Hoptimus Prime - Ruckus Brewing

NYUBeerGenius

New York

4.97/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The ability of the Hoptimus recipe to maintain the citrus while not loosing any of the bite from the hops is excellent. The aroma of the oranges is almost bluemoon-esque but once you take that first gulp bam, theres your DIPA. I enjoy it because it's manageable truthfully an IPA and a half but really excellent, with a half inch of cream colored head and a light nickel coloring this beer really is excellent I loved all 22 OZs of it, and i wasn't struggling feeling full at the end. I live in NYC and I came across it in NJ, I have since called the brewer of this beer Ruckus and it sounds like PA and NJ are as close as I can get to it.

PS the picture on the ruckus brewing site is exactly what my pour looked like, minus their logo of course. same color though same head.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 22:34:41 | More by NYUBeerGenius

Ohiovania

Ohio

4.83/5  rDev +32%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I wasn't expecting much from this beer. I thought it had a citchy name and I couldn't pass it up for only 5.99. It was rich with apple cidery grape fruit pineapple and piney hops. The malt back bone was just sweet enough to balance it but still give enough head room to the hops. I was crazy impressed by this beer. The only thing I can compare it to would be that it's kinda a kid brother to the 2 year aged 120 minute I had a while back.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 23:10:17 | More by Ohiovania

kellyz9

New Jersey

4.8/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Ok my friend brought me some of this he knows the guys that bought legacy over, I have to admit i'm no master of beer but this was great. It looked pretty in the glass and smelled nice like oranges. The taste was great, my friend told me it was a double IPA which meant it was very hoppy which he described as a bite the beer would have, either way I enjoyed it. I have to be honest i've never even heard the term mouth feel but it didn't feel bad in my mouth as a drank it, it felt like a rich more flavor packed beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 16:51:33 | More by kellyz9

LAMAGS

New York

4.72/5  rDev +29%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I ordered a bottle of this at a restaurant recently, lured to it by the funny name. It came in a frosty glass and had a lively golden orange color with a robust off-white head that left some nice lacing.The nose was pleasant with hints of citrus, pine and hops, (none of the boozy smell you get with some IPAs). The flavor was excellent, a blend of citrus malt and hops with a sweet fruity finish. The mouth feel was smooth and satisfying, turned out to be one of the better IPAs I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 20:44:35 | More by LAMAGS

Ack9788

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

First of all I know we’re all connoisseurs of beer but what more can you ask for then a beer with its own super hero made out of hops? A buddy of mine brought a pint bottle over and poured ourselves a glass

Light amber in color lighter then other DIPAs I’ve had before but pleasing. Perfect amount of bitterness with a light orange citrus hop accent to it. The carbonation really opens up the taste buds. Goes down lighter then one might think, poured cold you simply cannot go wrong.

Buy one for your self and buy one for me.

edit, got another bottle when i was out in NC, i was pumped because i cant find it in NYC. Can some one do something about this?

any way i dont know weather it was the classic hard to get thing but this bottle tasted even better then the last. i really got a ton of aroma, citrus beautiful and it accompanied a burger this time. let me tell you that was a meal.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 16:17:02 | More by Ack9788

sendsilk

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

*Quick note/edit-I like to review beers without reading anything previously posted. After completing my review, I went back and checked out the other reviews and am completely thrown off by what I saw posted. This beer was fantastic. Wonderful citrus with hardly any pine bite IMO. The hops were there but they didn't kick your ass like Surly Abrasive. I agree that it's more like an IPA plus than a DIPA, but it was VERY impressive.*

Poured from a 22 oz bottle received in a recent trade.

This was an extra that I received and I'm glad I did as I never would have known this wonderful beer existed

A- looks great with a very foamy head which takes several minutes to recede.

S- Great aroma, hoppy goodness.

T- Wow. I never expected this. Little known beer from a brewer I have never heard about. This has a tremendous flavor. No pine taste with tons of citrus and a flavor I can't quite put my finger on.

M- good, a little better than average.

O- I'd gladly take more of this one. I wish they put a bottled date on the label but I'd still try it again and take the chance.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 04:22:35 | More by sendsilk

Avagadro

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Special thanks to Chris at the Fermentation Lounge for sharing this with me.

A: pours a beautiful copper color, topped with a rocky head with admirable retention, and boasts considerable haze.

S: bouquet is well presented, with notes of peach, grapefruit, and pine.

T: perfect balance between malt and hops, with caramel and toast melding with hoppy tropical fruit and resinous pine.

M: medium body, low carbonation, and a creamy texture.

O: a delicious beer well worth the search. One of the best iipas out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 21:45:26 | More by Avagadro

vfgccp

New York

4.6/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A – Great off-white head settles into a nice cream, leaving a great lace along the way. Deep golden wheat / orange amber body.

S – Grapefruit and orange in equal parts. Hint of pine on the backend.

T – Soft and smooth with honey, pine and grapefruit pith. Outstanding hop flavor without an aggressive alpha-oil bitterness. Orange and toast finish.

M – Soft and well carbonated. Medium body. Semi-sweet finish with a pleasant lingering bitterness.

O – A great example of an DIPA that chooses to balance the added alcohol with hop flavor rather than straight IBUs.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 23:43:58 | More by vfgccp

mwbecker

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a solid flavor hop. But even has some citrus tones.No after bite. Has a smooth finish. My friends loved it to wash down lots of read meat at a recent BBQ. Couldn't keep the bottles cold fast enough for my discerning beer drinking friends. Not known in these parts( NC) it is becoming a hit with the locals. I hear it will be distributed in these here parts soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 18:48:49 | More by mwbecker

negroobserver

New York

4.45/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow!! This is great beer. Pours with about an inch of off white head. The color is a golden brown or rusty orange. The smell is an amazing bouquet of floral hops. Reminds me very much of FLOWER POWER. This may actually be better than FP. Also, there is a strong presence of grapefruit and citrus. The taste starts off a bit flat. In the middle you will get a bit of the floral and fruity notes. Finally, it ends with a pretty strong bitter finish. Personally, I feel the bitterness is a bit weak for a Double IPA. Nevertheless, a great beer. The beer also has good body and excellent balanced carbonation.

Overall: A

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:18:50 | More by negroobserver

BigPlay1824

New York

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed in a tulip glass

A: pours a very clear honey yellow color with a slight amber hue and a small amount of carbonation bubbles, pours with two fingers of creamy head with large bubbles that looks like pancake batter just when its put on the griddle, lingers nicely and leaves a ton of lacing on the glass
S: a great scent for the style with wonderful citrus aromas and grapefruit notes, quite fresh
T: great hop presence up front with citrus notes which is followed up by a nice sweet note before deeper malts kick in, leaves a bitter taste of fresh hops on the palate, slight alcohol presence
M: smooth and creamy on the palate, leaves the palate feeling quite bitter just as i had expected for the style
O: really very happy with this brew, quite delicious and well balanced with various flavor profiles and a wonderful scent, i found the twist off cap to be a bit of a curious choice, to be honest i cant recall the last true craft beer i had with a twist off cap, other than that minor detail this is an astoundingly and surprisingly nice brew

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 23:47:20 | More by BigPlay1824

aubuc1

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a goblet.

Pours orange with a nice white head and a steady stream of carbonation rising.

Smell is a nice orange citrus and pine. Classic.

Taste is surprisingly nice. Not as bitter as I expected. Sweet, but not too sweet. I really like this beer.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall this beer is really balanced for the style. Very hoppy, strong, but not too cloying. I wish this were available locally.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 21:26:56 | More by aubuc1

Immortale25

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Sierra Nevada pint glass. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a dark amber color with a 1/4 inch head that retains a bit before becoming an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass and mold-patterned surface foam as per the usual hoppy IPA look. Some wet lacing.

S- Nice, piney hop aroma that's clean and citrusy. Not much malt or alcohol detected.

T- There it is. Caramel on the first sip, grapefruit on the second. There's a good bitter going on but is milder than expected. The smell would have you believe it's going to be a hop bomb but the flavor shows the beer's true colors of balance.

M- Tingly and moist. Medium carbonation. Full body for an IPA.

O- My first Ruckus and it's quite impressive.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 02:54:41 | More by Immortale25

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-slight cloudy orange amber with a nice cream colored head that stays. lots of bubbles. good lacing. looks alive!

S-ooo a nice blend of spicy and citrusy hops. its smells great and potent

T-hits the tongue with aged spicy hops and burnt grass. then comes just a touch of bitterness and some slight alcohol note. it ends with much more floral note. the after-taste reminds me of tropical fruits. its a quality after-taste that lasts long.

M-medium to low carbonation with a creamy finish

O-this is not your typical double IPA. it has flavors that aren't common in others...the spices...the tropical (not citrus) fruits...the combo of the two....its works extremely well. this is quite an enjoyable bomber and is best NOT shared.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 20:55:29 | More by AdamBear

BDIMike

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a real nice looking light amber color. There is a lot of carbonation that causes a cream-colored head that retains and laces throughout the drink.
Smell is immediate. I can smell the hops from about a foot away from the drink. Up close there is a great smell of a lot of citrusy hops. A good grapefruit smell at the front.
Taste is really nice. There is a lot of strong hop taste in this beer. The hops have amazing citrus taste but for a beer with 92 IBUs the hops do not overwhelm. Toffee malt balances out the hops nicely.
Mouthfeel is real good. Hoptimus has a medium thickness with a smooth feel on the tongue. A bit of carbonation on the tongue is also nicely refreshing.
Drinkability is awesome on this beer. I was nervous before I drank this beer reading the stats (9.0% ABV and 92 IBUs), but this beer goes down so easily. It has a lot of great tastes and flavors, but none of them overpower enough to ruin the palate. One of the better DIPAs I have ever had. I thought the label was a marketing tool, but the liquid backs it up. If you see this, buy it.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 01:48:09 | More by BDIMike

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle was poured into a stella glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a one finger head. A nice and hazy orange yellow glow with some clarity and signs of carbonation at the top of the glass. Head has reduced and left some lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: Grapefruit, clementines, and other citrus fruits come tom mind. Some bready and sweet scents from the malts used too. Smells nice.

Taste: Same as above, but the sweet mals blend nicely and make this a good well balanced beer between the citrus and bitterness to the sweet and biscuity malts.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, medium carbonation, a little chewy, and very easy to drink given the 9% is hidden very well.

Overall: This is a another good beer to come out of the state of PA. Will look forward to more of their beers as it show on the website that they have 5 or 6. Might even have to take a road trip someday out there. About a 5 hour car ride.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 05:04:44 | More by Flounder57

9InchNails

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off-white, light beige foamy head. Orangey red center and golden edges. A decent amount of carbonation. Nice looking beer.

Sweet caramel, some floral, pine and some doughiness at the end.

Wow, what a interesting taste. An awesome balance of grapefruit, pineapple bitterness and sweet caramel. A lingering bitterness with a brief hint of alcohol. Also some doughiness at the very end.

Medium body, low carbonation, it leaves the lips a little sticky. A hint of alcohol warmth is noticeable.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable brew. Bitterness mixed wonderfully with the caramel. This did have a different taste from the normal double IPA's that made me go wow. See for yourself.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 08:37:42 | More by 9InchNails

BrewMaester

New York

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had several encounters with this beer the most recent being at a restaurant in my neighborhood. I noticed that the brewer had changed, (used to be brewed by Legacy), i was suspicious at first but luckily it was the same old beer.

A nice copper colored pour with moderate head, lacy upon dissipating, a very attractive brew. The nose is modest with some malt and hops. However the flavor was substantial consisting primarily of grapefruit and other citrus flavors, definite hops and malt all blend together well and you cant taste the booze (9% abv). Light yet creamy on the finish its a good enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 23:15:07 | More by BrewMaester

rwrk42

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: An orange hazy copper color with little head.

Smell: A nice citrusy hops smell. Very nice smell of hops with a slight fruity undertone.

Taste: A nice amount of hops at first taste. Incredible character of hops followed by a nice citrus fruit taste. Nice balanced and a bit on the sweeter side.

A very good IPA. Would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 02:47:48 | More by rwrk42

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant golden-orange with a dense off-white head leaving thick sexy lace.

Nose is beautiful with a lovely orange pith/peel character, almost pure orange essence, joined by nice floral hops, some orange blossom honey, and a very faint hint of that cheesy-pungency I get in highly hopped beers. Everything is well balanced.

The palate sees a mild malt bowled over by more of that floral, orangey hop character. The bitterness lingers on the dry and slightly tart finish.

Very impressive nose followed by a solid delivery. I would buy this again, and again...

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 17:48:49 | More by TheWhiskerReview

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bomber shared with me by Nick - thanks dude!

A: Light copper colored body, no haze, fluffy white head that dissipated rather quickly but did leave some great retention. Lacing was OK, nothing special.

S: Big citrus elements here - orange, pineapple, white grapefruit and some mango. Noticeable bitter notes from the hops that are gracefully done. I don't get much, if any, of a pine character that I would normally associated with an IIPA coming out of this area but some floral aromas do eventually come through.

T: Wow, this is seriously fantastic. HUGE juicy citrus qualities coat the entire palate - orange and lemon - followed up by a really mellow and balanced hop bite. It's definitely more floral and citrusy, without having a brash pine/earthy bite. It's sweeter than I expected and not as dry in the finish as you might expect an IIPA to be. Typical West Coast profile here, really well done.

M: Pretty bubbly, not bad, could use a more fuller mouth feel but it's pretty creamy and easy drinking.

I'm shocked by some of the reviews here, as my experience mimicked nothing like some others are talking about. This is a really recent bottle, so either there was a change in the recipe or some bottles may be outdated/off in some way. A true diamond in the ruff, a beer I'd probably overlook easily but this is some seriously delicious stuff right here.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 20:12:59 | More by ShanePB

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. A nice copper color with a beautiful thick white heading. Leaves tremendous lacing and a nice bubbling action freeflowing from the bottom up. A stunning sight in which this beer cries drink me.

Smell is kind of even keel. Crisp malty backbone with a twinge of fruity hops. Subtle grassy notes.

Taste is exquisite. Perfect balance of thicker malts and a great hoppy bite. Subtle linger in the mouth from bittering hops. Tremendous fresh tasting IPA.

Mouth is fuller bodied and really pushing that 9% ABV with a thicker,syrupy chew but in no way difficult to enjoy. Tremendous carbonation in the mouth.

Well this one surprised the hell out of me and I will look forward to having some more of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 21:06:41 | More by TheFightfan1

IPAnderson

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is exceptional in many ways. I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned its Belgian Ale qualities. It has the sweet tropical fruit smell and flavor, along with bubblegum, which I've never tasted in a beer that doesn't use Belgian yeast. I really enjoy the hop flavors: it's an explosion of light, smooth fruitiness without the tongue-numbing Pine-Sol experience of so many DIPA's. It's gotten pretty warm and the bitterness has become much more apparent, but I'm still going back for more sips after each sentence I write. My main complaint is the low head retention, but the scorching heat in my room today may have affected that. Super deal for $6.74.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 02:10:23 | More by IPAnderson

Brad007

Vermont

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've wanted to review a DIPA for quite a while. Luckily, Hoptimus Prime is now available in VT (not to be confused with the one from Legend Brewing).

Pours a beautifull copper-gold color with a one-finger head into my glass.

Just a hint of citrus greets the nose, followed by lightly buttered malt. Aroma is rather flat and I expect something that pops out more.

Taste is better though with a definite citrus/mint quality to the hops with just the right amount of buttery malt. It feels balanced to my tongue.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering citrus bitterness and buttery malt. Nothing harsh.

Not bad. Very balanced. The aroma could use some work though.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:04:28 | More by Brad007

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a large foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains a nice blend of floral hops, caramelized malts and fruity citrus.

T: The taste starts with a strong hops bitterness that is quickly followed by sweet citrus and caramel flavors. The malt character is hearty and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a nice hop-bomb to drink for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:13:19 | More by TheManiacalOne