When people are coming over, I always try to have something for them to try, the all important Christmas meal is no different. This year I decided to get something I’ve had before and something new. The one I had never tried was The Hop Wallop from Victory Brewing. The Wallop is a double IPA and that style alone is a little scary for me. I am not a hop head and usually these beers are nothing more than hop juice. I have never been let down by Victory before so while this was uncharted waters for me, it was still a fairly safe bet.
I poured the beer into a tulip glass and the first thing I noticed was the beautiful cloud like fluffy head. The color was a slightly hazy light copper and it looked great in the glass. It had a BIG hop scent backed up by a strong citrus aroma. Time for the first sip. Woah! Wallop is right, this is hops, hops and more hops. The flavor ends with a nice bitter character. This is a beer that bites you back and is not shy about what it is or what it is trying to do.
Halfway through the glass the flavor is getting more intense rather than less, which is surprising. There is a slight sugary, sweet flavor creeping in a bit, but it is still all flower power here. If you are not a hop head I don’t think I can safely recommend this to you. If however, you are an adventurous beer drinker like me, then you have to try this one. It is kind of a given that all you hop heads have to have this a couple of times. The hops are starting to get me in the back of the throat and sticking there. Each successive sip continues pounding away on my taste buds.
I am enjoying this beer in the same way I enjoy super hot buffalo wings. It begs me to keep going but challenges me every step of the way. Another solid offering from the folks at Victory.
