Beer – #74 – Harringtons Brewer’s Selection Hop Tremor IPA

“A Brewers Selection” – Harringtons Brewer’s Selection Hop Tremor IPA. as brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the styleof an India Pale Ale (IPA) from the South Island, to be accurate Christchurch, New Zealand South Island.

“the high hopping of harringtons brewers selection IPA is not only noticeable in the nose but especiailly in the finish. the lingering bitter finish of this beer is not harsh or stringent, but crisp and pronounced. Hop tremor IPA is crafted by harringtons brewers with no less than 7 hop additions.” It says, so talking it up a bit there then, expect fireworks.

So the label is a bit meh, but it is a 500ml of 7.4% ABV IPA, and I’ve grown to like the IPA and the Hops. and this is a “Brewers Selection” after all.

and blow me sideways, it pours without a head, and aroma is not really a big thing, but there is a sweet smell of something, something that’s not hops, and it’s a cloudy amber. I’m actually doubting this.

but then there is a sweet taste or caramel, and a handy amount of bittery hops to keep it company, making this a pleasant surprise on the palate. It’s on the sweet side though, not sure where that comes from, over malted? I don’t get the alcohol which makes this a bit of a dark horse though, something that you might get in trouble with after a few, the balance of the sweet and sour isn’t a total bad hair day.

You think that given a choice of 7 hops though that this would be at a bitter end of the scale, 7 hops seems like an awful lot to achieve something that’s laden with sweet malts. How did that go so wrong?

I’m sorry but for me that adds up to a a swing with no ding for this as a beer that sort of announces loudly that you going to get a “hop tremor” perhaps my understanding of that might have been made askew by too many B grade movies, I expected snakes on a plane, swamp monster, gargantuan things, a Bruce Willis action flick, this is all a bit Hugh Grant.

The pduybyah-o-meter would swing to a 6 arbitrary things from 10 given a nudge. It’s not all that and a bag of chips. I’d be happy to sit in a nice place and nicely entertain myself with a few of these, but as a spectacle and knee trembler this isn’t it.

Darn! It’s hard work finding he perfect beer.