Black Oak Hop Bomb

On cask - C’est what. Appearance: Murky orange, medium white head. Aroma: Sweet candy & honey, nice! Flavour: Hops, sugar, honey, cinnamon with a brown sugar finish. Very nice!

[768-20071020] Cask @ Volo Cask Days 2007 (Toronto, ON, called "Hop Bomb"). Mango hops and a bit of apples in the flavour, but not tangy tropical. Hazy, orange brown body with off-white bubbles. Hoppy tea-based flavour. Medium body is smooth. Very nice mild hoppy beer. (7/3/8/4/15) 3.7

[768B-20071020] Cask @ Volo Cask Days 2007 (Toronto, ON; called "Hop Bomb S.T.F.U."). Mango tropical fruit hops aroma has some apples and some grass. Cloudy, orange brown body with a medium-lasting bubbly white head. Tea-like grassy fruity hops flavour. Medium body is dry and bitter throughout. Nice, more dry and bitter than the Hop Bomb Original. (7/3/8/3/14) 3.7

[1808B-20081020] Cask. Sweaty citrus aroma with mild herbal grasses. Slightly hazy, light brown orange body with a medium-lasting off-white bubbly head and fine bubbles throughout. More sweaty citrus pips in the flavour with bitter woody grasses and light herbal citrus. Medium body is super bitter. Bitterness calms down after a few sips, even becoming a little watery. (7/3/7/3/14) 3.4
(Post Cask Days 2008 @ Volo; Toronto, ON; Called "Homegrown Hop Bomb")

Golden amber in colour, thin white coloured head ring around the glass, no lacing. The aroma has a moderate hop bite with lots of orange zest, some grapefruit, moderate sweetness. The flavour is of oranges, floral hops, some light caramel sweetness, good balance. Lightly bitter mouthfeel, medium/light body, medium/light carbonation. Finishes medium length with some orange hops, medium bitterness. Not bad, nice hop bite in this one.

Cask at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=1632 target=blank>Volo in Toronto, Ontario on October 20, 2007.
STFU Edition.

Cask Days 2007. STFU edition. Hazy/cloudy orange. Nose is grapefruit, orange & tangerine, maybe a hint of banana. Flavor is bitter orange, tangerine & banana. Strong bitter finish with more tangerine and banana.

Cask Days 2007. Hop Bomb S.T.F.U Edition with SEVEN doses of hops compared to the Hop Bomb’s TWO. Hazy pastel orange/yellow with a small white head. (3+) Interesting tropical fruit notes to the hoppy aroma. Hoppy flavour is a bit strange with similar citrus, straw/grain notes, tropical fruit hints. Average to medium palate is perhaps aided by suspended yeast. (3+) Intriguing in small quantities, becomes a bit much after a while. This is nitpicky, but these should either be separate or just listed under the Black Oak Pale Ale based on the no dry-hopped beers rule. 7/4/7/3/14 - 3.5 <P>Beer Bistro, Golden Tap Awards 2005. Hop Bomb. Hazy golden yellow, moderate white head. Green leafy hops in the aroma. Palate is quite green, lingers in the aftertaste. Moderate - medium bitterness is pleasant throughout. Surprisingly well balanced despite fairly intense hoppiness. Thin but cask appropriate. Quite nice, and deserving of "Best of Fest" award. 7/3/7/3/16 - 3.6 8/22/2005

Had this on cask at C’est What in Toronto. Awesome. Hazy golden color with a big flowery hoppy nose. Very smooth and easy to drink with lots of hop flavors coming through: grapefruit, flowers, and that green fresh hop taste. Well balanced with enough malty sweetness to keep you satisfied. By far the best beer I had on the latest Canadian trip.

This is the casked version of the pale and it is very good, not to be missed, called Hop Bomb. Thanks to Jamie of Irish Major for pointing me to the secret cask at Fort York Beer fest 2004. (Bottled) Apparently Jercraigs had a big impact on this first version. An edgy bitter with medium mouthfeel, not exceptional but very drinkable with food. A very good casked ale.

On cask @ Volo. Smells citrus and is slightly hoppy. Tastes like a very weak lemonade. Aftertaste of bitter hops with grassy undertones. Slightly orange flavoured. Like watered down orange freezie with a bitter aftertaste. Pretty mediocre, smells of tang.