I keep circling back to the IPA. There’s little doubt it’s my favorite category. I was so impressed with the Octopi IPA #2 I (reviewed recently) that I wanted to try another one of their beers. With that in mind, I grabbed the HopRocket last night. I raved about it for the IPA #2 as well, but this can design is phenomenal. A drop of color explodes downward, interrupting a pristine white field. In order to get these vibrant colors, Octopi seems to have gone with a shrink-wrapped label that offers a wider color range during the printing process. I’d be curious to know more about this label printing method, because the can is cool AF and I could see a lot of brewers switching to it soon.
Up against the HopRocket, I grabbed a Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA. Sierra Nevada Brewing brings back memories, as it was one of my favorite brewers when I first started enjoying beer. I’ve moved on to others as the craft beer movement boomed in recent years, but seeing a Sierra Nevada on the shelf always tempts me.
HopDuel Survey
| Better label | Octopi Brewing HopRocket |
| Better aroma | Octopi Brewing HopRocket |
| Better taste | Octopi Brewing HopRocket |
| Better finish | Octopi Brewing HopRocket |
| Winner | Octopi Brewing HopRocket |
Tell us about it
Just like the IPA #2, I found the Octopi HopRocket to be fantastic! A hazy golden pour, a bitter yet citrusy nose, and a creamy, almost tropical taste with a very smooth finish. I was surprised that the bitterness I felt in the aroma did not find it’s way to the finish, and this lead to a light but complex beer.
To my dismay, the Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo was a little on the bland side. There wasn’t anything unexpected about this beer, just a straight forward citrus IPA with the bright notes of pineapple and coconut. Not a bad beer, but not enough to topple the HopRocket in this one.
HopDuel 