Beer of the Week (Vol. CLXXXVIII)

Another better late than never edition of Beer of the Week, sponsored as always by the punctual folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who can help you select the beer, wine, or whiskey you need to ring in the New Year in a timely manner.

Our featured beer comes from Vail, Colorado home of the Crazy Mountain Brewery. It’s their Hookiebobb IPA:

In the 1960s, before Vail Village was paved and closed to vehicles, "hookiebobbing" referred to those committed fools who, while on skis, grabbed onto the bumper of passing cars to tow them up to the lifts. Our IPA is a Colorado approach to the American take of an English classic. Three aggressive yet floral American hops and one hop from Down Under team together to make a bright, citrusy and floral India Pale Ale. A deep caramel malt helps to balance the bitterness of the hops and lets the complex hop bill shine.

22oz brown bomber bottle goes for $5.99. Label has orange font with a black background and an aggressive elephant breaking through foliage.

STYLE: IPA

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 6.7%

HEAD (0-2): Bright white color with good volume. 2

COLOR (0-2): Golden brown and mostly clear. 2

AROMA (0-2): Citrusy and sweet. 2

TASTE (0-5): For an IPA Hookiebobb is not especially hoppy. In some respects it tastes more like a bitter with more subdued hops. It also has flavors of roasted malt and even a little smokiness. Good carbonation with a medium body. 3

AFTERTASTE (0-2): There’s a metallic tinge that’s off putting. 1

OVERALL (0-6): Hookiebobb is much closer to the British version of an IPA than the more hopped up style you usually find on this side of the Atlantic. It’s a well-balanced and pretty tasty beer, but doesn’t deliver the hops that I would expect in the style. 3

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 13