New Albanian Hoptimus IPA - New Albanian Brewing Company - Pizzeria and Public House

ThickNStout

Georgia

1.84/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

22oz bottle from Delock's Discount Liquors (Munster, IN). 7.99. No bottling date. Served in a Terrapin snifter.

Pours murky deep orange brown with a half finger of debse vanilla-hued head. Head is gone quickly but the bubbles around the edge leave some lace.

Smells musty, sweet, earthy and lightly floral. This is an imperial IPA?

Oh no. I don't know what happened here but it is definately no IPA. Sour earthy flavor up front with a bitter metallic fininsh (someone else mentioned pennies and that is a fair assessment). Sour cherries, an almost artificial vanilla or cake sweetness, old flower petals, rust, chalk and some alcohol. Not at all what I look for in an imperial IPA (or any beer at all, come to think of it).

Oily medium full body with almost zero carbonation. Bitter metallic floral aftertaste.

Yikes. This could be an off bottle or it could be an instance of a brewer and I having vastly different tastes. Either way, I rarely drain pour and this didn't even get 6oz of my time. Just terrible in every way.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 15:34:28 | More by ThickNStout

nickfl

Florida

2.04/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a clear, copper-brown body. The foam settles fairly quickly and leaves decent lace.

S - Spicy, musty hop aroma with some toffee and little else.

T - Brown mat and some toffee up front with a touch of spicy hop character. Some spicy, kind of rye-like notes in the middle and then it all comes crashing down with a metallic finish of asprin and citrus pith. Oh god, it just lingers on my tongue and its like sucking on a penny!

M - A moderately thick body, average carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Wow, this is weird. It tastes like an unremarkable, but inoffensive, overly sweet pale ale, right up until the finish, when the pennies and asprin come out to ruin everything. I have never tasted a beer that was even remotely this metallic. I could barely drink enough to review it, total drainpour.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 23:29:28 | More by nickfl

SerialHiker

Illinois

2.19/5  rDev -40.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance: Pours a light caramel and orange hue…hazy and not overly transparent…just off white head does form and remains, but occasionally does need to be livened up…(3.75/5)

Smell: Hmmm…very musty (!!!!), earthy, damp forest smell…I’m not getting too much of the classic double IPA aroma that I’m used to or any sweet caramel malts that the color would suggest…this thing smells like that old, crusty, once beer soaked rag you found underneath the bed in the corner of your dorm room (you know what I’m talking about)…I’m hoping it’s not old and moldy, but it smells funky…there’s an element of cheese that tastes like foot in here…I’m not sure what’s going on, but there’s no sign of the zesty hops that I was hoping for…(2/5)

Taste: Much like the nose, funky, old caramel malts and little hops zest…this thing is earthy, earthy, earthy…there’s some grassiness and musty bitterness in there…it’s a straight forward, earthy/musty flavor that lacks depth and decency…it’s good enough to continue to drink, but borderlines pour out and start over…(2/5)

Mouthfeel: Light body with medium carbonation…it does fluff up a bit bringing earthy/musty bitterness to the palate...musty and mildly grassy bitterness in the after taste…(3/5)

Overall: This is a major disappointment…I spent $8.99 for a bomber as I was passing through New Albanian’s distribution area and this is a total bust…I’m not sure if it’s old (there is no born on date) or what the story is, but there’s no way I can recommend this brew to anyone…I’ve had old IPA’s and IIPA’s in the past and they’ve all had better, fresher, more complex flavor than what I’m getting right now…New Albanian is a new brewery for me and I hope this isn’t indicative of what they are producing over there…barely drinkable (mainly because I spent $8.99 for it), this is a pass every time and probably twice on Sunday…(2/5)

Brewreport.blogspot.com

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:28:14 | More by SerialHiker

aasher

Indiana

2.3/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

When I heard that New Albanian was bottling their DIPA I had to snag a bottle. It pours a rich copper in color with a one finger beige colored head. This beer is very fresh (it came in maybe a week ago) yet it doesn't smell like a traditional DIPA. It smells caramel malt and some light piny hops but the scent I get most in the nose is B.O...as in body odor. I don't quite know what to think of that. It's just strange. The flavor is pretty sweet for a DIPA and there is virtually no hoppy bitterness. In fact, the hops aren't very present at all for the style. What happened here? It's very malty. I just don't get it. I don't see a brewery intentionally brewing a beer like this. It drinks light to medium in body and leaves an interesting almost slight citrus, slightly bitter malt aftertaste behind. This beer was just a big disappointment. I ended up drain pouring the last half of the bottle because it just wasn't worth it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 05:06:05 | More by aasher

jsh420

Illinois

2.33/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

bottle was a gusher

pours clear gold with a huge head

smells of apples and nothing else - me thinks this beer was too young

taste again - all apples with a little sweet malt

mouthfeel was medium light body with good carbonation

overall - had to mark down on smell and taste because i dont think i was drinking what the brewers intended me to taste - but shame on them for still shipping this to distributors

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 02:16:57 | More by jsh420

shand

Florida

2.36/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2

Hoptimus pours out amber with two fingers of head that retain very well. The aroma has a biiiig diacetyl note, overpowering the hops and malts. The taste is a little better, because at least some hops rise over the buttery diacetyl, attempting to impart some delicious bitterness. Seriously though. There's a lot of diacetyl here, and I know this is fresh. This should have never left the brewery, any sort of QA would have dumped this batch off the line immediately. And I know it's not age, because New Albanian are brand new to Florida, Cavalier just started bringing them in no sooner than a month ago. To send product with obvious flaws to a new market is just ... I don't even know. It's a good way to ensure I never pick up another of their bottles, at the very least. The only thing saving it from the ratings abyss is a nice lingering bitterness long after the buttery taste has subsided.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 20:25:34 | More by shand

mrfrancis

Kentucky

2.38/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a bright, clear gold with a thin, creamy white mousse that doesn't stick around all that long.

S: Malty aromas of caramel, biscuit, and butterscotch fill the nose. Mild, grassy hop scents and alcohol emerge later, but remain obscured by heavy malt scents.

T: Notes of caramel, cream, butterscotch, biscuit, sage, mint, basil, parsley, straw, grass, damp hay, and lemon rind wash across the palate. The finish is oddly herbal and sticky with notes of caramel, butterscotch, basil, and lemon rind underscored by peppery, prickly alcohol.

M: Medium-bodied, sticky, and resinous in the mouth. This ale is definitely undercarbonated for the style. Alcohol is initially subtle, but becomes distracting on the finish.

O: This is a truly bizarre DIPA. I feel that the brewers were trying to come up with a new twist on the style, but it never really came together. An unappealing nose, taste, and texture make this ale very difficult to drink. Giving this an overall rating of 2.5 is probably a bit generous on my part. I will not be revisiting this beer.

Serving type: growler

07-03-2012 12:26:46 | More by mrfrancis

bobhits

Kentucky

2.53/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Pours the actual rock amber color, orange and yellow with thickness that impairs the clarity. You can see right away that this is an imperial IPA in body. A nice fluffy head forms, but it hasn’t lasted, left behind is thick sheets of lacing.

The nose here is great. Tangerine, grape fruit, strawberries, and a lot of caramel malt giving it a honey like sweetness.

The beer however drinks like a big bready English amber in the body. Very bready, buttery, toffee and well just a strong malt showcase here. The hops dominate the finish, pine dominate but a good bit of citrus flavors as well.

The body here is thick, but there’s enough carbonation to keep things lively. Nothing special to say the least.
I don’t get these double IPAs that some of the smaller brewery’s do. They’re expensive, over the top malty, and frankly not beers I can see anyone going back for seconds. This one certainly has potential. There is a good malt flavor here. The hops are there and they seem to have picked a nice hop profile for a beer. That said the balance is off. The flavor profiles don’t seem to fully mesh. This isn’t good beer and frankly it doesn’t fill big and bold enough for the sticker price.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:39:55 | More by bobhits

rinhaak

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A bizarre DIPA, New Albanian's Hoptimus iPA is extremely malty with a very odd flavor profile. Quite herbal, syrupy, and even a bit medicinal, there are flavors of earth, dirt, grass, soap, and bleach. Quite possibly one of the most unappealing DIPAs I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 03:32:22 | More by rinhaak

kylehay2004

Florida

2.73/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Single finger head with thick lacing on a clear amber with golden hues body. Aroma is not very good with wet socks, toasted malts, breads, spoiled meat all coming together to not be very enticing at all. The flavor is really disorganized with weird earthy hops which finish very metallic. The malts are overdone. Medicine flavors remind me of the old chewable cherry Tylenol I would have as skid. Medium body and moderate carbonation. This one is bad from start to finish and will be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 23:28:39 | More by kylehay2004

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.78/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark orange/light red with a nice two finger white head leaving good lacing down the glass.

Smells of rich caramel malt. Not a whole lot of hops in the nose.

Starts off a little caramel, but rounds into an astringent piney bitterness lingering on the tongue.

Mouthfeel is good. A little bit sticky with good carbonation, but not cloying.

Just an ok beer. Nothing really stands out about it, but nothing is terribly poor either.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 23:56:27 | More by jmarsh123

dc55110

Minnesota

2.8/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a nice deep amber hue with a small finger of head. Quickly dissipates, leaving little to no lacing.

The aroma has hints of pine and slightest presence of citrus. Malt over powers the nose.

The taste is very similar to the nose, the hop bill takes a back seat to the malt presence. Very malty.

The mouth feel is more of a Barley Wine not a DIPA. Heavy and the sweetness is almost cloying.

At nearly $10 a pop, not worth it. I'm hopping this was just a bad bottle, without a date/code its hard to tell how old this one was.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 02:47:56 | More by dc55110

seedsofchaos

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hoptimus pours honey golden with fantastic clarity. Clarity is only obstructed by the massive amounts of carbonation bubbles streaming up throughout this brew. The head billows like a freshly poured Original from the Hofbrauhaus. Way too much carbonation for the style but a pretty beer nonetheless.

Aroma is kind of a strange one on this New Albanian double IPA... A kind of dark cola smell with the sweetness to match is honestly the first thing I think of with each sniff. Strange... Biscuity with little discernible bouquet, Hoptimus underwhelms in the nose.

Piney hops and a medicinal touch come through first in the flavor. Don't burp... It's like aspirin if you do. Such a light bodied and smooth beer for 9.0%... Are we sure this hydrometer is working? Crisp and tons of carbonation throughout... New Albanian definitely has an issue with over-carbonating every single one of its beers...

Hoptimus isn't terrible but it's not good either. This could be a macro's take on an ESB but definitely not a great representation of a craft IPA or IIPA. Alright...

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 00:03:37 | More by seedsofchaos

Tchfunkta

Kentucky

2.95/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I'm hoping the bottle i got was sitting for a long while. Whatever quality the nugget & cascades imparted had long since packed it's bag & left. The only thing left was the viscous overly sweet caramel maltiness. 100 ibu is nowhere to be found. Faint floral nose. Upon tasting it quickly turns putrid, sweet, earthy mediocrity. Again, i believe whatever good qualities this beer once had are long gone. I will make it a point to get over to New Albanian & sample some fresh. If i get something better, I'll re-review.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:33:24 | More by Tchfunkta

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a medium copper color with low carbonation and an evenly thin and creamy layer across the top.

S - Earthy and slightly grassy with toasted caramel. Nose is very weak and there's no detection of hops anywhere.

T - Light roasted caramel foundation throughout the entire sip that's slightly earthy and a little bit grassy. Bitterness doesn't set in until the very end which is in the form of assertive pine and some grapefruit bitterness. Sweet caramel and moderate lingering piney citrus aftertaste. The alcohol is well hidden.

M - Heavy medium body and prickly carbonation with a slightly smooth and creamy texture.

O - Balanced for a D-IPA but the blend of flavors on the palette goes from malty sweet to really bitter and there's a separation between the two, would like to see more of a blend, the nose is also completely dead. I'm hoping this is an older bottle but would be willing to give this one another shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 03:12:21 | More by jzeilinger

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into tulip. No dating, but has to be very fresh since the A rated shop I got this at had just got these cases in within the past 2 days of purchasing.

A- Copper color. Very large off white head. Nice to look at.

S- Smells like cheetos... Seriously.

T/M- Very awkward. A lot of randomness going on here. Very spicy. Pepper, tamales, dirty nastiness galore (not necessarily in a bad way). Definitely Cheetos, and not just oxidized hops type of cheese, legit Cheetos! Crazy... The buddy I drank with said it tasted like fried chicken, but I don't get that. Nice carbonation. Medium body.

O- This is way more representative of an IPA rather than DIPA. Crazy weird, I like it; though I don't love it. Not conventional. With taste descriptors of Cheetos and fried chicken, this us something new for sure.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 18:58:26 | More by TheGordianKnot

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bomber into a wine glass; sampled while in line for DLD '11. Big thanks to the guy who shared this bottle.

A: Clear amber body under a finger of fine eggshell foam. Great retention and lacing. Highly attractive.

S: Fruity hops, pale malt, and a weird fruity funk. Some wet dog. I'm not a huge fan, unfortunately.

T: Super-fruity, with apple, pear, and tropical fruits. I can't really tell whether these fruits come from the hops, the yeast, or some combination of the two. I wish it were clearer. Some malt sweetness creeps in toward the finish, but bitterness closes things out, as it should. Overall, a rather weird-tasting beer, but not exactly unpleasant.

M: Medium body, high carbonation. Lively.

O: When a DIPA works, it's amazing; when it doesn't, it can be either boring or baffling - this beer is the latter. I really don't know what to make of its seemingly funky fruitiness, but I don't really hate it either. I'd actually be curious to try this again someday just to see if it's still as strange as it was today, but I won't be going out of my way to make that comparison happen.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 22:56:22 | More by woosterbill

salvo

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hoptimus by New Albanian arrives in a half pint pilsner glass at the Black Swan with half an inch of bright white head that sticks around, leaving laced etching in the glass. It is a beautiful straw color with chestnut highlights. A beautiful beer.

The nose is a little sudsy: not soapy, but a little foamy. Smells a bit roasty and malt is evident, but the forward smells are earthy, almost woody hops. Pine and grass fill out the scent.

Taste is a bit muddy. Hops are forward; bitter and earthy . But the malts are muddy and don't quite match the hops somehow. There's a dirty, untidiness to the flavor indicating lack of balance and conflict somewhere with flavors. Alcohol pepperiness: the 10% alcohol isn't disguised at all.

New Albanian has plenty of fans. I'm not one of them.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2011 19:39:27 | More by salvo

Auracom

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle purchased at one of the Sahara Marts in Bloomington, IN. Poured into a C&B tulip on February 19th, 2012.

A - Hazy, deep golden coloring. One-finger's worth of a cream-colored head. Bleh retention but good lacing. Against light I see (what appears to be) yeast particulates floating around.

S - Lemon shortbread, touch of some other fruit juice, overripe grapefruit, caramel corn, and faint alcohol.

T - A bit generic. Citrus, light malt profile, and a hop backing that starts at mid-palate and continues to strengthen all the way through the finish. I swear there is some sort of a stronger yeast implementation here, as I'm getting a touch of peppercorn and spice.

M - Light-medium body, high carbonation, lightly creamy feel, and a gritty finish.

D - Not a bad one in the nose, but the taste was a letdown. Whatever yeast is in here is a bit odd and the other notes are simply too... simple.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 16:46:53 | More by Auracom

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks goes to Naptown25rs for the bottle! Thanks Josh!

I'm really digging the appearance. Pours a hazy grapefruit/orangy yellow color, with a slightly off white, pillowing 4 fingers of head. (I was admittedly a bit aggressive with the pour) Lace was great; splotchy, webby, sticky, and plentiful.

Aroma was fairly ho-hum. Slightly spicy, herbal hop notes, and a tinge of grapefruit and slight maltiness. Aroma was fairly subdued as a whole.

Taste had some nice citrus notes, some tart citrus, herbal hops, and a fairly intense bitterness. Linger was minimal. Slight breadiness.

Feel was fairly light, crisp, slightly bubbly...maybe a hair effervescent. Finish was pretty clean and smooth.

One of the more unique IIPA's I've had, but in the end, It was rather nice. I'll finish the bomber easy, but a 12oz would be keen.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 02:18:24 | More by EgadBananas

SirSketch

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Love the head on this beer. Tightly packed bubbles, peach in color and leaves a respectable lace. The beer itself is a dull orange and moderately cloudy.

S - The aroma is full of resinous, pine-tree sap hoppiness and grapefruit juice and pulp. Even with all the hops, some malt malt comes through in the form of whole wheat bread. I also pick up green apple smell similar to the aroma found in some white wines.

T - Not immediately bitter until after you swallow, when you're hit with a strong, astringent bitterness. There's a surprising amount of yeasty flavors, much like the dregs from a bottle conditioned beer. You could find nearly any acidic fruit flavor if you were looking for it.

M - Sticky sweet with a creamy carbonation.

O - IMO, there are generally two types of IIPAs: Dry and floral (what I prefer) and sweet and resinous (what this is). Some of you may like it, but it's not for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 02:57:16 | More by SirSketch

blakesell

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed at Gravity Head '08 straight from the source in New Albany, IN. Poured into a 20oz pint glass.

Appearance- Creamy and orange with an even head that does not cling to the sides of the glass. Legs are not present and according to my notes, the head forms the litter "R" over the top.

Smell- Cascade dominates, malt is present as well. The hops are not too big on the beer than citrus is present with not too much strength from the malt. There is also the scent of freshly mowed grass.

Taste- Burning. The 9% shows itself and makes itself known. Fruity and creamy. The malt is more noticeable than the hops. Not quite as "hoptimus" as they say. Sourness from the yeast used. Hoppy, but the beer is only an IPA, not a Double IPA.

Mouthfeel- Creamy, thick bodied and well carbonated. Warming but not overly so.

Drinkability- The 9% is balanced but not greatly drinkable. An average drinkability for a nice balanced pale.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2008 01:39:31 | More by blakesell

ColoradoBobs

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the brew-pub.

Hazy amber body under a solid off-white head that leaves nice rings as the beer is consumed.

Smell is bright citrus and floral over cracker malt.

Taste is overtly, insanely hopped. Bittering hops, citrus, pine, all over a slurpaliciously syrupy malt foundation.

Mouthfeel is almost oily with hops, and thick with malt. Best feature of this beer.

Drinkability is way diminished for me by the intensely bitter hoppiness. Hop loves should love this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2008 00:16:10 | More by ColoradoBobs

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this beer to do a legitimate review of it, I have had it on tap several times in my area.
22 oz bomber poured into a pint glass

A- Hazy orange with a fluffy three finger head
S- Not as strong of a smell as i would like it to be, some malts and very little hop aroma for a 100 IBU double. A little alcohol.
T- This is an interesting one. It doesn't have a huge hop presence, not as big as a fresh one on tap at least. It does retain the bitter taste though. A slight caramel followup.
M- It is maltier then other DIPA's in my opinion so it does have a thicker, creamier texture so its pretty heavy to drink. Lots of carbonation. Some sticky mouth feeling, which is not too common in IPA's. Filling, but goes down relatively easy.
O- This is a good beer, its not going to blow you away but its not bad either. I wouldn't say its nearly as good as Three Floyds Dreadnaught/ Arctic Panzer Wolf but its also 7$ for a bottle opposed to 12$ so i cant complain. Try it if you can find it in your area but not really worth going out of your way to find.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 12:24:43 | More by TwelveOunces

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a dark and clear copper color with three fingers of creamy off-white head. Generous lacing all around the glass.

Aroma of molasses and caramel malts. No hoppiness whatsoever.

The taste is lightly bitter with molasses and caramel malts upfront followed by just a whiff of grassy hops. Bitterness lingers thru the finish.

Medium bodied and dry with a moderate carbonation.

A bit more hop presence would have really helped this bitter and malty IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:42:52 | More by Monkeyknife