Hopocalypse Black Label - Drake's Brewing Co.

PaulStoneAnchor

California

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: After being poured the head lasts for a few minutes before reducing back into the beer. The foam leaves almost no lacing as well. The Black label also has an orangish golden hue to it.

S: Lots of Candied citrus, lychee, apricot, and tangerine

T: Bursting with lots of candied citrus, tangerine, ginger, lychee, and apricot. It also has a little honey in the background as well.

M: Lightly carbonated, but with a rich mouthfeel.

O: This beer is fantastic! So much flavor and aroma, its hard to be that its 12% as well. This drinks like a flavorful sessionable beer. The one thing I really, really, enjoy with this beer is that you get a lot of sweet hoppiness, but it also has a nice malt background as well. For a 12% Triple IPA, this is pretty balanced. This has to be one of my favorite triple IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 06:26:28 | More by PaulStoneAnchor

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

4/5  rDev -6.3%

06-06-2013 00:04:53 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

hopkrid

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

04-25-2013 16:15:54 | More by hopkrid

MrGone

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

04-25-2013 06:47:29 | More by MrGone

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

04-21-2013 19:07:11 | More by drgonzo2k2

Grant35

California

5/5  rDev +17.1%

04-19-2013 01:52:49 | More by Grant35

macrosmatic

Florida

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to eyebereej for hooking me up with this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a Russian River pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy deep gold with a huge white head. Good visible carbonation.

S: The nose is similar to regular (White Label?) Hopocalypse (Pine, tropical fruit, mango, citrus) but more caramel malts, and the apricot and mango hops seem more prominent.

T: Follows the nose. Almost a sticky candied bready fruit aspect, but is quite boozy. The sweet malts come to the forefront more than expected. Booze and bitter hops on the hang.

M: Chewy, thick body, and the alcohol heat is obvious. Reasonable amount of carbonation.

O: Well, it's a huge, hoppy and malty "Triple" IPA. Not one I'd be likely to have a whole bomber by myself, but it's good - don't get me wrong. I would prefer the standard Hopocalypse to this one - just less boozy, and it lets the hops shine through better.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:12:27 | More by macrosmatic

JRBecks

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.3%

04-08-2013 19:05:07 | More by JRBecks

Stevie_Janowski

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%

04-07-2013 02:08:13 | More by Stevie_Janowski

Nage37

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

04-02-2013 01:34:16 | More by Nage37

ScottO

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

03-29-2013 03:29:00 | More by ScottO

Pando

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

03-16-2013 02:51:03 | More by Pando

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to HaveUSeenMyCellar for this one. Shared with rudzud.

Big creamy fluffy bubbly 1 finger head fades pretty slowly tons of soapy lacing, pretty hazy nectarine orange color beer, one of the best 12.5% abv IPA appearances I've ever seen.

Nose is much lighter than I expected, light tangerine and orange zest citrus, bit of fluffy malt and balance, light candied orange, some pine, booze is hidden well.

Taste sweet candy to start, candied orange peel, lots of syrupy malts, sweet candy malts, reddish toffee like, syrupy, light tinny malt, grainy and light biscuit cereal like. Hops are quite bitter... very bitter but balanced, citrus, candied orange peel, light pine and resin, not much else. Booze is hidden very well, just a touch of warming booze. Finish is sweet and sticky, candied orange peel, pine lingering, hint of booze, little stone fruit hop flavor too. Long lingering syrupy liquid hop extract kinda thing.

Mouth is fuller bod, creamy carb, little warming booze.

Overall ok, but not as awesome as I expected. I think I actually liked the green label better.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 13:13:43 | More by jlindros

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Again, big thanks to JLindros for sharing this bottle.

A - Poured into a palm tulip a glorious slightly hazy orange nectarine hue with a one finger white head that fades to leave a thin blanket and nice lacing.

S - Aromas of balanced sweet malts, pine, and orange peel. No booze, shockingly light..

T - Taste is well, disappointingly non assertive. Sure the sweet sticky malts and bitter hops (orange and pine) are there but everything is super balanced. Expected this to be more "in your face" but alas it was not.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely bitter with a sticky sweetness and syrup . Good lingering bitterness.

O - Overall I was underwhelmed by this beer. Was expecting much more bitter aggressive hops but alas, it did not deliver the goods.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 21:08:29 | More by rudzud

MCain04

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired from a trade with WestCoastBrew2, thanks bro, hope you liked the Hopslam. This is 4 or 5 weeks fresh, 22 oz bottle poured into a Half Acre snifter.

A: A clear amber/orange body with a 1.5 finger off-white head with great retention and lacing.

S: Tropical fruits, strong mango and pineapple presence, citrus and orange, a little pine notes can be picked out as well. Smeet malts are also apparent.

T: Follows the nose quite well. Tasty tropical hops make this a very fruity beer. Not as syrupy as I expected. A lot of heat though throughout. Definitely warming on a cold day. Moderate bitterness. The aftertaste of hop resin and alcohol makes it hard to drink this quickly, although that's not necessarily a bad thing.

M: Full bodied. Sticky. Carbonation is spot on.

O: A beast of a beer. The TIPA style is hard to tackle, balancing a huge malt backbone with hops and hiding a huge ABV isn't easy. This is probably one of the better, if not best, attempts at the style. Definitely not a beer I'd have more than one of in a sitting. I haven't had the pleasure of Pliny the Younger, so a comparison would be interesting. Worth seeking out!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:56:03 | More by MCain04

heavenlyStash

California

5/5  rDev +17.1%

03-05-2013 06:45:58 | More by heavenlyStash

BBrewington

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

03-01-2013 21:20:04 | More by BBrewington

Hamburgers

California

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours clear dark, dark orange with big two finger fluffy white head. Good lacing. Strong hops aroma with notes of pine, citrus and mango. Complex flavors of citrus fruit and fresh cut grass. Super malty and absolutely packed with hops. Little bit of heat. Big mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Slightly bitter finish. Very well balanced for a monster of a triple IPA. The end is beer alright...

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 04:04:26 | More by Hamburgers

BradleySig

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

02-20-2013 03:44:31 | More by BradleySig

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

02-16-2013 23:15:56 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

grrrah

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%

02-15-2013 05:32:47 | More by grrrah

BGsWo22

New York

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%

02-14-2013 23:52:05 | More by BGsWo22

Archemedies

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -6.3%

02-14-2013 02:26:18 | More by Archemedies

rlee1390

Indiana

4.16/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Clear orange, two finger head with little carbonation. Tad bit of lacing is left.

S-Strong malt character, some citrus hops as well. Very sweet smelling.

T-Strong hop presence, but the balance isn't there. Nice bitterness in the finish. The hop flavors and malt are all over the place. Still flavorful.

M-Medium bodied, lots of hop resins, nice carbonation.

O-The best triple IPA I've had, but like the others the balance isn't there.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 20:07:25 | More by rlee1390

harrymel

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottled 31JAN13

Golden with a solid quilt of fine creamy foam. Smells like pineapples, mangos, some weed, some pine and more juicy pineapples; hints of honey in the malt. Flavor is a bit boozy, sweet, some bitterness, some of the bitterness is spicy and there is a certain tangerine character here also. Alcohol remains a little too much for my liking. Medium bodied with moderate carb and a semi dry finish. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 05:29:24 | More by harrymel