Beer Festivals are great. You ought to go at least once in your life. It was a 90+ degree day in St. Paul so by the time I got to the display booth for Hoppy Brewery I was really in the mood for a hoppy beer. I had tried stouts, pilsners, blondes, porters and a number of infused brews. I tasted about 30 beers in all. This is the one that I wanted to come back to so I was determined to find it in my local store.

Hoppy Face Amber Ale is brewed as a “West Coast” IPA which means be ready for hops. It pours with a rich, thick, foamy BIG head that lasted a decent amount of time and clung to the glass all the way to the bottom. Very appealing if you like strong heads. It was cloudy amber-orange in color and it breathed a piney and “floral hops” fragrance that immediately appealed to me. IPA all over the place. It has a high hop content and high alcohol content but is a nicely balanced beer. The mouthfeel was thick and oily, and flavors including roasted malts, caramel, citrus, and a few spices. It went down like butter and ended with a little kick of bitterness. I really like this beer and plan on coming back for more.

ABV: 5.5%

Grade: A-