Urthel Hop-it

Brouwerij De Leyerth
Brewed at De Koningshoeven (Bavaria - Netherlands)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ruiselede, Belgium

On my last trip to Belgium I was interested to discover what I could about Belgian IPA’s, and when I saw this on the shelf in a store there I picked it up not really knowing anything about it, but inticed by the name. Pours pale gold with a rather large, sticky white head that lasts for a while and some lively carbonation. Clear at first, and then I notice the flakesi saw floating around in the bottle, and then eventually it turns foggy as the yeast decends into the glass. The nose is not that great: light malts with typical light fruits, to include banana and some lemon and cloves; grassy, spicy hops are there, but not dominantly so... It gets better in the mouth. The same light fruit and sweet malt characteristics are there, with a few additions, maybe some vanilla, but there is a solid hop kick all the way through. The more of this I drink, the less I notice the hops, and the more I notice the malty, fruity characteristics... not quite what I was expecting (or hoping for,) but not bad.

Flaske: Flot klar Gul orange øl med et livligt skumhoved. Duft af europæisk humle og gær. Kæmpestore floaties i bunden af flasken der bestemt ikke skal hældes med ud, men flot udseende når de ikke er med. God balance imellem gæren og humlen og livlig karbonering. Fin og meget drikbar øl.

Bottle, Uddingston, 2009-12-25 AP: Brown body, wee head. AR: yeast, caramel F: yeast, caramel, a bit to much of alcohole flavors slipping through here (and yes I started with less alcoholic stuff-before this heavier stufff), and agin with this kind of beer there is some odd fruity combination that I can’t put my finger on.

This is one of my favorite beers. I see this and I buy it. The fact that this beer is 10.5% and yet so quaffable is gorgeous. This is a beer. Has a nice funk to it. Those that say this beer is "OK" are wrong. I’m not being arrogant. It’s not my opinion, it’s fact. This is a well made beer. Produces a full flavored, boisterous, crisp, through the nose burp, if executed correctly. Do yourself a favor....don’t eat food with this beer. In fact, drink two of these on a empty stomach to appreciate the flavor and alcohol content.

VERY hoppy with none of that malt- balancing sweetness shenanigans. This beer smells great and had excellent foamy head.

Draft at the Threepenny Taproom - Poured a clear orange-yellow in color with a thick foamy white head that stuck around to produce some great lacing on the glass. Aroma was malty and slightly sweet with plenty of fruity esters... clove/banana, Belgian yeasts, coriander and some floral hops. Taste was very spicy with plenty of bready yeast and citrus hops. Not as hoppy as I expected that it would be (from the name), but it was very good none the less...

Words cannot express the overall joy I derive from Hop-It. This beer is so battle tested and easy to drink it should rank amongst the best beers ever made when you look at all aspects of what you are looking for in a beer. ABV, taste, complexity and satisfaction. A complete and utter master piece that is under rated by the shear fact that those who know about take it for granted. With the explosion of craft beers, trust I know, it is always more exciting to try something new, but if you know about Hop-It than I know when you circle the wagon and end up back at Hop-It you wonder why you ever left. In my book the title speaks for itself. Superior Hoppy Belgian Ale and that may be an under statement. Tell your distributor to order you a case ($90.00) bring over some friends and let it rip and drink as much as you can!

750 ml bottle. Pours a huge fluffy, long lived slightly off white, tiny bubbled head, with extensive lacing, over a darker yellow (SRM 6) body, containing many particles......nose is bubblegum. banana, clove, bit of nutmeg, bit of all spice, maybe some cardamom, finishing pineapple.....taste is the many spices, (perhaps leading one to think of a spice cake), but then the hops rescue it, finishing with a dry cleansing hop bitterness.....mouth feel is surprisingly light, carbonation help the flavors explode. This is a great beer. It is complex in the Belgian style, but finishes with a sharp hop twang.