Hop Knot - Four Peaks Brewing Company

stxSS07

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can into a tulip

A- Pours a translucent amber color with a 1/2 fingers worth of tight white bubbles that quickly recede. Leaves some nice lacing.

S- A perfume-like bouquet sweet citrus and juicy tropical fruits. Orange juice and pineapple stick out to me. A small amount of malt dances with an even smaller amount of resiny bitterness. The way I like my IPAs to smell.

T- Surprise! First taste is a hit of bitter resinous hops followed by all the sweet juicy fruits I had on the nose. The fruitiness really hits hard and comes on strong until the end. At that point the two flavors of bitter and sweet waltz off into the sunset. This IPA is right up my alley.

M- Dare I say this is almost a light bodied brew. I think the carbonation plays a big part in the mouthfeel since it's so aggressive. Cleans everything up nicely though.

O- This is easily the tastiest and most refreshing IPA I've had so far. Skewed more towards the sweet side, but hey that's what pleases me. Almost touches Alpha King in my book (should be an IPA).

Serving type: can

07-27-2011 05:32:54 | More by stxSS07

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

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

wcdoyle

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Head was low and died quickly, but there was good lacing. Clear gold with a touch of copper. S: The hops come through with sweet citrus--like orange or tangerine--and there was also a bit of malty sweetness. T: Wow. The sharpness was there, but in a good way, the flavors danced through various citrus and florals, but there weren't crazy and there was enough malt--both up front and then underneath the hops to keep things in balance. M: Moderate, and not too drying. D: I actually puled back on tis rating to be fair. First, it was a wicked hot Tempe summer day, so the beeriness along made it drinkable. Don't get me wrong, though. If I lived in Tempe, I'd be drinking a lot of these.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2007 23:50:07 | More by wcdoyle

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

fo5s

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle courtesy of Tayner (also got one from Justn!) in a trade. I loved the first one and decided to review the second bottle she sent. No date on the bottle, but it was relatively fresh when Tayner sent it and it's been in the fridge ever since.

a- pours clear, rather pale, with a fluffy 2 finger head

s- citrusy hops, but not overly sharp, coming from the west I set the bar high and it doesn't disappoint

t- hop forward profile, with a small amount of citrus, and surprisingly balanced given the origin. Could be sharper on the hops

m- fluffy feeling, good carbonation for the style

d- very drinkable, 6% abv so I could have a few of these. That said, not the most drinkable IPA I've had.

overall a very enjoyable beer. I wouldn't go out of my way for this, and it's not irreplaceable, but I'd love to have this as a local/standby...thanks Tayner! We'll have to see how this compares to leatherlips, which I sent her.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 02:33:46 | More by fo5s

buffettfan

Arizona

4.58/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one surprised me! They put the glass in front of me, and I saw a pretty average, golden, slightly cloudy beer, with just a bit of head, but it did hold a while, and had some pretty nice lacing. Then I put it to my nose, and got punched in face! The hops dominated!! The taste was pretty much what you would expect from the aroma! This was like chewying on hops! Loved it!!! I would swim in this stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2007 17:57:22 | More by buffettfan

DPFRD

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Clear Golden with a sudsy head.

S- Citrus and Floral hops exploding all over.

T- This beer is intense first sip. Just a crazy wonderful mix of hops. Spicy, bitter and citrus all dominating. The aftertaste is nice and will leave your mouthwatering.

M- Spicy & carbonated, light bodied.

D- I can't explain how awesome this beer is. At 6% it's got nut, but you can still pound them.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 20:51:31 | More by DPFRD

Lucklys

Arizona

4.68/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap, it arrived at our table glowing a clear golden-copper amber and held a finger-thick off-white head that filled what little space was available above the beer (my only complaint, really, but technically I got more beer). The head was fueled by multiple steady streams of carbonation that lasted throughout the drink and provided ample support to the amazing sheets of sticky lacing that graced the glass while I sipped on it. Awesome head retention and lacing? A great way to start a beer off, in my opinion.

I held my nose over the brew and caught huge whiffs of orange peel and grapefruit zest, pine needle hops, and some faint grassy-malt sweetness underneath. The lively bitterness almost made it seem fizzy in my nose, but it was a welcome vivacity from an IPA and was very reminiscent of summer.

Eager to bathe my taste buds in the hoppy glory that was emanating from the Hop Knot, I first had to get over how super quaffable the brew was. This is some seriously smooth beer. It flooded my mouth with just enough piney, resiny hops, orange peel and grapefruit zest without overwhelming my senses. It was freshly bitter and bright without too much bite thanks to the lightly caramel sweet malts that made a quick appearance before the grand finale. Throughout the drink, the bitterness briskly jigged with the finely-bubbled peppy carbonation, creating a lighter mouthfeel (among a medium body) and leaving my tongue feeling awake and refreshed. And despite all of the happy hops jumping around between my cheeks, the ending was nice and smooth with a clean aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2010 17:37:18 | More by Lucklys

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

Pamola

Vermont

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to stubone for the trade. never tried an az beer before this one.

A: Poured a fairly yellow color with a small, white head measuring less than a finger. Dissipates quickly.

S: Damn! Heavy citrus hops, loaded in grapefruit aroma. Stuff smells like it would cure scurvy in a heartbeat. Aroma is a little one-dimensional but it's incredibly intense and rather mouth-watering.

T: Wow. Sweet and fruity and as said before, intensely hoppy. It's not brutally bitter though, which is nice. It doesn't dry out your mouth and allows that sweetness and citrus to come through more.

M: Maybe a little on the watery side but the hops dance on the palate wonderfully.

D: Could certainly drink plenty of this, even though it's nearly a grapefruit beer. It's very very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2009 05:59:17 | More by Pamola

jeffaz02t

Arizona

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

A: Lightly burnt orange color with a nice head that thins out to maybe 1/2 an inch or less.

S: One of the best smelling IPAs I have ever had. A great citrus smell with subtle tropical fruit undertones.

T: Similar to the smell, this one starts off with a hoppy citrus taste, however there is not much bitterness, which is a very welcome change for an IPA. There is a slightly sweet malt flavor that turns dry at the end. The end also has a slight astringent taste from the alcohol.

M: medium-light, medium carbonation.

Overall: One of the best IPAs I have ever had. I love the malt character in that it lets the hops do their thing without overpowering, yet when it is time for the malts to play their role, you are impressed with the flavor of the malts. World Class beer from Four Peaks.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 17:52:22 | More by jeffaz02t

swthomas55

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Tempe brewpub, 4oz sample.

App - gold-amber, clear, head ok.
Aroma - grassy hops. Really, too green.
Flavor - the flavor redeems the aroma. There is sweet malt, but also a ton of hop flavor and solid bitterness. I wish the aroma was this well integrated.
Mouthfeel - medium bodied, smooth with a bit of astringency from all those hops!
Overall -- would be great without that grassy, green aroma.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 04:34:48 | More by swthomas55

Jeriba

Arizona

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale yellow-orange with some nice lacing around the top rim of my pint glass.

S: Citrius and very heavy pine presence. I detected nearly no malt in the aroma.

T: Very intense first sip, with nice hop resin flavors and pine. Just a hint of malt sweetness.

M: Crisp and bubbly, just as you would expect.

D: There's nothing quite like a fresh, well-made IPA on tap. I can't imagine drinking this out of the bottle, bit if you ever get a chance to try it in-house, don't pass it up.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 02:30:04 | More by Jeriba

uawildcat

Arizona

4.68/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at four peaks and was so good I decided to get a growler. Pours with a decent sized head that leaves lacing in the glass.

Smells strongly of citrusy AND piney hops. Very nice. A subtle malt sweetness comes through.

The taste is exceptional for an IPA. All of the hop flavor with none of the bitterness. Upfront with a citrusy fruity malt flavor followed by a piney hop finish with no bitterness. Goes down easy, and perhaps the only flaw of the beer is the over carbonation.

Overall, a great beer period. If you ever come to AZ, you should get it.

Serving type: growler

11-01-2011 22:14:03 | More by uawildcat

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

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

Rampage1

Arizona

4.22/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I like the fact that I am the first to review this in a can. Heading to Biancos with Jordan after a brief stop at Four Peaks to grab some beers to go.

Appearance: A nice golden color with a slight chill haze to it. Has a bright,egg shell white color head with a half inch cap.

Smell: this is one of my first ipa's in az and one of my fondest memories of a ipa. I've been drinking this one for years and it all goes back to Pizzeria Bianco. The beer has q nice tropical smell to it. Mostly orange rind and grapefruit pith. It is awesome and a great example of how a west coast ipa should smell.

Taste: A nice light citrus taste that consists of orange mostly and other light citrus. Has a light bitter flavor with a light malt and biscuit flavor.

Mouthfeel: nice carbonation that delivers a great flavor of citrus.

Overall. Awesome is the best thing I can say about this local.This is such a smooth flavored IPA that is definitely session worthy. I love drinking this on a hot summer day especially when it is followed up by Biancos. So glad they are canning this finally. Should be in the locals frys within the next couple weeks from what I was told which is going to make one hell of a summer. Thanks Four Peaks!

Serving type: can

05-21-2011 20:37:05 | More by Rampage1

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

rjochman

Pennsylvania

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

A: pours a clear golden orange color with a white head with a little bit of lacing.

S: All hops. very piney and citrus hops.

T: really flavorful. get the sweet pine flavors and some fruit tones.

M: A lot of carbonation and a very crisp and clean drink.

D: Although its 6.0%, this beer is really drinkable. A solid IPA from AZ.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2011 16:26:50 | More by rjochman

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

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

dbraz45

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hop Knot is a great offering from Four Peaks Brewing. Everything a 'hop head' could want in an IPA. Citrus notes definitely dominate here in this golden colored beer. There are hoppier IPA's out there, but this definitely delivers and is a very drinkable variety. Give this one a try and you will not be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 01:41:50 | More by dbraz45

darleys

Arkansas

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma smells strongly of citrus. Grapefruit is the dominating taste coming from the copious amounts of flavor hops. Bitterness is bellow average for an IPA. Mouthfeel is light to medium. I enjoyed the beer immensely and see this as being interchangeable with Hopslam.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2009 02:01:55 | More by darleys

Seahawk480

Arizona

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is my ideal IPA. A Hoppy, American IPA. Not too bitter so its accessible to non-hop heads. It is a bit sweet, but not overpoweringly. Just balanced and has that lovely pine aroma as you draw your first sip.

There is no better beer on a cold day.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2010 22:37:32 | More by Seahawk480