Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. 'Hoppy Poppy' IPA. 6.5% abv. 65 IBU. Honey color. Clear. Two+ fingers of thick white foamy head. Superb retention and excellent lacing. Nose of pine, light fruit, faint sweet citrus, floral hops. Front taste of bitter citrus rind, grapefruit, sweet bread. Aftertaste of ample bitter fruity hops, grapefruit peel, sweet light malt sustain, dry finish. Light-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bright, tangy, carby.

This is an excellent IPA, a simple but well-crafted category beer. Although it touts poppy seeds in its brew, something that sets it apart from others in its class, this is firmly an IPA with no intention of blurring that line to Double or Imperial. As with most similar beers, the malt here is light and the hops are abundant, both in aroma and taste. The flavors of citrus and tall bitter hops are fresh and bright throughout, with a floral hop resin taste that comes across as the temp rises. An excellent beer all around. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"Hoppy Poppy IPA is a light-bodied, 'west coast' India pale ale featuring Centennial, Cascade, and Simcoe hops and poppy seeds. Like Figueroa Mountain in May, this brew is bursting with a bouquet of floral, citrusy hop flavors and aromas.  Enjoy this beer as you dream of green meadows dusted with wild flowers and poppies… Inspired by the poppies growing on Figueroa Mountain in the spring. The California poppy was designated as the state flower in 1903… Bursting with a floral bouquet and notes of citrus and pine; bright aromas of grapefruit, orange oil, lemon zest and pine needles abound. The flavor is mellow and smooth with a very moderate lingering bitterness."

[source: figmtnbrew.com]

Modern Times 'Blazing World' Hoppy Dank Amber Ale. 6.8% abv. 85 IBU. Copper color. Finger of white small-bead head. Good retention, excellent lace. Nose of sweet malt, light fruit, caramel. Front taste is bright herbal hops, roasted grain, tall malt profile. Aftertaste is bitter hop sustain, toffee back end. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, 

carby, creamy from the carb.

This is an excellent beer, one that challenges beer categories. It's considered an amber but strikes me as an imperial IPA, with its aggressive hop profile and scorched malt sweetness. Whatever you conclude it is, this beer is worth your time. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"This beer is the stickiest of the icky. It's a luxuriously hoppy amber loaded up with intemperate quantities of Nelson, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops, which are some of the fruitiest, dankest hops sweet, sweet money can buy. Despite its amber hue, Blazing World is pleasingly dry, sporting a lightly bready malt backbone that serves as platform for the huge & complex hop profile."
[source: moderntimesbeer.com]

Sierra Nevada 'Beer Camp 2015' Hoppy Lager. 7% abv. 55 IBU. Orange-honey color. Thick bubbly white head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of citrus, bread, light malt. Front taste of ample bright hops, light malt, slightly sweet. Aftertaste of bitter floral hops, fresh herbal, smooth back end. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, carby, hop bite.

This is an excellent beer, with its fresh hoppy profile and light fruit notes. The hop bitter taste pops, yet is smooth, easy drinking, on through the aftertaste sustain. Grab one of these limited-release brews while you can. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"This hop-heavy beer combines intense citrus and floral hop flavors with the clean, classic malt body of a hearty blonde lager for a crisp but aggressive take on the India Style Pale Lager... Last summer we teamed up with San Diego's Ballast Point for a hop-head twist on a crisp lager. We remixed this encore which is loaded with whole-cone hops in the brew kettle and in our Hop Torpedo to deliver a bold aroma backed by smooth malt flavor... Beer Camp is the ultimate brewing experience. We bring beer fans into our brewery nearly every week to create their own beer with us—the more daring the better—and each spring we’ll highlight one of the small-batch standouts. Last year, Beer Camp worked overtime. Along with our fan brews, we made 12 additional beers with 12 exceptional breweries. Choosing one for an encore wasn’t easy. Ever drawn to hops, we decided to reimagine our hoppy lager collaboration with Ballast Point."

[source: sierranevada.com]

Brew Dog '5AM Saint' Hoppy Red Ale. 5% abv. 35 IBU. Amber-ruby color. Thick ivory head that falls quickly to a thin surface with good retention and great lace. Nose is malty, floral hoppy. Front taste is caramel, strong malt, bright hops. Aftertaste is malt, hops, herbal. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, sticky. This is an outstanding red, better than most and worth seeking out.

From the brewery:

"Five AM is The Holy Grail of red ales. We live in a world of disposable deities. Someone, somehow has managed to press that big, flashing moronic override button and we are hard wired straight into the pockets of false idols trying to make a quick buck. Sadly, for a lot of people the same mentality applies to beer. But who is to know what is worth worshiping when monolithic advertising budgets have you sucked down the rabbit hole in the blink of an eye? At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many peoples eyes as possible. Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity. Once this ruby liquid forms a foamy halo around your glass, you will never want to look back."