Long Hop Brewing Co. Hazy Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 6% ABV (C$4.32 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 23-Sep-2019, acquired 29-Nov-2019, reviewed 12-Dec-2019)
Appearance: opaque pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, melon, resiny pine, bready caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, mild bitter slightly spicy finish. (4/5)
I bitched a little bit about their first offering, the plain-Jane Pale Ale, calling it “OK, but not much better”, and referencing a “mild taste, and a slightly watery finish.” I further opined that “this level of product isn’t going to put you ahead of the pack.” Well, clearly they monitor my blog and took my criticisms to heart when brewing this (and if you believe that, I’ve got some swampland in Florida you might like to buy ?), because they’ve fixed pretty much everything. The aroma is punchier, the taste is flavourful without being overly bitter, the body is style-appropriate, and overall it’s more NEIPA than APA. I like it. It might not put them quite at the head of the pack, but at least they’re looking at a higher class of assholes. (Yes, the photo’s out of focus. No, I don’t know how I managed to do that with an iPhone. It’s “hazy,” OK? Deal with it.) (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
