Hopadillo - Karbach Review
With so many people moving to Texas nowadays and with new faces always finding their way to craft beer, it’s important for us to relive the icons that make Texas craft brewing great.
One of those icons is Hopadillo from Karbach Brewing out of Houston, Texas. There are few things loved more in Texas than beer, but one of those things is the armadillo. It’s a tough little critter with a hard exterior to prove it. But it’s also a complex beast that lives in holes and digs for its food. What better creature to name an IPA after?
And in the way of complexity, Hopadillo has few competitors, boasting a malt bill of 2-row pale, medium crystal, dark crystal, Munich, and biscuit, and a hop bill of German Magnum, Cascade, Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe, and East Kent Goldings.
It really doesn’t get any more complex than that, with ingredients representing all corners of the prospering beer world, but let’s see how this icon fits the complexity of Texas.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Golden and clear with the slightest red tinge from the Munich malt. Hopadillo is topped with an off-white, tight-pored, and stable head.
On the Nose--Undoubtedly hoppy with the fruitier notes of Citra and Amarillo shining, Citra with a particular edge. Hop forward, but also subdued, alluding to what we hope is good balance in a strong beast.
On the Palate--Hop forward indeed! The fruity, lighter notes of the aroma step aside for the aggressive Cascade and Simcoe hops. They add dense grapefruit and earthy flavors that linger right through the bitter and clean finish. But the malt really stands up in Hopadillo with a lot of depth and a steady biscuit flavor coming through. We can thank the biscuit and Munich malt for that—both being interesting but intelligent additions to this IPA. Hopadillo has a medium body but a decently full mouthfeel and a slightly dry finish.
Food Pairings: Karbach suggests pairing Hopadillo with Thai cuisine, red curry, bleu cheese, and grilled steak.
Final Thoughts:
The IPA is a difficult category to stand out in. And, honestly, some of them are terrible … drinkable, but terrible. Hopadillo is a great IPA, and there are many reasons why. The first is its complexity. Some brewers throw as many ingredients (hops specifically) into the vat and call it a day, but the malt needs to be present to add meat to the spine. Hopadillo has this, with a few important and unique additions of Munich and Biscuit malt. This pairs well with the new world (Amarillo, Cascade, Citra, Simcoe) hops and the old world stalwarts (German Magnum, East Kent Goldings). Hopadillo is very deliberate, and that’s also apparent by their use of the iconic armadillo as their mascot. This only adds to the attraction of the beer. If you’re from here, you’ll pick it up for that reason, and if you’re new, you’ll do the same, and the beer will back up the label in the best ways possible.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew