For a company called Mad Hops, it is duly noted that of the three flavors that I was sent only one is associated with hops. And then only in pale version. No IPA to be found.
But I truly wanted to see if Mad Hops had cracked the code. I believe in science.
I used Foster’s Premium Ale for a base because I couldn’t bring myself to buy Bud or Coors. It is crisp and simple and light. A good base to squirt flavors into. I then proceeded to add each from my group of three to my taster flight.
I started with the Pale Ale which did not really taste of hops. The drop did add some fullness to the brew but it was cloying. Not sweet but kind of chemically with a weird not real citrus taste. If I had tasted this blind, I would have told you that the beer was off somehow. And if you squirt too much, that last sip, all you get is the added flavor. That leads me to…..
You really need to measure the dosage and you have to stir them in though which sort of goes against the grain of the “on the sly” super-easy doctoring of a plain beer.
The cherry wheat again has a chemical component to it but my overriding taste is 7-11 Slurpee. Neither of which is what I want from a beer. There is also a slight manure tinge to it. Yeah, I said it.
Moving on to the Irish Porter, the smell is a lot better and the coloring is right once stirred. But that flavor is no where near what I call Irish Porter. It is much more coffee milkshake. Mocha light. Still pretty sickly sweet though. I tried the Irish Porter in a fresh glass with a smaller squirt but that didn’t show a marked improvement.
Of the four beers, I would easily take the regular Foster’s. And if someone at a party was just serving Budweiser, well, I would honestly tell them that I drink craft beer and reach for a water. It almost feels more beer snobby to attempt to surreptitiously add Mad Hops to a beer than to be honest.
