Review - Clipper City Brewing Company's Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale
"Loose Cannon Hop 3 Ale - called Hop 3 (hop cubed) ale to reflect the enormous amount of hops in this beer: over 3 pounds per barrel! Also the beer is hopped 3 ways - in the kettle, in the hop back, and dry hopped. Winner of the Overall Best of Show Award in the Maryland State Governor's Cup 2005 Competition and voted the #1 IPA by Mahaffey’s Pub. We are very excited about this new product and have decided to make this beer available year round!" -- Clipper City Brewing Company
Pours a light golden color, settling into a medium to light amber color with a white, fizzy, small head that all but diminishes a few moments after its in the glass. Clear bodied, it is mostly still, yet the last pour is slightly hazy. Aroma is of strong hops with spruce and citrus notes, with undertones of grapefruit. Delicious bouquet of hops that entice us from different directions, playing on different emotions as we explore each nuance. Up front, we're hit with a balanced blend of light sweet malts and a slight bitterness, but as we head towards the finish, the malts give way to the hops, and the bitterness ramps up to provide us with a moderately bitter finish with fair duration. Light-bodied, it has a slightly watery texture with soft carbonation. Smooth, clean and crisp, the Loose Canoon Hop3 Ale is a well-balanced, beautifully-hopped ale that's just aggressive enough to please hopheads, but mellow enough to please the rest.
Reviewed on April 9th, 2007.
