DRAFT REVIEW: Hop Stoopid
Hop Stoopid intelligently addresses the myriad flavors West Coast hops bring to beer. It cascades sparkling and straw colored in the glass, topping it with a persistent off-white head. Appropriately, the nose is enormously hop-forward; flowery, grassy aromas run deep through the nostrils. Pale malt sweetness swathes the tongue first, grounding the hop storm to follow. As it races in, hops kick up exuberant grassy, earthy flavors, a tribute to beer’s agrarian soul. Let this brew relax in your mouth to unearth lemon and pineapple notes that start quietly but hum even through the bitterness. This IPA’s not just about palate-scraping bitterness (though it is huge and prickly), as effervescence and a medium body jet around the mouth before summing up with a clean, fresh finish.
