Hoppin Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

3.8/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

22 ounce bottle, 2011 bottling. Pours crystal clear brick red color with a fairly dense 1 finger khaki head with decent retention that reduces to nothing eventually. A bit of spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, caramel, biscuit, candi sugar, light fruitiness, and spiciness. Some nice and fairly balanced aromas here. Taste almost matches the nose; with big caramel, candy sweetness, cinnamon, ginger, clove, breadiness, and more spices. Lingering notes of cinnamon, ginger, caramel, bread, and big spices on the finish for a while. Big gingersnap cookie-like taste and aromas as well. Slightly cloying with the spices on the finish. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with an alcohol warming right after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel that is definitely a sipper at almost 9%. Overall this is a very nice and tasty winter warmer; just a bit too cloying with the spices. Could use a bit more balance with maltiness, and less booziness.

A very nice and enjoyable Christmas beer that I randomly decided to have again this year when I was at home for Christmas. A little unbalanced, but still enjoyable.

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS Royale

4.4/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle date but I got this on the first release back in May of this year. Pours thick black color with a small dark tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Small bits of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of big vanilla, caramel, toffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and whiskey. Great aromas here with good balance and strength. Not as bourbon forward as the normal BA BORIS. Taste of big dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, roasted malt, vanilla, oak, and whiskey. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, whiskey, and oak on the finish for a while. Low-moderate carbonation and full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with only a large warming present after the finish. Alcohol definitely cleans the palate in this case and makes this not cloying at all with the lush body. Great drinkability but it is still a sipper. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout. Great balance of flavor, highly enjoyable, and a lush mouthfeel that has me wanting another sip.

Another delicious offering as I was expecting. I might have to give BA BORIS another try when I get back home for the holidays.

Hoppin Frog Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle into tulip, 2011 release. Pours crystal clear golden orange color with a small off white head with decent retention that reduces to a thin lacing ring. Minimal lacing on the glass. Aromas of big cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin, clove, brown sugar, and breadiness. Very nice and balanced aromas here. Taste of bread, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and pumpkin. Lingering notes of pumpkin, spices, and breadiness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel and nice smooth drinkability. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming on the finish. Overall a really nice pumpkin ale, with nice balance of flavor and smooth drinkability.

I decided to re-rate with this years batch. All around tasty stuff. Very nice balance of flavors.

Hoppin Frog Wild Frog Wheat Ale

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

22 ounce bottle into weizen glass, no bottle date but I picked up a fairly fresh batch at the brewery a couple weeks ago. Pours hazy golden straw color with 1-2 fingers of a very foamy white head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace. Tons of carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass. Aromas of big lemon, clove, spices, banana, bread, and a bit of bubblegum. Fairly nice aromas with nice strength. Taste of huge banana, clove, spices, lemon, and bubblegum. No bitterness on the finish as expected, with some lingering notes of banana, clove, bubblegum, and spices. Medium-high carbonation with a medium body; and a somewhat of a creamy mouthfeel surprisingly. No alcohol in the taste or finish noticed as expected. Overall a nice Hefeweizen that I had no trouble finishing. Quite refreshing and easy to drink.

Overall a good Wheat Ale. Pretty full bodied for a Wheat beer as well.

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Naked Evil

4.5/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20

22 ounce bottle into snifter, unknown bottle date, but picked it up on release day Sept 1st. Pours slightly hazy brick red color with a dense 2 finger khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a thick lacing cap. A bit of thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big whiskey, caramel, molasses, vanilla, dark fruit, spices, banana, and clove. Tons of balance and complexity here, amazing. Taste of big caramel, molasses, vanilla, whiskey, banana, light fruits, and spices. No bitterness noticed, with lingering notes of caramel, vanilla, molasses, light fruits, and a bit of whiskey. Alcohol is hidden incredibly well, nothing noticed other than a small warming after the finish. Light-medium carbonation with a fairly full body. Fantastic slick, creamy, and full mouthfeel. Overall this is absolutely incredible and the best brew I have had from Hoppin’ Frog!

A truly incredible offering from Hoppin Frog, and a perfect beer to celebrate the 5th anniversary. I have another bottle, can't wait to see how it is doing in a year or so!

Hoppin Frog Turbo Shandy Citrus Ale

3.7/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

22 ounce bottle, bottled in May, picked it up at the brewery. Pours slightly hazy bright golden amber color with a small foamy white head that reduces to nothing pretty quickly. A good amount of carbonation nucleation from the bottom of the glass as well. Huge aromas of lemon zest, orange zest, lime, and a bit of yeast breadiness. Interesting aromas to say the least, smells like fresca or something. Taste of huge lemon, lime, orange zest, and a bit of spiciness. Some tartness from the lemon and lime on the finish, with lingering citrus notes for a brief period of time. No bitterness noticed at all. Medium body and medium carbonation. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Very easy to drink for 7% ABV. Overall, this is actually pretty damn good. I don’t think I have actually had a shandy before, but this is tasty stuff!

Interesting style indeed. I think I actually had the Leinenkugel once, and this is definitely far better than that. Probably the best one in the style. A little cloying with the sweetness though, but I think this is more of a woman beer.

Hoppin Frog Rocky Frog Imperial American Porter (2010 Beer Week Collaboration With Rocky River)

4/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown color with a very dense 2 finger tan head with amazing retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some nice lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of tons of caramel, dark chocolate, and roasted malt; with some coffee and citrus as well. Nice balanced aromas here. Taste of caramel, roasted malt, and chocolate. Fairly spicy citrus hop notes show up on the finish and linger with a fairly strong bitterness. Some roasted flavor lingers as well. Very decent level of carbonation with medium body. Fairly creamy feel, but not as much as I was hoping for with the carbonation level. No alcohol noticed in the taste but a slight warming on the finish is present. Overall quite an enjoyable porter, a little hoppier than what I am used to, but still great stuff.

A very nice hopped up porter here. I still have 2 left from the 12 pack(had extras of some and only 1 of others).

Hoppin Frog Hoppin to Heaven IPA

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle, very fresh bottle, picked it up at the brewery. Pours cloudy orange amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with incredible retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Some very nice lacing coats the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange, caramel, pine, and spices. Pretty typical IPA aromas here, very nicely balanced. Taste of tons of orange, grapefruit, and pine; with spiciness and caramel as well. Fairly strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with citrus and pine flavors. Very nice balance, with bitterness being more prominent. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied. No alcohol noticed on the taste or finish. Overall, an outstanding IPA, I always enjoy a nice hop forward IPA any time.

A fantastic IPA, especially fresh as it was. I would probably still highly enjoy it with a little age on it as well, nice and hoppy.

Hoppin Frog Hop Dam Triple IPA

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours slightly hazy orange amber color with a dense 2.5 finger off white head with fantastic retention. Some decent lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of caramel, orange, pine, grapefruit, and a bit of maltiness as well. Taste of strong caramel, orange, grapefruit, and pine; with a huge bitterness on the finish that lingers for a long time with caramel, orange, and pine flavors. Bitterness destroys your palate, and after that happens the malty flavors shine through more(strong orange, grapefruit, and caramel). It is very smooth drinking, but is definitely a sipping beer. Medium carbonation and very full bodied. No alcohol was noticed at all, except for a very slight warming after the finish, but overall incredibly hidden here for 10%. Overall, this is some tasty stuff for sure. A true hop head beer.

I got this on release day at the brewery, and it was the middle of march, so this is a pretty darn fresh IPA. With all those hops, I doubt they were going to fade any time soon. The hops were a LOT huger than I remember when I had this one last year(whenever that was). Just a huge beer all together here, it was incredibly smooth and easy to drink as well for being 10%, and the hops destroying your palate and all.

Hoppin Frog Outta Kilter Wee Heavy Scotch Red Ale

3.9/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours slightly hazy red color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, bourbon, dark fruits, cinnamon, and some honey. Taste of oak, bourbon, caramel, roasted malt, and molasses. Fairly dry finish, but there is some lingering flavors of bourbon, caramel, and dark fruit sweetness that lasts for a decent period after the finish. No real significant amount of bitterness was noted, but there was a small amount. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Very smooth drinking with minimal alcohol noticed, only a small warming after the finish. Overall quite a tasty scotch ale we have here. Good stuff.

I had a Double IPA before this bottle, and it started off with no flavor, because of my palate being toasted haha. After a bit the flavors came through and it was highly enjoyable.

Hoppin Frog Fresh Frog Raw Hop Imperial Pale Ale

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours slightly hazy orange-amber color with a frothy 2 finger off white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves some very nice lacing. Aromas of caramel, grapefruit, floral, and some pine and spice. Taste of a ton of grapefruit, caramel, and pine. Sweet up front with the caramel and grapefruit flavors, finishes off very nicely with a bitterness of citrus and pine. The bitterness fades in after the finish and lingers for a bit. Very well balanced with the amount of bitterness and sweetness present. Alcohol is well hidden, only some slight warming noticed after the finish. Has a medium-full body with medium carbonation. Overall this is incredibly delicious, and the taste actually reminds me of some of my favorite Double IPAs. Excellent! I will be having this again in the future.

It was sitting in my fridge for a few months, and I just now got it out, and it tastes amazing despite not being completely fresh. Hoppin Frog just does a fantastic job at putting out great examples of every style(that they have done so far). I might have to make the rounds to some of the ones I first reviewed again soon. I only have a few more to try and I will have tried the entire lineup that is not retired.

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours deep dark red color with a 2 finger off white head with decent retention. Aromas of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and some bourbon. Taste of matches the aromas, with a fairly strong taste of the whiskey near the finish. As it was with the original Frosted Frog, it tastes like gingersnap cookies. Medium body and carbonation. I definitely prefer this version of the Frosted Frog, the original version is a tad harsh on the palate with the spices, and the barrel aging mellows it out a ton. Incredibly drinkable, and an excellent beer.

Too bad this one was limited, it is delicious.

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours pitch black with a very nice 2 finger tan head with amazing retention that reduces to a lingering cap. Aromas of strong whiskey with chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and molasses. Taste of chocolate and coffee with a lot of bourbon in the back towards the finish that slowly fades into a slow rising bitterness on the finish, that lingers with bourbon and roasty chocolate notes. The bourbon flavor lasts the longest after the finish. A very smooth and excellent barrel aged imperial stout!!

Maybe a little too strong on the bourbon, but I love bourbon and it blends well with the Imperial Stout.

Hoppin Frog Mean Manalishi

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours hazy red orange color with a small off white head with a little retention. Aromas of sweet malts, molasses, pine and citrus hops. Taste of pine and citrus hops well balanced with caramel malts. Huge bitterness on the tasting and it lasts well after the finish. It actually surprised me a bit as I was tasting it at first. Medium carbonation and medium body. Very big beer that is awesome. Must have for hop lovers.

One of my favorite beers that I can get at a moments notice, because I can buy it down the street!

Hoppin Frog Silk Porter

3.8/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a thin tan head that recedes quickly. Aromas of cocoa, coffee, caramel, licorice, and whiskey? Kind of weird at the nose with some of the aromas. Flavor is very sweet with chocolate and caramel with roasted malts. Very smooth finish. Light to medium carbonation, very creamy body. Finishes with chocolate lingering. A very well done porter. Tasty.

Once again, most stuff from Hoppin' Frog is worth a shot if you see it.

Hoppin Frog DORIS The Destroyer Double Imperial Stout

4.4/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle. Motor oil pour with a small tan lacing for a head that recedes quickly. Aromas of rich roasted malt and huge amounts of dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, with a small bit of alcohol. Taste is of dark chocolate with coffee. Sweeter on the front, slightly bitter on the finish. One of the fullest bodied beers I have ever had. Low carbonation but it fits well. A small bit of alcohol burning with the finish, but well hidden overall. Very creamy and delicious. I like this one a lot, if only it was more widely available. I only know of one place to get it.

I found this one at West Point Market. It will only be there when it is in season though, because I went back last week and there was none left.

Hoppin Frog BORIS The Crusher

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle. Opaque black pour with a foamy 1 finger tan head with decent retention that reduces to a lacing. Aromas of rich roasted malt and dark chocolate, vanilla with alcohol. Taste is of dark chocolate with coffee. Sweeter on the front, bitter chocolate on the finish. Medium to full body, medium carbonation. A small bit of alcohol burning with the finish, but well hidden overall. Nice creamy stout. Great!

So far, Hoppin Frog has had a good track record with me. I have yet to have a beer that was not enjoyable.