Drake's Hopocalypse - Drake's Brewing Co.

elNopalero

Texas

5/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This review is for the 2012 version. If there’s an end-of-days then this wouldn’t be a bad choice to go out drinking!

This pours a clear, golden yellow with nice foam. There’s a big piney-grassy aroma that surrounds the olfactory senses. Flavor is bitter, bitter, bitter. Tongue-curling grassy hops scrape the taste buds off and cut through all other flavors. This is a good one for those who like palate-wrecking DIPAs. Mmmmm!

Postscript: the 2013 version is just as incredible!

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 08:13:37 | More by elNopalero

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Crystal clear, deep orange colored beer. Nice head. Decent retention. Fizzy ring remains throughout. Great lacing.

Oh my god! Insanely incredible hop aroma! Tons of tropical fruit. Specifically mango. Some sweet malt, but none of that burnt sugar aroma you get from some double IPAs.

Incredible flavor. More complex and malty than the aroma leads on, but still very, very hoppy. And not overly bitter. Slight alcohol, yet not what you'd expect from 9.3 ABV.

Medium bodied. Perfect carbonation. Lingering bitter, yet wet finish.

This is an incredible beer I received from a trader who advised me to "drink it fresh." I'm glad I did! The hop flavor and aroma was an incredible experience!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 23:51:41 | More by UnderPressure

jeffjeff1

California

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked this up at Monument Wines and Spirits the other day.

Appearance- copper color, decent size head

Smell- citrus and piney hops, very nice, heavenly smell

Taste- citrus and piney hops, delicious, I love it!!!!

Mouthfeel- medium bodied, very refreshing

Drinkability- This was very good. I love it!!! I want more!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 21:16:29 | More by jeffjeff1

Chaz33187

California

4.71/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Ice cold on tap at the The Loft on the LMU Campus
a- Rich Bronze Dark Orange
s- Citrus Hoppy Awesome, smells like fruit snacks
t- wow, soo wow. So damn smooth. Most orangey IPA I've ever tasted. I was shocked when I saw that it was 9.2%. It tastes like a 6% IPA.
m- so thin and smooth, there was a tiny bit of carbonation as the temperature rose.
o- hell yes, so smooth and balanced. definitely a little different from a typical American IPA. A sugary marriage between citrus and hops. You know it's good when your burps make you sigh.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2013 04:19:27 | More by Chaz33187

jvillefan

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: A very hazy off golden yellow, it has a decent head when poured into an imperial pint glass.

S: Very strong hop aroma. Very strong citrus tones. The caramel malt and high alcohol are nicely in the background of this beer.

T: Very similar to Pliny the Elder. It has a very strong pine and citrus hop character that is balanced nearly perfectly with the caramel body created by the malt. The high alcohol is less obvious in the taste compared to the alcohol.

M: Great retention and carbonation.

O: This is one of the better IPAs I have ever had, and I have had many. If given the opportunity to buy this beer, do it.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:30:22 | More by jvillefan

Hatzilla

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear amber pour with a fluffy 2 finger head and nice lacing.

S - Strong notes of hoppy citrus (grapefruit and tangerine) as well as a solid malt backbone.

T - Intense earthy citrus hops - grapefruit citrus slays my tongue as the malts cower in a corner with their heads between their legs. Not for the faint of heart or easily sensitive beer drinker.

M - Oily and smooth, medium carbonation. Finishes dry with a lingering hop aftertaste. ABV is well hidden considering the strength.

O - Another bang-up NorCal DIPA. My tongue has been viciously assaulted and I am a happy man. A must for all hophead's shopping lists.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 00:37:29 | More by Hatzilla

dmatsui

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured into a tulip from a 22 bombadier. Pale and copper-ish colors. looks like a typical west coast IPA. In other words, beautiful. With an aggressive pour it yielded a nice 2 finger head which dissipated fairly quickly. Given the 9.3% abv, I'm not surprised. Left little head retention.

Smell: Just delicious. Up front, grapefruit (generic west coast IPA adjective, I know) pine, citrus and dank. Malt character comes through nicely with a subtle sweet scent of brown sugar, but Drake's definitely put the hops up front in the nose. Heavy Citra hop spice for sure.

Taste: BOOM. Huge hit of Norcal hops, heavy citrus juicy, refreshing and oily hops. Nice spice maintained at the front of the palate, while the bold citrus and grassy flavors dominate. Mid palate some of the malt characteristics begin to develop, providing just enough to balance out the wild bitterness yet let the hops speak. The bill has a lot of grainy, rye characteristics, with a pleasant sort of wheaty-ness. Booze is definitely present throughout, which does interfere a little.

Mouthfeel: The thin carbonation, high bitterness and oil content really achieve a pleasant mouthfeel. The dry finish leaves you begging for another sip. The hops really stay with you; this is the kind of beer you taste in the morning. Signature bold, zesty and fresh california hops.

This is one spicy hop-bomb. If you appreciate the full-on assault of piercing, bitter, palate-dominating norcal hops, this is a great brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 04:58:49 | More by dmatsui

nuggetsofnectar

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautufil deep amber hue with a tall 1" off white cap..leaving nice lacing behind

Aroma: Stellar...potent citrus feel, grapefruit, oranges, pineapple with a grassy notion

Taste: Super hoppy but well balance in the malt backround..if I could describe one major taste contributor; orange rinds!!!!..earthy bitter grapefruit with honeysuckle in the back...

Mouthfee: very smooth and .maybe a tad more malt but otherwise I could almost session with this

Overall: worth the purchase..lovely

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 23:21:16 | More by nuggetsofnectar

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a clear orange with an ephemeral white head. Some lace. No bubbles.

S - outstanding! Big tropical (mango / pineapple) aroma with some moderate danky-ness. I like the dank aroma, but like it even more when it's used with some restraint, like it is in this brew. It does have a little bit of onion in the aroma, but the onion is much less intense than Sculpin and Sucks and more enjoyable overall.

T - is very much like the aroma, tropical flavors with a piney, medium bitter finish and a medium-long sustain. Really smooth 9.4% abv. Basically, a perfect balance of tricky flavors for me. Not as sweet as many DIPAs, but far from being dry. Very enjoyable.

M - medium-full body for the style. Low-medium carbonation. Slightly oily. Pleasant, but firm bitterness that should please any DIPA fan, if not, surrender your DIPA drinker card immediately.

O - this is an absolutely fantastic West Coast DIPA! Enough said.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 22:55:16 | More by GuzzLah

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.53/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased in California, but brought back to Australia to drink with @LaitueGonflable, who I hope appreciates all the great beer I bring back from America for him.

Pours a lovely, and very classic orange-copper colour, with a full and frothy head of off-white that leaves spectacularly anarchic lacing. Oh, it's gorgeous. Looks truly wonderful, just like an IPA should. Retention in the head, wonderful lace, wonderful body, wonderful colour. Clearly, you don't get much better.

Nose is crisp, clear and citric, with very fresh and very classic hoppy aromas. Lovely characters of sharp orange, lemon zest and crushed greenery. It's a very lovely IPA aroma. Not unique, but so on style. You'd be hard pressed to find better.

Taste is also excellent. Genuinely good bitter characters, sharp citric flavours, with a balanced grain character that just lends a little nutty fragrance. Gorgeous. It's such a beautifully balanced and well-made American IPA. Ticks all the boxes.

A lovely brew. It doesn't do anything outside the box, but it absolutely fills the box completely with all the right characters. This is a phenomenally good IPA, and an absolutely stellar example of the style. Almost the pinnacle.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 10:44:51 | More by lacqueredmouse

peacebone116

California

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at my house....thanks Drake's! Poured into tulip glass.

A: Cloudy orange honey color with reddish hues.

N: Pineapple and honey.

T/M: Spicy burn of alcohol follows the sweet fruit notes present on the nose. The spice from the alcohol balances well with the hop dominated citrus (pineapple and a touch of peach nectar) and light pine; a slight, sweet malt backbone, which hints at sugar-cookie.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 22:07:52 | More by peacebone116

poonamibaxter

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a trade.

Wow, what a great DIPA. I got two bottles and wish I had gotten a case.

Poured into my DFH snifter from a 22oz bottle. Nice dark orange color with a fluffy off white head. Hops hops and more hops on the nose, piney.

First sip is a little syrupy but with a clean dry finish, the hops bite. Bready and slightly sweet but with a dry finish and big hops.

Perfectly carbonated. The bubbles help the hop twang.

You can only have one a night due to the high abv but I would really like the option of drinking one a night.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 02:55:51 | More by poonamibaxter

Lunch

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle sent as an extra from a generous West Coast trader, thanks!

Undated bomber poured in a Great Divide snifter. I am always a little leery of hoppy beers without date stamps, but as soon as started to pour this the citrus hop aromas came spewing out like the hormones of an adolescent male during the ever awkward high school sexual education class.

Looks golden apricot in color with a slight haze and sound frothy white head with excellent retention. Smells like a goddamn fresh bundle of hops with citrus notes a plenty. Taste is all hops and I am loving every minute of this. Traditional West Coast DIPA with mango, peach, orange peel, hints of pine and just the faintest hint of caramel malt.

Excellent beer that I throughly enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 01:00:40 | More by Lunch

kdmcguire10

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dull, caramel color. Nice 1.5 finger head.

Aroma: Huge citrus on the nose, tropical fruit but balanced really well by sweet caramel-breadiness.

Taste: Huge hop punch in the mouth out of the gate, chased by a nice malt breadiness. This is a huge, tongue-scraping bitter DIPA, but it's nicely balanced by the malt bill.

Mouthfeel: Dry, sticky sugar finish. Medium mouthfeel

Overall: I feel this is a REALLY well-balanced DIPA. You get the really nice citrusy-pine on the nose and palate, but it's really nicely balanced by what I have to believe is a significant malt bill.

I'd drink this one every time.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 01:49:43 | More by kdmcguire10

colforbin73

California

4.47/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

so... i had a pliny tonight, for the first time in awhile, and now i am keeping the hop train running with this offering from drakes. my 1st impression is of the similarity between this brew and pliny and i would throw Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas into this discussion.

in light of these first impressions, i will review this beer against pliny. Hopocalypse is not quite as dry, the color is lighter and clearer, carbonation is slightly better, (maybe this was a fresher bottle), rich mouthfeel, sightly less grapefruit and a little more pine on the nose, but this is fruitier tasting than pliny.... this is a REALLY GOOD West Coast IPA.

at 9.3ABV, this is WAY over the top... they claim 100+ IBUs... (but i think ibu's should work more like a richter scale, the "IBU" system is out-dated.) if you like this sort of Hop Character beer and bitterness, this is NOT a bitter bomb. it is what it says it is -- a super hoppy, high abv, bitter DOUBLE IPA.

and you have to give DRAKES many props for being honest and revealing some of the recipe secrets on the label. RR is extremely reticent in this regard. DRAKES USES: a mix of American and English 2-Row Malt, in addition, they add Vienna, Rye and Crystal for moutfeel and color, then add German Magnum, Citra and Chinook hops, and THEN dry-hop with more of the same PLUS some Columbus.

INFO FOR FREE> i like breweries that tell you what they are up to -- it is like OPEN SOURCE v. SECRET RECIPE. i prefer open source.

::stands and applauds DRAKES BREWERY::

(as an aside -- i love the label! whoever is desinging denogginizer and this brew -- nice job!)

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 02:25:39 | More by colforbin73

Sideswipe

California

4.47/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle received in an unsolicited, awesome box full of IPAs from Arbitrator. Thank you!

The beer pours a deep orange/amber color with a finger of white foam atop it. The head recedes leaving a thick ring around the outside of the glass and sticky lacing. The nose is tropical fruity hops, hemp and pine resin. Taste opens with a blast of hoppy bitterness. Orange peel and grapefruit predominate. A pale malt backbone tries to make it's presence known mid palate, but the aggressive hop profile beats it into submission. The finish is piney and semi-dry with a bitter aftertaste which lingers. This is a full bodied brew with a resinous, sticky feel. Medium carbonation lends a somewhat creamy texture. Hopocalypse is another great DIPA from Drake's. It has everything I look for in a hop bomb: a ridiculous amount of hops whose names start wih the letter "C" (and some Magnums for good measure), an unobtrusive malt bill which doesn't detract from the hops, and a nice, piney, bitter aftertaste. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 07:44:08 | More by Sideswipe

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Drake's Hopocalypse, 22oz bottle provided by whitefire as an extra. Thank you much, good sir!

Hazy deep burnt orange to amber-colored body with a soapy, firm two-inch head. Left the yeast dregs in the bottle, for the most part. Some lacing left here and there.

Dank, oily hop aroma with some wicked spice notes, and a medley of pineapple and grapefruit esters fuming from below with a nice dose of booze. Pithy, bitter, and a little of that Summit hop signature. I get a hint of lemon-lime, as well.

Nectary and minty hop oils all over the place. Mango and orange coming through, now. Still some yellow citrus in there, too. Uncanny sweet undertone that's all but eroded away by an immense bitterness that never seems to finish. Nice, prickly spice character that almost has a zesty basil herbal quality. Yep. I just isolated that one. Fresh basil, right there, lurking in the background. Very green. The malts are overshadowed here, but that just makes the hops showboat this beer to fame. These are MY kind of hops! Incredible!

Pretty smooth with some good carbonation. Drinks like skim milk. The alcohol is there, but not over-the-top.

I am seriously impressed! This is one of the best DIPAs I have ever had the opportunity to try. An herbal hop masterpiece. Absolutely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 03:00:05 | More by thecheapies

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - orange color with a slight head.

Smell - citrus and pine alerting you of the hops to follow.

Taste - smooth and a top of the class IPA.

Mouthfeel- medium bodied not overly bitter.

Overall - this is a top 5 DIPA and thanks to BN for bringing it back to Pittsburgh. More BA's need to have a chance to drink this.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 05:05:31 | More by ejimhof

largadeer

California

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

03/01/12 update:

Newer batches of this beer are exceptionally good. Score increased accordingly.

Draft at Gourmet Haus Staudt.

Clear burnished copper body topped by an inch of foam. Solid head retention and great color on this one.

Sharp resiny hop aroma, some crystal malt sweetness, a little weed and candied grapefruit. Fairly clean West Coast ale yeast profile.

Taste is solid, resiny and grapefruit-like hop flavors are backed by a fairly substantial malt backbone. It's pretty malty, but it's also very fresh and well-attenuated. There's a subtle cardboard-like stale malt off-flavor near the finish, but the intensely bitter finish washes it away after a few sips. It's still a bit detracting and prevents this from being truly great, but it's enjoyable just the same.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2010 21:20:18 | More by largadeer

Halcyondays

California

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours amber with a medium frothy white head, good lace and retention.

S: Really pretty. Reminds me of Pliny with a heavy resin piney nose with just a touch of citrus, hard to put into words, but I know it when I smell it, beautiful.

T: Has a fairly big malt component especially for CA, but it is constrained within the hop character. Huge pine and grapefruit mix, delicious.

M: Medium to full-bodied, resin filled with a long aftertaste.

D: Outstanding Double IPA, one of the best beers I've had in a while, possibly the best of the new year.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2011 03:36:42 | More by Halcyondays

MrTopher

California

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 22oz bomber into a Duvel tulip glass.

A: is a golden color, this beer is a beauty, has a little more color to it than PtE. The head is present, but dies rather quickly. Leave a decent about of lacing on the glass.

S: There is a blend of pine notes and fruit, the fruit seem to be more pineapple than anything else. There is zero malt smell, what I love in a DIPA.

T: There is that classic hop burn at first, but then there is a faint amount of sweetness that comes through. This is a bitter one, but in a great way, this doesn't smack you up side the head, it's more graceful. There is pineapple and grapefruit taste to this, with just the smallest amount of pine mixed in. Its all very refreshing, in addition the malt just adds a little bit of sweetness to this making it an easy drink.

M: Carbonation - Check, thickness- medium, filling - quite.

D: This is one of the better DIPAs that I have had. This kills Dennogginizer since this is less of a malt bomb and more of a hop bomb. This truly is an epic beer. And I would enjoy one of these daily for the rest of my days.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 22:29:19 | More by MrTopher

laituegonflable

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an orange colour with decent haze, but fairly transparent. Head is off-white, and nice and fluffy with a whipped character to it. Lace looks like eyebrow prints regularly placed around the glass, and it's all very pleasant.

Nose is very hoppy. Very hoppy indeed. Lots of citrus, lemon zest with pineapple and sherbet - plus a healthy malt base that's very nutty in character. Pine nuts and wood - mildly sour, spicy with pepper as well. Really, really pleasant aroma.

Taste is quite IPA-esque (der) and pleasant. Nice and malty upfront, nutty with almons, pecans and caramel. Hops take over midway, nice and bitter with citric notes and nice floral characters as well. Bitterness is resinous but has a very nice floral lift to it to get it out of the dank. Nutty and fruity, citric and floral. It's ideal IPA territory here - balance is pretty much on the money, bitterness high but not overwhelming.

Full, bit of texture, bit of bite. Quite drying but never goes overboard. Just noticeable on every front.

Yeah, great IPA. Oomph - check. Flavour - check. Bitterness - check. Balance - check check.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 00:31:36 | More by laituegonflable

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter.

A: A finger of head fades rather quickly. The beer is almost perfectly clear, light copper, light bubbles. It glows.

S: Dank. It smells hugely of hops. Hops, hops, hops. Sweeter malts and THEN MORE HOPS. Strong, powerful, and delicious, but pretty straightforward.

T: It's exactly what it purports to be -- a hopheavy, heavy-handed DIPA. Rich, complex, but thoroughly bitter. The hop varietals mingle incredibly well at "100+ IBU." Consulting the label, German Magnum, Citra, Chinook, and Columbus are used. If you like any or all of those hops, you'll love this beer. If you don't like hops, run away. I think Citra is really key, as the almost tropical citrus shines above the pine resin and plays off the candy-sweet malt base.

M: Thick, heavy, bitter-dry, and lightly carbonated. Very nice.

O: Surprisingly balanced and indubitably excellent. Highly recommended to hopheads and those who like extremes. I will be buying again and looking for more of Drake's beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 06:14:04 | More by AgentMunky

evanforbeer

California

4.41/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours strawy orange, nice fluffy white head
Nose: tropical fruit, dank hops,
Taste: very clean. Big hops, crisp tropical fruit juicy guava, tangerine, grapefruit rind, dry (crackery) malt, finishes pine and grapefruit rind with a nice touch of citrus sweetness
Mouthfeel- medium bodied for a DIPA, very clean balanced and drinkable

Definitely impressed with this brew, a stand out in the vast sea of DIPAs, I would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 18:55:42 | More by evanforbeer

BucannonXC5

California

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber (22-oz.) bottle into a pint glass. Color was honey caramel. About a finger of head. Nice white lacing with a few sporadic bubbles. Reminded me of Mars. A lots of beautiful film on the sides.

Sharp, bitter initial smell, giving way to grapefruit citrus hops. Some lemon or tangerine in there, too. This one is going to be hoppy.

Surprisingly the taste was very similar to the nose, but just a tad bit smoother. In fact, a lot smoother. The citrus hops were grapefruit, but not overbearing. You could taste the alcohol, but it didn’t make you shake your head.

Medium body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Bitter, but smooth finish.

I wanted to hate this beer, but there was no way. Just smooth and balanced with enough bite that you know you are drinking a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 10:10:16 | More by BucannonXC5