Left Coast/Oggis Hop Juice

Brewed by Left Coast/Oggis Pizza and Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Del Mar, California USA

22oz Bomber 9.4%abv Recieved this bottle for Christmas from my Secret Santa, thanks Taynor, another "wants" casualty. Left Coast’s Hop Juice pours a rather dirty copper with a slight haze. Not a lot of carbonation rising to the surface but what was there was tiny. After a particularly hard pour I coaxed up a half finger soapy white head that quickly fell to a swirling. Did leave some decent lace on its way down the glass. Aroma sports a unique hoppiness and a spicy alcohol that compliments the hops. There is a solid husky graininess but the hop profile takes precedence but unfortunately I cann’t put my finger on it. The booziness really seems to open up my sense of smell but I’m getting some crazy fruits in there strawberry, apricot, some citrus and some pine. I really can’t put my finger directly on anything. This is one of those beers where the flavor is completely different from the aroma. I’m on the fence here. Do I enjoy it or is it too different for my liking? Let me see what we have. Husky graininess gives way to a sharp biting buzzsaw of earthy hops and booze mid-palate. While this beer is somewhat offensive mid-palate it relaxes and becomes more enjoyable on the finish. Leaving a touch of the fruitiness that was in the aroma but also some dirty hoppiness. It turns out I’m on the wrong side of the fence for this one. The mouthfeel is one of the better aspects of this brew. Silky smooth with just the right amount of carbonation to keep things moving at just the right pace. Although this beer looks decent, smells and feels good the harsh hoppiness and boozyness is a turn off in the flavor department. I’m going to finish this bomber but that will be all I could or would want to drink in a sitting. I really though this beer was going to be better than it was. I don’t know why I thought that but I did. Unfortunatly it was a let down. Way too boozy and the hop profile is way off. 12/15/07

Bottle from Craig. Thick, dirty orange/amber color with no head. Tha aroma was straight fruity hops with sweet malts mixed in. the taste was the same with lip smackin’ finish.

220z bottle from FlacoAlto. Fairly oily orange/amber pour with a thin but very creamy white head. Pine resin, grapefruit and alcohol on the nose. Creamy palate. The light alcohol presence on the nose really cuts through on the tongue. The pine, vanilla and maple can’t distract from the fusel alcohol notes. Really boozy for only being 8%. Disappointing. I had high hopes for this one.

(22oz bottle) Pours a clear golden body with a medium white head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate, citrus, and a touch of maple syrup. Flavor of hops (pine, citrus, floral, resiny) and caramel with a hint if cocoa with a dry finish.

22 oz bottle from Plaza Liquors. Pours a clear copper color with fluffy white head. Good lacing. Aroma is nice and fruity and spicy. Tingles the tongue with it’s high hop presence. Flavor is slightly sweet yet nice dry finish. Herbal hops and bitter hops. Nice 2 ipa. Pretty standard with many of the other. A good beer.

Extra thick and hazy amber pour, small head. Big citrus aroma, grapefruit and orange, with a musty caramel and alcohol. Quite bitter and alcoholic. Decent hop flavor, again with some orange, and a multi vitamin note. Not bad but my bottle lacks brightness of flavor and is too hot and bitter.

Pours a hazy shade of amber with lacing, fluffy, off white head. Very complex nose with notes of pineapple, citrus, and pine. Clean and fresh mouth-feel with a bitter finish. notable mandarin orange flavor on the finish!

Bottle: Pours a clear copper with an off white head. Aroma, citrus, oranges, floral and pine notes. Flavor, caramel, graham cracker, citrus floral, kinda sweet oranges on the finish, nice bitterness.