Hop Knot - Four Peaks Brewing Company

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

jth218

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Similar to any other IPA, great. Great lacing. Full thick head.

S: hops up front, sweet, citrus, much sweeter than on-tap.

T: It is one of my favorite beers. Bitter enough. Sweet finish. Pine and citrus tones.

M: Not thick not watery. Smoother out less bite than tap.

D: You reach for your glass and its empty, happened to me ALL the time.

Serving type: cask

03-04-2011 03:11:22 | More by jth218

Phelps

Arizona

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My first cask pale ale. The regular Hop Knot is one of my favorites, so I'm excited for this.

A sticky, foamy white head with craggy bubbles comes to me about two fingers wide. It quickly ebbs to half that, but that's as low as it gets. Great retention. The liquid is a perfectly clear light tangerine, with no visible carbonation.

What an incredible aroma. Hop Knot uses four different hops added at different times in the brewing process, and right now they're all combining in sweet piney, grassy, harmonious brightness. I once toured Deschutes brewery and got to stand inside their hop storage unit -- this smells like I'm back in that hop closet. Bitter but not biting, and backed by a mild honey sweetness.

Light bitterness hinted at. Citrusy, piney hops lead the way, and sweet caramel malts back it up. The owner of Four Peaks once told me this was his favorite beer because it's the most balanced they produce, and I'd have to agree. Sweet caramel malts fuse with a powerful hoppiness in perfect congruity. Incredible.

Carbonation is negligible, as cask ale tends to be, but surprisingly and satisfyingly full-bodied. Smooth over the tongue, and almost creamy. I'm usually not a fan of beers without carbonation, but the trade-off here is improved body, and it works.

Whether in keg or cask, the balance and drinkability this beer delivers every time I try it shows why Hop Knot is -- and remains -- my favorite IPA.

Serving type: cask

05-17-2010 02:32:06 | More by Phelps

movingtrain

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this from the cask at Four Peaks in Tempe...poured into an Imperial pint glass.

Appearance is light copper color, about a 1/2 finger head, cascading down the glass. Smells like an IPA should...hoppy, citrusy, a little piney...the cask conditioning gives it a bit sweeter smell, and a bit more murky appearance.

This tastes great. I had a taste of the regular Hop Knot, and it was good. But, cask-conditioning makes this beer stand out. it's just cool enough to be refreshing, and a lot of the beer's flavors come through very well. There are some bittersweet notes here...and the malts seem to be very well balanced with the hops. They boast that this is brewed with four different hops at four different times throughout the brewing process...not too out of the ordinary...and this has turned into quite a delicious beer our here in the desert.

Overall, I could drink this all night. I really like what the cask conditioning gives to this beer...and if I could, I would take a growler back on the plane with me!

Serving type: cask

06-18-2009 00:19:15 | More by movingtrain

BucannonXC5

California

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Type: Draft
Glass: Pint glass
From: Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Ariz.
Price: $5.00 (guessing)
Purchased: May 16, 2013
Consumed: May 16, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured a golden orange color with 1-2 fingers of fluffy white head when I got it. Pretty good foamy lacing on the sides and good retention all the way down.

Smelled citrus grapefruit hops up front. Also some notes of floral hops, tangerine, orange rind, honey grass and faint skunky resin.

Tasted similar to the nose with grapefruit citrus hops leading the way. Tangerine, orange, orange rind, sweet floral hops and a bit of honey wheat grass.

Medium body. Thin-to-oily texture. Average-to-lively carbonation. Long, pleasantly bitter finish.

Really liked this IPA. It put the Raj to shame, so much that I’d like to go back and knock that one down a few pegs.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2013 07:11:15 | More by BucannonXC5

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz can served in a standard pint glass.

L - clear golden color with a white head that stayed as a layer being fueled by rising carbonation bubbles.

S - citrus and floral aroma.

T - very nicely balanced taste with the malt keeping things from getting overly bitter but there's still a good citrus rind finish.

F - medium bodied, smooth feel with mild carbonation.

O - very enjoyable and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

05-13-2013 00:45:23 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pour is clear golden orange with a thick tight white head. Nose is strongly balanced with caramel sticky malt and some doughiness. Hops are herbal and grassy, light but balanced. Taste is slightly more malt forward, toasted grains a stronger with the sweet malt behind and a bitter herbal hop finish. Lightly carbonated and creamy syrupy body.

Serving type: can

05-07-2013 12:59:49 | More by cpetrone84

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got in a trade with swingracex. 12 ounce can into pint glass, no canning date. Pours lightly hazy golden orange color with a 2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, tangerine, lemon zest, light mango, floral, caramel, grass, light pine, and floral earthiness. Nice aromas with good complexity of hop notes and moderate malt balance; fairly muted though. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, tangerine, floral, grass, caramel, light pine, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, floral, grass, caramel, light pine, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of hop flavors; with a nice malt balance that does not overpower the hops; and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and moderately sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with no warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice IPA. Good balance and complexity of hop and malt flavors; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: can

05-01-2013 05:01:52 | More by superspak

LXIXME

New Mexico

4.01/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A clear honey golden colored beer rests below a nice biggish off white head that fell into a decent lacing.

A big full aroma of citrus and pine style hops.

A lighter citrus style hops in the taste with a light grasses and grapefruit dominating over a slight maltiness that comes through.

A dryish aftertaste with just a bit of the hops taste and bitterness sticking around with this medium bodied IPA.

The big citrus hops aroma loses something in the taste but not altogether in a bad way.

Serving type: can

04-22-2013 20:45:41 | More by LXIXME

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

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