Mash House Hopocracy

On tap at the Durham WBF. Clear amber with a big, off white head. Nice spiderweb lace. Big white grapefruit nose, some orange and pine. Somewhere in there a light caramel comes out, but this is all about the hops. An initial caramel sweetness is immediately battered into submission by the huge hop rush - grapefruit and pine dominate. Very much for the hophead, it’s a bit one dimensional but it does that bitter dimension rather well.

draft at michael deans. pours dark hazy amber with light head and lacing. hop aroma.caramel, spice, malt, and hops up front. well balanced with a bitter finish.

Date: 07/02/2006
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

amber with a slight haze, sweet carmel malt flavor with lots of bitterness, long biter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Draft at Mash House. Clear deep orange/light amber pour. Heavy lace left behind by a frothy, creamy white head. the aroma is very hoppy, with what seems like miniscule backing malt. Notes of orange peel, grapefruit pith, pine needles, spicy yeast and light alcohol. The flavor is lightly sweet before intense hop bitterness sets in. Bitterness is full, oily and very quenching. Light toasted grains lurk in the depths and only reveal their true quantity in the finale. Finishes bitter, toasty, dry and crisp/clean. Very tasty, light and refreshing, similar to a less refined take on Bell’s Hopslam. The mouthfeel is light-medium to medium bodied, very smooth and a touch acidic/spicy.

Sampled from a growler thanks to boboski on 7/2/06: Pours a clear copper orange with a nicely-lacing frothy white head. Aroma has some earthy citrus hops and mild caramel malty character. Body starts with a light malty sweetness, quickly turning more dry, floral, and bitter toward a mildly citric finish. Needs some more malty balance, but otherwise an ok IIPA.

Growler from Boboski. Poured a clear amber color with a thin off-white head. Big hoppy aroma of grapefruit and pine. Some malt tries to show itself underneath. The aroma was sweet. Huge hop flavor of pine and citrus that covers most of the malt. Pretty tasty and hop dominant.

Tasty. Clear brownish orange with a small head. Big clean hops up front in the nose and flavor, with a hint of smoke. Hops throughout - grapefruit, pine resin - and a nice toasty malt base. Sampled at 2005 Knoxville Brewer’s Jam.

2005 Knoxville Brewer’s Jam. Mash House has IPA brewing figured out. This bigger version of Hoppy Hour IPA is one of better IIPA’s. Terrific nose, good full mouth feel that delivers lots of sweet malts under a nicely hopped brew that brings along a nice long bitter finish.