OHUB Review: The Hopburst IPA Lineup from 10 Barrel Brewing
Luke Cuenco 10.31.23
As a native to not just the Pacific Northwest, but the city of Portland itself, I’m no stranger to the 10 Barrel Brewing Company or the Portland IPA scene. While IPAs are not my favorite type of beer or even something I seek out on a regular basis, I am willing to at least try them before I write them off completely. Coincidentally I happened to be able to get my hands on a couple of cases of 10 Barrel’s new Hopburst IPA lineup, which features not just a fresh new look for the cans, but also a brand new flavor. Now no IPA review would be fair if it was just me reviewing it – I admittedly and not a huge fan of the brew style. That’s why I’ve brought in Kaite, who is an IPA sommelier (a term I just made up) to help me review 10 Barrel’s three newest brews in the updated Hopburst lineup.
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OHUB Review: The Hopburst IPA Lineup from 10 Barrel Brewing
10 Barrel has an extensive lineup of brews ranging from the simple, inexpensive Pub Beer (a favorite of mine), to Golden Ales and Pilsners and everything in between. The Hopburst lineup is an updated take on an old favorite that literally adds in more hops at the end of the brewing cycle for a literal burst of hops that adds to the flavor of each of these IPAs. The new lineup consists of a West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, and finally a Double IPA giving the new lineup a bit of variety on its own, even within 10 Barrel’s extensive lineup of beers. Today we’ll address each of these new brews individually, and then give you our overall impressions of the Hopburst line as a whole – bottoms up!
Hopburst “Apocalypse” West Coast IPA
FLAVOR PROFILE
- Citrusy, piney, and light malt aroma
- Bravo, Northern Brewer, Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo hops
- Medium bodied with complex dank notes
- ABV: 6.8%
- IBUs: 70
- Availability: Year Round
Probably my least favorite out of the bunch, the West Coast “Apocalypse” IPA leans heavily on the citrusy flavors but also comes in strong with the hoppiness and a bit piney to my taste. Not as in your face as the Double IPA quite as strong as the Hazy IPA, Apocalypse seems like it’d be pretty good with virtually any food pairing, but would probably find itself most at home at a barbecue or a night out camping. The can art for each of these new beers is great and are all tied together by popular West Coast outdoor sports. In the case of the Apocalypse West Coast IPA, the can art features some pretty rad dirt-biking-themed art. If you’re interested in seeing the full set of art, you can check out the Hoburst Lookbook on this page. Katie has similar observations about the Apocalypse being too piney-tasting and feels that the flavor overwhelms pretty much everything else and doesn’t mix well with the other brews in the bunch.
Hopburst “Cloud Mentality” Hazy IPA
FLAVOR PROFILE
- Big, juicy flavor with mild bitterness
- Strata, El Dorado, Simcoe hops
- Balanced, medium malt body
- ABV: 7%
- IBUs: 55
- Availability: Year Round
This one was Katie’s most favored and probably strikes the balance between all three of the Hopburst IPAs. Cloud Mentality is said to “be what a sunset tastes like.” Cloud mentality definitely still carries over the hoppiness of the entire lineup, but is much less piney and bitter tasting, making this beer a much better one to just sit and drink all on its own. With a full 15 points reduced IBU rating, this should come as no surprise. If you’re not a huge fan of IPAs this one might be your best bet if you’re curious about the lineup. This flavor’s can art features a tasteful sunset scene with hops blowing in the wind.
Hopburst “All Ways Down” Double IPA
FLAVOR PROFILE
- Aggressive hop aroma
- El Dorado, Bravo, Simcoe, Mosaic, Azacca hops
- Smooth drinking with bright citrus
- ABV: 9%
- IBUs: 75
- Availability: Year Round
The strongest and most bitter of the bunch, the Double IPA is quite strong and full of flavor. While Katie is a fan of strong IPAs she says that this one is almost too much for her with her once again favoring the Hazy IPA option because of its balanced flavor. The All Ways Down for me is quite similar, It is alright for a can or two but can overwhelm the palate pretty quickly because of its bitterness combined with the already aggressive hop aroma that a Double IPA already carries on top of the Hopburst methodology 10 Barrel has going on for this line. This one is probably best suited for hardcore IPA drinkers who are looking for something to sit down for a beer or two to just enjoy the aromas. This can feature pretty neat art, probably my favorite – snowboards, mountain bikes, and skiing!
Final Thoughts
10 Barrel is one of my favorite brewing companies for a reason. First, they are local to me and I love supporting my local brewers in any way I can. Second, 10 Barrel has such a strong drink library to choose from that pretty much anyone who is looking to knock back a couple of brews for the evening with friends can find something they’ll enjoy. Lastly, 10 Barrel puts a lot of effort into not just their product, but their presentation of their product. The Hopburst IPA lineup as a whole is a great showcase of all of these strong points and while not all of its offerings are ones I’d come back to of my own volition, Katie at least found one she’d like to pick up again, that being the Cloud Mentality Hazy IPA. For those looking for something bitter, hoppy, and light there is the West Coast IPA, and for those looking to seek out the bold flavor of a Double IPA, the All Ways Down offering is sure to impress even the most seasoned of IPA drinkers.
