HopFish IPA - Flying Fish Brewing Company

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +34.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

after the very disappointing 'extra' pale from FF last night, figured i'd just keep things consistent and open. poured into a nonick pint.

appearance is a lovely deep-bright straw tending towards marmalade orange...big ecru head that slides down in slow motion leaving unique, consistent lacing. so far so good. and better. appears pretty carbonated...

hop smells jump out of the pint from 6 inches away! deep inhale reveals strong (but not too much) hop aroma. balanced. another swirl and a nice semi-sweet malty/cereal sense reveals itself. and there, more unfolded (on this very spring-like day), the floral-citrus bouquet.

taste is really tremendous, better than expected, deep/rich hop fullness without the bite...yet it's not like something is held back...and even the maltiness, though expected to crash through the small hop offensive line, doesn't dare try to trump the hops. as someone said here, it would give the hop-afraid drinker a good sense of hop flavor. but even hop heads can rejoice in this truly impressive craft brew. very well balanced, all the ingredients meld perfectly...leading to near perfect mouthfeel due to spot on carbonation allowing for some crispness but not too much so, letting a creamy-thickness to play around.

very very drinkable. for what this IS it is nearly perfect. this is so saved from being just 'good' due to the sweetness staying ever so peripheral. the hops are alert but relaxed. i don't know why this seems so perfect yet so unique. truly sublime. no food suggestions come to mind...this needs nothing but your relaxed, open mind and mouth! thanks FFish for redeeming yourself. i am floored.

edit:
i want more! glad to know this is more or less local! i plan to pick up a case of the SN Torpedo and compare.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 15:03:48 | More by mempath

PhillyMonk

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +29%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've sampled all of Flying Fish's offerings, some of which are mediocre, and others of which are really solid. They've really outdone themselves with HopFish, which is just outstanding. It's certainly a hoppy IPA, but not one that leaves your mouth puckered like some of the more extreme beers in this category. It's got an amazingly clean, fresh smell and a finish that is just perfect, lingering in your mouth forever. I've tried dozens of beers of this type and HopFish is among my favorites.

Look for this beer on draft at bars around the Philly area and give it a shot if you see it. Flying Fish is waiting to see what the response is before they decide whether or not to bottle it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2005 03:56:33 | More by PhillyMonk

Chadbrew

Delaware

4.58/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was not very impressed with the ESB so I'm a little hesitant of this one. I do like the dubbel though, so who knows.
Appearance - Looks really good going into the glass. An amber colored beer that is brilliantly clear and very nicely carbonated which is feeding a nice constant head and gobs of lacing.
Aroma - Some pine hops with a light touch of citrus.
Taste - A little harsh and piney up-front that fades into a nice malty wash. Good bitterness in the finish that lingers. Each sip is a flavorful transition from harsh and flavorful, to sweet and soothing, to bitter and anticipating.
Mouthfeel & Drinkability - I think the body on this is really good for style, maybe a hair on the light side that keeps me hungry for the next sip.
I am very impressed with this beer. This is definitely one of the easiest beers for me to drink.
BTW - The lacing just never gives up!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2006 09:58:21 | More by Chadbrew

GeoffFromSJ

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Flying Fish always makes very drinkable beers, and this is no exception. Very good on-cask.

Comes with a minimal head and a lacing that sticks around. Quite a nice color to it.

The taste has a very full malt profile up front which is quite nice for an IPA. No cascade hops on display. As it gets warmer, the hops become more assertive. Some of the taste reminds me of Hop Devil on-cask.

Smooth as silk. A very good session IPA.

Serving type: cask

01-22-2005 16:44:56 | More by GeoffFromSJ

RAdragna

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

For an IPA, this one goes down easy. There is some bitterness, but like Blue Point's Hoptical Illusion, it isn't overpowering. You could taste the hops in the beer. So overall, this IPA is great because the bitterness is not too prevalent in the beer. I strongly encourage a friend or two to session this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 01:15:02 | More by RAdragna

Beerboybill

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours very nicely out of a 12 oz bottle, with a thick head forming within seconds. The color is a very clear medium amber. The aroma is very mild and the hops are not too pronounced. This is my only criticism of the beer because I perfer my IPA's to have a very pronounced hops aroma. The taste is excellent; hops bitterness dominates. The finish lasts and lasts, easily close to a minute.

This is a very drinkable beer and a solid example of an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2006 21:56:31 | More by Beerboybill

pinkano

Czech Republic

4.38/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - a little bit hazy, but very nice gold and orange color with average head
S - oh my god, hops hops hops, this is so great. Very well balanced hoppy smell with light citruses in the background.
T - absolutely awesome and well-balanced hoppiness with light citruses in the background with nice bitter end
M - medium body with medium carbonation
D - definitely very much drinkable

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 20:54:28 | More by pinkano

brentk56

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an amber color with a nice head that leaves some lacing behind

Smell: Earthy bitter aroma

Taste: Caramel malt up front followed by an earthy bitterness

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Really more of an English style than an American, this beer is well-balanced and flavorful - just not what you expect from an American IPA

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2006 02:47:54 | More by brentk56

klewis

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to leftmndedrighty for this one

A: Pours a very clear amber with a moderate, bubbly head. Plenty of lacing.

S: Extremely floral hop aroma with a sweet ice wine-like smell. Quite unique for an IPA, but very nice.

T: Floral, lavender taste with a very subtle bitterness and a touch of citric flavor. Extra points for uniqueness.

M: Fairly light-bodied with moderate carbonation. The floral taste lingers for quite a bit.

D: Definitely a bit odd, but quite enjoyable. I wouldn't mind haven't some more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2007 01:51:51 | More by klewis

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer was very nice and tasty! Good looking beer with an outstanding white cap that left a bit of foam on my glass. Classic micro brew scent. Some pine scents on the nose, but also very malty. Not overly hoppy, but you must classify this as an IPA! Cannot see through the glass, much like a great hefeweizen. Nice tasting, buscuit base. Very pleased with the finish! Very fine brew!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 06:00:49 | More by bigdeuce

jeffthecheff

Germany

4.22/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Recieved as an extra. No date code on the bottle.

Pours a light copper color with a white head. The head has a nice formation for a low carbonated ale. There isn't too much structure, just a flat cap of foam. It dies down to a small cap. Lacing is great.

The nose has a mild hoppiness with a light, sweet crystal malt presense and slightly fruity, English yeast. This beer isn't aggressively hopped like most IPA's, but it works as it has a subtle, cilantro herb quality to it.

The flavor of this beer, like the aroma, is quite gentle. This beer is reminding me more of a great pale ale than an IPA. Bitterness is on the light side. Citric hops and sweet malt combine to make a candy like flavor. The herbal character I found in the aroma comes through again and reminds me of tea.

Mouthfeel is light and dry. Carbonation is spot on. Very gentle carbonation, just how I like it. Outstanding drinkability, if I had another bottle I would have it right now.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 00:26:37 | More by jeffthecheff

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a translucent dark orange with a large white frothy cap on top. Great retention; lots of sticky lace rings left behind. Nice clean citrus aroma wafts out. Lemon, orange slices, leafy hops. A good bit of zip to this.

Crisp, refreshing feel. Drinks very nicely. Great bitter snap that is full of flavor. Bitter citrus rinds, a touch of pepper, leafy herbs - that transforms into a a mellow sweet finish of honeycrisp apples and tangerine.

This one really surprised me. It was so easy to drink and had a great balance of mild bitterness with a touch of sweetness. I will make sure to get some more of this. Just remember this isn't supposed to be Sculpin or Stone IPA and the like, so please don't review it like it is. This is an EIPA, and a good one at that.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 14:47:13 | More by Onenote81

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Served a golden copper color with a white head and loads of lacing.

Smell Sweet caramel hint of molasses a touch of bread malts a smoky character lay a foundation for the pine hops to stand upon.

Taste: Caramel and honey and plenty of sweet balance the grapefruit flavors of this IPA. Balanced solid IPA though mild all the way around.

Mouthfeel: Lightly carbonated medium body juicy feel is a bit slick.

Drinkability: This is a rather simple IPA but a decent quaffable representation that is easy to drink.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2006 02:36:50 | More by Phatz

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a slightly hazy copper color with massive tannish chunky head. LaLacing coated the sides of the glass as the head slowly fell to a thick coating. Very impressive head retention. Smell is very sweet and malty. Molasses-like notes present. Taste shows more of hoppiness with a nice balance from the caramel-tasting malt. Nice creamy mouthfeel with a moderately dry finish. Very easy to drink and very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2006 23:59:23 | More by tgbljb

cosmicevan

New York

4.15/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

took a break in between posting my rosso reviews to pop open this bottle so generously sent my way by mnbearsfan in the Good People Farm System BIF.

a - opened the bottle and filled my captain lawrence taster tulip. classic murky orange color with a very thin bubbly head. no lacing.

s - malty sweetness. nice ipa malt heavy.

t - surprising sweetness. good candy flavor. not a hop head's ipa, but a good beer. mostly malty sweetness.

m - very vibrant carbonation and nice feel. medium bodied. feels like a beer.

o - overall, very good beer. nice and smooth and great for a malty ipa.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 03:55:43 | More by cosmicevan

9InchNails

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Sideline Bar and Grill in Rockaway, NJ

Light copper to golden color in the body. Has a nice white head that turns into a film. Leaves behind nice creamy lacing on the glass.

I didn't get too much on the nose. Slight floral and citrus aroma.

The taste -- oh, the taste, this is delicious! Slight pine, juicy citrus and some bready malt and sweetness that really smooth things out.

Feels nice in the mouth. Easy to go down. Carbonation is medium and light in body.

I originally thought this was a tasty Pale Ale. Then I found out it was a IPA -- I was a little shocked because of the bitterness was kind of low. I like my IPA's very bitter but this Hopfish IPA had a sweet citrus and piney taste that kept me asking for another.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2011 05:43:15 | More by 9InchNails

nriech

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a good amber, typical for an IPA. Little head but some lacing. The aromas were good and hoppy, citrusy.

Nice hoppy flavor thats not overdone. Alcohol content is subtle and well balanced. Flavors linger for a while and are pleseant. Citrusy but not clovey like many IPAs.

This is a good drinking beer, too bad I cant get it in Virginia.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2006 05:17:36 | More by nriech

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear, amber-y hue, under a thick frothy white head.

Aroma is sweet, fruity, and bitter, all at once. Grapes and pineapples bump uglies.

Tastin' it:...a decent blitz of hops blazes the palate, then softly rides off. Caramel malt at play here, a decent cushion, yummy, bready, sweet, a nice balance to hops, but a bit too typical. Still, I like it...Medium bodied, a bit light in the finish, nice hops.

A likeable mildish IPA. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 08:02:38 | More by feloniousmonk

NoLiberty

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The appearance is a honey-orange-amber tending toward the darker side of that. Nice and clear with little to no head with very subtle lacing, if any.

Aroma is honey-sweet with mellow malt notes and good hop presence.

Taste is sweet and hop tingle up front with noble hop middle followed by good piney back and grapefruit finish.

Good carbonation and slightly thick body with well-rounded mouthfeel.

Sure, could have a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2006 02:44:08 | More by NoLiberty

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A solid beer. I did not pour it, but rather drank right out of bottle so I can't really judge the appearance. The smell and the taste were both sufficently hoppy without being over powering. This created a very smooth drinkable beer, with an execlent mouthfeel. If you like IPAs this is most certainly a good beer to try. Don't drink and review.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2006 20:07:19 | More by treehugger02010

Stunner97

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Golden to amber brown with very slight slight head, low carbonation to no carb

Smell- Cirtusy, herbal, lots of hops, strong inviting nose of rich hop notes

Taste- Very good hoppy flavor, citrus y and as in the nose herbal hop presence, nice long lasting hoppy and bitter finish

Mouthfeel- low carb as in appearance, light in body and on the tongue

Drinkability- great long lasting finish that leaves you wanting another sip, a pretty good ipa with rich tasting hops and worth another look for sure

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2009 06:15:56 | More by Stunner97

shapudding

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Grey Lodge. Warm and honey golden, semi clouded but still clear... makes me think of chill haze... Whitish head, nice and creamy, settled down to a thin ring and a huge cloud in the center that almost met the corners. Sweet hoppiness floating out. Nice carbination. Very nice amount of hoppiness and bite with caramelly sweetness. Very good feel and flavor.
-On a side note, I had this one back on 1/10/05, brought to me and a buddy as a favor who wanted to try something unfiltered. (Thanks J!) Had my review sitting in a drawer to wait until I had the finished product. Funny that my numbers are exactly the same.
For the unfiltered: Unclear homemade iced tea towards amber, maybe more the color of a LongIsland iced tea. Cannot see my fingers on the other side of the glass. Just a bit of medium/large white bubbles at the edges of the glass and a light dusting. Semi soured scents (alliteration anyone?) Can’t really feel the carbonation in this version, but yet it doesn’t feel flat, more like I am drinking a cold cask-conditioned. I like low carbonation, so this is good. Very smooth and low to medium bodied. Nicely hoppy, grapefruit and biteyness, tastes of gin.bit of caramel sweetness, almost honey-like. Lots of flavor going on. Easy drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2005 22:50:33 | More by shapudding

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from NeroFiddled, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him.
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright amber color with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a good lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is fruity and malty with only a mild hops background.

T: The taste starts out with a fruity malt character, but quickly transitions into a strong floral hops bitterness. The balance becomes much better as you get more into the serving. The after-taste has a good combination of fruity sweetness and hops bitterness.

M: Smooth and very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, very clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down easily, good kick, good representation of style, although I like a little more flavor in my IPA’s and there are others that I’d choose in the style, this is a good beer that I could go with for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 02:19:20 | More by TheManiacalOne

farrago

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very light amber, more so yellow, in hue, quite clear with thick and active bubbles and huge, dense head of foam. The nose comprised of grapefruit, dried white fruits, mild floral swipes, neither really malty nor hoppy, light presence with strong persistence, not heaviness. Medium-bodied, rich foaminess makes it feel heavier until the suds subside. Non-threateningly bitter, serves up grapefruit to orange zest, sweet spices and mild fruitiness. Stays consistent without any dips nor crests. In keeping, has a calm and collected finish, very smooth, rich while easy to keep sipping.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 23:15:33 | More by farrago

jerseyjoebrew

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours an amber orange color with a small head which dissipates quickly

S - for an IPA, the malt has a solid presence that slightly wins its duel with the floral hop aroma.

T - a gentle bitterness alongside a comforting caramel flavor

M - Medium bodied

D - very smooth drink due to its malt/hop balance. I can notice the diminished hop character as this is not an American IPA, but actually an attempt at an English IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 23:15:54 | More by jerseyjoebrew