Battle of Hops IPA - Viva Brewery Review
I have not always lived in a city, and upon moving to San Antonio, we discovered that each city has its own life and traditions. One of the more iconic traditions here in San Antonio is Fiesta and the Battle of Flowers. It is an event that is bright and vibrant and attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year. So naturally, a San Antonio brewer had to give us an IPA to celebrate it with.
Introducing the Battle of Hops IPA from Viva Brewery. On their website, Viva says “Battle of Hops was crafted in the spirit of Fiesta” and provides “complex malt flavors, tropical aromas, and clean finishing bitterness.” This IPA is brimming with El Dorado, Citra, and Amarillo hops to create a brew with 6.9% ABV and 69 IBUs.
Well, I’m sold. Let’s see if Battle of Hops is as vibrant as Fiesta itself.
First Impressions
On the Eyes--Battle of Hops is golden and hazy with an unfiltered look and topped with a thick (nearly two fingers) and persistent head.
On the Nose--The three hops compete and blend nicely with aromas of pineapple, tropical fruits, and orange. The aroma of each hop is quite distinct – citrus from the Citra, orange from the Amarillo, and tropical fruit sweetness from the El Dorado. So far so good. Let’s chug!
On the Palate--The pineapple and citrus are the most prominent flavors with a touch of papaya that leads to a clean and slightly dry finish. The citrus bitterness lingers a bit, but not oppressively. Battle of Hops is smooth through the finish with a medium-body. The sweet tropical fruits balance nicely with the bitter citrus. It is quite juicy with enough kick to leave the drinker feeling the spirit of San Antonio’s Fiesta any day of the year. I don’t get a lot of malt sweetness, but the El Dorado hops provide enough sweetness to balance the beer quite well.
Verdict
If you like fruity and heavily hopped IPAs, Battle of Hops is for you. The sweet and lively characteristics of the Amarillo and El Dorado hops blend nicely with the Citra hop prominence, making this a pretty approachable IPA. Give Battle of Hops a try. It is vibrant like Fiesta and it reminds us of San Antonio’s equally vibrant fruterías. If you’re visiting our city of San Antonio, put a Viva beer on your try list.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew