San Diego Hopnotic IPA

Brewed by San Diego Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
San Diego, California USA

Tap at SDBC. Pale amber beer with a thin light white head. Wow... massively bright hoppy aroma. Orange peel, tangerine and a mango fruitiness along with lots of bright herbal resinousness. Fresh dry-hopped aroma but without any grassiness at all. Incredibly juicy sticky hoppy flavour wiith a bright pine/citrus flavour, soft light pale malts make up the soft backing notes, but this is all about the hops. Juicy, well-balanced and very tasty.

On draught at Callahan’s in San Diego. This beer is a clear orange color with a medium off-white head that recedes slowly. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of piney hops and citrus primarily, and a touch of malt underneath. Medium-bodied and moderately bitter with a citrusy hops flavor with light malt and pine undertones. The finish is hoppy with a lingering citrus and sweet fruit finish. Pretty good overall.

#996 Half gallon jug from Callahans, a gift from my Daughter for my 62nd birthday: Orange amber color with a medium off-white head. Aroma is tropical fruit with some light pine. Flavor is caramel up front followed by some crisp citrus fruityness and a dry grapefruit finish. Full body is creamy with lively carbonation.

On tap at Callahan’s. Translucent bright orange hue, pillowy white head dissipates, thick lacing. Aroma is big pine resin, grass, light citrus, biscuit malts in the background. Taste is very bitter pine resin hops, a touch of chalk, tinges of grapefruit, toast malts, finishes very dry and bitter with slight alcohol warming. Palate is medium, smooth and creamy texture, moderate carbonation. A very bitter IPA with smooth texture and balanced flavors, hop bitterness lingers for quite a while, alcohol presence is modest in the finish.

Tried this at the Mira Mesa Callahan’s restaurant after hearing several recommendations on the quality of the beer; its robust aroma was immediately noticeable. Leaves a very sharp and lingering hops taste after taking a swallow. Excellent beer for connoisseurs fond of the bitter hoppy taste. Not a bad beer, but not a favorite of mine either, especially with the somewhat overwhelming aftertaste.

~Pours a light golden color with creamy white head. ~Nice Grapefruit citrus aroma. ~Strong hoppy grapefruit taste, very yummy. ~Medium feel, kind of sticky. ~This is great! One of the best IPA I have ever had. Hides 7.5% alcohol very well.

On-tap at the brewery. Pours hazy orange with a moderate white head, good spider web lace. Smells citrusy hoppy, slightly grassy, slightly sweet. Tastes hoppy bitter and citrusy then sweet, very nice. Hoppy, slightly bitter, overall sweet, but hoppy. Full, syrupy body, good carb on the vibrant side. This beer put me on tilt.

Clear amber with a tight head. Big piney hop aroma. Medium body. Hop driven flavors of grapefruit and pine sap with some pale malt sweetness, by far SDBC’s best beer. Draft @ the brewery.