Manhattan Project Beer Co. - Hoppenheimer Review
West coast IPAs started the whole craft brewing shabang alongside their friend pale ale, and they have had the staying power to linger for nearly five decades, but I can imagine they were quite a shock when they first came out. I probably didn’t like the first one I ever drank (though I certainly pretended), and as they grew in age they grew in bitterness as well, testing the limits of the palate in often ridiculous ways. But many have remained solidly for a very long time, and those are the inspirations for new IPAs that have the courage to step up against the giants bulging with pine, citrus, and resin.
One of those newbies is Manhattan Project Beer Co. out of Dallas, TX, and they’re bringing some firepower.
With a name like Hoppenheimer, you expect a blast of hop flavor and bitterness, and at 7.4% ABV and 68 IBU, we’re already preparing for something intense. But should we be expecting something more balanced? Manhattan Project says so, and with 7.4% ABV of malt backbone we’re inclined to believe them, but 68 IBU is a whole lot of bitterness, so let’s see how they did.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Golden and quite clear with an enticing hop galaxy floating within. Topped with a cream-colored and shiny head.
On the Nose--Pine and grapefruit with an unexpected touch of papaya and passionfruit not often seen in a west coast IPA. Very interesting.
On the Palate--Resin and pine mingle with bitter grapefruit, typical flavors in a west coast IPA, but Hoppenheimer’s full body and smooth, semi-dry finish shine, with only a touch of bitter resin lingering. It does have great balance for an IPA, offering a rush of hoppiness that comes and goes, and it gets even tamer as you drink, letting some of their fruitier notes from the aroma through.
Food Pairings: IPAs really are the best bar food beer, so pair them with pub classics like burgers, pizzas, and nachos, or with any house specialty. They undoubtedly built that dish around their classic IPA.
Final Thoughts:
It is difficult to stand out in the IPA crowd, especially with some IPAs having decades of growth behind them. But that’s a challenge worth accepting for newer brewers, and with modern advances in brewing technique, why not?
Manhattan Project accepted this mission, and I believe they pulled it off very well. Surprisingly, this battle was not won on the hop front. West coast IPAs are great, but they don’t always differ greatly in hop flavor. They have a reputation for pine, resin, and citrus. If your beer tastes of other things, it falls into another category. Divisive take? Possibly. But if you want to stand out, you have to do something a little different, and Hoppenheimer does that. I can tell by how I reacted to the first sip: “Wow, that’s really freakin’ full and smooth.” I was pretty much hooked from there. Manhattan Project offered balance and they delivered, giving this West coast IPA the legs it needs to stand among the better IPAs of the time.
From first pour, to classic aroma flecked with tropical fruit, to a punch of hops and malt relief, this is a pretty dang good IPA.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
Looking for another IPA? Check out Founders’ impactful and unrelenting Centennial IPA, or stay in Texas for Real Ale’s Axis IPA. We love them both.