps - thanks Zach!

Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - A medium to deep amber with a one finger creamy head. Nice retention and adequate lacing throughout.

S - Very nice! Fruity aroma with grapefruit up front and some piney hops and trace of floral. Smell persisted until the end.

T - Taste similar to the smell. Hop bitterness mingled with fruitiness and a light malt presence. No pronounced lingering bitterness. Very good balance.

M- Fairly light with medium carbonation. I normally like a little more body with my IPA's but this one was just about right for this long hot summer.

O - I liked this brew. It would be a regular in the fridge if available locally, especially during hot weather. Recommend!

Serving type: can

08-25-2011 00:08:16 | More by turfy

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The CANQuest (TM) is literally all over the map today, splitting time between China and Arizona. My helmsman and navigator are at their wits end and so I have decided to solve this Gordian Knot by making thirty (30)-plus knots back to Arizona following our most recent visit to China. It is a knotty problem, would you knot agree?

Not for the kiddies: Popeye awakes in the Old Salts' Home on the morning of his eightieth birthday and notices that he is sporting morning wood. This has not happened for some time and since Olive Oyl has passed on, he decides to hit the stroll, whereupon he hears a familiar cry, "Hey, sailor, how about a date?!?" Instinctively, he knows that the young woman is not proffering a piece of fruit and takes her up on her offer. Soon, they are in a nearby room with an hourly rate and he is bobbing and thrusting as though he were a ship in high seas. He looks down at his friend and asks, "Hey, baby, how am I doing?" She looks up with disdain and replies, "Well, sailor, let me put it in terms you'll understand. You're doing three knots!" "Three knots!" he thinks, excited that he is doing so well in his advanced age, until she continues. "Yes, three knots - you're knot up, you're knot in and you're definitely knot getting your money back!"

Hop Knot? Why knot! Back on AmeriCAN soil, thanks to bennetj17, we employ the Crack & Glug with the best of them. We have tied up to the pier using the dreaded Gopher Knot, a complicated knot like the Gordian Knot, that will require someone to go fer their knife/sword/axe when we next get underway. I had a fizzy finger of ecru head that was briefer than MacBeth's candle. Color was an orangish-amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose was quite pine-y and a welcome change from both Lychee perfume and sea salt. My mouth began to water. It had a big, resinous mouthfeel to go along with its intense pine taste. This is the kind of beer that got me hooked on hops and I could hear echoes of the Hop Monkey that used to ride around on my back, chattering and howling incessantly. Finish was likewise free and easy with the hops and China's Siren call could be heard yet again. Licking my lips, I signaled for the Deck crew to bring in the lines as I savored those delicious hops and why knot? It might be a while before I could get any again ...

Serving type: can

08-14-2011 20:05:08 | More by woodychandler