Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Bend, Oregon USA

22oz bottle-pours a big tight foamy off white head and copper color. Aroma is nice grapefruit and lemon rind/pine hops. Tase is resin/grapefruit rind with some bitter, some herbal, medium malt. Then some tannins and alcohol come to the front, detracting. Thanks skoutis for trade with jwc215 and me. 3.3, at cellar temp 3.6

Copper pour with a thick off-white head. Very nice depth to the color. Very crisp citrus aroma of hops, with a little floral and grassy notes. Piney citrus taste up front, and an excellent lingering bitter finish with some sweet malt; not as hoppy as I was expecting, but that is not a bad thing. This would be the perfect reward for yard work on a hot day. Nice mouthfeel.

Appearance: Right off the bat, this is one of the most beautiful looking beers I’ve ever poured. It’s the most amazing dark burnt orange color and is virtually clear. There is a stupid amount of lacing that hangs on to the side of the glass, which is accompanied by a nice soft off-white three finger head. This is really a remarkable looking beer. Smell: Oh boy! Right out of the glass I get an enormous amount of pungent and fragrant hops. There is a nice amount of grapefruit, but any other citrus component you’d find in other IPAs is virtually non-existent. Point blank, Hop Henge is huge on hops. Let me tell you…this beer smells AMAZING! Hop lovers will rejoice in its glory. Taste: This is going to sound completely ironic considering what I’ve said so far, but the taste is probably the weakest aspect of this beer. This by no means is to say it’s anything short of brilliant. But it doesn’t have as hoppy of a flavor right up front as the aromas would lead you to believe. The bitterness is more prevalent than the citrus and hop components. However, the back end of the drink really delivers a nice amount of hops. Subtlety is key here I suppose. Mouthfeel: I’ll make this section simple and easy for you - Hop Henge coats the mouth about as nicely as any beer I’ve had. It’s not overly sweet or bitter. It’s not heavy, yet it’s certainly not light. It’s balanced extremely well and that’s really all you can ask for from a good beer. Overall: This beer is not as “experimental” as the label would suggest. This is a good thing, though. Hop Henge is an extremely solid IPA. In fact, it’s perhaps one of the best I’ve had; my score is definitely proof of that. It just does about everything right. This one was also an especially nice treat because it was driven back from Denver for me. I will definitely be on the lookout for more Deschutes beers in the future. A replacement for this is also going on my wish list.

Pours transparent red-amber with a seriously thick, fizzy tan head. Good piny hop aroma. Flavor sweet and citrusy. The hops are up front, but not very bitter. Not much of the piny hops suggested by the aroma. The alcohol is quite noticeable.

The flavor of this beer hit my mouth at full force! I literally tasted the flavors "hopping" around my mouth. Very smooth, flavorful, and I especially enjoyed the aroma.

Bottle from Malt & Vine. Pours a nice amber with cream head. Aroma is very hoppy, but flavor is very balanced. Hardly any bitterness and a very clean finish. Great IPA, especially with that ABV.

Slightly hazy copper and amber coloured body with an orange and ruby glow - nice. All atop a very thick and luscious tan head. Aroma of pure hops, fresh grapefruity, floral and even slightly nutty. Medium-bodied; Strong astringent hops up front that lead to a massive sweetness, a lighter citrus flavour and a less-than-expected bit of hoppiness. Aftertaste is perhaps a bit too alcoholic, definitely sweet, but lacking any real hops - very interesting. Overall, I’d say this is somewhere in between an Imperial IPA and a Barley Wine, but in reality, it doesn’t work too well. Contrary to these reviews here - I didn’t like it so much, but it was interesting to sample. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased on 21-March-2009 at City Beer in San Francisco, California sampled today (less than a week later) on 27-March-2009 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Pours a clear orange hue with a big, thick off white head that last for a long time. Lacing is above average. Aromas of mild pine, citrus, more pine, floral and grapefruit. Mouth feel is medium to full bodied with flavors of pine, citrus, with a lingering, tangy finish that stays on the palate. There is a pleasant sweetness on the palate, which is balanced well with the hop finish.