Hoppy orange peel and lemon zest nose.Crystal clear dark amber, medium head. Slightly metallic, lemon zest and grass.Slight DMS. I have had this beer on two separate occasions, from the exact same case. The first time, I sampled it when it was first released and at a slightly warmer serving temperature. I remember it being considerably maltier with notes of crackers dominant and no off aromas or flavors. This sample is about a month later and straight out of the refrigerator. It is quite hoppier, with little to no malt presence, and with a touch of DMS. Those neat cracker qualities do appear uponwarming, so I highly recommended serving this a bit warmer than usual. I don’t know if there is extreme variability with this beer or it is extremely fragile. Either way, it loses a point. It’s a shame, because I rather enjoyed it the first time I had it.

Bottle @ home. A touch hazy, burnt orange appearance with an off white head. Orange/grapefruit citrusy hoppy, pretty full, pale malty nose. Pretty citrusy to the point that it almost tastes artificial. Mild to moderate hoppiness. Pretty below average. Striiiiiiiiiiiiiing Cheeeeeeeeeese!

Not a bad pale ale, just not all that memorable of one either. Good, strong, hoppy opening, tasting mildly herbal and piney, then Hoopla grows a bit bland in the center, as the malts provide a grainy core that leads into a disappointingly tame finish. The hops are along for the ride, but never follow up with their initial assault upon your taste buds. Smells good and looks absolutely stunning, though. Again, not bad, just not exceptional.