If you'll recall the nightmare that was attempting to obtain Founders KBS, Fat Heads Hop Juju was nearly as bad. In this case, the third time was, indeed the charm. Fat Heads has something of a cult following, and it's well earned. We are in love with their Head Hunter, so we're really looking forward to this, their Imperial IPA. (Fat Heads fans should also note that their Sunshine Daydream, a session IPA, is currently available at various locations in Columbus this week.)
This poured a medium caramel color with a lovely off-white head that quickly dissipated from atop this 9% ABV, 100 IBU behemoth. The aroma on this is pure bliss and immediately sent me to my happy place. Initially a huge blast of pine, this has had a few minutes to warm and has developed notes of caramel, citrus, lychee, mango, and guava. Oops, I totally just dunked my nose into my glass. It was completely worth it. After utterances of unbridled ecstasy (including supplications to deities I don't even believe in), let me try to describe how this tastes, besides completely amazing. There are notes of caramel, citrus, papaya, and the aforementioned lychee/mango/guava that dance on the tongue. It's perfectly balanced between hop bitterness and malty sweet. It's also fairly full and round in the mouth. Fully expect Nathan to offer praise and offerings to Hopsus.
We realize that we have drastically under-reviewed Fat Heads. We hope to change that soon.
5/5 caps. It's on par with a well-cared-for Hopslam or The Oracle. And from me, that's high praise.
-Jennie
Well, shit. How does one follow up such praise (without the mention of my own deity of Hopsus)? The way Jennie has hyped this up, it seems like all this was worth the hunt. The hunt involved 3 stores over a week.... finally, our awesome friends at Wine & Brew Emporium had it. Another reason I love them (side note: beer store reviews upcoming soon).
This has been hyped up here in the CBus area. A brewery from Cleveland with limited distribution here (we aren't able to obtain all their selections) that won Gold at the Great American Beer Festival for the Imperial IPA portion. Highly rated on those 'other' review site (Rate Beer and Beer Advocate), yeah, we needed this in/around our mouths.
The aroma is enough to summon Hopsus. We have whole leaf hops in the freezer that I'm thinking about putting in a circle around me while reviewing this. C'mon, the bottle states:
"The magical hops cast their spell, the natives chant and the drums beat. Witchcraft? Maybe just a little. Hop JuJu is a supernatural beer with "a reckless use of hops" creating aromas and flavors of citrus, pine and tropical fruit with a juicy resiny hop finish. "
How can I not invoke Hopsus into this?!
So, as I listen to a local musician (Scott Gorsuch, who I recently met after a gig. We chatted over IPAs. You can find his music on Youtube), I dive my nose into this. Literally... I have some head on the tip of my nose now, as I want to be one with this aroma. Jennie nailed the aroma, "notes of caramel, citrus, lychee, mango, and guava," although I'm also picking up notes of pine that are lending themselves perfectly to this concoction. My first sip is.... hang on... I need to wipe up a pile of drool. Holy Hopsus! A nice caramel backbone takes presence before the giant juicy blast of hops. Citrus and tropical fruit take the forefront, making you forget all of life's worries and woes. A nice piney note rounds out the back end, reminding you this comes from the earth, and not another spiritual realm. This is definitely a sipping beer, as the 100 IBUs makes your mouth pucker in excitement for the next sip. Don't tease your taste buds, find this when you can and enjoy it.
5/5 caps
-Nathan-
Music Pairing: Hakuna Matata (Lion King... yup)
Cheese Pairing: Kerrygold Dublin Irish Cheddar
Food Pairing: Your favorite sushi roll, done spicy
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