Brewery: Lagunitas
Beer: Hop Stoopid
Style: Imperial IPA
Location: Petaluma, California
ABV: 8%
IBU: 102
Rating: 94/100
Une très bonne IPA avec un IBU a 102 !!
Pour ma part, un poil en dessous de la Lagunitas Maximus.
Une bonne amertume (tu m’étonnes), très belle mousse, une longueur en bouche atomique.
C’est bon d’être aux USA ….
Hop Stoopid intelligently addresses the myriad flavors West Coast hops bring to beer. It cascades sparkling and straw colored in the glass, topping it with a persistent off-white head. Appropriately, the nose is enormously hop-forward; flowery, grassy aromas run deep through the nostrils. Pale malt sweetness swathes the tongue first, grounding the hop storm to follow. As it races in, hops kick up exuberant grassy, earthy flavors, a tribute to beer’s agrarian soul. Let this brew relax in your mouth to unearth lemon and pineapple notes that start quietly but hum even through the bitterness. This IPA’s not just about palate-scraping bitterness (though it is huge and prickly), as effervescence and a medium body jet around the mouth before summing up with a clean, fresh finish.
I’ve witnessed at least ten people write or say “I can’t get Pliny the Elder in my neck of the woods; so what tastes similar but is much easier to get?” My response to that has always been Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. Now… I’ll admit upfront that Hop Stoopid is not quite as transcendent as Pliny the Elder, but they do share a lot of the same characteristics. Both are very light in color, both are very clear in appearance, both are right at 8% ABV, and both pack an amazing amount of flavor into a seemingly light and refreshing beer. It probably doesn’t hurt either that Lagunitas and Russian River are neighbors (geographically). Maybe there is something in the water there – who knows? Having said that, though, I will tell you that the Lagunitas Hop Stoopid is the best value in beer. This 22 ounce bottle usually sells for around $3.59, which is insane considering how great it tastes. There are loads of west coast hops in this bottle (though you should know it’s made from a hop extract). The bitterness is at just the right level, too. But what makes this a true winner in my book is how insanely drinkable it is. Trust me! Take a $20 bill into your local liquor store and buy a few of these. You’ll soon see that you spent your money about as wisely as you can. That counts for A LOT in this economy. Thank you Lagunitas!