Looks:
Smell:
Taste:
Overall:
Description:
At Orpheus, we stand by our motto, “Don’t look back”. That can mean having to experiment with new ingredients and techniques. For Hop Experiment #1, we focused on a new hop, Hallertau Blanc. Hallertau Blanc is named after Sauvignon Blanc, and this beer gets the same bright gooseberry and grass flavor that you would expect from the wine. (Description provided by company)
Brewer:
Beer Style:
ABV:
7.00% ABV
Availability Frequency:
August
Containers Available:
draft
Locations Where Available:
Georgia
Store/Serve Temperature:
close to 55 degrees F
Comments
Let the great experiment BEGIN!
Orpheus is a pretty new brewery entering into a crowded craft scene in Atlanta. Their Hop Experiment #1 is the first I've tried. I'll be trying many more.
HE#1 pours a pretty clear golden color with a decent-enough head. Small and frothy, it sticks around for a while before dissipating. But goodness, that smell! This beer tastes great (more on that in a bit) but the smell might be the best part! I'd never heard of Hellertau Blanc hops before, and I don't think I know what gooseberries smell like (it's in the beer's description), but this pleasant floral aroma is positively intoxicating. You are going to want to drink this beer after you smell it.
There's a little bit of carbonation here, just enough for the beer to feel smooth and pleasant in your mouth.
For a beer with "hop" in the name, HE#1 is surprisingly NOT bitter. You get plenty of hop flavor without much bitter aftertaste. Hardly any, really. It tastes pleasantly fruity, but certainly not sweet or cloying in any way.
If you have a chance to try this beer, you really should. If you are hop-averse, don't sweat it. It just might shove you head-over-heels into hop-love territory.