Hopback Amber (Simcoe Dry Hopped) - Tröegs Brewing Company

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cask serving into a pint glass for $6. The beer menu has 5.6% listed. Sampled 10/20/11.

A: Arrives with two fingers of creamy foamy head, light brown in color. Retention is off the charts and lacing is in sedimentary rings all the way down the glass. The body is brown with orange highlights and, frankly, just not that appetizing of a color. While this would normally drop the appearance score considerably, it's a function of the serving type and honestly, I'm glad to have tried this beer this way.

S: The first impression has a very raw simcoe presence. Once the head recedes, the trademark simcoe intensity does too. Even so, the nose continues to offer plenty of dank, grassy and floral notes, with citrusy orange rind being the stand out. General base of grains and caramel.

T: The taste meets expectations. Quite candidly, regular Hopback Amber on cask was a revelation for me - and I don't believe this was an improvement from that. More like an experiment with dry hopping really. Nothing wrong with that.

M: What a freshly dispensed cask serving should feel like. Medium-light with gentle carbonation. Finishes well and very easy to drink.

O: I thought I would have liked this more actually. Maybe another hop would have worked better. Nonetheless, my expectations were pretty high and I enjoyed it for the fine brew that it was.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2012 13:39:05 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On one of the handpulls at Al's of Hampden on 10/21/10.

A - Dispensed from the handpull and appeared in my glass as a glazed amber/orange liquid with slight ruby highlights around the edges and a finger's width of dense off-white foam on top that transformed into icy patches of intricate lacing.

S - Fresh citrusy and resinous hops, although not overly pungent or reeking of hops. However, this is definitely an amped-up version of the classic Hopback aroma with an apparent healthy dose of fresh Simcoe hops. Malt character is sweet and grainy, and relegated to the background... where it belongs!

T - Simcoe hops impart a sweet, leafy green character with hints of citrus and pine. Lightly toasted grains and sweet caramel provide the malt base and offer ample balance to the revved-up hop character. Finishes with a slight grassy, herbal hop bite in the finish.

M - Medium bodied with a slick, oily texture and smooth mouthfeel yet still retains a lip-smacking stickiness. Finish is semi-dry with moderate lingering bitterness on the palate.

D - Troegs + Al's = awesomeness! Keep those cask conditioned beers coming, boys! This one is insanely poundable. Yes, I'll have another.

Serving type: cask

10-22-2010 18:07:33 | More by ffejherb