Sierra Nevada is once again leaning into IPAs, releasing a line of spring beverages in January, which is odd, but not unwelcome. I'll take tasty new beer any time of the year. Their newest IPA offering is a double IPA called Hop Bullet, and it clocks in at a hefty 8% ABV, which is, of course, not uncommon for a double IPA. Sierra Nevada is a juggernaut, and they have created a lot of stellar brew, but their lineup in the last year or so has left me underwhelmed. Let's dive in and see if Hop Bullet can impress.
First off, the folks at SN are trying out a new technique with Hop Bullet, hitting the beer with a blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust, which is pure, concentrated hop flavor. They add it directly into the tank to push the pine and citrus flavors of some classic West Coast hops.
The Color:
Pours light gold, almost a clear orange with thin lacing that wasn't too fluffy, but still substantial.
The Nose:
Some orange peel is in here, and there is a flat, almost dull aroma of hops. I was actually expecting a bit more of a hop punch given that the beer is a DIPA and the whole lupulin dust, but it is still a pleasant, hoppy aroma. You can definitely pick up some pine, dank hops and a light backbone of sweet malt as well.
The Body & The Flavor:
The body is light to medium, with a bitter-hop tang in the front. There is definitely some of that orange from the nose coming through (not too much though) and there is a slight sweetness of malt at the end. It is a bit thinner on the palate then I expected, with a lighter mouth feel as well. I was expecting more of a full bodied punch, but this ends up working fine albeit a little dangerous. This is definitely a beer you could sit down and just knock back, with a smooth drinkability like a quaffable pale ale.
A.B.V.: 6.7
IBU: 75
Bitterness Units: 60
Bittering Hops: Magnum
Finishing Hops: Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, Magnum, Crystal
Malts: Two-row Pale, Wheat, Dextrine, Chocolate, Acidulated
