Arcadia Brewing Company- Hop Rocket: I’m A Rocket Man
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 6:43PM | by Jason 
With all the various Craft Beers I have tried from the great state of Michigan I find myself seeking out MI brews whenever I can find them. That combined with the fact that Wes is a native son of Michigan, I frequently have to listen to him talk up the quality of brews coming from his home state. So far I haven’t been disappointed. On my last trip to the beverage depot it was recommended to me to try an offering from a brewery in Battle Creek, MI. The brewery to which I speak is Arcadia Brewing Company and their beer, Hop Rocket. Will Hop Rocket make my taste buds take off, let’s see.
Arcadia Brewing Company classifies this brew as an Imperial IPA and their website describes Hop Rocket as, “After 11 years of brewing beer with balance, our Brew Crew took a left turn with Hop Rocket Imperial IPA, a massive Imperial that focuses on the hops! At 111 IBUs, this huge ale rockets off the charts with a massive nose of sticky, resinous hops and flavors of grapefruit, lemon peel, spruce, earthy mushrooms and dew-covered grass. While the focus truly is on the hops, a pleasant, sweet malt base backs the beer and balances it to a delicious level of drinkability with notes of toffee and freshly baked biscuits. This extraordinary Imperial IPA will age gracefully. Bitterness will become subdued and flavors will round out with age. A delicious brew for sipping, Hop Rocket will also pair nicely with many foods.” Hop Rocket is a limited release offering and it is indicated by the rocket on the label that this is an 11th Anniversary Ale.
Hop Rocket pours a cloudy caramel/amber color with a minimal ¼” cream colored head that fades quickly with a strong grapefruit aroma with piney notes and strong alcohol smell. Hop Rocket is 9.0% ABV.
This is an interesting concoction. If the average craft brew was compared to an 87 octane gas, Hop Rocket is aptly named as it is the equivalent of jet fuel. It starts with a strong citrus/malt liftoff, nice hop bitterness as it hits the thermosphere and then an alcohol fueled dryness as it hits outer space. Typically I don’t feel or taste the alcohol in some of the other higher ABV brews but Hop Rocket has a warming effect as it goes down and it is not as bitter as I would have expected with an IBU of 111. This is a good Imperial IPA that is worth trying and continues to prove that Michigan is a Craft Beer destination for beer lovers everywhere.
Side Note: Arcadia Brewing Company has an excellent example of what a website should look like, great website!!
ABV: 9.0%
Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass
Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack
