doboy (177), Morehead City, North Carolina, USA
| 5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 5/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 20/20 | Jun 16, 2007 Updated: Sep 21, 2008On a scale of 1 to 10 this gets a 15! The Hops are wonderful, setting off both sides of my tongue, leaving a highway right up the middle to pour the golden nectar down!
This is hands down my favorite, WHEN I can get it! JAF737300 (792), Tampa, Florida, USA
| 3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 5/10 | 3/5 | 13/20 | Jun 10, 2007 I usually loved super hoppy beers but this one fell a little short to me. It had huge hop notes on the nose and htat translated into a big burst on the mouthfeel but the malt of the IPA took an extreme back seat. It needs to get into a bit more balance for this to be a big winner. joe1510 (501), Illinois, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | May 24, 2007 12oz. Bottle
Poured a clear dark golden with very small articles that actually look like pulp. The particles make the beer look a little cloudy as they settle. A half finger creamy white head sits up top and fades to a solid top coat.
The smell is of caramel malts along with a grassy/musty hoppiness. Reminds me of Dogfish’s 60 Minute. It smells good and it makes my mouth water but unfortunately the smell is weak.
The flavor is pretty good. A lively hop bite at mid palate that slides effortlessly into a lingering bitterness. A faint maltiness starts things off. This is followed by the grassy hops. After a little warming unsweetened grapefruit comes out as well. The hops get more complex while this one warms. The caramel malt strengthens a little bit as well to give a good backbone. Nicely balanced.
Mouthfeel is quite nice. Good carbonation is prickly on the tongue and the body medium but slightly leaning toward the lighter side.
I could drink a lot of these in a sitting. The bitterness leaves you wanting another drink right after the swallow. The body keeps it easy going down and refreshing.
Overall Hoptical Illusion is a very nicely crafted IPA. Nothing spectacular but nice and solid. Could be an everyday drinker if I could get it around here.
grandet (479), Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | May 23, 2007 Bottle thanks to beerbill. Dark golden color with a nice white head. Nice hoppy aroma. Taste is not as strong as some IPAS but this is still def a good one. Impressed hopson (594), Williamsville, New York, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 2/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | May 21, 2007 Bottle: Did not care for the appearence at all. Spent yeast chunks floating all over the place. Wierd. Nice brew though. Defintely has the woodsy- aroma and flavor to it. Not as crisp and hoppy as I would like. Still, not a bad brew. chronictonic (402), Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, USA
| 3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 | 12/20 | May 10, 2007 not one of my favorite ipas - has some toastiness in it along with a bit of mustiness. similar to hop devil, but not as crisp and defined. flavors in hoptical illusion seem - at least on some kegs - to be muddy. hoplover406 (204), Crofton, Maryland, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | May 8, 2007 Draft @ Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD. This is a respectable IPA. Tasty. I had this after a couple of other DIPA’s and it held up nicely in terms of flavor, mouthfeel and aroma. Pours hazy, light orange/amber with creamy one finger head. Nice lacing. Big tangy, juicy citrus hops aroma....though not as big as the Loose Canon I had before this. My first Blue Point and I will be havin’ mo’ fo’ sho’. beerlord (215), tonawanda, New York, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 5/5 | 6/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | May 8, 2007 Pours a clear medium amber, hoppy boquet but no overwhelming. Hop/citrus flavor with some sweetness that seems to be more from alcohol contentant than maltdium mouth feel. Medium dry finish.
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