Tampa Bay Mad Hopper A.P.A.

On draft as Mad Hopper Claus. Pours a clear amber color with a sticky white head. Caramel aroma is strong and blended with an equally strong pine hop aroma. Flavor is much of the same. A well balanced mix of strong roasted malt and strong piney hops. Very good beer.

Draft at the brewpub as Mad Hopper Claus. Pours a clear, dark reddish-amber color with a foamy, cream colored head. Wet, droopy lines of lacing mark the glass. Aromas of toasted caramel malt are met with faint hints of dark fruit, while floral, peppery hops lend balance. Flavors continue the theme, sweet toasted caramel laying the baseline for substantially peppery, fresh, floral hop bitterness. Medium bodied and semi-dry, the finish is relatively short and well balanced. Nice brew.

Tap at TBBC. Pours amber with frothy beige head. Aroma of floral hops. Taste is thick, light caramel and malts. Smooth mouthfeel of floral hops with notes of citrus. Good and easy to drink. A less bitter version of their other IPA.

On tap as Mad Hopper Claus and abv of 5.5%. Pours a clear deep copper with a one finger lasting off-white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of citrus and floral hops with the perfect amount of sweet malt and caramel to balance things out. Taste is the same as aroma but more prominent packing a lot of flavor for a 5.5% beer. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness. A damn fine brew.

Cask at the brewpub. Deep copper body with a creamy white head, very indicative of it’s casked home. Head has incredible retention, remaining on top of the beer the entire time. Nose is floral hops, bitter citrus hops, caramel/toffee malts, pine cones, grass, lemon zest and some woody/earthy notes. Flavor starts out heavily bitter, but still seems to be cut some by the casking, backed by a candy citrus sweetness and malts. Back of the throat brings in more malt sweetness but carries some nice bitterness as well that builds each time you drink it. Medium bodied, very creamy as well, a pleasure to drink. Finish is smooth, bitter and fruity, and super long. Wow. Great beer, one of their best!

On tap @ TBBC. Clear light copper-orange color with a nice dense white head that stays for the duration. Aroma of grassy/pineapple hoppiness. Taste is pretty moderate hop-wise, but what’s there is nice and clean. Nice pineapple taste with some mild peppery qualities on the finish.

Draft at TBBC. Poured clear copper color with a moderate creamy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Heavy sour citrus hop aroma. Medium body with slick texture. Heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. Good drinkable brew.

Draft at TBBC. Pours clear deep gold to copper with full light tan head. The light aroma is hoppy with mild floral, spice and pine hops. Behind that is an under lying malt sweetness and mild caramelization. The taste begins mild with some sweetness from the malts and the beginning of the hop bill. Quickly the mild floral hops combined with mild spice hops take hold and are joined by some pine hop bitterness. I’m having a tough time picking apart the hop profile. It isn’t that searing pine hop bitterness or other bold hoppiness. It is however subtle levels of several mild hop notes that morph into a soft hop presence. This beer has a nice malty component that seems to join in force about midway with mild roasted malts and sweet caramelization. As the finish approaches the pine hop bitterness grows with some faint floral hops right into the after taste. Enjoyable IPA that is serve bitterly cold. I want to taste my beer man! Too cold, too cold.