Tuppers Hop Pocket Hunters XXXXXX

Very rare, hard to find "one off" brewed for The Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday. Few examples remain. Brewed at the Trap Rock Brewing Company in Berkley Heights, NJ. Hunter’s XXXXXX Old Ale is really a big, brawny, beefed up version of Tuppers’ Hop Pocket Ale. This beer is brewed with 50% more hops and malts than Tuppers’ Hop Pocket Ale. It comes in at a hefty 9.4% abv, and a tongue blistering 90+ IBU’s of hop bitterness, from the use of whole flower Mt. Hood and Cascade hop varities. This beer is of course, dry hopped over whole flower hops as well, and picks up some intense citric and resiny hop aromas. It was a real treat to get a sample of this one, and had me wanting much more than my one sample they rationed out. Hunter’s XXXXXX Old Ale pours to a beautiful, deep amber color with a nice dense white head, and a moderate to soft amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is akin to sticking your face in a freshly opened hop pocket, the long pillow case like sack hops are stored in. Very zesty, very pungent, cirtic and resiny waves of hop vapors flood the nose to the point where it almost makes your eyes water. But with all those big waves of hops, there is some good sweet and caramel malt aromas fighting for your attention as well. The palate on this beer is rock solid, with lot of big sweet caramel and pale malt flavors pair with citric/lemony hop flavors, and some estery fruit flavor. The body on this beer is rich, full, slightly syrupy and slick on the tongue. Hunter’s XXXXXX Old Ale finishes with more complex malty, hoppy and estery flavors up front, then ends with a titanic blast of long, dry, zesty, cirtic, resiny, hop bitterness, and a soothing alcohol burn.

Nicce hoppy beer. Dark copper in color. Nice barleywine, but its very hoppy. Not a bad beer. Enjoyable.

Oh well. So much for the hype. Snifter at the brew pub. Nice hoppy, wood-like aroma with sherried notes. Flavor is mostly hops with some underlying malt sweetness. Seems like the beer fermented out while aging over the years (2). Not a bad barley wine, just not as big and sticky as one would like.

Large sugary candy aroma - bananas, licorise, caramel. Cloudy gold color. Wild flavours that are very light on the tongue. . . Spice, wonderful malts and nice bitter finish. Surely a great tribute - very unique and flavourful. Thanks a again Joe!

Aroma: sweet caramel malt, some hop character. Nice thick head. Caramel once again with toffee following coffee (mocha) and some chocolate. Interesting concept that work out very, very well.