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Longshot Friar Hop Ale
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
- From:
- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Belgian IPA
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.61 | pDev: 12.47%
- Reviews:
- 185
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 18, 2017
- Added:
- Mar 17, 2011
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by prototypic:
Reviewed by prototypic from Ohio
3.46/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Friar Hop Ale is copper in color. It’s crystal clear. Light gives it a nice reddish-orange tint. A soft, off-white head covers it and rises to about a finger and a half in depth. It recedes to a surface covering quickly, and holds there for a bit. An attractive, thick web of lace lines the glass.
The nose is okay, but is quite light on aromatics. More strength would probably bolster its performance easily. Caramel malt hits first. Smells pretty sweet. Light spicy phenols are noted. A little pepper, maybe some clove. Belgian yeast is subtle. Too subtle. More would be much better. Alcohol is easily noted and smells a tad strong. Eh. It’s rather average, especially given the style.
The flavor is a little better. Caramel malt is noted first. It’s sweet and a little sugary. Belgian yeast is more notable here, but isn’t as strong as it should be. It certainly imparts spicy phenols. Pepper and clove add some depth and work well. Light citrus hop notes emerge. They’re mostly orange flavored. They add a touch of bitterness and character. It’s all working well, but then a rush of boozy, warm alcohol rushes in and throws it off balance on the tail. That’s where it ends. Not a fan of the finish.
Friar Hop Ale has a medium body that’s pretty smooth and well done. Carbonation is dialed in nicely. Its feel is easily one of its strongest points.
Overall, Friar Hop Ale is pretty good. It’s a bit mediocre in the sense that finish puts a damper on the flavor score. The alcohol is too boozy and warm. Otherwise, the flavor’s pretty good. I wouldn’t mind more Belgian yeast, but I like the hop presence quite a bit. I’m honestly not sure that I’d call this a Belgian IPA. It’s more like a lightly hopped Tripel. In any event, it’s worth checking out.
May 22, 2011The nose is okay, but is quite light on aromatics. More strength would probably bolster its performance easily. Caramel malt hits first. Smells pretty sweet. Light spicy phenols are noted. A little pepper, maybe some clove. Belgian yeast is subtle. Too subtle. More would be much better. Alcohol is easily noted and smells a tad strong. Eh. It’s rather average, especially given the style.
The flavor is a little better. Caramel malt is noted first. It’s sweet and a little sugary. Belgian yeast is more notable here, but isn’t as strong as it should be. It certainly imparts spicy phenols. Pepper and clove add some depth and work well. Light citrus hop notes emerge. They’re mostly orange flavored. They add a touch of bitterness and character. It’s all working well, but then a rush of boozy, warm alcohol rushes in and throws it off balance on the tail. That’s where it ends. Not a fan of the finish.
Friar Hop Ale has a medium body that’s pretty smooth and well done. Carbonation is dialed in nicely. Its feel is easily one of its strongest points.
Overall, Friar Hop Ale is pretty good. It’s a bit mediocre in the sense that finish puts a damper on the flavor score. The alcohol is too boozy and warm. Otherwise, the flavor’s pretty good. I wouldn’t mind more Belgian yeast, but I like the hop presence quite a bit. I’m honestly not sure that I’d call this a Belgian IPA. It’s more like a lightly hopped Tripel. In any event, it’s worth checking out.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.64/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.64/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Amber color, solid 1/3" head on it, average retention, attractive. Aroma wasn't over the top belgian spice rack, SA usually understands and gets this right for their audience. A noticeable yet not west coast amount of hops.
The taste hid the alcohol quite well, hopping still there, a tiny spice rack intrusion, a little bit of orange rind. This was better than expected but neither mindblowing.
Mar 02, 2016The taste hid the alcohol quite well, hopping still there, a tiny spice rack intrusion, a little bit of orange rind. This was better than expected but neither mindblowing.
Reviewed by diddly from New York
3.94/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The date on the beer was September 2011, so I'm a bit past the date, but it somehow got shoved in the back of the fridge and I figured it was worth a shot. Poured into a tulip glass and was pleasantly surprised how fresh it still seemed.
Aroma is not too strong, with a slight slight fruitiness. Definite Belgianness comes through.
Appearance is a dark gold with an off-white, fairly thin head.
Taste is surprisingly good, and I'm usually not into Belgians overall, and specifically not Belgian IPA's. Nice use of spice and hops to gain some balance, while retaining the overall style.
Mouthfeel is well-carbonated, but perhaps a little light.
Overall, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this beer, and imagine it may have been even better last summer.
Aug 08, 2012Aroma is not too strong, with a slight slight fruitiness. Definite Belgianness comes through.
Appearance is a dark gold with an off-white, fairly thin head.
Taste is surprisingly good, and I'm usually not into Belgians overall, and specifically not Belgian IPA's. Nice use of spice and hops to gain some balance, while retaining the overall style.
Mouthfeel is well-carbonated, but perhaps a little light.
Overall, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this beer, and imagine it may have been even better last summer.
Longshot Friar Hop Ale from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
240 ratings
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