Hop Hog India Pale Ale - Lancaster Brewing Company

gbarron

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a 12 oz. bottle, no dating that I can find.

A - hazy orange/amber, with a bright, bright white, puffy head that falls into a nice puddle of tight bubbles leaving excellent lacing. Nice head retention and a fine looking pale ale.

S - nice balance of malt and hops here. Hops are earthy, slightly sweet smelling and floral. Simcoe? Fuggle? Not quite sure. Backed up by rich, sweet malt aroma, smells like there's some munich malt or other type of non-pale malt in the grist. A nice break from your standard citrus/NW American hop IPA nose.

T - taste reflects the smell. Very malty, rich, sweet, tangy base to this beer, but very well balanced against assertive hop bitterness and sweet, floral hop flavor. More like a big pale ale than what we're used to in American IPA's. Hopping is not over the top and this is a well balanced, tasty beer that actually tilts slightly to the sweet, malty side. Nice malt flavor.

M - medium bodied beer, higher mash temp? A little sticky in the finish, carbonation appears to be average.

D - I could easily drink a six pack of this and enjoy myself. An IPA more in the style of an English ESB than American IPA, but very, very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 01:37:10 | More by gbarron

erialbill

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

05-22-2013 23:05:34 | More by erialbill

woostergooner

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

05-22-2013 20:48:06 | More by woostergooner

NJBeer265

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +9.3%

05-22-2013 20:01:45 | More by NJBeer265

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +2%

05-22-2013 16:35:26 | More by InspectorBob

DudMan

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -27.1%

05-19-2013 20:36:08 | More by DudMan

kb2250

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +9.3%

05-12-2013 22:03:30 | More by kb2250

ejane

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +45.8%

05-12-2013 19:10:56 | More by ejane

pearljam118

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

05-09-2013 01:13:46 | More by pearljam118

ZEB89

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

05-05-2013 23:22:45 | More by ZEB89

vtn

Virginia

4/5  rDev +16.6%

05-05-2013 03:03:27 | More by vtn

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

05-02-2013 01:06:27 | More by Jason1337

Kmahood13

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

05-01-2013 22:41:22 | More by Kmahood13

Drecher

3/5  rDev -12.5%

04-29-2013 10:33:59 | More by Drecher

JSkone09

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

04-27-2013 21:53:19 | More by JSkone09

AndrewMichael

Virginia

3/5  rDev -12.5%

04-21-2013 00:00:25 | More by AndrewMichael

GrantBrennan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +16.6%

04-16-2013 16:24:10 | More by GrantBrennan

TomG2751

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -27.1%

04-11-2013 16:55:51 | More by TomG2751

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2%

04-11-2013 03:37:25 | More by orangesol

Beers9beers

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -12.5%

04-10-2013 00:10:11 | More by Beers9beers

ZachKelly

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

04-01-2013 01:46:00 | More by ZachKelly

reebrevlup

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

03-30-2013 00:20:06 | More by reebrevlup

Hanselpb

Ohio

2.25/5  rDev -34.4%

03-28-2013 01:17:48 | More by Hanselpb

LCB_Hostage

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A: Deeper amber than normal for an IPA. moderate head with good persistence. Little to no lacing

S: Nothing dramatic. No hops on the nose at all. Malty with an fairly strong alcohol overlay (not surprising given the ABV).

T: Not sure why they choose to call this an IPA. No hop characteristics to speak of at all. Very malty/fruity with some alcohol on the back burner. Despite the ABV, light and reasonably refreshing.

M: relatively crisp, but quick fading on the tongue. Not particularly well carbonated, and what's there fades quickly (in less than 30 minutes)

O: I might have liked this better if they'd labeled it more accurately. I could even accept it as a pale ale. But an IPA?? No way. Someone needs to buy the Lancaster Brewing Co. some hops. If the ABV weren't so high, this could be a decent session beer, but at 7.5%, it would be a pretty short session. I've actually eaten at the LBC previously and the food was good, but as I recall, all their beers fall into this "too safe to offend" category.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 23:05:28 | More by LCB_Hostage

tom91281

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +16.6%

03-24-2013 20:15:57 | More by tom91281