West Coast The Hop Oracle is an 8.5% hazy double IPA from West Coast Brewing, based in Mochimune, Shizuoka. It’s part of their canned and draft lineup, though we’re unsure if it’s a regular or seasonal beer at the time of writing. Surprisingly enough, West Coast The Hop Oracle does not contain any Mosaic or Citra – I know, talk about being shocked! Rather it uses El Dorado and Riwaka hops.
West Coast The Hop Oracle : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 8.5%
- Style : Hazy double IPA
- Hops : El Dorado / Riwaka
- IBU : –
Sale Information
- Availability : –
- On Sale : From August 2022
- Size : 500ml
- Price : From ¥1,200
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Orange with some light dusting of lemon and lime. Touch of mango when warm.
- Notable Tastes : Slight bitterness but overall, fruity with orange, lemon, & lime. Mango when warm. Slight alcohol heat when warm.
West Coast The Hop Oracle : The Full Review
It’s been a while since I’ve had a beer from West Coast Brewing – too much of a good thing, or perhaps tired from too many hazy beers, you decide – but I had heard some good things about West Coast The Hop Oracle and those statements were about how fresh and poppy the beer was.
West Coast The Hop Oracle poured out a hazy dark golden orange colour with a thin amount of white head on top, though that didn’t really last long. It left some small bubbles down the side of the glass as the beer went down. The aroma started with one akin to orange peel and a freshly peeled tangerine / satsuma, with some stringent lemon and a dash of lime to follow. At 8.5%, I was expecting some alcohol heat to come through, but it didn’t – even when West Coast The Hop Oracle had warmed up. Though as it did, there was some fresh mango pulp aroma that followed through and just a modicum of sweetness.
The body began with a bitter orange twist, but it was smooth rather than astringent, and felt in balance with the rest of the flavours going on. The orange and lemon were the two strongest flavours in the body, with the mango only coming through once West Coast The Hop Oracle had warmed up. As it was drunk, West Coast The Hop Oracle left a slight sticky bitter sweetness on the palate, with just a touch of alcohol heat when warm.
West Coast The Hop Oracle : The Bottom Line
I liked West Coast The Hop Oracle when chilled, and also when warm. It’s good to see someone making hazies without the typical Mosaic and Citra combo.
West Coast The Hop Oracle : Where to Buy
West Coast The Hop Oracle can be bought online at the following places:
