Weyerbacher's Hops Infusion IPA

Reviewed by: Michael Stein

With good head follows good lace, that is regardless whether the suds’ foam is barely out of the glass or a few inches above the rim. We’ve all had those beers where the head sits like a Sundae with its scoops rising above the glass.

When I first tried Weyerbacher’s “Hops Infusion” India Pale Ale yesterday, I immediately texted Tom, to get his opinion. With my second text, proclaiming that there were not enough flavors on the palate in the opening bouquet, he was not totally swayed by my opinion. He said he tried it, and that he enjoyed it, but “I think the Double Simcoe is better.”

I’ve had the Double Simcoe as well, and over time my opinion generated a response that the Rainbow Coalition would be proud of, perhaps Weyerbacher’s Double Simcoe isn’t better than their Hops Infusion per se, but just a beer that serves a different purpose. Different beers for different purposes, so if I was judging on pure sessionability I would have to hand it to the Hops Infusion, as a six pack of it lasted me two nights and I was able to drink it amongst friends.

Often other beer sites give me the impression that the reviewer has immediately sat down to his keyboard and has quite literally just taken a sip from his beer in a first-taste, best-taste kind of review platform. But I feel like this can sell a beer short because over time, (even a small period of time like 2 or 3 days,) my opinions of one beer can change radically. But upon second review (after I had my first Hops Infusion IPA the night before), I figured I’d try to write initial taste impressions:

The big malt flavor is almost but not quite smoky, with a strong Abbey-Double alchy taste. On the second sip I tasted a hoppy bitterness avoidable in the cheeks until just before dumping it down the gullet. But this begs the question: are we Johnny College pledging Kappa-drinksa-lota or brew-masters-in-training and ale connoisseurs? Third sip: multiple palettes available, the beer has done the unthinkable, gone from unpalatable to thirst quenching. On my first taste yesterday I sensed a brutal bitter, like a flat Boddingtons that had sat in the sun for days. Now, it finishes off with lightness despite being a cloudy golden-amber in hue.

So in terms of one purpose, “Hops Infusion” is a lot better than Hopocalypse, in the sense of living up to its name.

So as I recanted my original doubt in Weyerbacher’s IPA capabilities, I had to text Tom to let him know that this beer was in fact sessionable. So much so that it was something I could drink a case of amongst 4-6 close friends.

Is it as good as a “Hazed & Infused?” The question is not mine to answer…that’s for you, the reader/imbiber, to decide. So if you can’t find a distributor, go to http://www.weyerbacher.com/, and see if they can’t help you out. In their own words, “We brew Hops Infusion all year 'round. So if your local beer store doesn't have it, tell 'em to get moving!”

6.2% ABV