Style: Juicy IPA
ABV: 6.7%
Joe’s Take
Aww man, Monday again. At least that means it’s time for an NC beer of the week post. Plus, it is a holiday week and that means fewer work days… for some people. Another surprise for you guys this week, we have another guest reviewer! Nick is out of town visiting some family in Iowa and Nebraska (you may have seen his instagram post). So this week we have Lauren, my girlfriend and fellow (but somewhat new) beer enthusiast. I asked her to pinch hit in this week’s review to give us some insight from someone who has never formally tasted and written about a beer. So keep reading to get our different takes on…well I guess I haven’t introduced the beer yet.
By the name of the post and the photos above I think you have an idea though. We’re trying “Hoptastic,” a juicy IPA (as proclaimed by the can) from White Street Brewing Co. in Wake Forest, NC. This refreshing citrusy beer was a nice break from the myriad of stouts and amber ales I have been drinking with the cooler weather.
I poured “Hoptastic” into my angular Monti IPA glass by Sempli – one that some may call a rip off from the original Spiegelau IPA glass – but I enjoy using it much the same (and no I did not pay that much for the glass). Poured from a 12 oz. can into said glass, the beer was a nice pale golden to yellow color that produced a nice fluffy white head that was bursting with aroma (more on that in a minute). Once the head settled, it left a thin persistent layer as I drank the beer and did not leave much lace behind.
Ok, now onto the aroma. There was a full bouquet of citrusy hop forward aromas that proved the can’s “juicy IPA” proclamation correct. Underneath the hop aromas were some sweet malt notes followed by some musty hop dankness. I continued to smell the beer throughout the tasting to see how the aroma changed and intensified as I was able to put my nose further in the glass where the aromas were concentrated on each sip. I was not disappointed as I continued to get stronger scents that matched my previous smells.
Mouthfeel was decent, and the beer was light-bodied and refreshing. There were some sharp pangs of carbonation that woke the palate up and scrubbed free any lingering flavors. After a sip the beer left my mouth feeling a bit dry and ready for another.
The flavor profile of “Hoptastic” matched the expectations that were set by the aromas of the brew. It was bursting with tropical fruit and citrus notes. Swimming in that mix, I picked up flavors reminiscent of grapefruit, pineapple, and other sweet fruits. There was a nice balance between malt sweetness and the juicy hop character. The two “forces” of the beer aligned and complemented each other’s flavor. On the finish, the beer left hints of sweet tropical fruits and a slight vegetal bitterness. A low IBU and wide selection of aroma hops made this beer an easy drinker that was packed with flavor.
White Street Brewing Co. did a great job with this juicy IPA and left me with few complaints. I’m thinking a trip out to Wake Forest may need to make its way into our plans soon to try some more of the brewery’s selections at the source. After all, it’s not that far from Greenville.
Happy drinking!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Pale golden yellow, hazy, can see some light come through the beer. Fluffy white head that persists as a thin layer while drinking. (4/5)
Aroma: Juicy citrus, tropical fruits. Some dank hops and malty sweetness. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, good amount of carbonation that adds a bit of bite to the sip. Leaves the mouth feeling somewhat dry. (4/5)
Taste: Citrus, grapefruit. Malty sweetness that complements the juicy hop aromas. Somewhat vegetal bitter finish. Hints of pineapple and other tropical fruits. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Easily crushable IPA. Not overpowering in terms of hop or malt and strikes a decent balance. (4.5/5)
Total: 21.5/25
Lauren’s Take
Once upon a time, Wegman’s made this great decision to move their stores further south, plopping one fairly close to us in Raleigh, NC. While there are many things that I love about Wegman’s – the main reason I am here is to talk about beer – and by golly the beer section at Wegman’s is something that never ceases to disappoint. So on our last trip to the triad last month we of course had to make our obligatory Wegman’s stop and receive many questionable glances and slight judgements from the cashiers as we load up our beer haul for the day. I had selected this pack of White Street Brewing Company’s “Hoptastic” juicy IPA solely on appearances alone. I know – I know – I should never judge a book by its cover and there is more to beer than just external appearance alone. I am not that superficial, but when you have so many options to choose from I feel like can appearance can be a factor for some. So might as well validate that the insides reflect the outer can appearance. So this case made its way into our cart fairly quickly and I have been waiting for the opportunity to try it. I am subbing in for Nick for this post today – so don’t get discouraged and quit reading – I assure you this is a one time gig and he will be back for regularly scheduled programming the rest of the week.
Joe was oh-so-kind enough to hand select a glass for my beverage and even gracefully poured the contents from the can for me. At first note I thought it instantly looked similar to a hazy IPA. I will say that it had moderate haze in appearance but not too much where you aren’t able to visualize a background when held up to the light. The color was a rich golden yellow color almost gunning towards orange. There was a nice fluffy head that lingered for a little bit after pouring, which stayed around just long enough to snap some photos. I have been watching these guys do their beer tastings long enough that I knew I needed to evaluate the beer in a quiet place by myself so that I could be one with the beer and evaluate all its complexities.
I gave the beer a nice inhale and instantly smelled some fruit aromas – I gave the glass a nice swirl, capped it, and then smelled it again. This time the fruit smells of pineapples hit the strils (nostrils) at once with some modest hop aromas as well. This instantly made me wish I was on a beach somewhere in 80 degree weather working on my tan. Next part is my favorite – where it involves the beer actually making its way to my mouth.
The beer is definitely wet – which is good because I think I would be concerned if I had a beer that instantly dried out my mouth at first taste. It is bubbly and there initially was a mild tingling on the tongue that dissipates quickly. As far as the taste is concerned – it tastes like beer – which again is also a good thing! I mean, I would be quite disappointed to crack this open and taste pure fruit juice. I find this beer to taste as the can describes it, a juicy IPA. Some of the juiciness taste that I get on the buds includes mango and a little orange citrus – with a hoppy aftertaste left in the mouth.
Well considering I have almost downed my beer 3/4 of the way through this beer review I will say it quite drinkable – and the proof is in the empty glass. I think this is something that is fairly light and juicy but still has a good bit of flavor. It would pair well with nothing at all as I think this would be something great to enjoy on my porch by itself. If pairing with food I would avoid something that would be very full-flavor because it may make some of the fruity tones hard to pick up on and the food may overwhelm the beer and really shortchange you on the experience of trying “Hoptastic.” Burgers are my favorite food group and I will not hesitate to pick this beer the next time we are grilling burgers out on the porch. I think this would also go great with a white pizza or any poultry dish.
I don’t think I really realized the complexity that exists in regards to beer tasting so this has been an interesting side to be on – but I think in the future I will remain on the reader end – soaking in all the info I can and leave these beer reviews to the experts (open to suggestions on experts to read from).
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Moderately opaque – golden yellow color/orange in appearance. A fluffy head that lingered for only a bit. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Fruity – pineapples, modest hop aromas. Smells stronger when swirled. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Feels wet and kind of bubbly and initially a mild tingling on the tongue that quickly dissipates. (3.5/5)
Taste: Juicy – tastes that I get on the buds includes mango and a little orange citrus – with a hoppy aftertaste left in the mouth. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Quite drinakable – I think this is something that is fairly light and juicy but still has a good bit of flavor. (4.5/5)
Total: 21/25
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