Hop Roar

Hop Roar, a gift from the amazing KC, comes from Holly Springs, North Carolina. It's a west coast-style IPA brewed by Carolina Brewing Company, who, according to the label on the 355mL bottle, have been "brewers of tasty liquids since 1995." At 7.5% and 85 IBUs, this India pale has some serious bombast.

Mostly clear and copper-coloured, my brew poured with a thin level of off-white foam. In terms of nose, the big notes were metallic and piney hops. Up front, the flavour was amply hoppy, in a resinous and evergreen way. As it progresses, there is a drift toward sweetness, and a little bit of alcoholic heat.

Hop Roar is a lively and nicely-constructed little ale. I enjoyed it a lot and I'd recommend it to hops enthusiasts everywhere.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.