Hoptimus Prime - Ruckus Brewing

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger white head that fades quickly leaving some lace. Crystal clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Grapefruit nose and flavor is grapefruit hops and light caramel. OK DIPA just not enough beef. $6.99 for a 22oz bottle from Market Basket Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 22:13:15 | More by jdhilt

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

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A solid double IPA but not one of the best that I've ever had.
Nothing wrong with the appearance, smell, taste, or mouthfeel.
Better than average, even. But there's something missing that could take this to a new height.
I can't put my finger on what it might be, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 22:21:14 | More by MAB

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - clear golden copper, two fingers of off white head dissipated very slowly, a few random lacing blobs
S - citrus rind and perfume, biscuity and caramel malt, mild pepper
T - relatively mild floral and peppery hop flavours, some orange citrus creeps in, malt background of caramel and biscuit, and a mild ginger ale like flavour, definitely tasty but just not hop heavy enough for my DIPA tastes
M - medium to light body, juicy and sweet, moves to an almost minty quality with mild bitterness
O - this is a super well balanced and easy drinking DIPA, although balance is not typically what I'm looking for in this style, they've done a good job with this one, well worth a try

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 02:33:07 | More by joemcgrath27

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle, a surprise find on the beer store shelves today in Alberta. Nice, slick, hop-pun themed label - lookie at them hop-cone pecs! The same label only mentions Wilkes-Barre, PA, and nothing about NYC for point of origin.

This beer pours a clear, medium golden amber hue, with two tubby fingers of dense, puffy off-white head, which leaves some decent splattered spider web lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of bitter grapefruit pith, subtle pine needles, meaty caramel malt, a touch of biscuity breadiness, and some further astringent floral notes. The taste is more bitter citrus rind, some aged orange juice, bready caramel malt, musty herbal, leafy hops, and pretty much no sign of the 18-proof booze.

The bubbles are rather sedate, the body a sturdy medium weight, and fairly smooth, the prickliness from the hops marring things a tad. It finishes off-dry, the malt stepping its game up somewhat, while the hops go into a heady holding pattern.

A decent enough DIPA, definitely bitter up front, and well balanced through the end, with a few hiccups in flavour in between. And the alcohol, let's not forget about that, even though we are compelled here to do so. Contract brewing intricacies aside, this is a stand-up big IPA, all for the low, low price of 6 loonies and change - what's not to like?

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:26:47 | More by biboergosum

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

katan

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz into a pint

A - Pours a dark golden color. Fair amount of bubbling, showing moderate carbonation. Head formation is just slightly off white, well retained.

S - A citrus hop nose, but rather restrained for this style. Just not very bold.

T - Starts off lightly sweet, goes with a straight malt flavor. Mid-stream brings in a slightly stronger citrus flavor, but it is tempered with a fair amount of bitterness. Finishes with a little more floral and sweet note.

M - Moderate body and light carbonation - comes off heavy on the palette. Somewhat sticky, oily.

O/D - An okay but seemingly a low aiming DIPA. Just doesn't quite have the punch that you would expect. Not very filling. No major flaws just nothing too remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:42:38 | More by katan

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

metter98

New York

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear orange-amber in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off-white head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of citrusy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, flavors of citrusy hops (orange and grapefruit) stand out in particular. The underlying malts are also prominent and contribute sweet flavors of caramel. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness and some hints of alcohol.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit sticky on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O:This beer does not stand out among other Double IPAs, but is a solid representation of the style. It is a beer that needs to be sipped given the strength.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 16:50:48 | More by metter98

BarleyProper

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The first thing that struck me with this beer was the foam. It was creamy and almost felt warm on my lips even though it was perfectly chilled. Nice mouth feel. A swish and chew brought the expected hop bitterness, but it was not overwhelming like some IPAs tend to be. This was not the dry hoppiness that I usually expect, it was more wet, slightly sweet with a very pleasing finish.

I am a hoppy guy for sure and doubles and triples are what I like most. This beer has the potential to come out on top. I see great things ahead for Ruckus. Just you wait, when they find a home and their stride, they will be competing with the big guns.

Barley

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 00:05:02 | More by BarleyProper

macrosmatic

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into pint glass.

A: Pours a copper color that is only a bit hazy. Nice white head forms.

S: Flowery hops, slight caramel malts. Not much else.

T: Follows nose, but is WAY more bitter than expected – bitter on the roof of my mouth, with hang after the swallow. Some resin flavors, flowers, a bit oniony as well.

M: Nice weight to the mouthfeel, good carbonation sensation.

O: Not awful for an IIPA by any stretch, but with so many other quality offerings out there...don't think I'll be trying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 23:51:41 | More by macrosmatic

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

nimrod979

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber. Awesome name. Poured into my DC Brau tulip.

Appearance: Bronzish clear color. Thin white head. Hint of lacing not much retention.

Aroma: Plenty of piney and dank hops as well as tropical fruits, grapefruit and mango. Lots of caramely maltiness as well. Kinda takes away from some of the DIPA qualities.

Taste: Tropical grapefruit hoppiness. Piney hops help with some bitterness. Sweet malts give a sturdy backbone. Not a huge hopbomb and the alcohol is a somewhat detectable.

Mouthfeel: A little thick, syrupy, low carbonation. Once again not a huge hop bomb. Te finish is more of a malty sweetness. It's fine just not what I look for in the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 21:08:04 | More by nimrod979

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a flute.

Appearance: amber with a slight haze, white head coming off 1/3" off the body.

Smell: light floral, But real light...I wish it was more.

Taste: complex, first off it is bitter with hints of grapefruit, piney as hell (I am not complaining). Feel the floral essence magnified and honestly tottally impressed.

Mouth: medium to full, little hard to indulge but finish half the glass the second half goes much quicker.

Overall: picked this up at the bar with absolutely no regrets! Enjoy this on me, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 23:33:36 | More by BlurryVisi0n

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

Billolick

New York

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

bomber bottle, w/o freshness info. House gift from my Pa. pal Mr. Grassy. Thanks Grassy

Pours lightly hazed almond amber, under a light tan head, leaving low sheeting and ample fine lace on the glass. Dull nose of mostly malts but with a back note of minty hops.

On the malty side for a double IPA. Sweet caramel, peppery alcohol, all with an underlying but dull minty hop presence. ehh..sort of a jumbled mess, without many pleasant flavor notes coming through.

Not my favorite example of the style

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 00:28:41 | More by Billolick

JayQue

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Looked like all the makings of a really good DIPA...Big white head, good lacing, good head retention, nice hazy copper color.

Time for a sniff....overall mild aroma for a DIPA but....whats that oniony-bad vegetable aroma? Smells like there is some Summit hops here !!! For many of us, Summit hops provide an oniony/rortton vegetable aspect. 100% summit hops like Gubna are undrinkable for those afflicted.

This beer has other hops as well, with Summit just making it a bit off-putting.

Taste is just ok, hops bitterness and some good hops flavor but the Summit syndrome creeps in here a bit.

Mouthfeel is crisp, good bitterness and rich enough.

Overall, just a bit better than average for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:37:56 | More by JayQue

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Gary's in Wayne a week or so back. I had never tried this before and even tough the name of this beer refers to a cartoon character from long ago, I expected this to be a hop bomb. While this didn't disappoint, there wasn't much that made this stand out from the other IPA's and double IPA's on the shelf.

The pour to this was pretty typical, with a light almond hue that was a bit cloudy and almost no head or lacing to be seen. Almost no "burn" to the nose with some citrus and pine flavors that one would expect from a beer like this. A hint of caramel matched the slightly darker hue too but the mouthfeel was average without a lot of body to it. Not oily, not strong, and just a hair creamy. This was about as light in taste as a beer of this style could get.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with the alcohol. It was there but I couldn't detect it until I made my way down to the bottom of the bottle. The malt and biscuit notes of this beer hide the booze well but made this seem like it was categorized incorrectly. While this wasn't a bad beer, hopheads would fare best by moving on from this unless they want to chug the bottle down. In that case - bombs away, as this has the drinkability of a Imperial Brown Ale...if one existed.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 22:59:56 | More by JerzDevl2000

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the Keene, NH Beerfest on April 7, 2012. I have heard a lot of buzz around this beer so this was a good opportunity to try it for myself. It pours copper-amber with a light haze and moderate head. The aroma leans more toward malts, toffee, and nuts rather than hops. The body is medium to bold and creamy. The taste is sweet and malty with a probing bitterness hauling up the back and a slightly dry finish. I can see why this one is well-liked.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 01:52:00 | More by puboflyons

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

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy golden orange body with a quarter inch of head. Moderate lacing.

Smells of pine, light orange, and buttery malt.

The hops are mostly pine and gets a little soapy. The malt is buttery and toasty.

Mouthfeel is medium light carbonation with full body.

It's a good, but not great, DIPA. The price point of $5.99 was right on.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 22:10:12 | More by Vonerichs

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle

A - Caramel amber in color with a tall finger of tan head.

S - Soapy, tropical, sweet. Some sweet caramel malt and pineappley hop aroma.

T - Bitter up front, with little in the way of hop flavor. Biscuit/cracker finish. A bit soapy. A bit of booze. Not up to par for this style.

M - Medium in body, smooth.

O - Overall an OK beer in a style full of exceptional brews. It just can't stand up to the competition. But I don't dislike drinking it!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 21:37:40 | More by greenmonstah

Beejay

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale amber as it pours. In the glass it is peach in color and very clear. Light tan head with a touch of a fine sponge texture.

S: Nice hop aroma, pine and citrus notes. There is a huge amount of a tangerine aroma coming through for me. Some caramel in the finish.

T: The hops certainly come through in the flavor. Very citrusy; orange, lemon, and some tangerine. I pick up a little pine, but mostly citrus leaning towards the sweet citrus. The finish has a nice caramel sweetness, and a touch of earth.

M: Medium in body, but with a hint at being syrupy. The carbonation is fine in size, and medium in quantity. The finish leaves a little bit of an oily texture.

O: Overall I think that the beer is very well balanced with a good American hop profile. As IIPA's go I think it is very good, but perhaps not great, however I think for the price this bottle is a knock out.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 01:40:28 | More by Beejay

russwbeck

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A pretty hard pour gives way to a few fingers of really bubbly white head. A few bubbles work their way up through the orange liquid to the top of the glass, and one their journey is complete, they're met by the scant amount of head that stuck around.

S: A lot of hops and booze take the aroma over for me. Oily, bitter, citrusy alcohol That is begging for some balance.

T: The taste takes a step in the correct direction, luckily. A caramel malt base plays host to floral hops, bitter and fruity, and the booziness from the aroma. Very sweet overall.

MF: Light to medium body with a good amount of carbonation. This isn't a great beer, but I found it really drinkable.

O: I bought this for the label, straight up. A beer with Optimus Prime created out of hops? Pure genius. It was only around $5 for a 22oz bottle, so honestly it was worth it if for nothing else than the awesome label. Went down well with my chili on the balcony during an unseasonably warm day.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 22:36:14 | More by russwbeck

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: rust orange body, trace white head,
solid lacing

S: grapefruit, pine,

T: grapefruit, mango, pine, malt, long/slow bitter finish

M: med/light, mild sticky/oily

O: Not a bad little Double IPA for $4.99
Probably not get again, fine gateway
Double IPA.

SOLID, NOT MUST TRY!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 19:13:39 | More by BeerLover99