Dam good times and dam good beer! That’s what Belching Beaver brings to the table with their Hop Highway IPA (and many of their other great offerings). I first heard of Belching Beaver a few years ago when they teamed up with Track 7 on a Mexican Lager. Since then, they have held my interest with consistently putting out solid and creative beers, including a collaboration with Sacramento’s own Deftones. They have certainly earned their spot on my San Diego beercation list.
Diving into the Hop Highway IPA, you have to start with the straw golden color with a slight haze to it. The picture says it all, this is a good looking beer. Lemon zest hits you on the nose, but it is not overpowering. I’d say that about most of this beers characteristics. There is a good complexity going on here, but nothing is overpowering. Everything is very balanced. Notes of tropical fruit, especially pineapple play nicely with the slight back end bitterness of the hops. There is a good carbonation that let the beer achieve a nice crispness, but it still stays, dare I say it, “crushable.” In a time filled with Northeast, Coffee, Fruit and who knows what IPAs, its always good to see a West Coast IPA executed well like the Hop Highway IPA. Lucky for you, this beer is available year round, so go find it!
Also who doesn’t love this logo?
