In 2005, I first heard about the oncoming release of this beer, and expressed my intention to Lanny Hoff about getting some kegs for the Nile. Before that happened, he was hosting Hildegard and her husband Bas, she the brewer, and he the designer of the "erthel" gnome-like creatures of the label and the lore, shortly after a visit to the Great American Beer Festival. I was asked if I was working that night, and he wanted to bring them in to meet me. At such short notice, I only got about three friends and regular customers to stick around when they arrived, the two of them, Lanny, Dave Anderson, and Corey Shovein, of Hohenstein's. Everyone who was there still talks about it. They brought us bottles of Hop-It (kegs were yet to arrive), and a bottle of Bock for me, as well as a t-shirt which they both autographed, and Bas sketched on. Should have put it away for posterity, don't you know, it got stolen in the laundry.) Aside from a promotional tapping at Monk's Cafe, I was the first to tap Hop-It, lo, those five years ago. (I was also first in this market to tap Stella Artois, but you don't see me bragging about that.)
It's been on=again/off-again, bottles and tap over the years, but I always return to Hop-It. It's part of this month's Belg-a-Rama, and I will refer to my notes from that evening, October 4, 2005, from a bottle. (Had that bottle after going home that night, live online, added it to the BeerAdvocate database ( a ratebeer user, Joris Pattyn, had already rated it on that site), blown away that I'd added a Belgian beer from my apartment in downtown Minneapolis.)
"From the front of the silk-screened 750 ml bottle, the phrase "Superior Hoppy Belgian Ale" sits above the logo, complete with the Erthel gnome, wearing a wreath of hops around his bald head, smiling with beer mug in hand. Below the "Hop-iT" logo, the words, "Brewers Excellent Selection of Hops", amid graphics of hops. Hops used: 50% Magnum, 32% Spalt, 18% Saaz. 80 IBU. Pilsner malts.
From the back of the bottle: "Following a visit to American Northwest in January 2005, Hildegard returned to Belgium enthusiastic about all of the different IPAs she had tasted. She knew that she wanted to brew an IPA of her own, but it had to be with a real Flemish touch. Her touch!"
Cork comes off almost on it's own. The pours into an Urthel Pache' glass a hazed, pale gold, with a prodigious head, captured well by the glass, a huge, puffy white cloud, leaving loads of lace, slowly settling.
Aroma is brilliant, spice and citrus zest leaping from the glass, finding happy haven in the nose...lemon, apricot, pineapple, ...the Saaz really comes through, emitting a distinctive floral beauty, along with the spicy spark.
That zest continues it's attack once it climbs on the tongue. Moreover, the mouthfeel is almost ingenious, as the flavor sticks to the palate tenaciously, clinging and delivering bitterness and deliciousness.
Full bodied, with a long, fruity, bitter finish.
Each new sip grants more of this intractable potency, until you slowly realize the strength of this one (9.5%)...but it does take awhile, and meanwhile, it's damnably drinkable. Puts many a Belgian golden ale or tripel to shame.
I think Hildegard struck a homer on this one, her intentions were successfully made reality. It reminds one of an American DIPA, until you taste and feel all the parts that are uniquely Flemish. A stunning accomplishment. I like it more and more as the glass drains and my stomach fills...I will be enjoying more and more of this in the future, that is a guarantee!
Although I review this from a bottle at home, I was granted the rare treat of having my first taste of this fine beer in the company of Hildegard herself, as well as Bas Vas Ostern, the man behind the Urthels, and several other fine folks, as well. Many thanks, Hildegard, keep on brewin'...or, should I say, "Pache'!"
