• Brewery: Hoppin Frog Brewery
• Country: USA
• Style: Imperial IPA
• ABV: 8.2 %
• Size: 650 ml
• Bought from: Online
• Beer Advocate
• RateBeer

I have had a bottle of Hoppin Frog’s Mean Manalishi Imperial IPA in the refrigerator for a couple of months waiting for the right time to drink it. Today I thought I’d finally try it, to make some room in the fridge. Have not tried many beers from Hoppin Frog (only the barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S.), but have heard some good things about them. Couldn’t find any official information on ingredients, but some web pages list Columbus and Summit as the hops used. This IPA features a massive theoretical IBU of 168 and it has apparently had an OG of 1.084, which means that the FG should be around 1.021 as the beer is 8.2% ABV. Hopefully the beer isn’t too sweet and still packs a hoppy punch!

[easyreview title=”Hoppin Frog Mean Manalishi” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slightly hazy amber-copper color, and a slight off-white head is formed, that collapses quickly and leaves some lacing along the glass. The surface is a bit oily as well.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma features a combination of hop tones and caramel. The hop tones bring to mind resin, tangerine, citrus and herbs, and overall the aroma is earthy and dank.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a caramelly maltiness, but it is quickly overtaken by a resiny, dank and floral hoppiness, featuring tones of grapefruit, tangerine and pine. As the hop flavors die down, a strong bitterness enters that lingers with the semi-dry finish. Really nice flavors! The flavors are well balanced and the bitterness is backed up by a strong malt backbone.” cat3rating=”5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-full body and a medium-low carbonation level. The beer is easy to drink, even with the strong flavors.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall, a very nice beer, with tons of dank resiny hoppiness and a strong bitterness. The caramelly malt backbone makes sure that the beer is easy to drink and well balanced. Not sure about the freshness of the bottle, but it is most likely at least 6 months old. Even with this age, the beer had great hop aroma and flavor. Looking forward to trying more Hoppin Frog beers in the future! “]