Hop Juice Double India Pale Ale - Two Brothers Brewing Company

CHickman

New York

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured a very cloudy amber copper color that looks murky with a foamy 1-2 finger beige head that faded slowly and leaves excellent retention with foamy rings as it goes down.

Smells of fruity candy like Skittles and Razzles dropped into a glass of pineapple/guava juice; very sweet and fruity, the name is perfect as this smells like a glass of fresh squeezed hop juice. Aroma is a mix of orange, guava, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, fresh West Coast citrus hops, piney hops, caramel, wheat bread, sweet (fruity) candy, brown sugar, grass, light spices and mild booze like rum. The alcohol was faint smelling and well covered up, and the hops were juicy and dominating, as expected with the title, but there was enough grainy sweet balance to level things out.

Tastes very similar to the nose, with a mix of pineapple, orange, guava, mango, grapefruit, apple, fresh West Coast citrus hops, grapes, piney hops, caramel, wheat bread, biscuit, candy like Skittles, Gummy Bears and Razzles, mild brown sugar, grass/hay, light spices like coriander, a touch of tea leaf, and mild booze like rum or a red wine. The hops were juicy fresh and potent, but the grainy, caramel sweetened was almost like a biscuit or cinnamon bun dough dipped in an IPA, which was tasty and odd at the same time. The flavor seemed to dial down the strong hop aroma, but this was still a very hoppy beer. The ABV is masked and covered very well, but about ¾ of the way through the bomber the 9.9% started kicking in. This is so sweet that it almost seems like after each swallow a bitter shock is issued by the beer to alert you to take another sip, which of course I did. A really fun DIPA to throw back, this was so much more drinkable than it should be.

Mouthfeel is very thick, chewy and viscous, with a sweet and bitter assault that is packed with fruits, hops and biscuit sweetness, a heavy and even dense body that trails off bitter and puckering with a great deal of bready sweetness; this borders on a Barleywine, and that may be due to the strength of the ABV or malty sweetness, but either way this hop bomb was so tasty and fun to drink that I will seek this out again.

This should be a slow sipper, but I doubt the bomber lasted a half hour because the fresh hop taste really was delicious. A solid beer and one I recommend trying if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 04:01:35 | More by CHickman

mfnmbvp

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle (1 pint) poured into my Winnie The Pooh pint glass. No bottled on date present.

The guys at my local beer store have told me that this beer is subject to lawsuit regarding it's name or some sh*t like that, so this could very well be my very last Two Brother's Hop Juice Double IPA ever. It was definitely the last one in the store.

A - Pours an extremely hazy orange, honey looking color, with a nice bunch of sediment floating around, leaving a nice creamy root beer looking head and nice ring of lacing around the top of the glass.

S - Smells of a hop & malt assault, with a very prominent warm oaked booze smell in the foreground.

T - Extreme amounts of bitter, dry hops present themselves. This beer is definitely tasting a bit on the old side, but that doesn't stop the hops from performing a raging assault on your palate, although some hop potency has been noticeably lost. There is a faint oaked flavor buried in there somewhere, but maybe that is just my imagination. In the beginning I also tasted something that resembled a fresh brewed lemon iced tea flavor, but that could also be attributed to the beer's age. Either way, there is definitely a sweetness present in this beer, and it definitely doesn't taste like it has a 9.9% abv.

M - Pleasant, sticky, sweet mouthfeel. Not too watery, definitely not too thick or heavy. This was definitely a good brew, although eerily similar to many of Two Brothers's other beers like the Heavy Handed IPA or the Heavier Handed Double IPA.

Overall, this was surely a beer worth drinking, and if it truly is done for and none of us will ever have the pleasure of drinking it again, we will all decidedly miss it. I'm glad I was able to enjoy it.

Two Brother's Hop Juice Double IPA ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 05:25:12 | More by mfnmbvp

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a caramel/ruby gold color with a very thick lacing ring and delicate, almost transparent creamy layer, mild carbonation.

S - Aroma comes off as balanced with biscuity, lightly doughy caramel malt and an evenly balanced citrus nose with no alcohol presence and for an almost 10% beer that's really impressive.

T - Caramel biscuity malt with lemons, grapefruit, and some orange. Not one flavor dominates and everything blends evenly.

M - Thick medium body, viscous, slick, velvet carbonation.

O - Balance all the way and most impressive is the lack of alcohol presence for such a big beer. I prefer my D-IPA's much more in your face, this beer is not that. The most impressive feature of this beer is not the balance but the full control of alcohol presence.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 22:08:08 | More by jzeilinger

RickS95

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bit dark for the style, pouring an almost brownish light shade of chestnut with some orange hues. The head is bright white and unmistakingly IPA. Fluffy like a cloud, imploding in on itself as it dissipates, leave sticky white lace in its tracks.

Citrus in the nose, mostly pineapple, with some lemon and honey added for good measure. Malty backbone just to give it some structure.

Citrus is prevalent as the hops dominate the mouth. The brown sugar is a welcome addition.

It's all about the hops with this, as well it should be. The hops grab you from the beginning of the sip til the end with a controlled bitterness that's aggressive, yet drinkable given it's high ABV and 100 IBUs. Feels full bodied. Sticky finish as the resiny pine won't let go of the tongue.

Despite the manliness of the beer, it's very drinkable for the style. It has good flavor, which isn't entirely masked by the alcohol or the hops. Really a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 03:09:13 | More by RickS95

daledeee

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 22 oz bottle.

Poured a dark chestnut, but clear. Head is off white and good lacing.

Nose is pretty floral with roasted malt(just a little). Nice and fresh smelling.

Taste is maltier than may IPA but it is nice for a change. Not everybody has to overdose hops. Don't get me wrong, this is not a hop weakling. I would put this on the grassier end of the spectrum. Also some citrus but a darker malt profile is pretty dramatic. Really a nice beer. Also warms the throat with good carbonation. This is a good offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 22:26:49 | More by daledeee

yamar68

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright ruby gold, a soft fluffy white few finger of head recedes to a thin loose cap. Great, great lacing.

Massive hops... great balance but leaning towards an earthy citrus. Certainly fresh.

The booze takes stronger role on the tongue. Fresh hops show a bit more pine than was evident on the nose.

Pretty easy drinking, even given the unexpected alcohol presence.

Good beer. All 4's.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:12:53 | More by yamar68

vfgccp

New York

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Beautiful clear caramel body. Creamy light khaki head has great staying power and fantastic lace.

S - Sweet caramel, touch of raisin, brown bread, hint of pesto.

T - Super malty. Lace of booze supports a woody hop with herbal overtones. Nice cocoa finish.

M - Medium body. The booze brightens the frame.

O - For 100 IBUs there's not quite the hop character I was looking for. The malt sweetness over balances and washes out most of the bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 00:09:32 | More by vfgccp

ChiPool

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into Duvel tulip.

HJ pours an opaque, burnt orange color. The head on this is remarkable: quite pretty. Fluffy, crean colored clouds of foam retain indefinitely. The nose offers mainly malty notes. i was hoping for more citris/pine there. Taste is similar: mainly bready malts, lacking any true hop kick. The feel is representative of the style. Beat feature of HJ is the lack of heat at 9.9%.

Hoping for a bit more on this one. Hard to revisit when Dready & Ninja v Unicorn are at my fingertips. Would love to see some citra added to this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 22:15:34 | More by ChiPool

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a snifter

Pours a burnt orange amber with a off white three finger head. A considerable amount of lacing can be found on the glass as the head recedes. The smell of citrus and sweet flora dominates the nose. The brew opens with a mild citric sweetness very closely followed by a intense grapefruit rind bitterness transitioning back to citrus-tinged sweet malt and finishing with juicy grapefruit and rind and pine bitterness. Definitely a heavy medium-bodied DIPA with an abundant malt backbone and very pleasant slick but satfying mouthfeel. Overall a solid DIPA, which is a bit sweeter and juicier that others.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 06:22:20 | More by chanokokoro

tut2528

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a solid 2 fingers worth of head and head retention is very strong. Big cream bubbles stick around the top, as well to the side of the glass. Appearance is rust-like which is barely transparent.

S: huge hops rise to the top on this one with strong citrus notes such as orange peel, a touch of grapefruit and lemon zest. Bready/biscuit is also lingering there in the background. Everything seems to be well balanced and blended together quite nicely. No ABV present.

T: similar to the nose. Very nice hops blended together nicely with high acidic fruits such as oranges and grapefruit. There are some spices blending very nicely with the hops and has a enjoyable bready malt. Very nice dry hop finish with no ABV present.

M: medium bodied, nice carbonation.

O: overall I think this is another well constructed brew by Two Brothers. And I honestly do not pick up on the 9.9% ABV. The beer has very high drinkability and with a high ABV, this beer becomes deliciously dangerous. Something that I would definitely buy again. And perfect for summer time drinking

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 20:54:17 | More by tut2528

buck1futter

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Burnt orange typical ipa color, nice off white head.

S- A ton of sweet citrus. not to many malts getting through, with a subtle pine.

T- Grapefruit. Hop resin. Really good. Coming in at 9.9 hardly any alc comes though. Little bit of a sweetness on the side of the tongue .

M- Thick of hop resin.

O- Top notch IIPA. If you get a chance to try, and you luv them hops then this is ready to go. Really do enjoy this beer, needs to come around more.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 07:34:48 | More by buck1futter

Sunhunters

California

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving type: 22oz bottle into Bordeaux-style stemware.
Bottling date unknown.

Appearance (4.0) - Pretty handsome beer: Medium-dark orange with slightly red tinge. About one finger of bright white foam. Spotty lacing. On the clear side with a faint haziness.

Smell (4.5) - Pine, spice, and grapefruit lead the charge. Spice especially. On their heels are bing cherries, cream soda, and a dash of porcini mushroom. More earthy than fruity. Pleasant, inviting.

Taste (4.5) - Spice is definitely sticking around. Angostura bitters and burnt orange peel. Notes of pine and white grapefruit. Slight hint of cherry cola. The well balanced spice shines in the support role; anise, allspice and wood.

Mouthfeel (3.5) - Loose, warm, and slightly chalky. Really nails the carbonation; creamy and round. Dry finish which strips the moisture from the tongue and cheek. Pretty enjoyable but a wee bit rougher than I'd like.

Overall (4.0) - Pretty fine IPA. Really glad I got this as a bonus in a recent trade, or else I may never have stumbled upon it. Suffice to say my interest in Two Brothers is piqued! Not going to de-throne my No. 1 double IPA, but definitely a wonderful and extremely enjoyable beer.

Thanks to acpocalypsezombie for beering me this delicious brew!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 09:14:45 | More by Sunhunters

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle thanks to EdwardFortyHands! Poured into CCB snifter.

A- Pours a translucent golden brownish color with a thin layer of head that disappears fast and leaves almost no traces of a head. Leaves spotty lacing around the sides of the glass. Not too many carbonation bubbles, definitely below average carbonation.

S- Hops- slightly sweet, piney, and a little bit citrusy. A tiny bit of a bready yeasty smell. Not overly aromatic, but the smell is pleasant. Definitely not as sweet as some DIPAs.

T- Strong bite of hops, nice light fruity flavor- pineapple, oranges, mangoes, etc., a tiny bit bitter but not that noticeable. Not bursting with flavor or very citrusy like some DIPAs, but definitely enjoyable. A tiny bit bitter finish with a light sweet fruity aftertaste. Nice fruity taste, but could have been a little bit more pronounced.

M- Medium bodied, goes down very smooth, abv hard detect, kind of drinks like juice with it's smoothness + hidden abv + fairly low carbonation. In my opinion this is my favorite part of this beer.

O- Not a bad DIPA offering, I liked how it went down especially for it's abv and the fruity flavors. The only reason why it's a little bit lacking as a world class DIPA is due to its lack of strength in both taste and aroma. Hop Juice Fest was at the beginning of this month so this should still be fairly fresh (still seems like it has most of it's freshness). I would drink this again given the chance, however I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire some.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 23:53:04 | More by jaasen64

barnzy78

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Two Brothers Roundhouse - Aurora, IL

Pours a deep amber-copper color into a snifter glass. Tall beige head holds great retention and leaves sticky lacing all over the glass. Aromas are a bit muted when served, but do blossom as the ale warms. Toasted grain, caramel, citric grapefruit are all present, along with some booze as it warms. Tastes are complex and excellently balanced with notes of fresh hops up-front bursting with citrus and pine. Grapefruit, caramel, and faint toasted grain are notable as well. Pungent and bitter, yet well balanced with a nice sweetness. Medium bodied and pleasantly carbonated. Alcohol is well concealed but as it warms the booze does become more apparent. Overall, each time I have this one I seem to enjoy it more and more. Excellent representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 23:45:53 | More by barnzy78

Etan

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark orange with a soft off-white head. Nice lacing.

S: Big bitterish rind and juicy citrus - orange, mint, grapefruit. A bit of dank oniony goodness comes out as it warms.

T: Hits all the good parts: starts off with some nice rindish fruit - grapefruit pith, mango, orange - then into a bit of raw pine and grass, black pepper and onion, and finally the bitterness comes up in a nice wave. Sweet fruit, honey, and a good grainy, bready maltiness in the finish, with a nice breath of warm alcohol.

M: Small carbonation, creamy, sort of thick body.

O: This is quite balanced and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 23:33:09 | More by Etan

TTAmod

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fresh 22 oz. bomber poured into pint glass.

A: Pours a slightly hazy medium-amber with a two finger off-white head. Retention is good. Bit of sediment is present.

S: Smell is heavy orange and grapefruit with caramel and pine undertones.

T: The heavy tropical fruits carry on with the taste. Starts off with heavy orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and cream. This is supported by a nice caramel malt base. Finishes with a bit of piney hops. Doesn't taste anywhere near 101 IBU.

M: Slightly heavier than medium. Oily on the palate.

O: This is a good DIPA. Unfortunately, it's a seasonal/limited beer. It's reminiscent of Hopslam, but not as assertive. I have a feeling that it's Resistance IPA, but stronger and not oak-aged. A good, reasonably priced bomber to have on hand during the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 05:02:53 | More by TTAmod

t420o

California

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two bros hop juice

A- pour produces a 1 finger slightly off white head that recedes rather quick leaving decent lacing. Body is a slightly hazy golden- orange color 4 

S- grapefruit, orange, pine, slightly tropical. Caramel malt 4

T- balanced very well with citrus fruits upfront, pine, and a bitterness that is perfectly balanced by caramel malt. 4

M- slightly thick for an ipa but good cabonation 3.5 
 
O- very drinkable, and drinks more like a ipa than a dipa. Wouldn't have guessed over 100 iBus either. Top notch beer.  4

B+/a-

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 06:33:57 | More by t420o

buschbeer

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 6oz bottle
Served in a tulip glass

A - It pours an orange, amber, almost copper color. I got an inch of off white head.

S - The smell is malty and sweet. I get some hints of alcohol and pine.

T - The taste is sweet with an understated hop presence. I get a molasses and honey taste.

M - Nice and syrupy

O - I kind of hesitated to buy this thinking it was an old bottle. Turns out it was. I will have to try a fresh bottle this year. This old bottle reminded me of a barley wine, and it's still 9.9% so it wasn't a total waste.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 17:27:05 | More by buschbeer

vic21234

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a snifter. I definitely forgot about this one in the back of my fridge. I love it fresh, hopefully 6 months hasn't hurt it too bad.

A- Pours a cloudy orange with a finger's worth of head that sticks around for awhile.

S- Smells sweet, with some citrus aromas. Hints of pine as well.

T- Nice malty beginning leads way toward a blast of hops. Hop bitterness differs some from the smell, as I get more piney resin than anything.

M- Medium bodied, nicely carbonated. Heavily bitter, but an easy drinker.

When it's available in the summer, Hop Juice is one of my go-to bombers. It's fairly priced, and widely available in my area. A good one to try for hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:45:23 | More by vic21234

isaiahcutright

Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden amber with good head, about one and a half fingers. Smells of intense hop aroma but there is also a nice malt aroma very interesting, I was looking for some cirtus aroma not there. I'm a little confused I'm getting a lot of malt, but some hops are prevalent could be an old bottle not too sure, not very familiar with this brewery, no bottle date. Besides that it still has a nice mouthfeel and I like the overall flavor, would try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:17:49 | More by isaiahcutright

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served chilled in a traditional pint glass.

Poured a light amber gold that was rather translucent, very slight, slight sediment. Poured an energetic small bright white head that fleeted to a miniscule layer and a consistent lace ring around the glass. Smells are of slight hop, roast, caramel and little malt. The tastes are not extremely robust. The hoppiness is there, but we need more hops! (in a Christopher Walken voice) Very potent tastes of caramel and roast. Leaves a slight bitterness which is appreciated. Overall a decent beer. The almost 10% abv is not too obvious. Two Brothers is one of my favorite Chicagoland brews and they create some wonders with hops. I'd suggest trying Heavy Hand which is a great regular production IPA.

Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 00:54:34 | More by rmcnealy

PerHops

California

3.28/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Very beautiful golden orange. Looks like a fantastic IPA

S- Not a whole lot of hops evident here. I smell a lot of caramel and alcohol

T- Follows the nose. A little disappointing, but not shocking considering the nearly 10 percent ABV. I would say it is a pretty average tasting double IPA

M- Nice carbonation and a good malty well rounded mouthfeel

O- I would like to try this again when it is a little fresher in hopes that the hops would be more evident. For me, the jury is still out on this one

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 19:21:00 | More by PerHops

match1112

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poures out a slightly cloudy orange color. half inch of off white head sits atop, leaves little to no lacing. smell and taste go together fairly well. big on citrus and tropical fruit, very sweet smelling and a little too sweet tasting. has a full mouthfeel with good carbonation. not as bitter as the 100 ibu's would suggest, but this did get lost in my cellar for the past couple of months. my major problem with this beer is that it is way too sweet, it was like drinking a glass of sugar water with citrus added.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 21:19:07 | More by match1112

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a fresh bottle and thought that I had uploaded my review...oh well...

Poured from a 22oz bomber; split into two tulips.

A: Pours honey-colored with an off-white head.

S: Sweet citrus hops are jumping out of the glass when its still sitting on the table. Pineapple, guava, honeydew. There is a bit of sweetness perceptible in the aroma.

T: Again with the tropical fruit hops. This sure doesn't taste like the 100 IBUs it claims. The hops are there, but its more aromatic late-additions than bittering bombs. Maltiness is brown sugar and honey, nice balance. It finishes spicy and rich.

D: There is the slightest bit of heat, but it isn't overwhelming. Complexity makes this fun to drink and its gone far too soon.

Overall: This is a great No-coast DIPA full of tropical and fruity notes, its a DIPA in the vein of Apocalypse Cow or Lagunitas Sucks. Tasty, rich, refreshing and strong...what more could you want?

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 00:26:30 | More by JohnnyChicago

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased from Friar Tuck's in Savoy, IL.
No best by or bottled on date.
Poured into a standard US pint glass.

From the bottle, this pours a 1cm head of off-white foam, smallish bubbles. Head fades gradually to a thin ring around the glass, leaving some modest lacing that is refreshed with each sip. Body is a hazy copper-gold color with orange highlights.

Aroma is fairly balanced, though leaning towards malt. Caramel malt sweetness mixed with some grapefruit rind bitterness. Somewhat vague pine and herbal scents.

Taste is heavily tilted towards maltiness, somewhat surprisingly, given the name. Rather a heavy, mildly dark sweetness in the front of the palate with a bit of citrus hop zing. Back of the tongue picks up grapefruit rind, lemon zest, some pine. Ethanol noticeable. Aftertaste of sweetness tempered by bitterness and ethanol.

Medium to medium-heavy bodied with carbonation just strong enough to make this pleasantly palatable. Finishes dry, with slight burn and warmth from the alcohol.

With a name like hop juice, this was overly malty and laid waste to my expectations. I will attempt to find a bottle that is very fresh next year and compare it to this ~4 month old bottle. Still, an acceptable DIPA, just not one that I'm particularly excited about.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 17:27:33 | More by falloutsnow