When I saw River Horse Hop haZARD, dry hopped, pale ale at my local candy store, I just had to pick it up. I love hops, especially a beer with a nice hop bouquet.

Here is what the brewers in New Jersey have to say about it…

Brewing the perfect ale is truly a balancing act … Hazardous work you might say. With Hop Hazard our challenge was to hand craft a malt rich base that could counterbalance a combustible five-hop blend and still leave your taste buds with enough room to enjoy a unique, dry-hopped finish.

What is dry hopping? Dry hopping is when a brewer adds hops after the boiling of the wort, either while it is fermenting, or at the end of fermentation in a secondary or aging stage. Hops in beer at this stage only add to the hop aroma, not to the bitterness of the beer which comes from boiling the hops.

Mmm… hops…

Anyway, Hop Hazard poured with a billowing head of foam and a cloudy amber color. (my photo does not show the true color of this beer) It had a nice hop aroma. Though I expected it to be stronger, it still was not a disappointment. The hops were more floral than citrus, nicely bitter, which lingered after sipping. There was some natural sediment so I was more careful the next time I poured.

Hop Hazard was a drinkable and very good pale ale altogether.