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Sun, 06 May 2007
3 hoppy brews - Loose Cannon Hop3 IPA (09:45)
Being easily seduced by the promise of promiscuous hops in a brew, I bought a six pack of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale and gave it a test drive. It's interesting but I don't think it will grace my cooler again.The pour
A bit much head but not excessive, slightly cloudy, a definite aroma of hops with a slight citrus tinge which can either be an aroma hop choice or "yeast behaving badly" in the fermentation. The neck label promises that there is yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Mine sat in a cooler for 48 hours and didn't have it, perhaps "what happens in suspension stays in suspension," and that was the slight haze I noted.
The flavor
Let me start by saying that there was no hint of yeast in the brew, as there often is when you pour a bottle conditioned brew and stir up the yeast. The taste was hops, with three pounds per barrel how could it not be? But more complex aroma hops than strong bittering hops, although that's related to balance rather than implying a lack of bittering. The overall effect was not unpleasant, but my impression is that it was a good idea poorly executed, and the "more hops" were not balanced to my taste.
I didn't find anyone who really liked it, people who drink IPA frequently had a "drinkable but don't buy more for me" reaction. If you want to try a really hoppy brew, perhaps this one should be down your list below a lot of other brews. It's a B- on my grading.