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Forwarning, I'm not great at reviewing food, music, and art.
Forwarning, I'm not great at reviewing food, music, and art.
Lagunitas Hop: Hoppy Refresher
Lagunitas Hop: Hoppy Refresher
Ingredients
Ingredients
- carbonated water, dried hops, brewer's yeast, natural flavors.
- The bottle says it has 65mg of potassium, which could be from an acid or preservative that falls under natural flavors.
- Supposedly, the hops are Citra, Centennial, and Equinox. There is also the sweetener stevia.
This is my favorite hop water, but that is of the two I've tried. I think it has a good balance of flavor. The hoppy flavor is present, but the expected bitterness is very low. In hindsight, the bitterness is likely blocked by the stevia sweetener. Maybe the yeast also adds some proteins to block out more of that bitterness and add complexity. The Citra comes through clearly in the taste; but if Centennial hops are like Cascade hops, I am not getting that level of citrus notes. However, I don't have too much experience in these hops and flavors yet. The sweetness reminds me of ripe fruit, but it's not one of those dank fruit notes found in some hops.
This is my favorite hop water, but that is of the two I've tried. I think it has a good balance of flavor. The hoppy flavor is present, but the expected bitterness is very low. In hindsight, the bitterness is likely blocked by the stevia sweetener. Maybe the yeast also adds some proteins to block out more of that bitterness and add complexity. The Citra comes through clearly in the taste; but if Centennial hops are like Cascade hops, I am not getting that level of citrus notes. However, I don't have too much experience in these hops and flavors yet. The sweetness reminds me of ripe fruit, but it's not one of those dank fruit notes found in some hops.
H2OPS Sparkling Hop Water (Original)
H2OPS Sparkling Hop Water (Original)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Carbonated water, hops, ascorbic acid
- No carbs, unsweetened, no sodium.
- From their website, they use a combination of Citra, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo.
Of note from their FAQ, they aim for aroma and flavor rather than bitterness, but before I started making my own (and shot my tastebuds, haha) this brand was more bitter than Lagunitas hoppy refresher. I think this primarily comes from the lack of a sweetener. I appreciate that no sweetener is used and the ingredients are clear. Additionally, they make note that the hop water is brewed like beer, but only using hops. However, there is no mention of yeast or sugars in the ingredients. In essence, they do brew the hops in hot water and dry hop. The lack of yeast here might also play into the bitterness. That being said, it's not overly bitter. It is very drinkable and does not burn out my taste like some of the things I made.
Of note from their FAQ, they aim for aroma and flavor rather than bitterness, but before I started making my own (and shot my tastebuds, haha) this brand was more bitter than Lagunitas hoppy refresher. I think this primarily comes from the lack of a sweetener. I appreciate that no sweetener is used and the ingredients are clear. Additionally, they make note that the hop water is brewed like beer, but only using hops. However, there is no mention of yeast or sugars in the ingredients. In essence, they do brew the hops in hot water and dry hop. The lack of yeast here might also play into the bitterness. That being said, it's not overly bitter. It is very drinkable and does not burn out my taste like some of the things I made.
I think this smells more like hops than it tastes of hops. The taste is of citrus-note hops. The smell definitely brings up the use of Citra. At the time of writing this, I have not tried the other hops, so I can't speak for the other ones. Both H2OPS and Hoppy Refresher use Centennial hops. These hops are also known as Super Cascade due to similar citric characteristics. When I make a single hop tea from Cascade hops, I can make something close to H2OPS, but with less balance. As far as flavor notes and preferences, if you prefer a citrus IPA, this seems like the good hop water to reach for.
I think this smells more like hops than it tastes of hops. The taste is of citrus-note hops. The smell definitely brings up the use of Citra. At the time of writing this, I have not tried the other hops, so I can't speak for the other ones. Both H2OPS and Hoppy Refresher use Centennial hops. These hops are also known as Super Cascade due to similar citric characteristics. When I make a single hop tea from Cascade hops, I can make something close to H2OPS, but with less balance. As far as flavor notes and preferences, if you prefer a citrus IPA, this seems like the good hop water to reach for.
HOP WTR (Classic)
HOP WTR (Classic)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Carbonated water, hop essence (centennial and columbus), natural flavor (?), caffeine-free black tea extract, vitamin C, Ashwagandha, and L-Theanine.
- The Ashwagandha is their advertised adaptogen and the L-theanine is the nootropic.
This tastes far different from anything I've tried or made. Briefly, the carbonation was non-existent, the flavor was black tea forward rather than hops, and I did not notice any effects from the adaptogen and nootropic chemicals. Regardless, it still was pleasant to drink. I just cannot motivate myself to try it again at its market price.
This tastes far different from anything I've tried or made. Briefly, the carbonation was non-existent, the flavor was black tea forward rather than hops, and I did not notice any effects from the adaptogen and nootropic chemicals. Regardless, it still was pleasant to drink. I just cannot motivate myself to try it again at its market price.
There was no carbonation in the 4-pack I bought. A second 4-pack with blood orange flavoring had a similar level of carbonation. From other reviews online, it seems like the company might be playing around with carbonation levels for shipping. Some customers reported their orders exploding. It is difficult to determine a timeline, as they could be adjusting what reviews are shown on their website. Regardless, the can advertised "big bubbles satisfyingly crisp," but this was not my experience. I should have recorded myself pouring a can to demonstrate this. I could not find a video online of someone doing so either. I emailed them asking about the amount of carbonation I should expect, a vague question that would result in a vague answer. They responded by thanking me for my feedback.
There was no carbonation in the 4-pack I bought. A second 4-pack with blood orange flavoring had a similar level of carbonation. From other reviews online, it seems like the company might be playing around with carbonation levels for shipping. Some customers reported their orders exploding. It is difficult to determine a timeline, as they could be adjusting what reviews are shown on their website. Regardless, the can advertised "big bubbles satisfyingly crisp," but this was not my experience. I should have recorded myself pouring a can to demonstrate this. I could not find a video online of someone doing so either. I emailed them asking about the amount of carbonation I should expect, a vague question that would result in a vague answer. They responded by thanking me for my feedback.
The overall flavor profile was tea forward. I've seen ads for hop teas that mix tea and hops together, and I suspect this is closer to what those are than hop water. The smell when opening the can and the initial taste is that of tea. The bitterness seems to also be from black tea. Despite being higher on the ingredient lists, the hop flavor felt hidden behind the tea. Overall, this was still pleasant to drink, but my expectations needed a shifting after my first sip.
The overall flavor profile was tea forward. I've seen ads for hop teas that mix tea and hops together, and I suspect this is closer to what those are than hop water. The smell when opening the can and the initial taste is that of tea. The bitterness seems to also be from black tea. Despite being higher on the ingredient lists, the hop flavor felt hidden behind the tea. Overall, this was still pleasant to drink, but my expectations needed a shifting after my first sip.
Lastly, the can advertises adaptogens and nootropics. As a graduate student studying in the biomedical field, I am suspicious of any supposed claims. As expected and to no fault of HOP WTR, these claims were not evaluated by the FDA. That said, many of the reviews claim a "buzz" or benefit from these additions. I would suspect the concentrations are so low as to not cause any possible side effects, making these outcomes from customers more likely a placebo effect. However, a placebo can still be beneficial [x]. Three things I found interesting were that there was no clear distinction of what ingredient was the adaptogen and nootropic, there was no statement on the can saying supposed health claims were not evaluated by the FDA evaluated, and lastly, they state hops themselves can have relaxing effects on their website. All hint at a type of advertising I'm not a fan of.
Lastly, the can advertises adaptogens and nootropics. As a graduate student studying in the biomedical field, I am suspicious of any supposed claims. As expected and to no fault of HOP WTR, these claims were not evaluated by the FDA. That said, many of the reviews claim a "buzz" or benefit from these additions. I would suspect the concentrations are so low as to not cause any possible side effects, making these outcomes from customers more likely a placebo effect. However, a placebo can still be beneficial [x]. Three things I found interesting were that there was no clear distinction of what ingredient was the adaptogen and nootropic, there was no statement on the can saying supposed health claims were not evaluated by the FDA evaluated, and lastly, they state hops themselves can have relaxing effects on their website. All hint at a type of advertising I'm not a fan of.
Sierra Nevada: Hop Splash
Sierra Nevada: Hop Splash
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Carbonated water, hops
Of note from their website, they aim for tropical flavors of peach, mango, and grapefruit from their two hop varieties. While I mainly tasted the citrus notes with my inferior palette, I can taste the grapefruit and peach notes. There was plenty of carbonation, which stands out a bit compared to other hop waters I've had. The flavor appeared more similar to H2OPs than Lagunitas, but not as bitter. That said, it has been over a year since I've had H2OPs, so my tolerance for bitterness could have changed. I've also been taking a break from hop waters overall when I saw this available for pre-order, so I'd like to think my taste has been reset. I appreciate the simple ingredients, making this more of a hop drink than a beer replacement. Really solid drink.
Of note from their website, they aim for tropical flavors of peach, mango, and grapefruit from their two hop varieties. While I mainly tasted the citrus notes with my inferior palette, I can taste the grapefruit and peach notes. There was plenty of carbonation, which stands out a bit compared to other hop waters I've had. The flavor appeared more similar to H2OPs than Lagunitas, but not as bitter. That said, it has been over a year since I've had H2OPs, so my tolerance for bitterness could have changed. I've also been taking a break from hop waters overall when I saw this available for pre-order, so I'd like to think my taste has been reset. I appreciate the simple ingredients, making this more of a hop drink than a beer replacement. Really solid drink.
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