Had a first shot at a Deschutes Hop Henge yesterday at a staff meeting lunch in Gig Harbor. Shared a pitcher with the crew during the lunch meeting; the brew drew universal approval from not only our gang but was named the World’s Best Pale Ale in 2011 per the World Beer Awards.
From the Deschutes website–
Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.
From the WBA award citation–
Bright coppery hue, low head retention, bready aromas, big and hoppy. Very appealing. Decentmalt, clean, slightly vegetal. Grapefruit, orange zest, underlying orchard fruit. Rich and clean. Sweet fruit with nice hop flavour. Bold yet balanced.
We’d agree; we found it well-balanced with fruity/floral (actually almost grapefruity) hops and a slightly sweet finish.
Better grab it while you can, the seasonal run is from January to April.
