Point Whole Hog Six-Hop IPA

Brewed by Stevens Point Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Stevens Point, Wisconsin USA

I don’t know about this one. Bad breweries shouldn’t make "Brewmaster Series" or "Limited Release Specialty Brews" because all year they make bad, watery, low-quality brews and one or two weeks out of the year they are supposed to make a masterpiece. Yeah right. A light orange to yellow colored body is the base for a quarter inch white head. A somewhat hop aroma rises from a malt heavy body with slight hop undertones. You really wouldn’t know this is a IPA if you didn’t see the bottle. The bottle gives a definition of whole hog, well this is a definition for a disappointing beer.

Poured clear and amber with a short white to off-white head that produced average lacing. The aroma was light citrus and plenty of sweet caramel malts and biscuit. The flavor was citrus hops and a nice compliment of sweeter malts. A touch of metal towards the backside. Thin to medium body. OK. Not bad, just not very exciting.

Someone must have brought this to my house and left in fridge. Pretty OK. Starts ok, with the obligatory pine, citrus and some light malt. Just does not finish somehow. Not something I need to try again.

Caramel color with a smallish off white head that soon becomes blotchy. Aroma is sweet fruit, spice, and biscuit. The flavor hits harder than the nose would indicate. An assertive bitter hop profile. Fruit, spice, caramel, alcohol, thick sweetness. The hops remain aggressive but smooth out as the beer warms. Complex hop effects make for a tasty and interesting beer. Much better than the impy Pilsner.

Pours a hazy amber orange color with a very thin short lived head. Aroma is bread crumbs and lemon juice, some pine and citrus hop notes. Flavor is amber malt, just a touch of sweet and bitter. Malt is mellow hops are mellow alcohol is not to forward. Interesting but not great.

12 oz bottle from Archer Liquors. Llight rye spicyness and hints of alcohol. light hop flavor up front, lightly bitter from start to finish, low medium rye flavor, medium caramel, and light toasted malt. The finish is semi dry & lightly bitter, and aftertaste has a pronounced rye malt flavor and pineapple hop. Lighter medium body, medium carbonation, well hidden alcohol, and smooth body. A good, but not great IIPA.

Mildly hazed, amber/orange appearance with a medium size head and good lacing. Bready malts come through in the aroma at first, backed up with floral hops. The large mix of hops adds a modest amount of depth to the taste, with resin and soft fruit among the flavors. Cracker-like maltiness adds some balance. Bitterness returns in the aftertaste. Long lasting finish is where the higher abv is most noticable. Think of this as more of an IPA than an IIPA, despite that higher abv. The best (so far) that I’ve had from this brewery.

12 oz bottle from the Four Firkins. Nice dark golden color, thin white head, no lacing. Aroma is pungent, sweet, piney, malty. Sharp bitter hoppy flavor with the bitterness lingering on the palate. Not a bad beer but I like more of the hoppy/citrus notes in my IPA’s.