Beer of the Weekend #768: Lightnin' Hopkiss
The beer tonight is the last of my Colorado haul — Lightnin’ Hopkiss, brewed by the Localvore Beer Works of Littleton, Colorado.
The color is cloudy, dirty amber. Two fingers of bubbly, off-white head settles slowly and leaves a lot of lacing stuck to the glass. The aroma is big, citrusy, and tropical. Oooo — I can’t wait to start sippin’ this one! Scents of pineapple, mango, kiwi, orange, caramel, pine, and maybe a touch of grapefruit are noticeable. The flavor has that boozy edge and it is definitely a double IPA since the citrus and tropical fruit characters take a backseat to the hops and gravity. It has a nice, gritty, arboreal yet also floral bitterness. The flavor is more citrusy than tropical, unfortunately, with astringent zest, orange, and grapefruit. The aroma is to die for but the flavor leaves me wanting. It slowly recovers as the beer warms, though. Caramel tries to provide a balancing influence but it does so only to a point, and mostly affects the front of each sip. Overall, the flavor is still bitter, boozy, and astringent.
Fun facts about Lightnin’ Hopkiss:
• Style: Double IPA.
• Price: $9.99 per 22-ounce bottle at Tipsy’s Liquor World on Alkire Street in Littleton, Colorado.
• Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The color is cloudy, dirty amber. Two fingers of bubbly, off-white head settles slowly and leaves a lot of lacing stuck to the glass. The aroma is big, citrusy, and tropical. Oooo — I can’t wait to start sippin’ this one! Scents of pineapple, mango, kiwi, orange, caramel, pine, and maybe a touch of grapefruit are noticeable. The flavor has that boozy edge and it is definitely a double IPA since the citrus and tropical fruit characters take a backseat to the hops and gravity. It has a nice, gritty, arboreal yet also floral bitterness. The flavor is more citrusy than tropical, unfortunately, with astringent zest, orange, and grapefruit. The aroma is to die for but the flavor leaves me wanting. It slowly recovers as the beer warms, though. Caramel tries to provide a balancing influence but it does so only to a point, and mostly affects the front of each sip. Overall, the flavor is still bitter, boozy, and astringent.
Fun facts about Lightnin’ Hopkiss:
• Style: Double IPA.
• Price: $9.99 per 22-ounce bottle at Tipsy’s Liquor World on Alkire Street in Littleton, Colorado.
• Alcohol content: 9 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
