Hop Circle IPA (formerly Phillips IPA)
Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦
IPA Regular|
Score
6.73
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Taste probes activate! Packed full of bright citrus hops, this otherworldly IPA will abduct your senses! It's a close encounter of the "thirst" kind.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
341 ml bottle purchased at "The Strath" Ale, Wine and Spirit Merchants at the Strathcona Hotel in Victoria, BC. Pour is hazed orange, golden and tan. Foam on the head charged up the glass on the pour, then settled in normally. Aroma of strong resin hop, pine, citrus and some nice earthiness. Taste is resembles the nose; much resin, pine and citrus -- balanced with a nice sturdy malt backbone. There is some earthiness in the malt as well, giving this beer almost a charcoal smokiness. All of the mentioned flavors integrate nicely, and the palate is serious enough to hold it all together, yet still drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Aug 2008
at 09:26
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
2014-03-04, draught at The Black Frog, Vancouver, 7-4-7-4-14=36
Cloudy light amber color with small compact head. the aroma is hoppy and sweaty. Smooth mouthfeel; some dry cereally malt flavor; strong bitterness; strong grassy hop, then some hop resins, sweat, a bit aggressive.
Good but not a refined beer; better with food than alone.
2013-01-03, bottle at The Greedy Pig, Vancouver, 8-4-8-5-16=41
Golden color, hazy, with small head. The aroma is very nice, fresh, with hops, and mild manure characteristic. Lean body, with good, mild, toffee flavor, some malt crispness, and an excellent hopping; there are some soft and piney resins, a good fruity character, and a manure shade. It’s extremely drinkable, an extra quality.
Very fresh; delicious today.
2011-08-14, draught at Malone’s Urban Drinkery, Vancouver, 7-4-7-4-15=37
Hazy light amber color; small sized creamy head. Moderate aroma of malt and hop. Good flavor of malt and toffee; the hopping is both resiny and fruity, and without excess; indeed a fresh and balanced pint.
2011-03-13, bottle from Brewery Creek, the Hopbox, 7-4-6-3-13=34
Deep blond color; small head. The aroma is initially very resiny, but then it becomes more delicate, balanced, fruity. The mouthfeel is at the same time smooth and dry; some dry toffee flavor (not impressive), followed by a strong bitterness, with some boring resins and not enough hop qualities. Long final.
2011-03-08, draught at Bier Craft, Vancouver, 7-4-6-4-13=34
Hazy bond color; small head; served too cold. The aroma takes some time to develop, it will then show an interesting sweaty hop and British yeast character. The flavor is more lean than impressive, but highly drinkable; strong bitterness with some resins. A beer with some interesting side, although rather simple.
2008-07-30, draught at The Railway Club, Vancouver, 7-4-7-4-14=36
Hazy golden color; creamy head. Very nice hop aroma, delicate fruits (mango, oranges), creamy. Good toffee and caramel flavor, and strong bitterness; the hop comes with some resins (side to side with Big Kettle ESB, it has less aromatic hop, more hop oils, less sweetness). Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Aug 2008
at 02:47
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A dark golden orange ale with a thin big bubbled head. A pleasant fragrant hops with meaty notes, mint, fresh. In mouth, a good balance of biscuit malt and floral hops, lingering pleasantly, not over the top, light berry notes. Nice offering from BC. Bieropholie.
Tried
on 21 Feb 2008
at 20:45
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Brown bottle, 355 ml, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savoured on October 15 2007; eye: voluminous white head: 7 fingers of head for 2 fingers of beer, head looks like melting ice cream when it diminishes, golden, slightly hazy, light effervescence, lots of lacing; nose: nice fresh hops, grapefruit, light malt, light caramel, orange zest; mouth: astringency, hops, light acridness, malt supports nicely the hops, pine, a bit of pepper, a bit of orange, finale in dry bitterness with a hint of pine, mild astringency, mildly bitter, slightly sweet, medium body, slightly harsh texture, average carbonation; overall: nice surprise FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 355 ml, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savourée le 15 octobre 2007; œil : mousse blanche abondante : 7 doigts de mousse pour 2 doigts de bière, mousse ressemble à de la crème glacée fondante lorsqu’elle diminue, dorée, très légèrement voilée, légère effervescence, beaucoup de dentelle; nez : beau houblon frais, pamplemousse, léger malt, léger caramel, zeste d’orange; bouche : astringence, houblon, légère âcreté, malt supporte bien le houblon, pin, un peu de poivre, un peu d’orange, finale en amertume sèche avec une pointe de pin, astringence moyenne, moyennement amère, très légèrement sucrée, corps moyen, texture légèrement rugueuse, carbonatation moyenne; en résumé : belle surprise
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Oct 2007
at 16:18
3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 3
Flavor 3
Texture 2
Overall 2
Bottle courtesy of Irondjin: Poured an orangey color ale with a super big foamy head with perfect retention. Aroma of bitter hops with strong sour notes. I am guessing we have an infection issue here which may explain why the head is still perfectly in place ten minutes after I have poured the beer. The label mention that these beers were heavily hops to make all the way to India without going down the drain – well seems like this one didn’t make it across the country without getting infected. The brewery is usually reliable so I will have to rerate when I get the chance.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Sep 2007
at 14:28
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Orange-amber beer; yellowish tinted, creamy head. Bit soupy initial nose, even ureum, then giving in to a superb fine-flowery hopsnose. Aroma’s as from the best English hops, finally some cookie malts. Very bitter, near-metallic and outspoken grapefruit hopflavours, even some walnut peel. Again very little malt detectable, both in taste and MF. Better than the Nelson IPA - but still, there’s an empty feel no hops can fill in. Needs malts for that, and this isn’t some shy English bitter at 4% neither. Quite OK IPA, however, the hops are great. Big thanks, Mike.
Tried
from Can
on 06 Oct 2005
at 14:32
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Fairly interesting, with floral and hints of orange in the nose and a bold bitter finish, to end things off.
Tried
on 28 Apr 2004
at 17:09
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Re-rate as Hop Circle. Light grassy, a hint root beer aroma. Hazy golden, offwhite lace. DMS, light body, restrained grassy hops. meh. old rating 8 3 8 4 15 Nice big hop aroma. Hazy amber, big bubbles, low head, some lace. Hop dominates taste, but has a rather quick finish. very nice though.
Tried
on 30 Jun 2003
at 12:26
6.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Amber with large off white head.Green hop nose.Faintly under ripe green hop flavor with a medium finish. More of a pale than an IPA
Tried
on 27 Jan 2003
at 18:23
5.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Fresh rating, on tap as Hop Circle. I liked the old Phillips IPA but is this really the same beer? Hazy. Light tan. Lots of orchard fruit hop aroma. Medium hops. Some sort of old goldings or something that I don’t remember ever being in this beer. Quite fruity. It’s ok, but kind of dull-tasting. Massive downgrade from a 4.0.
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Dec 2002
at 21:11