Squatters Hop Rising
The other day, I had the opportunity to review Squatters award-winning IPA. Today, I take on that beer’s bigger brother, the 9.6% ABV and 75 IBU Squatters Hop Rising. This beer combines three different malts and three varieties of hops during the brewing process, as well as a solid amount of dry-hopping which apparently results in the brewery throwing two pounds of hops at each barrel of beer produced. I can live with that.
Squatters Hop Rising isn’t really a blood relative of their year-round IPA — it’s more like a distant cousin. While the smaller IPA is fruity and floral, this Double IPA carries more of a leafy, earthy character. Regardless of their lineage both beers are tasty in their own right, but I think I may prefer the smaller brew over Hop Rising.
Appearance
Deep golden amber with a dense, tawny crown of foam, Squatters Hop Rising certainly looks the part. As the head dropped, it left behind sticky lacing along the inside of the glass.
Aroma
You can smell this one from across the room! Strong leafy, piney hops are joined with hints of grapefruit and orange, as well as some light herbal notes. The higher alcohol is masked well here.
Taste
Squatters Hop Rising starts off with a moderate malt sweetness that is joined quickly with a leafy, spicy hop character, grapefruit and herbal notes. The strong hop bite grabs the tongue firmly, but isn’t so strong as to destroy your palate. Once the beer has traveled its course, it leaves behind an appropriate amount of alcohol warmth in the lingering finish. It’s not as fruity as its smaller cousin, but I do enjoy its earthy qualities.
Overall
As far as big Double IPAs go, this one from Squatters isn’t necessarily the most “hoppy,” the most potent or the sweetest. It does however have a solid, earthy character to its flavor that I quite liked. It’s always interesting to try out different interpretations of a style. Where one brewery may go big on the bite, the other may go big on the fruitiness. Regardless, Hop Rising is a solid take on the genre, even if I enjoyed its smaller cousin just a bit more.
Rating: 3.75/5
This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.
