Hoponius Union - Jack's Abby Brewing

mcintire78

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

a: Beautiful. Pale gold to straw in color with a two finger head that slowly dissipates and leaves some nice lacing. Light to moderate carbonation.

s: Very powerful aroma of citrus hots, mainly grapefruit, upfront.

t: When it first hits the tongue there's a moment of malty smoothness that quickly fades into a moderate taste of fruitish hops up front, which fades into a bit of a bite at the end.

m: Smoother than I thought it would be--neither the carbonation nor the hops affect the drinkability.

d: Much more drinkable than I would have thought--almost too much so. I was expecting more of a bite. Still, if you're looking for a lager that tastes like an ipa, this is your beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 01:43:50 | More by mcintire78

BRYeleJR

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-18-2013 22:05:38 | More by BRYeleJR

cburns48

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-18-2013 12:53:11 | More by cburns48

vtbeerandbud

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-18-2013 09:46:40 | More by vtbeerandbud

Hendry

Vermont

4.36/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into a pilsner glass. Looks like a lager, yellowish and crystal clear. Lively carbonation.

Aroma: lager? Well, just a bit of breadiness in there. Nose similar to a moderately hopped IPA, light lemon-grapefruit citrus aroma, and I emphasize LIGHT. The aromas are subtle and faint, not jumping out at you.

Flavors start out light and subtly citrus, and quickly fade to a yeasty fresh lager vibe, crackery.
The bitter aftertaste from the hops is long lasting and pleasant..

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium, flavors coat the middle of the palate mostly,not much on the tip or back.

Lines are blurred when it comes to traditional styles these days, and crossover beers seem to be emerging all the time. Somehow this lager bridges the gap to hopville, and is an enjoyable change of pace, but I'm not completely floored either. Worthy of trying for both IPA fans and lager fans, I'm not getting the world class ratings on this one: good but not incredible.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 05:21:46 | More by Hendry

Marcelozicker

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-17-2013 19:26:50 | More by Marcelozicker

Rainblows

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-16-2013 14:33:06 | More by Rainblows

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.61/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very clear orange/golden color with a nice big white head.
S: Smells super hoppy. Floral, tangerine, tropical fruits, slight grassiness; lots of peach and mango. Light toasted sweetness from the malts.
T: This beer is very juicy and tropical. Floral, orange, mango, tangerine, peaches. A bit of honey and a slight sweetness from the malts to balance it out. Finishes bitter and a bit piney. The difference between this and an IPA is that the finish here is drier and more crisp, which leaves you wanting more! The bitter aftertaste does not linger as long either.
M: Light bodied with medium carbonation. Mouthfeel is crazy good, so smooth, crisp and refreshing. I could drink this all day.
O: Another home-run from Jack's Abby. I would take this beer over most IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 07:28:29 | More by standardcherry

inanity

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-15-2013 23:24:26 | More by inanity

MattGoose

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-14-2013 14:38:01 | More by MattGoose

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.24/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle opened on 4.21.13
Dated 03.25.2013

A - Pours a hazy medium orange with a two inch cream-colored head with good retention and lacing.

S - Hoppy pine and orange citrus.

T - Lots of pine and bitter orange peel. I would have guessed it was an IPA. Good stuff.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Finally a lager with good ipa qualities. This one lived up to the hype for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:31:05 | More by HuskyinPDX

Arsenal0328

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-14-2013 01:18:53 | More by Arsenal0328

TheRuss9585

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-14-2013 00:47:22 | More by TheRuss9585

HoppySuds

California

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-13-2013 21:18:45 | More by HoppySuds

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.23/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours out a nice darker yellow beer with good clarity, 1" of white head with pretty solid retention, especially for a hoppy beer.

Aroma was obviously a very hoppy lager. You got both, in good supply: Simcoe hops, lager yeast. Has an herbal component to the aroma.

Taste, good snap and bite from the culmination of the yeast, Simcoe hops and mild/light body of the beer. Plenty bitter, but not a one trick pony, it kicks down some grapefruit (probably Cascade) with the Simcoe bitterness, and of course, the lager yeast is well intentioned and complimentary with this brew. It doesn't have a tropical fruit component to the hop flavor in the mouthfeel, its definitely more in the grapefruit and pine realm.

Carbonation is high, but appropriate for style. I was impressed with SA IPL, and this beer takes that up another notch. Clean, crisp and hoppy, super mild bready malt does its job.

Wouldn't hesitate to drink this over and over again. Not quite humulus lager, but better than SA IPL. I'm really liking this IPL trend. . .

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 16:43:01 | More by Beerandraiderfan

kevinpetruzielo

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-13-2013 16:00:39 | More by kevinpetruzielo

OUJayhawk1799

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-13-2013 02:11:10 | More by OUJayhawk1799

zestar

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-12-2013 07:33:53 | More by zestar

i080054

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-12-2013 01:22:03 | More by i080054

josephwa

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -8.5%

05-11-2013 21:49:58 | More by josephwa

TomRB

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-11-2013 18:55:31 | More by TomRB

weaksauce

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-11-2013 18:39:31 | More by weaksauce

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-09-2013 22:43:14 | More by alex_hart

tsm2011

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-09-2013 16:49:20 | More by tsm2011

Dagsy

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-08-2013 23:27:00 | More by Dagsy