Hop Project #61 - Yazoo Brewing Company

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

2.38/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottled date is Nov 14 2011. The label just says it's Hop Project, without a number. Based on the bottling date, it is probably #61.

Color is dark amber with a nice firm head that stands above the rim of the glass and lasts a while. What's odd is that the carbonation bubbles seem suspended in the liquid rather than rising to the top. The smell is weak, with grass and floral scents. The taste is also grassy and floral, with a metallic bitterness that's not at all pleasant. It taste like a pilsner in some respects, and is a far cry from the best IPAs. I like my IPAs with plenty of citrusy hops - there's hardly any citrus taste to be found here. This hop project needs a lot more work.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 00:23:12 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

merlin48

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pours a slightly hazed copper body with a small offwhite head. Lots of sticky lacing is on the glass.

Aroma is herbal,minty,grassy, and earthy hops. A hint of citrusy grapefruit and pine.

Mouthfeel is dry and a bit oily. Medium body and carbonation.

Taste is all hops, bitter and dry. No significant malt presence, resulting in a lack of balance. Hops are minty,grassy, and herbal. a hint of pine underneath. I don't notice any citrus, some bitter rind perhaps. Finishes dry, with an oily aftertaste.

Not one that I would revisit due to lack of balance. Plenty of hops presence if that's all you're looking for.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 19:04:01 | More by merlin48

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the brewer's website:
``For this batch, we used some Magnum at the beginning of the boil, and then Warrior and Cascade throughout the boil and for dry-hopping in the fermenter. We have liked using Warrior but it can have a slight tea-like finish. So our goal was to see how well it blended with a classic citrusy hop like Cascade. It has the aggressive upfront bitterness we've come to expect from Warrior, but a mellow grapefruity flavor and aroma. This batch, #61, will be available in middle TN, and in Knoxville. It's marked NO61NOV14.11 on the label.''

I bought this bottle in Knoxville on a recent visit. Served in a tulip, it has a coppery color (dark for the style) and the appearance of an unfiltered beer. The nose is flowery and minty.

Taste is almost oily with hops. It's very coarse, piney, and cedary without the bready, biscuity flavors that usually balance this kind of hop addition. I think it could benefit from a bit more malt. Mouthfeel is firm and is ideal for the style. Not a bad beer, but not one I would reach for again. I like the dryness the brewer achieved with the hop blend they used (I don't even detect the cascade much), but I miss the underlying creaminess that the best IPAs seem to somehow offer.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 23:26:46 | More by deadonhisfeet