Hop Sauce (Hopsauce) - Rubicon Brewing Company

RoyalT

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance – This is a light orange in color and very clear with a moderate head.

Smell – The hoppy pine resin is abundant here with no malt to speak of.

Taste – The malts are absent at the taste as well and the hop flavor, while huge, is one-dimensional pine.

Mouthfeel – This is way too light for a DIPA, maybe medium-bodied at best, but has some incredibly satisfying dryness.

Drinkability – This really is like hop juice. It’s thin, almost like water, but extremely hoppy. It is not a true double though.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 23:07:35 | More by RoyalT

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

12-26-2012 02:59:11 | More by t0rin0

dmatsui

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 bomber. Hazy, wheaty-looking that hit a small, one finger head that dissipated fairly quickly. Very typical looking west coast IPA. Definitely some alcohol legs, but little lacing.

Smell up front is a full, floral and citrusy-spicy hop-forward delight, with the support of a toasty, biscuity malty goodness. The Hops are definitely more forward in this juicy diipa, as it should be.

Big spicy hop notes at the front of the palate, a nice acidity and and bitter bite with good "green" and sprite-y notes. Definitely an alcohol warmth and spice with vodka hints persist almost throughout. Super dryness is what makes this diipa a little different. Despite the big hop presence, there isn't much of a residual lupulin oil tongue-coating effect as you would expect. I actually kinda enjoy the dryness, it leaves you wanting another sip. The malts support a very mild sweetness that does not interfere with the hops.

Overall, this is definitely a very good west coast IPA. It has a nice hop zing and a dank quality to it, very typical of a lot of Bay Area IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:42:13 | More by dmatsui

jvillefan

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: A deep golden yellow with a lasting 1-2 finger ivory head.

S: Very hoppy. There is a heavy citrus presence with a minor pine presence in the background.

T: Not balanced at all. There is an overwhelming hop presence. I normally like very hoppy beers but only when it has a malt backbone to support it. This beer is all hop and virtually no malt flavors.

M: A little heavy and excellent carbonation.

O: This beer is bitter with little balance. Try at your own risk.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:08:16 | More by jvillefan

Drinkerofales

California

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear orange copper beer topped by a large ecru head that leaves some good lacing from a nice ring.

Smells of orange, and malt, with a bit of booze.

Taste is strange, starting with weak malts and progressing towards fruity in the middle and a bitterness in the finish.

A light to medium bodied bear with a nice punch, but almost too bubbly.

While there is plenty of flavor in the beer, it's a bit out of balance, but at least the price is nice.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 09:43:59 | More by Drinkerofales

AlexChillton

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

06-18-2012 08:02:26 | More by AlexChillton

tizride

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-14-2012 02:07:02 | More by tizride

Phelps

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The appearance: blood orange-like. Poured into a tulip glass, Hopsauce is an almost perfectly clear ruby-orange, topped with a small clumps of sticky, off-white bubbles.
The nose: biting. A good swirl of the grass reveals the full force of the brew's hop payload -- heavy citrus pith, grassy spice, weed-like dankness. Hints of honey and some cheesy funk are all that's there to balance.

The flavor: constantly improving. When colder, the beer's a little muted, showing just occasional flashes of the greatness promised by the aroma. The promise is fulfilled as the brew warms, however -- flavors of grass, weed, crackers, burnt sugar and booze increase in accordance with temperature. At around 60 degrees, this beer is a 100-IBU beast.

The body: medium, viscous, sugary. Moderate carbonation prickles the tongue while the alcohol is nowhere to be found.

The overall impression: gives new meaning to the phrase "hopped up on the sauce." The hopheads shall be pleased.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 19:53:30 | More by Phelps

Nerudamann

Arizona

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

Poured from a bottle into an oversized wine glass.

Look - amber in color, somewhat clear, with about half a finger's worth of light khaki-colored foam that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Smell - typical high-hop content in the aroma, as one would expect from a double IPA. There's also something a little more floral about it.

Taste - much like the smell. There's a very strong feel and taste of hops, which lingers on in the aftertaste. There's another quality that I can't quite narrow down.

Mouthfeel - pretty well-balanced, not leaning too far on the watery or creamy sides.

Overall - not a bad brew at all. It's pretty strongly bitter, but that's to be expected from a double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 06:20:54 | More by Nerudamann

ficklenicholas

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

05-23-2012 03:33:12 | More by ficklenicholas

ocelot2500

Arizona

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy amber color with a tight, white head that leaves little chunks of lacing.

Smells of pine hops with some earthiness.

Tastes of spicy hops with a solid malt base. Hops charge in with notes of pine and some citrus and solid earthy spice throughout. Comes through quite bitter. Some fruitiness comes on the end and adds a little depth along with some caramel sweetness. Not sweet enough to balance the hops though, but I like it like that. Finishes quite dry.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly assertive amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is an above average DIPA, but I feel like at 8%, they could tweak the recipe a little and have an outstanding single IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:31:11 | More by ocelot2500

BlackIIPAJK

Arizona

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-19-2012 03:08:25 | More by BlackIIPAJK

lsummers

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at my local craft bar, it's a very nice cloudy reddish orange with some nice lacing, not really a head to be seen here.

Smells of the faint citrus cascade hops, not the most distinguished quality, which is why I was surprised when the taste hit me. First off, I loved the caramel hoppy almost grapefruit character. It carries through with a pleasant aftertaste. Mouthfeel is somewhat thick, if this were a bit less sticky it would be a perfect flavorful summer dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2012 01:12:40 | More by lsummers

Popp24

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

05-01-2012 15:21:33 | More by Popp24

DWolf

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10%

04-30-2012 16:15:31 | More by DWolf

Rocketman8911

California

5/5  rDev +28.5%

02-26-2012 05:54:02 | More by Rocketman8911

ralphw56

Nevada

4/5  rDev +2.8%

01-19-2012 02:50:58 | More by ralphw56

azureoval

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%

12-31-2011 04:01:40 | More by azureoval

flexabull

California

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

On tap at the local Alehouse Pub.

Pours an orange color, kind of cloudy, with a decent white head.

Aromas area kind of faint, but still pleasant for a DIPA. Some tropical fruits, resin, and hints of pine, this is all about the hops.

Taste is like the nose, but more pronounced. Citrus like, with some tropical fruits, I notice nectarines, and mangos. It's kind of sweet, with some sharp underlying bitterness, and a crisp somewhat dry finish.

Mouthfeel is good, full, smooth, with plenty of body.

Overall this is a pretty solid DIPA. It has a few flaws, but still well worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2011 03:03:38 | More by flexabull

Seanibus

California

3.13/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Good, but perhaps less than the sum of its parts.

Pours a nice amberish/golden with a big, sticky head. The aroma leaps out of the bottle, with a blast of citrusy hops, but the effect is marred by a certain vegital quality, like steamed artichokes. The flavor is strong and hoppy, with a generic citrus, but that same slightly soggy vegetable edge that throws it off and leaves the beer just this side of perky and refreshing. The mouthfeel is thick and turgid and the beer clings to the tongue, leaving a surprisingly dull bitterness.

This beer has some nice elements individually, but the overall effect is leaden and thick.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 05:19:02 | More by Seanibus

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the 11th DIPA festival. Back then it was only 8.2% abv and clocking in at 80 IBU.

Great appearance, massive clarity coming out of a glowing yellow and tangerine orange colored beer with a thin egg shell white head to it. Big deep piney aroma, complimented with an almost equally deep orange citrus component. Hits all the points aroma wise.

Lots of sweet caramel in the taste, of course, the hopping is through the roof and allows for a hop resin chewiness to be its predominant quality versus just a bunch of bitterness.

Pretty amazing on tap. Cut through a lot of lesser dipas that day. Just gotta be careful of this one getting too sweet, as that is its only negative characteristic, one that is likely to get even more difficult to swallow as the beer ages. But fresh, it hides the alcohol, and the sweetness to a lesser degree, very well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2011 15:51:18 | More by Beerandraiderfan

mikechance

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm a big fan of the Rubicon Brewing Company and this beer didn't disappoint. I knew this was going to be something special as I started to pour it into my pint glass. A very beautiful orange/rust color, thick head and lots of hop scents including grapefruit and other citrus notes. The taste is all you want from a big IPA --- huge hops, full bodied and lots of interesting characteristics. This is a very dry beer and you’ll want to drink more and more to quench your thirst. It’s a good problem and beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 15:34:48 | More by mikechance

litheum94

California

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle with no dates.

Copper color, like a decade old penny. One finger, vaguely tan head that settles to a patchy covering. Very nice lacing.

Ganja hops, with a medicinal quality. Some leather and tannins. Has a red wine quality to it. Black iced tea aromas. Pretty unique nose for the style.

Black tea flavors, leafy and herbal. Citric acid sourness. Pine hop bitterness, and they come on strong. The bitterness keeps building until it reaches an almost destructive level. A dry tannin mouthfeel develops as the beer warms.

The flavors and aromas are very unique, but it the end, the bitterness starts getting out of control. Needs some more balance. Where are the malts?

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 06:30:52 | More by litheum94

ghetto90007

California

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

Poured from the bomber into a giant pint glass.

Pours amber color with a thin, white head. Didn't produce a very significant head, but managed to lay down some fairly decent lacing.

Hop bitterness leads off the nose. Some piney notes, citrus, hints of floral and a strange garlic/onion note that reminds me of Ten Fidy. I don't see other reviewers mentioning this, but I'm getting it right now.

Starts off with some gentle floral hops and malty sweetness. Bitterness comes in. Fades into that funky garlic/onion bitterness. I swear I didn't have garlic and onions for dinner tonight, but I'm getting it in this beer. It's a pretty tasty IPA nonetheless.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Gentle mouthfeel. Not incredibly crisp, which you get from a lot of IPA/DIPAs.

A decent beer, but there are better DIPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 04:49:12 | More by ghetto90007

whatthehull

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted may 27th 2011 (from notes)

Poured into a la Chouffe tulip

A - translucent copper, two finger white head and some nice lacing

S - citrus, candy, alcohol, pungent yeast, citrus, mangos, pungent in all smells

T - a bit boozy, sweet, sugary, lots of malt, toasted, sweet yeast, citrus, pine, sap and slightly soapy/floral

M - chewy, high acidity, very very bitter, very long finish and quite a bit bitter

D - this beer is awesome...BUT super bitter! Not your everyday IPA, but drinks very well for those bitter hop heads

Final thought - at $4 and 8+ ABV, why not?

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 17:14:20 | More by whatthehull