“Hop Shovel is dry, but with a soft and rounded mouthfeel achieved by using a high proportion of wheat and rye. Hop varieties Mosaic, Meridian, and Denali provide an abundance of flavor and aroma.”
Glassware: IPA glass.
Appearance: Clear gold with some fine suspended sediment floating around. Active co2 which builds the finger of fizzy white head. Decent retention with a thick, streaky lace as we go.
Aroma: Quite dank and musty with a strong grainy malt on the flank. Big and dank pine notes, wet forest floor, marmalade, kind of husky, boozy tropical fruits, blood orange/ruby grapefruit and a bit of warming booze. Maybe some delicate sweet caramels at the base too. Quite well balanced.
Flavour: It has a nice and bitey bitterness upfront along with soft herbal/spicy hop undertones. A good swish around the mouth offers a more restrained bitterness but a lifted citrus/orange note with the yellow grapefruit in support. The citric pectins become quite strong as it nears the dry and bitter finish. Good duration on the back end.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied and super bitter. Can’t find an IBU but our guess would put it around the mid 60’s. Pretty adventurous for the casual craft drinker.
Overall: She has all the hallmarks of a decent IPA – bitey, sharp and bitter but maybe not as well balanced as it could be. It certainly doesn’t detract from its appeal but it’s nothing to write home about.