Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Hop in the Dark
Hop Trip

Fish & Chips
Cuban Sandwich
Chicken & Dumplings

First brewed in 2006, Deschutes Brewery’s Hop Henge Experimental IPA reappears this year with more extreme hop flavors than ever before. The new formulation is the epitome of the brewery’s experimental style and commitment to innovation, while gratifying their unquenchable thirst for beautifully balanced hoppy beers. The newest incarnation of Hop Henge uses several new hop processes and techniques to create a truly unique and unexpected beer.

Several pounds of Centennial & Cascade  hops are in each barrel with a heavy dry-hop presence to top it off. A blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creates an overall biscuity characteristic that is dense and muscular, building the alcohol base to support the monstrous hop profile.

When one of our brewers came up with the name Hop Henge, he also came up with the idea of actually recreating Stonehenge, only with hop bales. We were up for the challenge and even though the weather did not want to cooperate, we pulled it off and threw a party afterwards. Click here to view the photos.

Ratings, Awards & Notables
World's Best Strong Pale Ale (Imperial IPA)
2007 World Beer Awards

World's 50 Best Beers
2006 International Beer Challenge

Gold Medal, 92 Points
2006 World Beer Championships

Silver Medal, India Pale Ale Category
2006 Australian International Beer Awards

Modern Brewery Age, February 12, 2007
5 out 5 stars
Hop Henge started its life as an India Pale Ale, but this year it was bumped up to “Imperial IPA” status, with a hefty dose of additional hops.
“This one is lovely,” said taster Tom Conti. “They got it just right.”
It pours out a deep amber, with an appealing rocky head, and rich hop aroma wafting from the glass. “They sure dosed it with a lot of hops...[there’s] a lot of hop bitterness in the taste,” one taster observed.
In addition to the Imperial-level hopping, Hop Henge also boasts Imperial-level alcohol content, with 8.1% a.b.v.
This was the top-rated beer during its tasting session, and tasters had to dig deep for new superlatives to describe it. “This is a beautiful beer,” concluded taster Gregg Glaser. “Full of flavor and hops and malt and hops again.”
“Not for the timid,” said taster Robert Lachman.

Alc. by Vol.
8.75%