Hop Slayer - Onion Pub & Brewery / Wild Onion Brewing Co.

LarryK

New York

2.03/5  rDev -45.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

On tap at the Pony Bar, I was eager to try this newly-minted Chicago-based entrant into the increasingly crowded NYC craft scene, but came away rather disappointed.

Appearance: Light, almost unexpectedly transparent for a DIPA.

Smell: Almost nonexistent. Some light citric notes, but nothing so bold that it announces itself.

Taste: Flavors are muted, very little to get excited about here. Some grapefruit, some pint. Almost tastes oniony, though not sure if that’s my mind imparting a nonexistentent flavor due to word association with the brewery name.

Mouthfeel: Thin, light-bodied, forgettable.

Overall: A suboptimal double IPA. I’d be willing to give this another go on the chance that Pony received a bad keg, but my initial experience with this beer was less than satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2013 15:17:08 | More by LarryK

Blakaeris

Iowa

2.08/5  rDev -44.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours hazy copper-amber with a thick creamy head.

Aroma is surprisingly yeasty and funky - almost sour.

Taste is initially very oxidated, toasted caramel malt. There is a hint of apple, then the metallic, minerally quality takes over. Finishes with a sour then tart quality that is not pleasant.

Mouthfeel is light-medium.

A mild light brew. I won't bother with it again.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 14:07:09 | More by Blakaeris

homebrew311

Illinois

2.13/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from can into tulip.

A: pours slightly cloudy, orange, with thin white head. Some lacing. Decent retention.

S: nose features pine and astringent alcohol, almost sherry like character. Not getting any malts. Smells like a cheap vodka with some hop pellets sitting in it.

T: the taste starts off with some citrus and pine, and quickly turns into a mess of ethyl alcohol, burn, and more alcohol. There is almost no balance here. Tastes like a flawed homebrew. Bitter finish.

MF: low carbonation, medium body, hot mouthfeel

O: this brew is sloppy. Are there hops? Yes. Do they smell good? Not really. Do They taste good? No.

Serving type: can

06-23-2011 05:55:51 | More by homebrew311

jsh420

Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

pours muddy brownish orange with a huge 2+ finger head that left lacing

smells of lots of pine and grape fruit

taste just too damn bitter for me and that was all it had bitterness and a little heat from the booze - no malt and no other flavor from the hops

mouthfeel medium light good carbontion

overall - not a good beer imo and i would never buy this again

Serving type: can

12-07-2011 02:35:09 | More by jsh420

bashiba

Iowa

2.88/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a dark and cloudy Reddish Brown color with tons and tons of fluffy white head, a solid 4 inches in my snifter, very sticky and long lasting.

For a double IPA the smell is very faint, just a light bready malt note with a touch of light pine bitterness.

The flavor unfortunately follows the nose, a very mild double IPA, has a light bready backbone and a sharp hop bitterness, but nothing as far as actual hop flavors, just a bit of pine.

The mouthfeel is thick with a bit of resin.

I was excited to see a local Double IPA in a can, even if its the ugliest can in the history of beer, but this one didn't come close to full fulling those hopes with hops.

Serving type: can

10-23-2011 22:10:38 | More by bashiba

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

A. Darker murky orange-amber in color with a two fingered white head that lasts for a minute and a half, some medium levels of lacing left behind on the glass.

S. Smells of pine resin and pineapple in about even amounts. Caramel malt aroma also comes around as the brew warms up towards room temperature.

T. Caramel malt, pine resin, and a boozey warmth rearing up in the finish. Both the aroma and the flavor hit the appropriate volume levels for a DIPA but neither has the complexity levels to really stand out in a craft beer market already full of great DIPAS.

M. Slightly too thick and sluggish for my tastes due to undercarbonation.

Serving type: can

03-10-2012 03:02:27 | More by WastingFreetime

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Pours a murky dark orange amber color with a cream colored thick and yeasty looking head and mild carbonation.

S - Mild spice, pine, slightly floral, and caramel - faded.

T - Mostly caramel malt and faded floral goodness with some funky dankness. Not much going on.

M - Thick medium body and fairly gentle on the tongue.

O - Could this beer be over the hill? Blended and balanced with the nod going towards the malt side of things.

Serving type: can

03-12-2012 04:08:56 | More by jzeilinger

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

$2.65 can from Abe's.

Very hazy dull orange body, topped by four level fingers of whipped off-white micro-bubbles. Good lacing.

Classic IPA scents of grapefruit, orange, and pine. But it's just not as big and assertive as hoped.

Initial sweetness slips by sloppily without leaving a base. Plenty of juicy fruit. Big big bitter bite. But it's all a big blur, no sense of individual elements.

For a DIPA the mouthfeel is a bit wimpy.

Okay, worth trying a can, but not one to return visit.

Serving type: can

05-09-2012 04:00:26 | More by RonfromJersey

seeswo

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Blind Beer #1, finally doing my job. Figured if I was going to take a day off of my brief hiatus for hopslam, I can open a blind beer. Poured from a 12oz can into the sweet Half Acre tulip like glass and alongside a water and some smoked pulled pork with a bourbon-mango bbq sauce.

Pours a hazy, translucent slightly orangish brown color with a sizeable tan head that leaves lacing all over the place. Looks pretty nice - 4.0

Smells like mango and bourbon - no I kid. It smells very hoppy in the bitter end of that spectrum with a decent malt backbone. - 3.5

The taste is extremely bitter with malts that are trying their best (and failing) to balance out the extreme and generic hop bitterness. It only is tamed in the finish where the lightly caramel malt flavor rounds off the bitterness, leaving a reasonable finish. I do have a bias for more distinct hop flavors (pine, resin, orange, tropical). If anything, this may be a bit floral. - 3.0

The mouthfeel is dominated by the bitterness, but the body is average with a medium-high amount of carbonation. - 3.5

Overall, I know I haven't had a beer in 10 days, but this beer is too bitter for me. I rarely if ever say that, so there may be some palette refreshing here confounding my opinion, but this is not nearly my favorite. I assume its an IPA, but it could be a DIPA, which is a strange distinction in craft beer these days (with 8% meaning both IPA and double IPA at times). I have no guesses - 3.0

Reveal - Wild Onion Hop Slayer DIPA. Hilarious that I couldn't tell whether it was an IPA or DIPA, but somehow nailed the ABV (8% on can). ...and this is fun. Thank you Kristian (pellinore1)!

Serving type: can

01-16-2012 13:06:10 | More by seeswo

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip.

A- Cloudy orange with 3" of off-white head, some lacing that sticks to the top of the tulip glass.

S- Off-smell, sourdough? Hard to get pass that smell. Some pine/citrus hops but not prevalent.

T- Again, can't get pass the sourdough, metallic off flavor. I've noticed this before in other brewpubs that maybe aren't as experienced. Is very bitter and malty.

M- Medium bodied, off-flavor leaves a dry, astringent mouthfeel.

O- Just not feeling this one. Have had to many amazing Ipa's and DIPA to know this is nowhere near that level.

Serving type: can

09-27-2011 03:31:33 | More by kawilliams81

brew3crew

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- golden hazy body with a tan head that quickly disapates

S-little bit of fruit and a lot of pine

T-more malty then hoppy. No freshness dates so i have to assume it is because it is old

M-medium body and smooth

O-decent beer but the freshness is up in the air. Wish I knew.

Serving type: can

09-15-2011 00:48:08 | More by brew3crew

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From notes

A - cloudy amber body, minimal white head.

S - "bogus." weird hop aromas which are quite light, and loads of malt

T - medium hop bitterness, but otherwise like a bad malt-forward barleywine

M - thick, syrupy, not terrible

O - this doesn't seem like a real beer.

Serving type: can

09-21-2011 18:20:07 | More by ColdPoncho

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellow. No real head. Pour is thick and not highly carbonated. Smells piney and bitter. Tastes abrasive and unbalanced. Overall good carbonation. The beer is overwhelming and unbalanced. Not very good but drinkable. Might be a bit old but I think its just good first attempt from a new brewery

Serving type: can

09-15-2011 14:48:21 | More by Urbancaver

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Went to the brewery a few months back wanting to try this one and they were out. Finally picked up a 4-pack of 12oz cans to sample the hops in aluminum.

Poured a very dark, non-translucent amber brown that appeared to be totally filtered. The tightly laced head faded to a slight layer. There is a bit of hop smell present which is definitely on the darker pine end of the spectrum. A hint of malts is very much existent. The tastes are not very robust. The hops aren't clear and discernable. They mend together with the malts and create an marred, uneventful tasting experience. Not much bitter bite here. There is just an ever so slight carbonation to it and it tastes every bit of the 8% abv. A decent beer. A very stark contrast to the 'Captain Lawrence Imperial IPA' I just reviewed. I'm currently looking forward to sampling 'Heady Topper', the acclaimed dIPA in a can. I hope it's better than this one!

As a side note, the brewery provided a great time and worth checking out. Their pumpkin beer in a can is decent as well in the early fall.

Enjoy!

Serving type: can

01-28-2012 03:13:06 | More by rmcnealy

jeonseh

Indiana

3.49/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Can poured into a tulip

A - Dark burnt orange and brown; Hazy beer with small white head

S - Orange, pineapple, light grassy, slight garlic, and grapefruit

T - Orange upfront with slight grapefruit bitterness in the middle. Enough malt to keep it balanced.

MF - Medium body with light stickiness. Full mouthfeel with lots of carbonation, Thick hop resin that remains on the tongue

O - Solid DIPA with a good balance and a strong bitter grapefruit presence

Serving type: can

03-09-2013 03:33:49 | More by jeonseh

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Wild Onion Hop Slayer Double IPA. "Sink your senses into this hop bomb and you'll…" Eh…I don't want to do it, this time. Blah, blah, blah…puns, bad jokes, ridiculous references. sad….."hop in and get slayed tonight." (sigh) 8% ABV. Blah.

Deep reddish coloration, nice off-whitish head, long lasting, attractive.

Malty aromatics, big time hops, over-the-top, …roaring, loud and alive.

Taste: huge, again…gigantic, enormous, and….boring. This is one of those gargantuan hop/malt monsters that overdoes everything.

Juicy malt, rich and deep, huge and hoppy. Then, the hoppiness roars over it. And the malt roars back.

Unfortunately, there's nothing distinctive about this, nothing sophisticated or exquisite. Big, big, big, but…nothing special. It delivers hugosity, and alcohol, and there you have it.

Serving type: can

12-24-2011 06:44:23 | More by feloniousmonk

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz can into Globe glass.

A. Pours 3 finger head. Thick lacing. Really good retention. Color is a dark amber orange.

S. Nice hop smell. Has some kind of funky off aroma to it though. Caramel malt. Piney hop aroma. A little bit of alcohol aroma. I'm guessing the off smell is coming from the yeast.

T. Taste is interesting. Has hop bitterness and caramel malt sweetness. Not a lot of hop flavor, but pretty good bitterness. Not extremely fresh tasting. A lot of the malt has taken over the flavor profile, leaving a somewhat sweet caramel malt tasting beer.

M. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Finishes with a bit of bitter sweet flavor.

O. Seems to be a pretty average DIPA. Not sure how fresh it is as there is not a lot of hop aroma or flavor. Strange smell going on in the aroma. Will see if the other can in a different glass produces the same smell. All in all pretty average for a DIPA.

*Edit* Second can lost most of the weird smell. Also didn't have as much hop aroma.

Serving type: can

02-26-2012 22:33:45 | More by siradmiralnelson

libbey

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a NB globe

A: Beer pours a murky copper orange with a big fluffy head. It had decent retention that left a trail of clinging lacing throughout the session.

S: Smell was malt forward with a touch of piney resiny hop finish on the back end.

T: Sharp hop bite up front that balances nicely with a sweeter caramel malt body. A touch one dimensional and I think the hops have faded on this beer but it's tough to say with no bottle (can) dating.

M: Medium body mouthfeel with a slick resiny, oily finish that coats the tongue. Finish is nice and crisp and the carbonation levels are spot on.

O: Overall a decent DIPA but one I would not actively seek out.

Serving type: can

03-13-2012 23:47:49 | More by libbey

jsulko

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can poured into a tulip glass

Purs a dark orange with a slightly off white head.

Smell is malty with some pine hop notes.

Taste is malty with a pine hops finish.

Tried this at a tasting and many people liked it because it wasn't too much of a DIPA.

I find this as a negative. This is a malty IPA more than a DIPA. Better options for the same cost.

Serving type: can

03-15-2012 02:53:53 | More by jsulko

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very nice doughy head after the pour of about three finger thickness. The foam is thick after every sip with good lacing. Slow, but numerous bubbles lazy make there way to the top of my glass. Thick, almost hazey dark copper amber hue.

Hop cone and resiny orange peel permeate the nostrils. The back bone is a pretty perceptable malty biscuit and toast.

Very toasted, citric orange and grapfruit peel bitterness upfront. The palate adds a syrupy bitter citrus feel to the mouthfeel from start to finish. The middle shocases some mediocre malt flavors, then back to a slow and warming (from the alcohol) hop bitterness finish.

Not a bad DIPA for this local brewery, but it could use some better balancing between the hop and malt flavors.

Serving type: can

10-15-2011 16:45:42 | More by scruffwhor

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can, 8% abv. Cloudy, dark copper color. Off-white head fades to a thin layer rather quickly, but does leave a nice patchwork of lace. Some sediment floating about gives a dirty look. Perhaps I should have poured better.

Juicy hop aroma with a big caramel malt aroma. Stonefruit, and citrusy hop aroma. A hint of pine.

Caramel malt backbone. Grassy and herbal hop flavor. The nose and the mouth seem really different. A good amount of sweetness. Bitterness lingers, but balances the sweetness well.

Medium body, good carbonation. The hop character really seems to have faded since I picked this up a few months ago. Not bad, but sort of a mess now.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 22:43:26 | More by Bierguy5

kbutler1

Minnesota

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

Can. Pours a slightly haze deep copper caramel color with a big fluffy light tan head. Head slowly settles, leaving sticky lace. Citrus and caramel in the nose. Medium mouthfeel. Pretty citrus rind bitterness with a strong malt backbone. Hop resin. Lingering bitterness. Nice lace left on the glass. Overall, not bad but a little "thick".

Serving type: can

10-08-2011 21:55:02 | More by kbutler1

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

I have been off of The CANquest (TM) for too long! It is time to saddle up and go for a ride and what better way to hop on my high horse than with a CAN from my boys at Pinocchio's in Media? I CAN't think of one, unless it is a CAN from the Wild Onion outside of CHI. Wait, I may be getting ready to hit the CANfecta with this gem! CAN you dig it?

From the CAN: "Sink your senses into this hop bomb and you'll soon be singing the praises of the harvest. Cruise the hoppy roads with our Ranchero wrangling amigo and you'll never want to return home. From the moment you pour this treat into a glass, the floral notes will greet you in a most sensual way, followed by the soul-warming blend of malt silkiness and hop bite[.] So what are you afraid of? Hop in and Get Slayed tonight. Alc. 8% by Vol. Enjoy!"; "Come visit our pub, located 45 miles northwest of Chicago[.] We brew a variety of year-round ales & lagers, along with an ever-changing lineup of seasonal beers available only on tap under the massive Douglas Fir timbers." The hood of dude's car reads "Viva el Lupulo" and he has license plate # 420. What does that mean? ;=)

Been there, done that, loved it! It is not a hard jaunt from the Lake Barrington METRA station and definitely worth a visit.

My Crack & Glug netted me better than two fingers of foamy, tawny head with great retention. Color was a hazy deep-amber. Nose smelled like a lot of hops had been put to death in its creation! It had the pine forest smell of a clear night in the winter, out on the hunt of the elusive hops. The lacing that had begun to appear was going to require a jackhammer to remove. Fortunately, I bought one cheap and used through another website and I find it comes in quite handy. Mouthfeel was medium, but I was not feeling it in terms of silkiness or sensuality. Instead, it was more like a rough pine board, oozing with resins. That's okay, too, but it does not strike me as "sensual". Hell, that application of the word "sensual" would mean that every encounter that I have had with Philly fans has been sensual. That was NOT the case, believe me! I did not get to be this handsome naturally. Maybe they meant tongue in groove Douglas Fir pine boards, which is how the lesbians built their house - with tongue in groove only, no studs. My tongue was in the groove, or maybe my foot was in my mouth, but either way, I was incurring a beat-down off of this beer. Zounds! The hops were unabating and as a Hops Junkie, it satiated my Jones and stopped the monkey on my back from his screeching, but I have an afternoon of football in my future and I a feel like I have been slain by hops already. Finish was breathtaking, like a shot to the solar plexus or to the breastbone, both of which I have experienced. There was nothing wrong with this beer, but it should come with a piece of yellow Caution tape around it. Yow!

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 18:04:34 | More by woodychandler

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

An okay DIPA, nice bitterness, not too sweet, but beyond the bitterness it lacks pronounced and distinct hop flavors. Pours a cloudy golden with some floaties and a fairly decent head. Some nice tangerine notes in the aroma, as well as some lemon and cereal grain. The flavors are a little flat and one dimensional. Nice bitterness- not much else. Fairly creamy in the mouth, but a little thin in the finish.

Serving type: can

08-12-2012 03:12:09 | More by Georgiabeer

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rusty orange with thick, white, frothy head. The lacing is abundant.

Smells of orange peel and resinous pine are the first to the nose, followed by an herbal spice. Not much malt is being picked up.

The citrus and pine hops are pleasant, but there's a huge fusel spice to this. It kind of reminds me of that onion-like quality in Gubna.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation, but boozy. It's tolerable, but I've tasted DIPAs with 8% or more that hide the alcohol much better than this.

Overall, it's a good beer and one I'll likely have again, but it's a notch below most of the great DIPAs that are readily available.

Serving type: can

08-22-2011 01:43:15 | More by Vonerichs