Review: Troegs Hop Back Amber Ale

Ever read Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss?

It’s so tragic the way they hopped on pop.

Hopping on people is not a nice thing to do. It is never appropriate to jump up and down on top of someone, even in jest. Even if you only hop with one foot, as so many exuberant youngsters are apt to do. I went through a hopping phase as a teenager. I apologize to anyone who suffered because of my thoughtless and out of control hopping.

My boy Edgar Allan Poe wrote Hop-Frog. This is a good story, but I do not advocate hopping on frogs, court jesters, or little people. They might get mad and set your stuff on fire. Best to leave them unhopped, lest they sue you for wrongful hopping.

I recall a childhood game called hopscotch, which I had until recently thought involved numbered squares and a lot of single malt Scottish whiskey. In this game it is OK to hop, but only on certain areas, reinforcing the idea that we as a species need to be careful and mindful of how and where we hop.

Hopping needs to be monitored and controlled. If not, we might see a resurgence of the Pogo-stick. No one wants that. Hopping also inevitable leads to skipping, and we all know what skipping leads to (the loo).

The exception to this rule centers around the use of actual hops (Humulus lupulus); the type found growing in tall, fragrant rows all across the German countryside. These hops should be used with impunity. Hop often and hop many.

Troegs Brewing Company decided to not hop forward, not sideways, not upwards, and not downwards, but back. I’m guessing this is to pay homage to the little surprised jump you make when you taste this well balanced, hoppy masterpiece. Your legs cannot help but be overtaken by the extreme desire to hop, and hop you shall. Backwards, in joy and satisfaction.

As you hop back, you’ll notice this beer’s distinct, almost red, copper color. It’s as if someone dissolved a bunch of iron nails in the brew kettle, but somehow managed to filter out all of the metallic taste. The intense aroma will waft back to you (because smells can’t hop, silly) and you’ll imagine yourself rolling around in a big pile of freshly picked hop cones, getting all tweaked out like a kitty who got into a fresh bag of catnip.

In this instance, you might want to hop for joy. It is OK to do so, but be quick about it.

9.75 out of 10.