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Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) – Portland, OR
Like its namesake, one of the pivotal songs from the band Motorhead, this beer is going to grab you by the shirt and make you take notice. Ace of Spades from Hopworks Urban Brewery aka HUB located in Portland Oregon is a seriously hopped IPA. Ace of Spades is one of three beers from HUB’s Imperial series that they tout as breaking the rules of the playground and seeing how much hoppiness and sustainability you can fit in to a 22oz. bottle. At 8.6%abv and an ibu of 100+ this beer is not for the casual drinker, but if you like IPAs, I highly recommend you give it at least a couple of tries.
I first tried Ace of Spades on tap about a month ago at Rumour taproom in Missoula, MT, when Steve, the manager and purchaser there highly recommended it. I was there looking for a great New England style IPA, so I was not a big fan. But, going in blind to a beer can be a real crap shoot. Everyone’s tastes are different, even between two people that love the same styles and beers. About a week ago, I saw it in the 22oz. bomber bottle and thought I’d give it another go. I came into this tasting much more open, and Ace of Spades delivered BIG time.
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They pack nearly 200 lbs. of Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops into this IPA by adding them in every phase of the brewing and fermenting process, so you can probably guess: it is a real hoppy beer. Using that many hops in that kind of way could be a real mouth-puckerer, but HUB balances it out incredibly well with its choice of malts to make it a very drinkable beer.
Ace of Spades – I think it has a good yellow/orange color with some haze to it, yet is still fairly clear, and has a nice full head. It has a full-flavored taste, with slight hoppy bitterness that works well with the caramel malt flavor. I think it comes on strong with a sweetness, then fades into a nice well-balanced hoppy IPA and tastes really nice. It is a bold feeling beer that packs a good punch, hence the imperial. Overall, if you’re a hophead or someone that likes to explore new beers (especially IPAs), I would recommend you give Ace of Spades Imperial IPA from Hopworks a try. I think you’ll enjoy the experience.
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Happy Exploring,
Tim – Fermented Explorer