HUSS BREWING CO. HOPALOOSA HAZY IPA - a review

by Daver?

I like IPAs. Not many of my friends like IPAs, but I do. First time I tried one, it was just so different than anything else I'd drank. The novelty, and the higher ABV, was endearing. When the most interesting beer you've tried before was a Michelob Amber Bach, the hoppy kick of an IPA was like a wake-up call. But after a while, it seems like every brewery producing IPAs tries to one-up each other with more and more hops. It gets to the point where every IPA tastes like I'm chewing Christmas tree bark soaked in Pine-Sol, and that's no fun regardless how strong the alcohol.

And then came the hazy IPAs, and all was well again. Cloudy as a heifeweisen, fruity as sours but minus their bitterness, and with the hoppiness muted into an easy drinking, satisfying brew. I think they're fun to drink, much more fun than regular IPAs. When one of my favorite local breweries starts producing hazies then I have to give it a go. Huss Brewing Company has its Hopaloosa Hazy IPA, on tap and in cans for home consumption during quarantine.

The can description reads, "our version of the hazy style IPA is double dry hopped with Falconer's Flight, Amarillo, and Citra hops. These hops bring aromatics of orange, tangerine, and pineapple accompanied by flavors of tangerine, grapefruit, guava, and pineapple! This delicious Hazy IPA is named for the strength, pride and majesty of the Native American Appaloosa horse." There's certainly a lot of citrus to this beer, both to the nose and tongue. For optimal tasting, I'll serve this in my Yazoo Brewery pint glass.

If poured right, you'll see a fast-fading thin foam head, resting on a cloudy yellow body. Pour it too fast, the head is much thicker and longer-lasting. The foam doesn't so much cling to the glass as it oozes with purpose down the side. The bouquet, yes, there is certainly orange notes as well as a zesty tingle reaching the nose, and also that deep woods pine aroma that can only come from a generous infusion of hops.  The thing to remember about hazies, is that the hoppy bitterness isn't so predominant on the tongue. In fact, with an IBU of 30, the bite is muzzled by a blend of, to me, tangelo and grapefruit notes. It has a crisp finish, though it's not so clean, and a little heavy at the back with an overall mouthfeel like a lager.

Hazy IPAs are just so much easier to drink than the standard India Pale Ale, and the broader flavor palette is inviting and refreshing. The ABV of 6.6% means it's not as strong as most IPAs, but has a little more kick than other summertime beers so it's essential to drink the Hopaloosa responsibly. You don't have to like IPAs to enjoy a hazy, and Huss Brewing made a highly enjoyable hazy just in time for summer. The Hopaloosa would easily be one of my go-to beers in the beverage aisle or on tap, that is if it's ever safe to go back out and have a beer on tap anyway. Give this a try if you're ever curious about the hazies.