Thursday, 21 May 2015

Old Hoppy Hen 4.2% (Greene King)


When even Greene King are following the trend of hoppy pale ales you know it's gone mainstream.

Any hope of a big hop explosion is quickly destroyed, the nose is lightly floral at best, the merest whisper of grapefruit all I could detect along with a slight buttery toffee whiff.

The opening taste is very agreeable, light malt, hints of caramel, not too dry. It's quickly followed by a very balanced bitterness with no big hop punch but a very slight fruity tingle on the tongue. The final finish hangs with a slight hop cloyiness to the tongue.

They say once Punk went mainstream it's soul was already dead, it was nothing more than a faded replica of it's former glory.

6/10 Hoppy Pale Ale for the novice, inoffensive, but unable to leave a mark for even the least demanding hophead.

1 comment:

  1. I am glad I read this, I had noticed them on sale and in bigger bottles and wondered if something was up.

    I suspect I shall give these a wide-ish berth. I hope this isn't the punk moment for hoppy ales...

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