Tasting panel findings: International Affairs
Mandarina Bavaria, Monroe, Lilly and Bullion are the four hops that shine in the second Hop Trophy beer from Hop Hooligans. Brewers Cristian and Mircea were delighted, but feedback from the public is what they consider most important. So here we go, the findings of our tasting panel!
All the beers from the Hop Trophy are tasted by the panel of independent beer experts below, we introduce them to you here. On this page, you can read their findings of International Affairs brewed by Hop Hooligans.
Citrus
Amanda kicks off: "When pouring the beer, a big firm head immediately forms. The foam is fine-textured and stays that way until the last sip. The beer is yellow coloured and hazy. The hops in the aroma immediately jump out at you. They provide fresh grassy notes and citrus notes. The body of the beer is wonderfully full and creamy, the good amount of carbonation making it fresh. The beer is deliciously bitter immediately reminding you of the bitterness of a grapefruit. Yum!"
West Coast meets East Coast
"The beer has a mango-yellow hazy colour with a nice white head and aromas of stone fruit. The flavour has a nice combination of tropical fruit on the one hand (and later tangerine notes come through) and some more resinous bitterness, which reminds me of a West Coast IPA. The finish is nice and creamy, bitter and slightly dry," says Tina.
Image from Tina Rogers / 010beerblog.com
Wow!
Matthias is impressed: “I just opened the can and it smells so fresh, so green, so intense, as if the hops had just landed in the can 30 minutes ago. After that, the smell of grass, that is THE grass, wafts around me. No wonder, hops is a cannabis plant, but it fades quickly. Normally you smell this more in lean lagers, but it shows how hop forward this beer is.
Quickly poured it and I hardly believe my eyes! Did I mix up the beer and grabbed pineapple peach juice? So cloudy and milky yellow stands the beer in the glass, with a foam as white as snow! Time for the first sip and the hops Mandarina Bavaria (Yay!), Monroe, Lilly and Bullion show their variety of flavours. Especially the new and at the same time old variety Bullion shows what it can do: Bullion hops have strong and zesty blackcurrant characteristics.
After the first sip I wondered where the thickness of the beer comes from, now I know: Oatmeal and wheat malt provide not only the haziness, but also the dense texture. Then add the unusually crisp bitterness and we have a wonderfully edgy DDH NEIPA that peeks out of the randomness and stays in memory.
Ah yes, freshness wins and respect the hops!”
Image from Bierfaktur (Matthias Kopp)
Hit in the Hop Trophy series
Rick imagines himself on a rollercoaster: "The description on the can reads like the pilot episode of a bad spy movie - by the love of god the heady aroma that rises when you open the can is anything but bad. A fruit explosion, and when you pour the beer, not only does a generous, snow-white head form - the beer pours very hazy, deep yellow fruit juice.
The aroma goes up and down like a rampaging rollercoaster, from fresh mango juice to earthy, almost meaty aromas. Remarkable is the light mouthfeel: not as creamy and juicy as you might expect after pouring, but very much not a punishment. Yes: finally a Double Dry Hopped New England India Pale Ale that is NOT rigid with inappropriate bitters! That, together with the perfect alcohol content of 6% by volume, make this a hit in the Hop Trophy series - already.
All in all, a refreshing and very balanced Hop Trophy beer where the hops chosen wallow in the spotlight!"
Want to try it yourself?
Hop Hooligans International Affairs is a one-off brew, be quick! Ask your better (online) beer shop about it.
When you are in Romania, check the Hop Hooligans online shop to order it or try the Hop Hooligans Taproom in the heart of Bucharest, which is definitely worth a visit anyway.
Follow Hop Hooligans on Instagram here or visit the their website.
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