Beer – #708 – The Twisted Hop – Hopback IPA
The Twisted Hop Hopback IPA, a beer that has made it from the South Island to the North in kegs, and boy was I keen, clearly, because here I am all excited and ready.
” good hop background with a subtle honey character ”
From the fill your own station a beer of 5.8% and 50 IBU things, making it 174 calories a serve size and this would be 4.58 standard drink units worth in NZ
This is Brewed by The Twisted Hop in that style that is India Pale Ale (IPA) and they do that in Christchurch, New Zealand
It’s an IPA !
Now our most popular beer, available in bottles, on tap from Kegs and from cask.
Using our new Hopback, we can now late-hop the beer to infuse more NZ Cascade hop cones and really bring out that hoppy flavour and aroma.
Generously Dry hopped with Nz Cascade and US Simcoe
So, what could possibly go wrong?
There isn’t as much aroma in this as I might have led myself to believe, however it is nice and subtle grass like, like a good IPA is, of course.
Looks brilliant, golden brown orange, with a nice right-iced white head of substance. The aroma really blooms in the glass, as there is a lovely sweet grassy hoppy aroma in the room.
Is all of it’s IBU but isn’t a hop monster, and initially I’m thinking that there isn’t a lot of body in this, with the action being at the front with that initial sharp, and at the end with a finish that errs towards medium dry, he said like it was a sherry.
There is a nice big of orange citrus in this which somewhat saves the day somewhat.
I’ve also noticed that the grassy note in this imparts what might become quite a roughness in the palate.
Does the sweetness and citrus in this offset that dryness that is growing by the sup? I’m not sure it does.
I’m not even sure that a food would calm this down, or be a counterpoint to this, I’m not sure it would balance up a spicer food.
But I’ll tell you that if I was sitting in the sun somewhere, because in some parallel universe I’d been given a leave-pass by MrsPdubyah, and this was the beer available then it would be quite an enjoyable afternoon. A beer on-par with domestic beers in strength (nearly) and with a bunch of flavour, aroma and looks. A good journeyman beer.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 of its things from the thing. It’s a tough market the IPA market, as are some of the other styles, and this is a really good baseline for iterations of the same beer, with other hop combinations.
Which then leads to a mixed opinion on this, it’s a nice drinkable IPA beer, but has no single redeeming feature, is drinkable, but has some dryness that might get uncomfortable. I could drink a few, but I’d hope that the company made up for the lack of entertainment.
The double dip review
- Am I enjoying it? I went in expecting a big performer and it isn’t, and so no, I’m disappointed really.
- Would I have another? No, I’ve cast my eye to another suitor.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I’m erring towards no. the IPA offering is broad and wide, and this might be popular, but I don’t think it’s a beer that I could wax lyrical over for any length of time, or at all.
Music for this : ” Crime & the City Solution” “Paradise Discotheque” which I have on Spotify Crime & the City Solution are an Australian rock music band, which formed in late 1977 by singer-songwriter and mainstay, Simon Bonney. They disbanded in 1979.
A Hat tip to the BeerJerksNZ on this, who’ve started to pick great music to go with their great beers.
INDIA PALE ALE & IPA
India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.
A life just as ordinary 
I enjoy your reviews – always check them out when I open a new beer.
You’ve got the widest range of craft beer reviews in NZ, I’d say.
Anyway, I was going to ask if you’re going to review Birkenhead Brewing Company’s Kauri Double IPA?
Thanks
Michael
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Yes, just as soon as I can get me some, it is most definitely on the wish list, and to be honest they are not that far from where I live. Stand by.
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In bottle at Birkenhead New World. Would it be possible to add where you source from in your reviews? Kerikeri ’round the corner sounds great, but not sure where this is from. Or maybe I missed something. Sampling a Renaissance Discovery APA, at the moment – finding your comments on it are spot on!
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I got this from Blanc out in Henderson on the tap. I had it a Deep Creek in Browns Bay a while back, and I’m going to birkenhead on a field trip tomorrow then 🙂
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I was at Liquorland in Forrest Hill today and they did have some that I didn’t spot yesterday, so I got some of that, and I’ll drink it later, so stand by for an update.
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