Brewbound Review:

At brewbound, we are big fans of beers that make us say "wow." The Hop Crisis took us by surprise. It pours a bit lighter than we were expecting, more of a pale-yellow rather than the bright orange many Double IPA's tend to exhibit. In the aroma department, all signs point to the classic Imperial IPA. Strong citrus notes of orange and grapefruit are most detectable. A "fresh hop" character is also present, but for 9.7% ABV, it doesn't seem to smell too 'hot.' A hint of sweet malt is also there if you dig deep enough. On first sip, this beer seems like a nice sweet IPA that will transition with subtle hop character and quickly fade. However, as the beer makes its way to the back of the palate, the hop character makes itself known. An almost overwhelming bitterness on the backend smacks you in the face, as a peppery aftertaste lingers for a while. Surprisingly, this beer isn't terribly dry, but it is a bit cloying. We couldn't imagine drinking more than one or two in a single session. Overall, Hop Crisis stood out as a beer that plays in the Double IPA space but still manages to be unique.

Brewbound Rating: