Hop Circle IPA - Phillips Brewing Company

Ham-Nord

Ontario (Canada)

3.66/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Great clarity on this beer, pale golden in colour. Head lingers and never quite dissipates. Leaves some lacing around the glass.

S: I get a lot of strong pine smell from the northwest hops, a little grassy even. Very inviting.

T: Quite dry, but I still pick up some sweetness from the malt. Strongly bitter in the aftertaste and lingering afterwards. There is some grassy flavour from the hops, which I did not find particularly appealing.

M: Very well carbonated. A light body, with a strong bitterness.

O: This was a good IPA, but I have had much better. In my opinion, the hop profile is too confused. They have used different hops that I find are somewhat clashing. It is dry, with minimal residual sweetness. Everything is spot on except for the hop flavour, unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:32:41 | More by Ham-Nord

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.04/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

(4.25) A: Very clear light-copper colour with a solid height of semi-creamy foam head. Long lasting retention and attractive lacing.

(4.0) S: Pine, juicy grapefruit, floral notes, buttery toffee, and a bit of subtle spice. Fresh and crisp aroma. Hints of tropical fruits present as well.

(4.0) T: Similar to aroma with lots of resin-like pine and grapefruit upfront with a buttered toffee sweetness and floral notes that present themselves towards the finish. Smooth with a fairly mellow taste that is a bit creamy too.

(4.25) M: Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Oily and resiny with an appropriate level of bitter and dryness.

(4.0) D: This is an all-around easy drinking IPA and one I would happily drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:57:42 | More by Digimaika2

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to biboergosum for this one.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, no discernible freshness info.

Appearance: Light, honey-colored body, slightly hazy, very foamy, patches of lacing clutches the sides and holds on and leaves its trace. Always a bit of head right down to the last drop.

Smell: Sharp citrus (lemon) with orange and clementines.

Taste: Tea-like in flavor but tempered with some tangerine slices and an overall grassy flavor.

Mouthfeel: Dry bitterness, smooth a little, bit conservative.

Overall: A good & safe IPA. Doesn't break the mold but is well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 11:15:14 | More by papat444

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

341ml bottle poured into a pint glass. ABV 6.5%.

A - Poured a clear gold with a 2cm white head. Head reduced to a lasting thin cap. Decent lacing.

S - Citrus, pine, grass, light sweetness. Really nice aroma.

T - Light sweetness upfront and then it's hops. Citrus, pine, some floral, hint of tobacco, hint of spice. The mild maltiness tilts the balance on the bitter side.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation, some tang, some stickiness yet fairly smooth, hint of heat, crisp pilsner like finish.

O - Pretty good IPA. Easy to drink for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 02:19:26 | More by decimator

Bibowski

Ontario (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I was excited when I saw this on the shelf at my Ontario LCBO. I'd never heard of it, OR the brewery for that matter.

I'm always on the lookout for new and different IPAs, so I thought why not?

After pouring it, it appeared and smelled like a typical IPA, maybe a bit more pungent than most (but in a good way).

It was only after swallowing it that I discovered how truly bizarre it really was. It was as if someone had decided to switch the relatively tasty liquid in my mouth for some watered down Pinesol. I've had one or two IPAs before that have this extremely bizarre aftertaste so it's not just Hop Circle that is a victim.

Now, I'm a huge fan of IPA. Give me a pint of 100+ IBU any day, but this was just too weird for me. Not a fan, especially after having some of the other BC IPAs such as the incredible Red Racer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 15:46:26 | More by Bibowski

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Single bottle from a six pack, priced at around 13 bucks. Part of the seasonal "Craft IPA" release at the LCBO.

Poured into a nonic. Brightness that was hinted at on the box was certainly the case here - a deep tawny golden brew, good half inch of head that creates some damned impressive lacing streaks.

Nose is a mix of bitter hops, sweet citrus (orange or tangerine), and a damp grain or earthiness. Intriguing.

This is one IPA that really required about half the bottle for me to really "get." My initial reaction was less than pleased - rather than the crisp, tart citrus and grapefruit/resin notes I was expecting from a West Coast IPA, I got something sweeter and earthier. Someone described the brew as "damp", and that's about as good as I can do myself. Sweeter citrus (tangelo or mango), grass, earth, a mild muskiness, and a long bitter finish. It's growing on me.

Zesty and bitter on the tongue, moderate to light bodied with zippy carbonation.

Fortunately I have a whole sixer of this to work through because it's an IPA that deserves extra attention. Always nice to be surprised by a brew you thought you had pegged.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 20:42:18 | More by JohnnyBarman

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

341ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO - 13$ for a 6-pack

Appearance - Clear gold/light copper with an average size fizzy off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 3 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, caramel, resin, citrus

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel, malts, and resiny/leafy hops. There is also some grapefruit and some grassy notes and a hint of an odd vegetable/corn husk flavour. It ends with a medium amount of bitter hop bitterness.

Overall – Just a few small adjustments away from a really good beer. They've done a good job at capturing the hop essence and it shines through in the beer. But there are some odd vegetable flavours mixed in unfortunately. Still a beer well worth a repeat purchase.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 23:33:30 | More by spinrsx

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I wish I could have said that Hop Circle IPA is a close encounter of the 'blurred' kind, but this beer is clear as day. So clear is it, in fact, that you can observe each tiny bubble with precise definition as though they were under a microscope. The golden beer emits a brassy sheen and has a head as white and fluffy as sheepskin.

What makes a good boxer is not only power but reach - the pungently grassy notes of this aroma reached my nose from across the table. So 'green' and herbal, it feels like I set foot in a hydroponics grow-op (or the trees behind the high school parking lot). Luckily this weedy musk - read into that word however you wish - is undercut by tones of grated lime and spearmint.

If I were desperate for Hop Circle and none was available, I could just as well lap-up the lawn after cutting it. Given, that won't relieve my thirst nearly as well but it would just about simulate the flavour. This has a seriously dank taste profile, one of wet leaves, flower petals and grass clippings, that drinks like a muggy summer afternoon (which, incidentally, may be the perfect occasion for such a quencher).

There's more than enough tangy, lime-like acidity, ginger-type heat and lemongrass notes to keep things lively on the palate. Though I have yet to try any of these myself, I reckon the brewery's suggested pairings of curries, Caribbean patties, and spicy shrimp are innate accompaniments for what is ostensibly the beer equivalent to a Thai green-chili curry paste.

"Hoptimization capacitors activated. Taste probe functions optimal. Aroma sensors in overdrive. Engage." So reads the label for Phillips Hop Circle, an IPA that certainly does 'abduct the hell out of your senses' just as assuredly and brilliantly as its label describes. This is no hoax. If you have never tasted a properly hopped IPA, you could hardly do better than to start here.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 00:15:10 | More by biegaman

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap @ Pig BBQ Joint in Victoria.

A - Medium yellow/orange with half a finger of thick cream coloured head.

S - Fresh grapefruit, peach and pine with a touch of caramel sweet

T - Good bitterness. Grapefruit peach, tangerine, pine. A slight malt sweetness in the background.

M - Medium body. Sticky. Light to moderate carbonation. 4

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 23:39:46 | More by TheSevenDuffs

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

BB June 28, 2013

Beer is clear golden in colour with a large white head. Pretty good retention and lots of lace.

The nose is certainly hoppy. Citrus fruit mainly, with grapefruit and orange, maybe some peach. Pine resin. A bit of a sweet-smelling bready malt scent underneath.

Taste contains the citrus and tropical fruit (more on the peach and orange end than grapefruit, unlike the nose), with a larger amount of bready malt than I expected. Fairly bitter. Lots of flavour, but the fruit somehow tastes a bit artificial and dull.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated and oily.

Overall, not bad, and I will not have any problem finishing the bottle, but not a particularly strong IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 22:54:16 | More by jrenihan

Voonder

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341 ml bottle into pint glass.

A - golden pale/yellow, large foamy head. great retention.

S - citrus, a bit pine, some grassy notes, floral and fruity (mango) aromas. quite nice.

T - bitterness upfront - very bright grapefruit, pine, spices. then fruity sweet - mango, pineapple, floral notes, HOPS. finishes bitter an dry, earthy, grapefruit is very strong again. very nice and complex.

M - moderate carbonation, well balanced brew, light to medium body, pretty smooth.

O - good IPA, easy to drink, nice complexity. very good, interesting flavour. well done!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 04:03:47 | More by Voonder

Scrylol

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice orange color with two fingers of head, slowly disappears leaving a thin film of bubbles with lots of lacing.

Smells of orange, grapefruit, citrus. Plenty of tropical notes. Very nice.

Big bitterness and toasted malt upfront with some citrus, earthy and piney notes. Plenty of hop flavor and some tropical flavors in the middle. Leaves a dry aftertaste of grapefruit with some slight earthy notes. Also a bit grainy.

Medium body, plenty of carbonation tickling the tongue.

A nice IPA from Philips Brewing.

Serving type: can

07-20-2012 18:56:26 | More by Scrylol

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 341 ml brown bottle, as part of the Hob Box 12 pack. Pours out a slightly hazed golden hue, with a loose creamy ivory head that retains to a thick cap.

Clean grainy, biscuit malt on the nose, with dry leafy hops.

Grainy and biscuity malt up front in the flavour, followed quickly by sharp bright leafy green hops, finishing with intense grapefruit and tangerine rind.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, slick texture, with medium carbonation.

Pretty much a straight forward in your face hop fix, which delivers the goods without overwhelming. A little bit of depth to the hops but the intensity tends to detract from that. Can't win them all, but this is worth picking up if you're looking for an assertive American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 05:40:15 | More by IronDjinn

BashOnABike

Alberta (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Amber-pale colour, light, lots of carb, high retent head with messy lacing

S: Citrus upfront, lots, with some hop and a little malt. Mostly a hard-to-describe Philips phenol. Probably the best part of tasting!

T: Burnt malt upfront, with citrus and hop in mid, then more burnt malt. Three-stage makes for an interesting palate.

M: Frothy even as a second growler pour, very light and sessionable, moderate carb.

O: A very nice-looking, tasting and smelling beer. Phillips has saturated the style, but is still remains unique in my mind, possible due to the lack of filtering. Good for a friday night, one can easily pound a few back while still feeling refreshed: amazing!

Serving type: growler

02-27-2012 05:26:36 | More by BashOnABike

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into a 16oz pint glass.

A - Pours with a fluffy white head, about 2 fingers high, which dissipates down to a small cap that coats the glass in a sheet of lace. The body here is a clean amber-copper. I've also gotta let my love of Phillips bottle designs influence this rating, love the presentation of their beer.

S - Delightful hop forward aroma. Lots of citrusy C hops here, with strong notes of grapefruit, orange, and peach. Nice pine resin and earthiness too. No real malt in the aroma other than a bit of caramel; but I'm not complaining.

T - Great hop character, with lots of citrusy and piney hops leading the way. Grapefruit, orange, and a touch of peach and mango. Piney hops appear in the finish, with a balance of nutty caramel malt. Firm bitterness lingers. Simple, but really nice stuff.

M - Nice prickly feel from the carbonation, but not too much. Body is light-to-medium. Light bitterness in the finish from the hoppy flavor. Smooth and goes down really easy.

D - A damn good IPA from the West Coast. Great hop flavor with an easy drinking feel to it. I really enjoyed this one and I'm sure I'll be enjoying MANY in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 22:05:32 | More by Converge

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear golden yellow appearance with a small amount of head that slowly settles down leaving good retention. Smell consists of citrus, lots of hops with a hint of grapefruit, malt and booze.

Taste consists of powerfull hops that dominates most of the flavor; also consists of the same features as the smell, grapefruit, malt, citrus and a hint of booze. Thin bodied with moderate carbonation. Finish is a bitter hop taste.

Overall, this is a decent IPA with a lot of good features, I think the thin body waters down the taste a bit, but it's refreshing and drinkable. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 20:35:34 | More by CrazyMike

Dawkfan

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- A slightly hazed golden IPA. Little over a fingers worth of white head, spotty lacing as this receeds.

S- Big nose, this is got it all for a west coast IPA, grapefruit, pine, and light citrus notes. This is sort of sweet smelling, but not from the malt.

T- There's a thinness to this that really hurts the flavor IMO. Soft mild flavors move to an orange citrus middle and then a bitter metallic grapefruit finish. The malt is completely lost in this one, which may be leading to how light it drinks.

M- The body is really light, carbonation a tad under medium. There's a slight stickiness to it though.

O- This is the last I had from the Hop Box. I thought it was better the first time I tried it, and I'd definitely revisit it. I'd like to try it on tap as I feel it could be much better.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 19:35:52 | More by Dawkfan

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into tulip 24/10/11

A clear golden yellow with just a few bubbles feeding a rolling hill like looking foam that leaves a few random patches of lace

S big citric nose with grapefruit and lots of lemon rind, slightly floral and faint booze in a deep whiff with some even fainter spruce pretty solid stuff

T what I smell but with more rind and it's just not as intense with the citrus as the nose, still quite good but missing something compared to the smell

M a little thin but well carbonated and it leaves just a little behind in your mouth

O decent IPA for sure that went down a little too quick, great nose, good flavor and easy to drink, need more?

Pretty pleased with this one and a most welcome addition to my beer selection in Alberta. 2 down and 2 to go thank you Phillips Hop Box

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 02:27:36 | More by wordemupg

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Black Frog in Vancouver.

A: 1/8" offwhite head over amber liquid with excellent clarity.

S: Floral and citrus hops.

T: Floral and citrus hops up front with a somewhat malty and nutty aftertaste.

M: Medium viscosity and a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: Easy drinking IPA with a nutty aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 16:59:52 | More by DaftCaskBC

StarshipPoopers

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pretty clear compared to some IPAs. Slight haziness. Not much in the way of head or lacing.

S - Grapefruit and faint citrus.

T - Hops. Grapefruit dominates, while there is also some pine thrown in. Not much for malts.

M/D - Good beer. Smooth and surprisingly light feeling for the style. Has great drinkability as a result.

O - Nothing amazing, but a nice and light beer with a little bit of kick.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 02:24:42 | More by StarshipPoopers

xuptygm

Nebraska

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Bright golden yellow. Small head which quickly disappears. Lots of lace on this one.

Smell: Sweet and hoppy

Taste: Hops, hops, hops! Somewhat more bitter than I would have liked, but still a very smooth and tasty IPA.

Mouthfeel: Smooth champagne (from the carbonation).

Overall: A good IPA that should satisfy the hop heads out there. Phillips is starting to impress me with the depth in their lineup. Try this one for sure if you get a chance.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 03:39:55 | More by xuptygm

notchucknorris

California

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy golden color with a thin white head. Really nice lacing.

S: Lots of grapefruit with an almost juicy aroma and some citrus hops.

T: Slightly malty upfront with a pretty hoppy grapefruit and citrus finish. Bitterness is a little on the high side but this wasn't quite as hoppy as I would have liked. Still, a pretty solid IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 23:56:00 | More by notchucknorris

bobtomuch50

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After a week of trying several different pricey IPA's (all beer here is pricey (wtf?) on Vancouver Island, I was tipped off by a local that Phillips is the best - he was right. If you're in Canada and like IPA's, don't waste your money & time with anything else but this one! Finally, an IPA with taste!!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 02:30:50 | More by bobtomuch50

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale hazy orange, some floaties in the glass, one finger white head with some lace. Smell is of citrus and pine, mellon, tangerine and a fairly high malt profile here as well. Taste is hoppy, citrus nad grapefruit, light pine notes, good malting here as well, nice clean finish. Mouthfeel is fairly oily, light-med carbonation, medium body. Quite good and enjoyable would certainly like to revisit this someday.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 23:52:59 | More by peensteen

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The closest thing to a "Bell's Two Hearted" I have ever enjoyed from a Canadian brewer - an excellent beer!

Appearance is an average amber gold, with some sediment and not overly carbonated.

Aroma is absolutely stunning - almost a benchmark blend of citrus, pine and everything good I associate with west coast hops! Likewise the flavour is beautfully well balanced with a lingering, bitter finish. Some might find the finish a touch overly bitter, but I think it's a delightfully sustained ending to a truly impressive beer. A new beer for me and one I will make every effort to find again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 21:29:14 | More by hopsolutely