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Wow, the aroma on this hop water from Highland Park Brewery when the can is opened is large. I am getting mint initially. That settles into straight up lupulin cone flavor. Like tearing a hop apart. That is really good. It just tastes like being in a hop field. I had low hopes since most hop waters are only so-so but this is a winner. Gonna need more of these.
Setting aside “adaptagens” and “nootropics”, do we need sparkling water to be both double hopped and dry hopped? And who in the sparkling water customer base is going to see that and yank it from the shelves?
What I find extra funny is that the hops are not even labeled but they had room to write “for extra bold flavor”.
Not Needed!
Since I take a couple days off from alcohol and caffeine each week, I have needed a replacement drink. I have settled in on Trader Joe’s sparkling water. (grapefruit being a favorite) But I have dabbled in other sparklers so when I saw the Lagunitas Hop Water, I decided to give it a try. The drink pours a strange off white, ever so slightly green in color. Initial aroma is that of pear. Taste starts with citrus hops but quickly heads to sodaville. Has the sparkling water fizz to it. Tangerine at the end for me. Edging towards candy. If you tend to the soda side of sparkling water with a note of hops, then you will like this.
Now that H2OPS is in my local Whole Foods, I will occasionally pick up a bottle partially to spite the La Croix people but also I like the taste of it. I wish it were hoppier and that they had single-hop waters but I am not complaining.
Now Lagunitas with that mad Heineken money is getting into the sparkle water segment with a Citra, Equinox, and Centennial hops water as part of (I guess) their foray into weed water, Hi-Fi Hops.
This water also has brewers yeast “which the company said will “biotransform-ate the hops to just the right flavour.”
Personally, I think the spiked water trend is not long for this world, much like the spiked soda’s seem on the verge of playing out. Maybe this will work but it will need to have some actual hop kick for me to buy more than one.