Hoponius Union - Jack's Abby Brewing

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

OK, well this is clearly not an American Pale Lager, but I guess we all know that. I also know that India Pale Lager is not a recognized "style" quite yet, but will review the beer with that intention in mind. I am sure the brewer would probably put this more towards the IPA category than the APL category.

Served in a pilsner glass. Bright golden body. Very nice head formation! Really solid and consistent bubbles, all the same size. Very good retention. Pretty amazing and even though this is my first "IPL" I could say with some confidence that this beer has a really outstanding appearance. It fails to garner a 5 though for the hazy body.

Aroma is quite similar to a true west-coast IPA. Bready malt lay underneath a blanket of citrus hops with notes of honeysuckle and candied oranges.

Up front, there is a big, impressive flavor of blood orange with a nice, spicy mid-palate, and a bit of doughy malt in the finish. The beer has a moderate body with plenty of solid carbonation throughout the glass. Carbonation is spot on, and right where I would want it for a "lager/IPA" hybrid. There is a longer, residual bitterness as well.

OK, it's hard to really determine what I feel about this beer in relation to any others of its kind, but I will say that my first impression is that this is a very solid beer that carries the torch well in the IPA category. There isn't much that I would consider "delicate" about this beer, and so any of the qualities I would be looking for in a pale lager are essentially hidden. That said, I enjoyed this beer and would certainly try it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 21:32:02 | More by MusicaleMike

Rizalini

Nevada

4.44/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this .5 litre bottle in a trade from Jageraholic, dated 02.25.2013, and poured into my Deschutes tulip glass...

A - Pours a crystal clear golden orange color. 2 fingers of off-white head fade rather quickly leaving some nice spotty lacing behind.

S - The smell is amazingly hoppy! Hops smell of tropical fruits like pineapple, and some earthiness. Very inviting.

T/M - The taste has a nice hoppiness in the beginning, a crisp malt middle, and a great hop resin aftertaste. Getting more of the tropical fruits as well in the aftertatse. The mouthfeel is light/medium. Crisp like a good lager, and good carbonation.

O - This is a great IPA/lager combination! If I did a blind taste, I would call this an IPA. The only thing preventing this from being DIPA status is the lighter mouthfeel and alcohol content. A really solid beer that I had my doubts about, but was proven wrong very quickly. I would grab this one all day long if it was available in my area, but sadly it's not. So a big thanks to Jageraholic for letting me expierence this great brew! Great extra, cheers to you my friend!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:03:38 | More by Rizalini

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.41/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

16oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A fairly clear, golden colored body. A good two+ fingers of soapy head cling to the glass as it recedes to a thin layer. Big sip marks.

Smells like a west coast IPA. Light cracker and toasted flavors from the malt. Clean. Tropical fruit over top with an underlying spiciness.

Juicy oranges and grapefruit up front with some cracker-like malt through the middle. A little bit of toasted biscuits before the spelt pulls it back and adds a little crisp spice. The finish is a blend of tropical fruit bitterness and dryness.

On the lighter side of medium with a smooth feel. Dry and bitter finish, but never overpowering.

This is not your dad's APL. An interesting blend of styles that works. The crisp lager flavors compliment the hops. Dry, crisp low end with juicy tropical up top. This is a winner for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 13:09:03 | More by ColForbinBC

gunpwdr

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nose: Pine sap, grapefruit notes buttressed by hints of flowers, wood spice, mango, and durian... all of which have a sweet, gummy candy-like quality. Palate: Citrusy, pine sap, hoppy notes along with a touch of brown sugar dominate the attack. Toast, citrus, and bitter hops dominate the mid-palate and give way to a grapefruit-bitter finish and a touch of malty sweetness.

This brew profiles very much like an IPA but categorization aside, the hops are the main event and in this regard, this beer kicks ass. At the outset (and probably 5-10 degrees too cold), the finish was a little thin and lacking body. As I write this, the finish has filled out more and the maltiness balances things out very nicely. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 01:36:47 | More by gunpwdr

claspada

New Jersey

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

Pours a clear light golden color with a rather large, fluffy white head and some spotty lacing as the foam recedes.

Aromas begin quite dank and hoppy for any lager I hace ever had. It starts with some tropical fruits with a bit of citrus and additional pine resin. In the background as it warms there is some light toasty, crackery maltiness.

The tastes directly follow the nose but in reverse with some light crackery maltiness that adds the smallest amount of malt sweetness before the citrus and pine hop flavors kick into gear. Some grasyy hop flavors as well which linger along with the pine resin flavors.

The mouthfeel is my only complaint as with many lagers, finish seemed slightly stripped and finishes a bit too abruptly for my liking. Carbonation is perfect to style.

Overall this is one of the most flavorful lagers I have ever had to date and clearly well crafted and the recipe must have been tweaked many times to arrive at such a great, hihgly drinkable balance. High marks for this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 21:37:14 | More by claspada

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.06/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed 3/28/13

Appearance: Clear, golden orange with some copper - more of a golden copper from a distance - pours with a nice, big off-white head - the nice fluff fades to a nice cap, leaves a ton of lacing

Smell: Nicely hoppy, and decidedly not an IPA - floral citrus - oranges and grapefruits, with some juiciness - some spiciness/grassiness that seems more typical for a lager - pale and caramel malts in the background, some more hints this is a lager - something that smells like sweet onion when it warms up

Taste: Yes, this is a hoppy lager - floral, lightly juicy orange, tangerine, and grapefruit - spicy and grassy, with a lager yeast finish - malts are pale and caramel - could almost pass for an IPA, with the exception of the yeast spiciness and the malt profile - very unique and flavorful, medium level of bitterness - earthy, grassy finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body, nicely carbonated, smooth, but the finish is a bit earthy and oily

Overall: About as great as a hoppy lager can get (?)

If I had to pick on this beer for one thing, I would comment on how it's rather odd how hard it tries not to be a lager. But it is. And it's tasty. The oily, earthy aftertaste kind of tires my tastebuds, but the bottle size is quite ideal. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 05:23:14 | More by angrybabboon

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 oz bottle into a snifter. Lucky enough to scoop up the last 4 pack at Yankee Spirits in Attleboro, MA.

A- Pours a slightly hazy, golden body with a thick fluffy white head that reduces slowly to some bubbles sitting on the top of the beer. Leaves uniform lacing.

S- Citrus, grapefruit, tangerines, honey, caramel malt, slight breadyness. Subtle but delicious aromas.

T- Starts off juicy, citrusy and tropical, progressing into a sweeter lager with caramel and honey notes, ends every so slightly bitter and piney. Unlike an IPA of the same flavor profile, these notes are more subdued, not as sticky, and leave less of hoppy aftertaste.

M- Super light, smooth, and refreshing. Definitely has the drinkability of a lager.

An excellent representation of an uncommon style. All hopheads should seek this one out. Comparable to an IPA but less aromatic and a little more modestly flavored, yet extremely delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:12:38 | More by gcamparone

AdamF625

Massachusetts

4.36/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- golden and transparent with a fluffy white head

S- citrus and pine

T- suttle grapefruit and pine hop flavors with a nice bitterness

M- thin body that's carbonated well.

O- crisp and dry, a well hopped lager. This is my staple local everyday drinker for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 02:33:54 | More by AdamF625

kevanb

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

500ml bottle poured into a stemless wine glass. Bottled 2/25/2013 and enjoyed on 3/13/2013.

The beer pours a soft copper color, slight chill haze, with a finger high soapy white head that has nice retention and leaves a great network of sticky lacing. The aroma is very fruit forward, notes of mango, grapefruit and tangerine with some wildflower tucked in there that finishes with a big dose of sweet, pale cereal grain. The the flavors much less impactful, mango and grapefruit lead the way before some light sweet floral notes bring out a lot malty sweetness brings out a bit of an unpleasant clash between the hops and malt. The body is a bit thin yet very lively, watery at times on the tongue with a redeeming creamy finish.

Verdict: A nice hoppy lager from Jack's Abby, but not the hop monster I expected it to be. I definitely enjoyed the bottle and if it was a local beer to me, I could see this being in my fridge regularly as an every day drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:16:31 | More by kevanb

Treebs

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle served in a Southern Tier tulip. Thanks to eorwar for the share.

A: Pours a clear golden yellow color with a fluffy white head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly to thin ring. Some splotchy lace is left down the glass.

S: Lager yeast profile with a light hoppiness to it. Subtle pale malts in the periphery.

T: Has a nice hoppy greenness to it with a mild citrus backing. Lager yeast profile with some sweet pale malts, but a nice hoppy bitterness cuts in at the end.

M: Very light bodied with a medium high carbonation level. Super easy drinking. Lightly bitter finish.

O: This was solid, but it was definitely hyped up in my head as being the best lager in the world. While it was very easy drinking and I would have again, I wouldn't put it in the upper echelon.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 13:24:23 | More by Treebs

MCain04

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle from BostonRyan, thanks bro. No bottling date, this IPL was poured into my Bell's Tulip glass. Very first IPL, looking forward to this!

A: A tad darker than straw yellow, opaque, big 2+ finger eggshell-white head with moderate retention and good lacing.

S: Delightfully floral hops with a strong lemon and citrus nose. Some orange and grapefruit. Best-smelling lager I've had yet.

T: Follows the nose well. The hop presence is comprable to, if not better than, some of the better IPAs out there. Not exceptionally bitter (65 IBUs) but definitely bitter enough.

M: Clean and crisp, the epitome of the lager mouthfeel. Almost perfect. Not as dry as you might expect on the finish, but decently dry.

O: Really enjoyed this. Wish I could stock my fridge with this beer this summer. I hope to get to drink it again... either that or that my favorite local breweries (looking at you, Pipeworks) would start perfecting their own IPLs. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:10:37 | More by MCain04

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

16.9oz/500ml/.5l bottle served in a glass beer mug.

L - lightly hazed orange/copper color with a white head that thinned to a layer leaving some decent lacing behind.

S - citrus and tropical fruits with a malty backbone.

T - citrus hops upfront with a dry and bitter finish.

F - medium bodied, crisp and refreshing, easy to drink.

O - it's a great example of a IPL, a style I wish more breweries would tinker with.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 22:46:08 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.41/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Bottled 02.12.2013

A: Pours a golden orange color with a little more than a fingers worth of head that has great retention

S: Extremely hoppy, with huge notes of citrus and light pine. Very fruity as well. Malts barely come through

T: Again, very hoppy. More of a fruitiness come through than just general citrus hops, with light pine and peppery spice notes as well. The malt does a nice job backing up the hops, much more so than in the nose. Finishes crisp and lightly bitter

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: An impressively hoppy lager with huge aromas of citrus and a crisp, balanced taste. Great price point to boot. More than worthy of a purchase

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 21:08:14 | More by BEERMILER12

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours a bright honey color with a 2" white head. Big clumps and blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- straw, lemon, grapefruit, light honey and some grassy notes.

T- light malts, tart lemon, grapefruit, bitter pine.

M- light body and medium carbonation. Very dry and acidic.

O- good beer, but very bitter which makes it more dry than I would like. Leans more towards bitter pine, grassy notes than the citrus.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:38:34 | More by kawilliams81

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into a tall lager-style glass.

A- Pours a bright and clean golden color, 2-finger white head that settles nicely leaving lots of lacing.

S- Hops all over; citrus grapefruit and orange, some pine. And some lager graniness.

T Light grass and very mild malt flavors are quickly trumped by a big dose of the citrus hop flavors.

M- Very light. Crisp. Light lager feel, mostly. Lingering hop bite and dry finish.

O- It looks and smells good, tastes OK, but has no body. It needs an element to tie it together. It is a light tasting lager one second, then a hop bomb the next. Not bad, though.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 20:46:58 | More by NiceTaps

merc7186

New York

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to Pdiddey3d for snagging this bottle for me.

Bomber into pint glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Citrus, Floral, Onions

T: Hay, Floral, Onions

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, its a nice pale lager but the presence of NZ hops leaves that onion taste lingering around, which is just nasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 20:24:52 | More by merc7186

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.01/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass, bottled on 2/12/13 FRESH! Pours a light orange, with a fluffy white head, that leaves plenty of lacing. Smell is earthy hops, citrus, cut grass, lemon, and hints of biscuit. The taste is similar, starts subtle with a grapefruit and lemon bittering finish. Body is almost medium, plenty of life, a little dry, and easy drinking. This is a nice beer and different than most.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 22:23:11 | More by SawDog505

Lambocalrisien

New York

4.91/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a crisp, dark but see-through golden color with a nice two finger white head and leaves good lacing.

S - Amazing and very unexpected. Nose fills instantly with pleasant floral and citrus hop aromas.

T - Holy HOPS, this thing is wicked hoppy, in the best of ways. Grapefruit and mango up front with a subtle pine on the back end. Finishes dry but with a crisp clean feel. Excellent balance of flavors and bitterness.

M - Smooth with a light-medium body and close to perfect carbonation. Goes down really easy.

O - The best IPL on the market. Great beer and a must try for all beer lovers. Excellent job Jack's Abby.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:10:33 | More by Lambocalrisien

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-deep golden color with a big white head and good lacing

S-grapefruit, pine, light sweet malt, floral notes

T-grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine, malt, floral, nice bitter dry finish

F-light to medium body with moderate, carbonation, crisp and dry

O-a great lager beer with nice IPA characteristics and good balance, great drinking beer

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:22:47 | More by MDDMD

tectactoe

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to portia99 for this one (it was an extra!), really looking forward to it. Pours a light copper color with very high clarity - only a very, very mild haze that forms dead center. Foamy white head begins to form some chunking lacing and legging right off the bat. The nose is heavily hoppy with a solid malt backbone - if the first whiff is any indication, this beer will be balanced very well. Some lemon zest, pineapple, and bitter citrus peel couple nicely with light and leafy pines and wet hops. A touch of cracker-like sweetness from the malt brings the aroma together nicely.

The first thing that hits the palate when taking a sip is a helping of wet, juicy, pine-like hops; grassy, floral, and slightly pungent. Light resin starts to come out as the sweet malts work their way into the mix, helping to balance and offset. Some mild fruitiness extracts itself from the hop bill; pineapple, grapefruit peels, herbal lemon zest. The hoppy flavors mostly fade by the time the beers has left your mouth and all that's left is the aftertaste, but a light, assertive bitterness remains along with some sweet bread, butter, and cracker malt flavors that give the excellent balance I was expecting from the aroma. As the brew goes on and gets warmer, I'm tasting some light white pepper spices come out from the hops, and maybe even some faint onion flavors. The body is medium and slick with a surprisingly dry finish.

Wow! Very solid brew here. Who knew pale lagers could be this good? This one shows exceptional balance and great execution for a very drinkable, hoppy-ass brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 17:52:06 | More by tectactoe

DocJitsu

California

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, light golden color with an impressive white head. Speaking of impressive, the nose on this lager is a big surprise. Grapefruit and pine a plenty. A nice medium-bodied mouthfeel that has adequate carbonation and dryness at the finish paves the way for grapefruit, pine, and floral flavors make this extremely drinkable lager very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:54:23 | More by DocJitsu

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Purchased at Julio's for like $3.00. Poured from 500ml bottle into crooked stave tulip. My first Jacks Abby brew.
Pours a see through golden burnt rusty color with a finger of foamy head.
Aroma is simply amazing...I was not expecting this! Crazy cotton candy and pine hop aromas with a crisp lager clean finish. Taste is very similar...sweet candy and pine hop, some pineapple. There is a certain crispness and hearty mouthfeel - must be the lager; but works so well with the crazy hop presence. Its not bitter at all but has fantastic flavor. Great great brew!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 23:17:14 | More by DrinkSlurm

ChrisL24481

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is my first time trying any brew from Jack's Abby Brewery and, boy, I am glad it was a fresh Hoponius Union (bottled on January 7, 2013). Poured into a Boulder Beer Company Mojo IPA pint glass.

Appearance - It pours a nice golden-orange color with about a 2-3 finger off-white head. The head appears soft and dense with decent retention. It slowly dissipates until a thin layer remains. A bit of lacing sticks throughout the glass. A bit of carbonation throughout as well.

Smell - The hop characteristics stand out with the first sniff which is then followed by citrus and tropical flavors specifically orange, lemon and a bit of grapefruit.

Taste - A delicious beer to say the least! Great hop flavors with a hint of the citrus/tropical fruits that you pick up with the smell. There is somewhat of a dry/bitter finish, but still a great tasting beer.

Moutfeel - A light-to-medium bodied beer with a bit of carbonation. This definitely has the feel of a pale lager, but the taste of the IPA throughout. This is an easy to drink beer that would be perfect for a hot/summer day. I can't wait to have this one again.

Overall - This was one refreshing and delicious IPL. I love the fact that it has the smells/tastes of an IPA with light body of lager. This is a very drinkable beer with little bitterness on the back end from the hops. A great beer that I recommend to all and I can't wait to enjoy the remaining bottles from the 4-pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 18:03:19 | More by ChrisL24481

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.04/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very clear and light, nice head but the body just looks like a lager, nothing extraordinary.

Smells very floral and citrusy, definitely reminiscent of a west coast IPA.

Tastes a lot like Pliny! Grapefruit type citrus, strong hops but not overwhelmingly bitter, some floral notes, very slight sweetness but definitely hop forward. Like a somewhat less interesting and complex Pliny but still very good.

Very drinkable, nice crisp mouthfeel.

8.0/10

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:42:07 | More by AlexFields

Malty_Matty

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- this looks your archetypical beer. Between gold and amber in color with a 2 finger white head on top, this is what everyone imagines when they hear the word beer.

S- a slight but not overwhelming nose of citrus and pine up front. Not much else. (i do have a bit of a head cold though)

T- the citrus isn't as strong here as in the nose. I pick up spicier earthier hops in the front and finish. Citrus is more toward the middle of the sip. The malt body keeps it balanced though it feels like more could have been done with it.

Mf- I could comfortably drink this all day. Light body and clean finish make for an incredibly drinkable beer.

I could drink this beer any time and be absolutely happy. A well done lager, which should be a model to others in the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:04:04 | More by Malty_Matty