Epic Hop Zombie, India Pale Ale

Product of: Epic Brewing Company, Aotearoa, New Zealand

Serving Style: 12 FL OZ. glass bottle

I’ve had a hankering for highly hopped beer lately, and although I’m normally skeptical of beers with gimmicky sounding names, the Epic Hop Zombie is all right in my book.

Smell: The Epic Hop Zombie smells something like the fruit bar on a tropical vacation. Such citrusy aromas as grapefruit and lime mix with mango and the hops the label promised. The aroma is strong and complex, but not my favorite. 3.7/5

Appearance: One finger’s worth of white head rests atop a clear goldenrod body with moderate carbonation. The glass lacing is impressively long-lasting for an average-bodied beer. 3.9/5

Taste: The hops didn’t hit me with the force I expected them to, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, the hops drive home the taste, but the introductory taste that’s sweeter and more bready than expected is the real winner here. It primes the mouth for the citrus, hops, and bitter alcohol to follow. What Epic Brewing has really gotten right here is a flavor profile that’s dynamic but not overpowering. 4.6/5

Overall: At 8.5 percent ABV, a large part of Epic Hop Zombie’s flavor is the bite of alcohol, enough that I question if the beer might benefit from having the alcohol scaled back just a little so the other flavors would have a chance to be heard as well. I’d recommend this beer to light-beer drinkers brave enough to step out of their comfort zones and to anyone who’s a fan of a good India Pale Ale. 12.2/15