Coaster critique: Victory Hop Ranch

Name: Hop RanchPour

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 9%

Purchased: Bier Cellar, Portland Maine

Hop ranch pours a pale straw color that shines gold in the light; pour produced a short white head that settled to a thin layer across the surface.

Touch of malt sweetness in the aroma but otherwise overpowered by hops. First sniff finds a touch of grassy, vegetal hop followed by plenty of tropical fruit; pineapple and mango stand out to me. There is just a hint of the alcohol lingering in there as well.

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Light crockery malt body, slightly sweet up front that’s followed by a wave of hop flavor. Pineapple, mango, orange and touch of herbal grassy hops in the background and a hint of alcohol spice right on the tail end of the sip and an easy bitterness that lends a nice balance at the finish.

This is a hop heads beer, in your face hoppy, tropical fruit flavor, what I can only describe as drinking a fruit salad. I picked up a single bottle of this beer at the Bier Cellar in Portland on a recent trip and before I left town I was back in to pick up a four pack. A lovely, flavorful beer that drinks super smooth even though it’s 9%, this one is worth seeking out.

Cheers!

Chaddah

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Chad Lothian

About Chad Lothian

Chad Lothian lives in Old Town, Maine. He is a craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer. Chad has travelled to brewpubs, breweries and brewfests all over New England.