One of the many memorable scenes from the movie “This is Spinal Tap” is the band’s attempt to step back into history:
And it also lead to one of the movie’s many memorable quotes:
Derek Smalls: Can I raise a practical question at this point? Are we gonna do "Stonehenge" tomorrow?
David St. Hubbins: NO, we're not gonna fucking do "Stonehenge"!
That reference is still relevant today as is the continuing interest in the legacy that remains hewn into the living rocks of Stonehenge. An example is our featured beer this week, Hop Henge from Deschutes Brewery in Oregon:
Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.
22oz brown bomber bottle retails for $4.99. Label features a memorable rendering of namesake historic site.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 10.6%
COLOR (0-2): Light golden-orange and clear. 2
AROMA (0-2): Tons of citrusy hops. 2
HEAD (0-2): Bright white color, good volume, and leaves a nice trace of lacing. 2
TASTE (0-5): Rush of floral citrus hops upfront followed by a sweet sugary flavors and then by bready caramel malts. Mouthfeel is smooth and the finish is dry. While the alcohol is noticeable, it’s not overpowering and it’s surprisingly drinkable. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): The bitterness and heat combine to produce lasting flavors to savor. 2
OVERALL (0-6): Hop Henge is a big beer whose construction is almost impressive as the famous rock structures from which it derives its name. It delivers tons of hoppy flavors while not being too sharp around the edges. An excellent beer and also an excellent bargain at $4.99 a pop. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 17
