Here’s a great beer from the San Tan Brewing Company of Chandler, Arizona. Hop Shock IPA is a beer not sold in my area but it is one that I got in a beer trade a while back. It’s been safely parked in one of my beer refrigerators since I got it last fall, and I’ve decided that tonight is the night to pop it open and give it a try. This will be my first beer from this brewery. Yippee!
On their website, San Tan says “All SanTan Brewing Company craft beers are specifically brewed and designed for hotter climates”. I’m not so sure that I agree with that where Hop Shock IPA is concerned, though. I suppose you could call Georgia a hotter clime most of the year, but right now its winter and this beer is working for me just fine. If you don’t believe me, you can order Hop Shock yourself. San Tan takes online orders on their aforementioned website.
Of Hop Shock IPA on that website (again) they say this:
Warm copper amber in color, with an intense bitterness derived from the distinct citrus/pine flavor of Pacific Northwest & New Zealand Hops. A dry, crisp malt character & aggressive alcohol dominate our I.P.A. and make this bitter beer a hop-head’s passion!
And list the following ingredients:
HOPS: Columbus, Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin, and Galaxy
MALT: Two Row Barley, Wheat, Caramel 80, Munich, Victory
YEAST: American Ale
San Tan Hop Shock IPA has an alcohol content of 7% by volume listed on my can and an impressive 85 IBUs. They call this an “American IPA”, and it runs $9.99 a six-pack on their website, before shipping. My can has a production date of 06/06/14 stamped on the bottom.
San Tan Hop Shock IPA pours to a very dark orange color with a thick head of very creamy foam and a soft hoppy nose of fresh squeezed orange juice. Taking a sip, there’s a firm caramel maltiness up front followed by very citric (orange and grapefruit to me) and even more resiny, sticky pine hops followed by a very long, very dry and very massive bitterness.
This is really what I like in my IPAs, a good chewy maltiness up front followed by lots of citric and resiny hops and a long dry bitter finish. Today’s IPAs in the “West Coast” style thin out the malt and add modern tropical fruity hops, and hey those are nice too, but I prefer the classics myself.
My can was excellent with a steak, salad and twice baked potato.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler