Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.

Previously:

10.6% abv

9.5%abv

3.8

898 reviews

Bend, United States

Community reviews

4.2 Great hop aroma of pine and floral. Pretty copper color with a nice head. Weight to the palate. Bold flavors up front with most being hops that were harsh yet balanced with a caramel background. Alcohol well-hidden.

4.2 Got to give it this beer as one of the most floral and heavily perfumed IPAs, Distinctive citrus notes, nice golden body just very slightly cloudy and a nice small head that hold pretty well. Now on tap at whole foods. Still outstanding but now brilliant reddish gold color. Great backbone as well.

3.9 650mL bottle from Slowbeer. Brewed 10/4/15 Deep golden body, holds a tight creamy white head. Resiny hop-driven aroma - candied orange, passionfruit, ripe white peach & nectarines, cut grass, dried woody herbs, with a solid biscuity, toasty, slightly caramelly malt presence. Seriously chewy body - dense without being heavy, resiny, sticky, tremendously long on the palate without being overtly boozy. Creamy carbonation. Plenty of oomph on the body - big resiny, very ripe tropical/stone fruits, dried & green leaves & grass, candied citrus, orange sherbert, lots of sweet caramel & toasty malt provide more than enough balance to do battle with an onslaught of bitterness. Tremendously tasty, tremendously balance, tremendous beer! Worth of #1400 ;)

2.8 04.07.15 best by date. Poured from a bomber into a pub glass on 02.01.15. A: Citrus, bready malt, and maybe honey malt. A: 1 finger head that stays. See through dark orange body. Bubbles wash up nicely when pouring. T: Pineapple and candied tropical fruit dominate. Orange, slight honey on the back end, pine, and vomit are subtle. P: Oily and smooth. Thick for an IPA. O: The oily mouthfeel and the taste weren’t that great. I drain poured it when I got sick of it.

4.0 On tap at Rozi’s. Pours medium gold with a 1 inch tight head. Aroma of city’s and tropical fruits. Flavor is light and crisp citrus, minimal malt. Very drinkable. Way better than thier other IPA. Surprisingly good.

3.8 Chappy's, Dayton, OH, draft. First impression was soap. Dark yellow and cloudy. Very hoppy, lasts forever on the palate. Hop concentration. It's good.

4.4 Straight away this hits with a really bitter nose, but I'm excited, and starting to feel thirsty. That bitterness is lightly coated with some fruitier flavours, but let's get in. A mild carbonation brings with it a savoury spice, which gives no regard to any fruit you might be thinking. Until. That classic cascade comes around and taps you in the shoulder, pretty classic citrus and sweeter notes. Stone, and peat are quite prominent on the vapour left floating in your mouth, giving oaky or scotchy elements- fuck yes. It's pretty kickass, it's pretty rocking, it's pretty damn good. Probably my favourite multi-hop brew for a while, usually they blur into madness, but this highlights the key points of each and makes as a good friend would say "One tasty beverage".

4.0 Bottle. Semi hazy orange beer with a large white head. Aroma is fruity with notes of citrus, grapefruit, peaches, caramel and pine needles. Flavor is fruity with notes of citrus, caramel, peaches, oranges and tropical fruit. Well balanced.

3.6 Fruity IPA. Sweet hints with fresh hops. Nice IPA but too malty fruity for my buds.

4.4 Poured from the bomber smells like fresh hops. Taste is chunky and hoppy (which I think were the 2 cops on sandford and son). Deschutes always does a good job with the fresh hop style, all of their beer I’ve tried taste similar, but with different characteristics. This one is strong but if not for the buzz I wouldn’t have been able to tell. Fresh squeezed on steroids, and steroids is good. You keep making beer in this style and I’ll keep buying them.

3.7 Pours a thin head on a hazy medium straw body. The aroma is a big blend of citrus (all of them) plus some pine. The taste is bold and complex. Moderate bitterness throughout held up by a big malt. The texture is thick. Really nice.

4.1 Really nice!! Pours slightly hazy light orange with lots of foamy head that sticks around and tons of lacing. Lots of sweet citrus nose. Flavours are pineapple, peach, grapefruit, some sweet syrup. Taste medium/big bitter med/sweet. Full body, somewhat creamy with an aggressive bitter finish. Alcohol is there, but reasonably well hidden.

3.8 Hot complex hop profile. Confusing profile. Overall good. Enjoyable double IPA. Blue More bitter than sweet.

4.0 Bomber. Melon and grapefruit citrus hop aroma with pine resiny notes. Pours hazy golden colored with a large soapy white head and some lacing. Starts with tropical fruit flavors with subtle grapefruit citrus. Finishes dry with more of the sweet tropical fruit and slight pine resiny flavors. Nice IPA.

3.8 Great imperial IPA, plenty of balanced hops, grapefruit, and pine flavours to it. 9.5% ABV is well hidden, with a great, not too bitter finish.

4.2 12oz bottle with BB date of 4/15/15. Appearance: Cloudy golden with a quickly dissipating white foam head. Aroma: Intense citrus aroma with melon, pineapple, peach, and grapefruit. Taste: Rich malt sweetness with slight breadiness and caramel that quickly leads to a blend of grassy and citrus flavors of orange, peach, and grapefruit. Mouthfeel: Medium body with a low to moderate carbonation an slight alcohol warmth. Finish: Leaves a lingering bready malt and grapefruit flavor with slight bitterness. Overall: Very flavorful IPA with a solid malt backbone that balances the high ABV and makes the bitterness very balanced. Drinks like a strong, fruity APA

3.7 Bottle at home- pours clear golden with off white head of foam that settles to a cm ring. Nose is super fruity, tangerines, orange and rind along with sweet biscuity carastan malts and some earthy pine as well. Resinous fruity hop notes, juicy and somewhat thick bodied and long bitter finish with some abv heat. A little off balanced but pungent for sure. Hop heads rejoice though likely not sessionable

3.7 "Best By 4/7/15", 9.5% ABV. Color is hazy golden yellow with a slightly orange head of about 1/2 finger. Smell has a strong grapefruit character with some pungent earth tones. Taste is bracingly bitter, lots of citrus peel with some savory cracker and cheese. Lots of really powerful hop flavors in this one. Tread lightly!

4.3 resin, floral, citrus, earthy, alcohol, orange, clear, frothy, light sweetness, very bitter, medium body, thick feel, average carbonation, bitter,

4.3 Bottle. Pours clear dark golden with decent white head and lacing. Nose is tropical and citrus big time. Taste is big hops and sweet malts. Not much aftertaste. Delicious.

3.7 Bottle, this is a solid pale and citrus and pine IPA, probably Deschutes best IPA offering

3.2 Lots of hop presence, but not too bitter. Aroma is much more earthy/ grassy, not much citrus. Feels heavy. The abv is nicley masked, and not overly bitter at all. Very different from most IPA and DIPA’s that I have had.

4.1 Nice earthy hop smell, w little white foam head. A excellent hop front and not overly harsh hop finish. The finish is super smooth for an imperial IPA. It is right up there w enjoy by and a fresh double jack. Must buy and drink early when you see it. Great!

3.8 Piney, hoppy and bitter. ABV wonderfully ridden by dominant grapefruit and tangerine flavors. Great IPA.

3.8 Pours clear pale amber with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Nose is resiny pine, pithy citrus, tropical fruit, mild caramel malt. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, strong bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky finish. (4/5) Another nice IPA (OK, DIPA) from Deschutes. Similar to Chasin’ Freshies, but heavier and more intense, with a bit more malt, and less fresh juicy citrus. The ABV is well integrated, apparent as a mild warming, but not unpleasant. Decent, if a little blunt - could use more Mosaic sharpness, and less malt. (15/20)

4.1 Pour from pint to shaker, yellow gold with solid head and good retention. Aroma of sweet floral notes blanketed in a loud, confirous grapefruit. Taste is awesomely refreshing, hardly resiny, palatable bitterness, heavy tangerine notes, solid malt presence. Pretty awesome IPA! Very easily drinkable.

4.2 Great IPA. This brew pours nice with a good head and good lacing. Very tasty hop and fruit flavor.

4.4 On tap in a tulip glass. Appearance: poured a 1" white head that dropped quickly with some nice lacing on the glass. Color is a cloudy golden-orange with moderate streaming carbonation. Aroma: hop forward with pine, citrus dominate and some white bread dough in the background. Mouthfeel: medium bodied and viscous, with a dry, bitter, warming finish. Flavor: strong grapefruit, tangerine, and pine hops are balanced with nice biscuit and malty sweetness. Overall: a nice sipper at 9.5% abv. It is not overly boozy (which is plus), but the alcohol is not entirely hidden either.

3.7 Really hoppy. Has a great aroma and looks good. Has a good flavor. Pretty pleased with it.

3.8 Pours a clear copper with lasting thin layer of head that leaves great lacing. Aroma is a boozy citrus with grapefruit and lime. Taste is dank, boozy, fruit with caramel. Palate comes through thick and creamy for an IPA, adding to the resinous feel. Finishes crisp and lip smacking. For the hop crazy description, this actually has a lot of sweet malts. Not in love with the spicy/floral combo of Cascade and Centennial hops, but it’s workable and drinkable for the ABV.