Hoptimus Prime - Ruckus Brewing

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: single finger head with good retention and nice lacing on a amber with crimson hues cloudy body.

S: citrus and grassy. Some malt.

T: Very smooth without much of a bite. Mild pine and actually some cocoa and cola notes with this one. Its almost like the hops are there but they don’t contribute to the mouthfeel, strange.

M: medium body, a little flat, low to medium carbonation.

Overall: This one is a little bland, may have been a bad bottle because it also seemed flat.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 06:30:49 | More by kylehay2004

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

ryanonline

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very hazy and yet a bit clear, with some serious off white head. the color is very different, very brown instead of orange or amber.

whoah, tea scent and a bit heavy on the floral and citrus hops. a little bit of sweet malt as well.

taste is the same , but a stronger focus on citrus.

mouthfeel is creamy and medium bodied.

drinkability is relatively high.

This beer is not ready to receive the matrix of leadership, but it's close.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 10:03:47 | More by ryanonline

nickfl

Florida

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

A - Poured with two fingers of white foam on top of a slightly hazy, dark copper colored body. The head fades at a moderate pace and leaves nice lace on the glass.

S - A spicy hop aroma with notes of pine and some bready malt in the background.

T - Bready malt with notes of caramel and some lightly spicy pine hops. More thick malt in the middle with honey and a hint of clove as the beer fades to a spicy finish with moderate bitterness and lingering sweet toffee and malt.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - A nicely balanced and drinkable beer, but the hop character is a bit of a disappointment. Lacking in aroma with more spicy character that I would like to see in an American DIPA. No fruity or pungent hop characteristics, just a dull spiciness throughout with a hint of pine that isn't enough to save the day.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:46:37 | More by nickfl

Vec2267

Florida

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - golden color, large off-white head, nice lacing

S - subdued, sugar, floral citrus, resin

T - big malt backbone, huge hop presence, candied grapefruit, nothing unpleasant, but nothing that makes you want more

F - medium body

O - too sweet, the hops are present, but their subtle flavors are masked by the sweetness

I don't have a great sense of smell, but this beer is extremely lacking.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:00:30 | More by Vec2267

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

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

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

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

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

phishgator

Florida

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

Poured into a pint glass. Big head, creamy and medium carbonation. The nose is of juicy, floral hops. The color is orange hue with a little haze. The taste is floral hops and slick hop oil with a chewy body. There is a buttery smoothness to the body that is quite pleasant. The alcohol is well hidden for being 9%.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 13:07:32 | More by phishgator

lazjuarez

Florida

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

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Great label, I hope it lives up to the name. Bottle stamped: 26411 19090K+

A: Pours a hazy orange/golden hue with about a finger and half a off-white colored head. Almost no lacing as it recedes to a fine ring. Small amount of carbonation coming off the bottom of the glass

S: Nose is of small citrus notes, definitely not a west coast IPA. Small citrus rind, balanced with some sweet malts.

T: Taste is bitter, but not overwhelming with a nice malt backbone. In my opinion the hop profile is a bit low for what I had expected, but nevertheless still good.

M: Meduim bodied; bready malt, carbonation was a bit low, but the alcohol helped keep the palate refreshed. Overall an ok IPA, but not one that I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 05:23:33 | More by lazjuarez

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

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle thanks to Dana, I really like e name of the beer, I old imagine it definitely helps in sales to have a catchy name like that.

A: the beer pours a pretty hazy orange that's on the darker side in the middle, and just a little brighter orange on the edges. Has some great lacing and a small ring of white head.

S: I honestly don't get a lot of smell here at all, just a little bit of wet hop esters and just a flutter of a malt backbone, not very impressive.

T: taste is pretty decent, it has a very prominent malt backbone with some fruity malt and hop notes on top of that with some candy sweet alcohol heat in there as well, it's nothing special but nothing bad either. Some kitchen spices in the as well almost reminding me of a Belgian ale in some ways which is kind of a nice touch. A little bitter aftertaste but not a lot.

M: not bad, semi sudsy and medium in feel, with little prickly carbonation.

Overall this is a decent beer but nothing i'd buy if I saw it in a store.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:40:51 | More by Dreadnaught33

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle at the local liquor store. I'd never heard of Ruckus or Hoptimus Prime.

I looks appropriate for an IPA. You get the orange tint and light foam. Not really particulate in there.

The smell from opening the bottle was great. You get a lot of that citrusy/grapefruit. It is far less pronounced in my tumbler.

The flavor is good, but it doesn't really stand out. It wasn't nearly strong enough in comparison to most DIPA's.

The bottle looks pretty good, so I'll keep it. Unfortunately, I probably won't be picking up another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:01:50 | More by ummswimmin

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

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Strong aroma is quite hoppy, more grassy and floral than woody or evergreen. It pours a lovely dark amber with a rather nice ivory head. Flavor is very hoppy, again emphasis on grassy and floral taste with a woody undertone and little bitterness, as well as a subtle malty note. Full-bodied texture is lively and fizzy, leaving a strong hoppy tingle. This one is worth seeking! Makes a nice accompaniment to a big bowl of decepticon stew. ;)

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 23:30:11 | More by Cyberkedi

buyBinboaVodka

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass. It pours a copper amber color with a huge white head that leaves a lot of sticky lacing around the glass.

S - Big citrus hops come through with notes of grapefruit, floral aromas and some maltiness in the backround.

T - This started off rather sweet with the malts coming through at first then the hops come towards the end with a bitter finish. I get some caramel and hop presence throughout each sip. The citrus taste is always there and some bitter earthy flavor is in there as well.

M - It's very viscous and has mild carbonation, almost feels like a syrup.

O - I was expecting a little more from this DIPA, but it is still a very good beer. Also for $4.99, the price is very good for what you are getting.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 13:49:02 | More by buyBinboaVodka

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

ixodus

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy sunset orange with a thin creamy head that dies down to a small foamy surface.

S: Citrus dominates the aroma in a mix of Orange Peel, Grapefruit, Tangerine, Nectarine, and Pineapple, slight hints of sweet caramel, bread, and alcohol also traceable.

T: More malt forward then expected. Sweet bready malt, caramel, earthy and citrus flavors as mentioned in the nose, slightly boozy.

M: This beer is quite viscous. Thick, chewy and sticky with ample carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 18:53:53 | More by ixodus

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

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

GarrettMD

New York

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Hazy, can't see through it at all. Light orange with 1 finger of off-white head. Lots of rising carbonation, head sticks around for a while.

S - Citrus hops, lots of it, with some alcohol behind them. Some caramel malts come through as well. There are herbal/pine hops as well, but citrus definitely dominates, orange being the dominant of that.

T - Hop flavor is a little lacking. The Sweet malts, caramel/syrup dominate, with some hop bitterness backing them up and slight citrus hop flavors in the way back. It's not overly sweet, but sweeter than I was expecting.

M - Medium body, sticky sweet. The caramel flavor coats your mouth and the finish is mostly sweet with some hop bitterness thrown in the end.

O - Doesn't live up to the aroma. More balance in the flavor would be good, but still a good drinkable 9% IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 00:02:23 | More by GarrettMD

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Purchased exclusively because it had a ridiculous hop pun for a name.

Appearance - Murky orange body with a small white head. Decent lacing but not a lot of retention. The second glass I poured had nothing on top.

Smell - Citrusy hops with strong notes of grassy and floral hops. Really a nice hop aroma. It's pretty malty, too, though.

Taste - Nowhere near as nice. The hop flavor up front is immediately replaced by syrupy malt sweetness, which is immediately overtaken by an intense bitterness that dominates the back end of the drink. Totally dominated by the bitterness. Not pleasant.

Mouthfeel - Far too bitter for my liking. I don't mind bitter, but not when it overwhelms the other flavors. The malt isn't enough to combat the lingering bitterness.

Overall - Very average. Good in some respects, but not good in others. The flavors are there in incorrect proportions, but that's what makes good DIPAs do difficult to find.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 23:00:46 | More by Alieniloquium

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

Got this 22oz bomber at The Drinkery last weekend for $7.95. Had my turkey today, and it's now time to raise a Ruckus!

Poured into a nonic, this bier had a slight bit of haze to its honey-apricot color. Carbo was minimal and widely dispersed, and the head was a whitish color, thin and fine. Lacing is decent, with good stick remaining in the glass. Aroma is fruity and fine, a mix of some grapefruit, pineapple and apricot. Body is nicely more than medium, almost being chewy, and it is rather easy-going on the tongue.

There's a little bit of fruity sweetness to start, with apricot marmalade on a bready scone coming to mind. Soon after things get bitter, with rindy citrus and some pithy grapefruit pleasing the palate. This hoppiness lingers nicely in the aftertaste, and the 9.0% ABV is, scarily, well-hidden. Quite tasty, though a tad over-priced, in my opinion. Prosit!!

4 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1412

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 19:50:00 | More by Bierman9