Craft Beer Spotlight: Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

Hop Bullet By Sierra Nevada

I’ve never considered myself a “hop head” but I rarely pass up the opportunity to try a new Double IPA. So I didn’t hesitate to grab Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet when I saw it on the shelf for the first time.

Sierra Nevada rarely makes a beer that I have to seek out but since they released Hazy Little Thing, I have a new found interest in their new releases.

Review Of Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet

IPAs were not my thing when I first tried craft beer. The harsh bite of the hop bitterness wasn’t for me – I preferred the smooth, approachable flavor of a wheat, stout or brown ale.

I specifically avoided Double IPAs as I assumed that if I didn’t like IPAs that I wouldn’t like the Imperial version either.

Turns out I was wrong; many Double IPAs gain balance with a heavier malt presence to balance out the heavy hops. In addition, many have a near sweet taste. This balance of strong flavors converted me into an IPA fan.

From there, it wasn’t long until I liked IPAs of all kinds.

This specific Double IPA, Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet is 8% ABV and 60 IBUs.

Here is how Sierra Nevada describes it:

Hops are the name of the game with a Double IPA, but we knew we had to take it one step further. With Hop Bullet, we’re using a new technique, hitting the beer with a double-barreled blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust—pure, concentrated hop flavor—directly into the tank to emphasize the intense pine and citrus flavors of classic West Coast hops.

Initial Thoughts

Based on the relatively low IBUs incomparison to the ABV, I had a feeling this would be a smooth Double IPA compared to others that can be very harsh.

After opening, I quickly noticed the strong aroma. It has a stinky, pine nose to it that very reminiscent of a West Coast IPA. This is quite the opposite of the New England IPAs that I often drink.

The color was a golden, amber and a full 1 inch head formed on top of this Double IPA. This appearance was really inviting.

Tasting Notes

I dove right into this Double IPA as I wanted to enjoy most of it while it was still cold.

The flavor was just where I expected it to be based on the aroma. I got big notes of pine that was quickly followed by soft citrus flavors.

The body was much lighter than I’d come to expect from a Double IPA. This wasn’t an issue as it added its level of approach-ability.

In many other Double IPAs, the malt and hop flavors are much stronger. So this comes off a little soft but depending on what you are in the mood for this might be a good thing.

Most of the bitterness is in the finish and it made my mouth water for more.

Final Thoughts

This 8% Double IPA drinks like an IPA that is under 6%. The light body and softer flavors provide a much easier drinking experience that most beers in this category.

But it doesn’t lack any of the flavor as it is bursting with hops.

Double IPAs can often be palate wrecking beers but this one isn’t. It falls into the world of “crushable” beers – meaning they go down very smooth.

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Conculsion

Sierra Nevada has a huge customer base so they have to make a wide variety of beers that meet many different needs. Hop Bullet is a beer that will meet the need of just about any IPA lover.

For those that prefer IPAs, this is a Double that isn’t harsh or too strong. And for Double IPA fans, it still has a strong finish and higher ABV.

This isn’t the type beer that will “wow” you but it is the kind that you’ll gladly grab a six pack of when you want a nice West Coast IPA.