Beer Profile: Napa Smith Hopageddon

Profiles by Ken Carman for professorgoodales.net

Cascade/grapefruit nose in the bottle, but upon taste this is no American grapefruit bomb. There is definitely “other” in there: mix of spice and earthy hop. Nice firm bitter complimented by grapefruit nose. My guess: dry hop was one of those grapefruit-like varieties. Pinpoint bubble head with lots of foam too. Great clarity: deep gold.

93 at Rate beer, 84 at Beer Advocate: good but not REAL good. One reviewer claimed 144IBU. No way. I’ve had barely 100 IBU beers with more hop sense. Just a little fresh hop-like, which is why I think some think more hoppy than it is.

Says 9.2abv, but the slight harsh bitter of the hops that cling to the roof of the mouth. And the nice caramelization of the sweet alt that baklances nicely with the bitter, with some more dextrinous malts: if you’re looking for a nicely bittered balanced double IPA where the abv is somewhat hidden, and the overall sense of the hopping might be described as not “zest,” but “spicy orange,” this would be a great choice.

Here’s a link to the history of Napa Smith.

I gave it 4.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “prefecto.”