Hoptimus Prime - Ruckus Brewing

Heatwave33

Florida

1.98/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a 1 pint 6oz bottle to a Dogfish Head Snifter.

Color: A slight hazy copper-orange with an off white head.

Smell: Very low aroma here. I detect earthy hops and peach.

Taste: Bready malts come at first. Then some earth tone hops and peach.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, coarse and medium dryness on the palate.

Overall: Very odd DIPA. Bready with a hint of hops? I did not enjoy this brew. The best part of it is the bottle. There was a taste in it I cannot put my finger on. There was almost no aroma and then the taste was almost unbearable. Cheers?

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 03:53:05 | More by Heatwave33

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

2.23/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured into my Imperial Pint Glass

A- Poured light orange with a 3 finger very foamy off white head. Fairly clear. Leaves pretty good lacing...

S- I get a little bit of citrus with some woodiness and pine to add a little complexity. There is a hidden caramel sweetness behind the hops, but nothing is very prominent. Overall pretty light aroma- I want more in my DIPAs

T/M- Damn, just like the nose there is a little of a bunch of things, but not enough overall. The first thing is just a very small amount of orange, even less than the citrus nose would bring you to expect. The bitterness is very conservative; much too conservative. Slight earthy undertones that are overpowered by lingering alcohol heat. I don't mind a tiny bit of warmth in my DIPAs, but that is the majority of this beer and it really sets on the tongue for awhile. Dang, I really wish there was more to this. The body is medium but leaning on the light side for a DIPA and has fairly moderate carbonation.

O- I had heard such good things about this beer, but I was not impressed at all. All the components of a good DIPA were not there. I wanted a more in your face hopped up beer or something more of anything (except the alcohol)... It had the bitterness of an East Coast IPA but the alcohol of a DIPA so it just didn't mesh well for me. Though this is fairly cheap, I don't think I will be getting again- well, perhaps next year I will try this if I can get a bottle as fresh as possible and try it right away...

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 15:18:30 | More by TheGordianKnot

victory4me

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured into a standard shaker.

Pours a muddy copper with a half-finger of head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is sweet malts with bitter hops making a brief presence, yet overshadowed by the caramel sweetness.

Flavors are dominated by the bready malts with very little hop presence. Terribly underwhelming. Bitter finish is far from enjoyable and the cloying sweetness is borderline disgusting. Mouthfeel is lacking of carbonation or hop spice.

This is not a good beer and a far cry from the original version from Legacy Brewing.

Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 02:40:56 | More by victory4me

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

2.28/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22oz undated bottle. Seems to be a bit of confusion about where this brewery sits. BA and brewery website say NYC; label says Wilkes-Barre. Given the address of West 35th Street in Manhattan, I'm going with brewery in PA plus marketing in NY.

Pours very clear gold with limited head and looks a lot more like a pilsner than a DIPA. Aroma is disappointing for the style, as there is just a tiny bit of citrus and nothing more.

Taste is... rough. I dare say this has some GUBNA onionesque characteristics. Extremely harsh, acrid. ABV stays hidden, but I would probably prefer the taste of booze to whatever the hell is going on here.

This beer is warming up, and wow that is not a good thing. I'm signing off before the bottle is empty, but I can't promise the rest won't be a drainpour. I was suckered in by the name, the style & the label, and that makes me sad.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 00:11:51 | More by coachdonovan

HopHead84

California

2.4/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

1/7/2011

Bottle thanks to funhog. Snifter.

A: Transparent dark orange with a finger of white sea foam. Solid retention and scattered lacing.

S: Bread, caramel, cardboard, and stale hops. I get alcohol, dull citrus, and a little pine.

T: Bready with some sweet caramel. The beer is pretty malty. Hops impart a moderate bitterness and notes of orange and earth. They're pretty dull and lifeless, to be honest. The sweetness quickly becomes unpleasant and cloying. Alcohol is evident.

M: Medium body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: A pretty bad Double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 05:06:21 | More by HopHead84

Dodt

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

found this beer after finally deciding to try out the a pizza and beer to go place outside of york.
amber in color with a decent head. aroma was a bit underwhelming was hoping for a stronger hop presents.taste was a over malty in and little hops in taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 22:35:32 | More by Dodt

generalnotsew

Tennessee

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

First off I was confused by the bottle. Apparently Ruckus brewing is the same as Legacy. The fact that the labels are identical except for the brewer tipped me off. Anyways.

Juicy fat 2 finger off white head on the pour. Body is a nice shade of amber but just a touch too lite for a DIPA. Smell is a nice strong sour citrusy with a touch of a belgian smell? Not a lot of bitterness in the nose and the sourness could be toned down a bit. Taste is very, very sweet and very caramel like. A tad bit of bitterness in the aftertaste. No tropical or fruity notes. It really does not taste like a DIPA at all to be honest. I have score it down for being NOT like a DIPA. This honestly could use a bit more carbonation. I hardly ever notice a beer that could use more. It just has this weird syrupy but thin feel. Hard to explain.

Note: Upon revisiting I realize this beer is just plain bad. I sometimes feel bad about knocking down the little guys but hey. Honest is honest. Quite possibly the strangest tasting IPA I ever had and not in a good way.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 04:58:13 | More by generalnotsew

JWU

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A- Semi-translucent, some hop haze, a light copper/orange in color, a bit of mediocre white head that doesn't really lace much.

S- Disappointing. Some tangerine and garlic from the hops, maybe some pale malts? Had to sniff this way too many times to try and pick those notes up.

T- This DIPA is trying to be a jack of all trades, and is truly a master of none. There is way too much going on (which is normally a good thing). The notes are all very mild, and none have any kid of intensity on the palette . Tangerine, garlic, some mint, hemp and grapefruit. Pale malts are pretty agressive and lend an unbalanced sugary component. Gets bitter, and more metallic on the back end as it warms.

M- not too bad, medium, kind slick, but that gets cancelled out by the metallic bitterness. Some prickly carbonation. Kinda coats the lips.

O- Meh. That's what this makes me say. It's like they just got as many hops as they could and just rammed them kettle in no particular order or amount.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:13:12 | More by JWU

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I finally saw a bottle of this beer from the new brewery. Legacy sold the recipe and it's now being brewed by Ruckus. I'm very interested to see how it is.

A: A real nice dark copper color with a one finger off white head. No real glass lacing to speak of.

S: Some herbal an floral hops with some slight pine and a heavy sugar sweetness. Far different from the original version.

T: From the first sip, I knew right away I wan't in Kansas (I mean Reading) anymore. The herbal hops get immediately squashed by this huge sugar sweetness. Some slight pine and citrus notes, but again the sugary sweet just takes everything over. Damn, I had high hopes.

M: Sweet, cloying, alcohol, just not an enjoyable drinking experience.

O: Just a sweet mess of a beer, what a shame. Legacy should regain the rights to this beer and sell it to someone who will brew the beer as it was originally done. The original Hoptimus was a massive hop assault with huge earthy and piney notes that just pounded your mouth. This beer just doesn't deserve wearing the Hoptimus Prime label. Shame on you Ruckus.

I just sit here shaking my head. The Legacy version of this beer was a great DIPA that just pounded you with hops. So damn enjoyable whereas this version is a sweet mess. How can that even possibly be. This is NOT the same beer and it will not garnish any more of my money.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 13:57:27 | More by Kadonny

CharlieMurphy

New York

2.75/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Warm murky amber. Off white foamy head that sits at 1/4"

S: kinda musky almost skunky, not very noteworthy, can't really call it citrusy or piney.

T: Kind of bitter, not very inviting or noteworthy. Hops do seem a little dated in fairness. I supposed it's hitting the spot though.

M: Creamy carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel which isn't too drying.

O: Probably a bit dated, still hard to say anything but meh.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 02:58:46 | More by CharlieMurphy

gdrydenc

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours a medium amber, with minimum amounts of light white head. Pretty decent looking, but a bit pale for a DIPA.

S - A pretty hoppy aroma, but mostly pine, not much fruitiness. Pretty pungent odor, but it's a bit muted.

T - First off, this tastes more like an even mix of a barleywine and a DIPA. It really doesn't work for a beer named Hoptimus Prime. I would expect a hop bomb. The pine comes out a bit in the taste, but not nearly enough. It's mostly an awkward bitterness that comes out in the finish.

M - Fairly standard mouthfeel. Less viscous than I would expect with a 9% ABV. It isn't creamy and that really loses it some points for me.

Overall, this is a pretty disappointing beer. The flavors are too intense in the wrong places and lacking in the places I want it. I wouldn't buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 01:52:45 | More by gdrydenc

shand

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint.

I'm not at all surprised that Ruckus is a marketing company first and a brewing company second. Just the name and the label were enough to get this six dollar bomber off the shelf and directly into my hands, bypassing the reviewing vetting process I usually give beers. It pours a hazy amber color with a tiny head. The aroma is nicely hop-forward, it's not especially strong but it smells good, with some sweet malts under the surface. The taste is alright, it's got a balanced hop and malt, but it really doesn't stand out at all. It's almost like the malts and hops cancel each other out, leaving something fully average. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated, and the drinkability is about average until it warms, when fusal alcohol starts to take hold. A middling beer. The advertising side of the company was far stronger than the brewing side on this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 05:21:17 | More by shand

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.9/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased from New Beer Distributors in Chinatown, New York.

Pours a dirty clear amber colour, with a filmy head of pancake-bubbled-riddled white. Lacing is sheeting and strong. Body is thick, and leaves some anarchic and tiny-bubbled carbonation when tilted or swirled. Decent.

Nose is slightly herbal and rather savoury. Has a slight tinge of barbeque to it, oddly. Some aromas of orange skin, but strangely, all the characters are rather subdued and light. Not a good move for an IPA, let alone a Double.

Taste is also quite off for an IPA. Strong sweet port-like characters, with the associated booziness, with big custardy vanilla characters, and only an afterthought of bitter hop characters.

Not great, and missing a lot. Too big for what it is, and without the balance or complexity of the best examples. Only an average beer, with a moderately humorous name.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 18:54:35 | More by lacqueredmouse

ms11781

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 04/30/2011. 22oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear, deep copper color with a minimal off-white head. Though little head develops, what is there sticks around leaving a foam ring around the glass along with swirls of foam that cap the beer.

Pretty subdued nose for a DIPA. Some earthy and floral hops are here along with a subtle sweet malt character. As mentioned, the aroma isn't all that strong, but some distinct characteristics do come through.

The taste follows along with the nose although the flavors are a bit bolder. The earthy hops that were in the nose aren't as noticeable but some herbal hop character is picked up. What really stands out are the floral hops. Not strong, relatively speaking, but definitely the dominant hop aspect here. The sweet malt is still there but stays in the background. There is a considerable bitter finish that is stronger when the beer is colder. The bitterness lingers just a bit but, surprisingly, isn't all that sticky or oily.

Medium/heavy mouthfeel with medium carbonation give a slick mouthfeel. Lingering bitterness, as mentioned, but it's not the sticky type. Most DIPA seem to either be dry or somewhat dry or sticky and oily. This one is neither, which seems to throw me off a bit.

Overall, an ok DIPA. Kind of muted aromas and flavors, to the point where they can be picked out but nothing hits you in the face and takes over. The fact that nothing dominates over everything else is fine if it's a balanced beer but this one is hop forward with a slight amount of malt character and still nothing stands out head and shoulders above the rest.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 02:57:43 | More by ms11781

beer2day

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Clear honey gold pour with 1 finger of cream head. No retention and very light lacing.

Malty breaded nose with just a hint of citrus. Way more about malt and too much so for my taste.

Honey sweet hit. Lots of alcohol present. Unremarkable taste, again more malt than hops.

Syrupy body, very thick, without the touch of creaminess I prefer in a DIPA.

Could this be a malt liquor masquerading as an IPA?

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 17:29:41 | More by beer2day

Number967

New York

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured out of a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Maybe 1/2 inch white foam on top, golden underneath. Not much smell here which is surprising for a DIPA. Smells almost metallic or herbal? Was expecting an overpowering hops piney smell. Even taste across your palate, nothing really sticks out. IBU tastes pretty high. Bitterness is there but nothing that really bites you at the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel is a bit oily not as much carbonation as I would have liked.
This brewery says they're located on 35th St in NYC. The only thing I can find when i go over there is Ruckus marketing firm. If youre going to claim to be from NYC at least brew beer here. Overall, an average DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 20:53:07 | More by Number967

musicforairports

New York

3.03/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A darker gold, hazy. Nice lacing on the glass.

Smells of grapefruit and juicy citrus, pine, cracker-like malts.

Flavor is sweet, malty, bitter and rather medicinal in the finish. Some grapefruit notes, but otherwise the hop profile is really just earthy bitterness. Malts are center stage, lightly caramel and sticky sweet. ABV is decently hidden, for what it's worth.

Mouthfeel is sticky up front and fizzy later on.

I was not impressed with this. Beyond being malt-driven, the flavor had an off medicinal taste and the malt character isn't particularly tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 04:40:42 | More by musicforairports

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hoptimus Prime: Reviewed 4/11/11

22oz bottle, looks to have been bottled March '11, poured into a Duvel glass

A: Pours hazy golden copper, 2 finger frothy white head that slowly dissipates. Good lacing

S: Grapefruit with almost a banana spiciness, some citrus, floral/grassy notes, wet hay. Not at all what I expect, almost like a little belgian yeast thrown in.

T: Yeah, I get lots of that banana/belgian taste right up front with the citrus behind it. Floral first profile with the citrus (mainly grapefruit) take a backseat. There's just a little bitterness, not much. Finish is yeasty and malty, but very light flavored with a little citrus, spice, and wet hay. This seems very much like a Belgian style IPA.

M: Medium to high carbonation, light mouthfeel with just a little creaminess. Not much resin to speak of. Finish is a little boozy.

O: I was very disappointed with this, though not surprised. I hoped that the new brewery would do this justice, but this just doesn't seem anything like the Hoptimus Prime I've heard about.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 23:09:12 | More by Satchboogie

CHickman

New York

3.08/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours cloudy peach orange color with a 2 finger foamy light tan head that faded quickly for a DIPA, leaving very good foamy lacing and rings as it went down.

Smells of floral hops, tobacco leaf, herbs, grains, tea leaf, grapefruit, mango, caramel, bread, toffee, sugar or candy like gummy bear and light alcohol in the nose; not your typical DIPA nose, as the hops were tame and on the weak side but it did hide the 9% ABV well.

Tastes very sweet up front, with floral hops, flowers, tobacco leaf, herbs, grains, tea leaf, grapefruit, mango, lemon, orange peel (obviously from citrus hops), caramel, heavily buttered bread, toffee, sweet malt, brown sugar, fruity candy Sweet Tarts, piney hops, light spices and light sweet alcohol flavor like a rum. Hops do not dominate this beer and it’s a little off base for a DIPA; it’s too sweet and bready with no hop bitterness. While the taste isn’t bad, it just isn’t that impressive either.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slick, with mild carbonation, a medium chewy body that tastes like leaf particles are floating in it, and a massive sweetness that is herbal notes and covers the ABV well, but does nothing to showcase the hops.

This was an average beer, but sub-par for a DIPA and not one I’d run out to have again. Any of the Stone IPA basics are much more flavorful and well balanced than this beer. Worth a try, but it will disappoint if you want the true DIPA experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 05:44:08 | More by CHickman

kaips1

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into a Sam A. perfect pint

a- its an ok dark goldish, with amberish hues near the head, poured a nice thick white 2 finger head
s-its almost 50/50 between some citrus and some pine, not strong but its there
t-not exactly what i was expecting, it didnt have the same as the nose and a bit astringent in the middle with little to no finish, i wanted much more bitter in the front
m-not that lively, really wet through out the whole sip, didnt leave that dry, i want this again and again finish, you almost expect out of dipa's
o/d- overall its ok at best, with a name like hoptimus prime i was expecting an unsung hopslam or ruination, drinkablity its an easy drinker but i doubt ill buy it again

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 23:58:05 | More by kaips1

jsvt

Vermont

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bottle into New Belgium snifter.

Pours a slight hazy amber with very little head. No head at all really, just a slight ring and some floaties in the center.

I pick up a slight amount of priming sugar on the nose, which may have to do with the lack of carbonation. Pine smell from hop resins follow. Not too complex hop aroma.

On the palate sweetness hits first and then the piney bitterness from hos, although finishes really dry with not much lingering of flavor. Bitterness lingers most.

A decent beer, not a bad example, but not a outstanding one either.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 20:00:17 | More by jsvt

kiddynamite920

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Appears to be contract brewed by Ruckus Brewing now, never got to try the Legacy version sadly. Very clear, orange with a very white and fluffy head. Looks to be leaving some nice lacing on its way down.

S: Somewhat muted nose. Some piney hops. A bit of pineapple and mango, some grapefruit juice. On the sweeter side I'm guessing.

T: What is going on here? Where is the DIPA character? Feels like you need to take big gulps to get anywhere enough flavor or hop presence. Has a malty body that fades into a quick grapefruit/bitter hop profile and then its gone. Fresh bottle, so no evidence of the hops fading. Just seems to be lacking that double character.

M: Light and slick, actually goes down nicely. Medium in body, carbonation adds a slight prickle on the tongue. Good for the style.

O: Feel like I may be missing something here, or something changed between when this beer was contract brewed through Legacy. If you told me it was an IPA, that would be believable.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 21:20:04 | More by kiddynamite920

spunionring

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a decent DIPA, but not great. It lacks the bitter hop punch you would expect from a douple ipa with a hop-style name such as this.

Totally drinkable, and a solid, high-quality beer. Not bad. Just not what a hophead is looking for.

There's a persistent presence of carbonation, the glass has a light bubbling that lingers until I've finished. Also a decent ring of head that doesn't disperse. The color is a bit dark of an amber hue, which embodies the flavoring of heavy richness, not citrus/hoppy/crisp.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 00:54:45 | More by spunionring

zbellino

Louisiana

3.15/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Just a good beer. IT has a little imbalance to it for a DIPA. There is a decent booze-burn, that doesn't really play well with the natural sweetness of the beer.

It's rusty color and short lived head are actually quite nice, but the nose doesn't match expectations.

The beer tends to lounge in the middle and front of the tongue.

While there are some lemons in this tree, it's mostly maple syrup with some pretty dominant bourbon-esque flavors that are carameled like a mash whiskey.

It's ok, but needs some more bitterness and acidity to brighten it up.

In a word a flabby DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 01:00:52 | More by zbellino

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a brass yellow with some pinkish hues dancing in the beer. It also pours with a very light head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing. The second pour got more of a head with a slightly yellowing to it, though even that dissipates quickly and only leaves a slight and drizzling wall of lacing. The beer is hazy but opaque with some good bubbles running from the bottom of the glass. The smell is nice and hoppy with a good grapefruit smell powering its way through, supported by a slightly bready undertone. There are also some hints of orange citrus in smell, but overall the smell is grapefruit. The beer tastes on the malty-side for a Double IPA, though the hops are still quite present. There is a nice grapefruit and sweet hops tingle, running against the breadier and almost biscuity malt backbone of this beer. There is also a boozy lingering to the taste, and you can definitely feel the alcohol warming the cockles of you stomach. The beer is fizzy and carbonated on the tongue, leaving the tip tingling and slightly dry with carbonation and the bitter bite of hops while the rest of the mouth oozes with saliva and a lingering bready feel and slight bitter tingle. Overall this is a moderate IPA. I’m a little surprised at the breadiness of this beer, though that does sometimes happen with DIPA’s. I think it is a nice introduction to the style, but not a particularly noteworthy brew, and definitely not a hophead’s dream. Just an average brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 21:22:53 | More by Maxwell