Beer of the Weekend #347: Hop•A•Potamus
As it turns out, beer was available in Corinth. (There was, it seemed, a prohibition on hard liquor, though.) While stopping at a Kroger supermarket for ice (I brought two sixers of 16-ounce PBR cans from IC), Bobblehead spotted the beer cooler. There was a decent selection of macros and the usual micro offerings (Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada), but there was a woeful lack regional flavor. Though I know very little about the breweries of the South, I saw almost nothing unfamiliar as I browsed. However, there were a couple varieties from the Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company based in Kiln, Mississippi. Bobblehead bought a sixer of Orange Spiced American Wheat Ale and said it was tasty. I stuck to my PBR.
BotW is back and the beer of the weekend is a native Iowa brew: Hop•A•Potamus, brewed by the Great River Brewery of Davenport, Iowa.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color is dark caramel. The beer is very carbonated and lively, and three fingers of slightly tanned head dissipated slowly.
Smell: It is a brown/pale hybrid with some rye mixed in. It is pretty spicy and neither the malts nor hops stand out; everything blends well. Caramel, chocolate, muted grapefruit citrus, dark fruits, and bready rye.
Taste: The mouthfeel is not “full” bodied as the label advertises but it is pretty smooth. Weighing in at 99 IBU and 9 percent ABV, I was expecting a powerful punch. However, Hop•A•Potamus is very balanced and tame. Sweet caramel, chocolate, cherry, raspberry, plum, toffee, grapefruit citrus, metallic hops, and a little rye. The bitterness comes on slowly; it is definitely a “creeper.” The alcohol is completely hidden. Completely. There is not a single hint of it.
Drinkability: The can says Hop•A•Potamus will charge if provoked. Frankly, I think that is more of a recommendation than a warning. This is definitely a beer you want to provoke.
Fun facts about Hop•A•Potamus:
-Style: Great River calls it “double rye pale ale” while BA classifies it as “Rye Beer.”
-Price: Each can cost $2.69, which equates to $10.76 per four-pack at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Germain cuisine, peppery cheeses, salad, and pork.
-IBU: 99.
-Nerdiness from the can:
-Underneath the above nerdiness is this warning:
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
BotW is back and the beer of the weekend is a native Iowa brew: Hop•A•Potamus, brewed by the Great River Brewery of Davenport, Iowa.
Serving type: 16-ounce can. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color is dark caramel. The beer is very carbonated and lively, and three fingers of slightly tanned head dissipated slowly.
Smell: It is a brown/pale hybrid with some rye mixed in. It is pretty spicy and neither the malts nor hops stand out; everything blends well. Caramel, chocolate, muted grapefruit citrus, dark fruits, and bready rye.
Taste: The mouthfeel is not “full” bodied as the label advertises but it is pretty smooth. Weighing in at 99 IBU and 9 percent ABV, I was expecting a powerful punch. However, Hop•A•Potamus is very balanced and tame. Sweet caramel, chocolate, cherry, raspberry, plum, toffee, grapefruit citrus, metallic hops, and a little rye. The bitterness comes on slowly; it is definitely a “creeper.” The alcohol is completely hidden. Completely. There is not a single hint of it.
Drinkability: The can says Hop•A•Potamus will charge if provoked. Frankly, I think that is more of a recommendation than a warning. This is definitely a beer you want to provoke.
Fun facts about Hop•A•Potamus:
-Style: Great River calls it “double rye pale ale” while BA classifies it as “Rye Beer.”
-Price: Each can cost $2.69, which equates to $10.76 per four-pack at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Germain cuisine, peppery cheeses, salad, and pork.
-IBU: 99.
-Nerdiness from the can:
Hop•A•Potamus is a double dark rye pale ale made with a ton of pale and six kinds of rye malt for a “full” body. This double dark rye pale ale is fiercely hopped with a Northwest blend for a stampede of flavor and aroma.
-Underneath the above nerdiness is this warning:
Beware: Hop•A•Potamus will charge if provoked! Hop•A•Potamus is not for the foolish or the faint of heart.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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