Another day, another IPA. At least this one doesn’t proclaim on its label that it’s an IPA and that you should respect it. It’s a small, petty point, but an important one nonetheless. It’s trying to sell you on the fact that it’s hearty and it has hops. Nothing more, nothing less. The beer I’m reviewing tonight is New Glarus’s Hearty Hop – and there’s truth in its advertising, although not necessarily what you think.
I’m getting a little burned out on sub-par IPAs, so I was glad when I poured this beer and the first thing I noticed was how absolutely clear it was. Even as it was cascading into the glass and building up head – immediately out of my (quite cold) fridge – I could see right through the beer to the other side of the glass. Impressive for an IPA to say the least. I’ve noticed that most IPAs are a little cloudy and generally take a long time outside of the fridge to clear up. Not here. Hearty Hop is more clear than most IPAs, and also a tad bit darker. This beer is Amber if it’s anything.
The aroma is nicely balanced between hops and malt. No punch in the face hop aroma, but it’s certainly there. I smell a little grassiness from Cascade hops and some mellow English hops. Neither one over powers the other. I take a big swig – as I’m apt to do – and am surpised to not find any of that grassy hop flavor I had just smelled. I take another drink just to be sure. And another. Nothing. But it sure is tasty.
This beer is very drinkable. It seems slightly lighter on the tongue than most of their beers which is pleasantly appropriate here. It’s balacned drinkability is probably the only thing counting against it here. Nothing jumps out at you while drinking this. The strong caramel malts are balanced by a decent amount of hops, but I wouldn’t call this a particular hoppy beer. The hops aren’t very pronounced at all in fact. When I think of an IPA, I think of a hoppy beer. One where the hops take center stage, rather than co-star with malts. I can see why they don’t label this as an IPA on the bottle – it just doesn’t taste like an IPA to me. I know there’s a thin line between pale ales and IPAs, but this really seems like a hoppy pale ale rather than an IPA.
As the beer starts to warm up, the hops start to come out. I’m still not reminded of an IPA, but I get a flash of Dead Guy. Tasty, but not an IPA. I just noticed on their site that it’s 6.2% ABV. Impressive. I wouldn’t have guessed it that high. Hops, malts, and alcohol are dangerously balanced here and that very balance is the only thing wrong with this beer. Methinks a better (but not as catchy) name would be Hearty with Hops.
