Things have been pretty crazy at work, so I was looking for a nice hoppy beer when I got home today. Of all the beers in the fridge, this one looked like it had the most potential. The bottle says, “Michigan-grown hops are the story in this seasonal harvest ale. Hopivore is wet-hopped, with hops added to the brew just hours after harvest, creating rare, fresh flavors.”
Numbers: 5.85% ABV, 55 IBUs
Appearance & Aroma: It was very clear, and had a dark amber-red color, with almost no head. There was a tiny ring of bubbles around the glass. The aroma was mostly malty, but there was a light floral hop smell as well.
Taste & Feel: Light bodied and crisp, there was a little bit of a carbonation bite up front. There was a decent caramel malty flavor in the middle, followed by a mostly caramel malty flavor with a bit of a piney/earthy hop flavor in the finish. It was well balanced, but seemed to lean more toward a malty side.
Food Pairing: I was surprised by the maltiness of this beer, and think it would go well with a warm roast beef sandwich. In particular, it would go great with an onion covered bun soaked in au jus. The onion would help to bring out the piney/earthy hop flavor and the maltiness would go along nicely with the beef and au jus.
Overall Impression: While it was nicely balanced, I was expecting much more hop flavor from a beer with this name. There was a bit of hop flavor in the finish, but the malt flavor seemed to overtake it. Overall, it was a decent pale ale, but it had a very deceptive name.
My Rating: 
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