Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian is a 7% American IPA from Nomcraft Brewing, based in Aridagawa, in Wakayama, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in bottles and on tap. Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian is a double-dry hopped IPA, so it has had two lots of hops used in the post fermentation. It also uses the Conan strain of yeast – the same one that is rumoured to be contained in The Alchemist’s Heady Topper, the infamous NE-IPA that perhaps started off the haze craze.
Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian Aroma and Taste
Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian poured out a dark amber colour with a plump white head on top that clung to the side of the glass throughout drinking. The nose was an orangey one with hints of pine and a light dusting of citrus fruits – think lemon and grapefruit – and an underlying malt sweetness that was neither potent or cloying. As Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian warmed up, there were some hints of peach and mango that also came through – it was hard to let this one warm up though as I wanted to drink it as quickly as I could.
The body, while a little darker than expected, had lashings of fruit going on – and that was only because I waited! The mix of citrus fruits and stone fruits aka peach and mango, was really good and made Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian a really drinkable beer. That sounds like a cop-out I know, but it really was well balanced and something that I would drink more of. The faint sweetness of the malts helped balance out some of the acidity from the citrus fruit flavours, and took away a little bit of the stickiness from the hoppy flavours in the aftertaste.
Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian The Bottom Line
Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian is a fruity explosion in the mouth – recommended.
Where to Buy Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian
Nomcraft Hoppy the Barbarian can be bought online at the following places:
