Beer of the Week! 12/27/22
O’Connor Hip Hop Anonymous, Volume 7
Regularly $16.99 / Now on Sale for $15.96
Double New England Style IPA
This is what O’Connor Brewing Company from Norfolk has to say about its Hip Hop Anonymous IPA series … “Inspired by the ever-evolving street art scene and urban culture, Hip Hop Anonymous is a freestyle IPA series showcasing innovative local artists, new age techniques and expressive hops. Just how your favorite artist is constantly pushing out new projects, our flow has no end.”
Okay, dial it back, DJ Trend-ee and the Appropriation Crew (except for the supporting local artists part — keep doing that). Still, as always, it’s about how the beer tastes, and we’ll be honest. We were ready to laugh this beer off as all marketing and no merit when O’Connor slapped us down with their phat brew game.
For only the second time we’ve encountered a hazy IPA that successfully straddles the old and new hop profiles. Right up front, Volume 7 delivers a juiciness that is prominent but not overwhelming. Those flavors then effortlessly fade into a citrus zing on the finish. However, rather than being one thing then the other, the transition is smooth, leaving you ready for your next sip.
Okay, so maybe O’Connor can legitimately talk about their “flow.”
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause the coolest cats have more than one life.)
SweetWater 420 Strain G13 IPA
Regularly $12.99 / Now on Sale for $11.96
Hazy IPA
Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewery has spun off a variant on their flagship 420 IPA. While, the original 420 may have been named after an unbuilt-after-being-contested interstate bypass — which, apparently, is a thing in Atlanta (If you want to go down an “Urban Planners vs. Urban Livers” rabbit hole, look up “Atlanta Freeway Revolts.”) — the 420 Strain G13 IPA doubles down on “420”’s cannabinoid connotation.
First off, SweetWater abandons the 420’s Centennial and Cascade hop recipe for two hops (Columbus and Simcoe) that mix with SweetWater’s “propriety natural hemp flavor” to deliver a taste profile more deserving of the legendary G13 pot strain. (We know. “Who has a ‘propriety natural hemp flavor?’ SweetWater does. That’s who.) However, the real effort comes with the aroma. First SweetWater double dry-hops the brew to make it extra pungent. Then it adds “the perfect botanically-sourced, strain specific terpenes” to great effect. To quote one of us, “Yeah, that smells like weed.”
Worry not, though. More than just a stroll down Wacky Tobaccy Lane, the 420 Strain G13 remains a beer, and a tasty one at that. It successfully lives up to its pot inspiration while being smooth and fun to drink. We never thought we’d call a beer “pleasantly dank,” yet here we are.
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!