Beer Tasting: Crafter's Hopper and Grif IPA

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Hello, beer lovers! 🍻

It's Saturday again, and it's time for a beer. 382nd #beersaturday in a row. This party has been going on for a few years now, and it doesn't look like it's ever going to stop :)

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I had business in Croatia earlier this week and brought home two beers, both IPA style, which have been chilling in my fridge until now. I will be happy to taste them and write about my experience.

First, the one with less alcohol.

🍻 😎 🍻

Crafter's Hopper Session IPA

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Brewed by Crafter's - Agram Craft d.o.o., Leprovica, Croatia.
Bottle, 0.5 l, alcohol 4.2%, IBU N/A
It's a Session IPA or ISA (India Session Ale) style beer, a hop-dominant beer brewed with modern American hops, with fruit notes and less alcohol than a standard IPA.

What do the Master Brewers say?

A delicate combination of floral, herbal, and citrus aromas, with a semi-dry body and a malty finish, makes this beer capable of quenching any thirst. The lower percentage of alcohol contributes to the pleasantness of drinking even if you drink a few more!

🍺

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The beer is cloudy orange in color, with a bit of head. It has no smell. The first sip goes down the throat smoothly. Immediately, the bitterness of the hops takes over, as do the flavors of the herbs. I also detect a faint malt sweetness; the citrus is just a nuance.
In the aftertaste, the bitterness of the hops lingers in the mouth for quite some time.

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It is a refreshing and light beer, thanks to its lower alcohol content, but it is very drinkable! I would have no problem trying another one if I had it.
It is unavailable here but in some Croatian food chains, such as Plodine and Konzum.

🍻 😎 🍻

Let's move on; another beer is waiting!

Grif IPA

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Brewed by GRIF Mikropivovara (Zagrebačka Pivovara - Molson Coors), Zagreb, Croatia.
Bottle, 0.5 l, alcohol 6% ABV, IBU 50.
It's an IPA (India Pale Ale) style beer, hoppy dominant, bitter, usually with tropical fruits or floral notes.

What do the Master Brewers say?

IPA is a beer that will surprise all the senses every time, either because of its golden yellow color or because of the intense aroma of tropical fruit and citrus brought by Strata and Idaho 7 hops. The pronounced bitterness of the Grif India Pale Ale style is balanced by a rich creamy body. Thanks to the skill of our of the master brewer, beer lovers can now close their eyes and enjoy the tropical pleasures brought by the new taste.

🍺

About a year ago, I tried one beer from this brewery, and it was something average.

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The beer is cloudy yellow, with an average head. It smells of herbs and goes down the throat smoothly. Bitterness dominates the mouth. There are no tropical fruit aromas, but I taste pine, herbs, and mint.
The bitterness and mint linger in the aftertaste for quite a while, but they slowly disappear.

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The beer is drinkable, almost a classic IPA, but I'm surprised I didn't taste tropical flavors but pine and mint. Such IPAs are usually brewed with Czech/Slovenian/German hops, which are more herbal. What do I know? I could be wrong.

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It's certainly not a bad beer, far from it. It's not available here, so it'll just have to stay at that. Maybe I'll try some again when I'm in Croatia.

🍻 😎 🍻

And what am I listening to as I write this? Nothing from yesterday's #newtunes post.
I read today that Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead's bass guitar player, has gone to eternity. R.I.P. Phil.
Box Of Rain is his song; this record is the last live Grateful Dead show.

Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (Philadelphia, PA 7/7/89)

Thank you for your attention.

🍻2024 tastings (I think it's a time for a yearly post): Veltins Grevensteiner and Licorne Slash Mango, Thisted Limfjords Porter, Åben Mirroring, Asahi Super Dry and Ichnusa Anima Sarda, Sarajevsko Premium and Escape English IPA, Beer Tasting at HiveFest 2024, Mönchshof Hell and Franziskaner Premium Weissbier, Bruncvík Ležák and Berliner Kindl Jubiläums, Dragon Slayer Hazy IPA & Zlatý Bažant Hurbanovská IPA, Ottakringer Wiener, SteenHuffel Palm & Yakima IPA, Platan Premium and Radegast Ryze, Royal Helles and Kelt 10%, Hemp Brou, Craft King, and Hofbräu Original, Starvation, Petrus, and Szalon,Efes Pilsener, SanMiguel Special, Hollandia Premium, and Schiri, Kaltenecker Fiesta and Spaten Münchner Hell, Cobra World Beer, Miller Genuine Draft, and Petrus Roodbruin, Petrus Dubbel, Crazy Duck Yu-Pi, and Kaltenecker Yakima, Kellerbier, Urtyp, Tripel, and Black Aurora, Corgoň Franciáš and Todd - The Axe Man, The Stonewall Inn IPA & The Garden Cold IPA, Wieninger Kerndl-Kini and Maisel & Friends West Coast IPA, Time Out Golden Ale & Vukovarsko Domaće, Triglav Triumph Ale and Kwaremont Blond, Craft King & Demon Juice, Ugly Duckling & Dragon Stout, Woif Goidkinig and Crazy Duck, Brewdog Hazy Jane Guava and Lobik Champion Session IPA, Weihnachts Grantler and Noordung Apollo 17, Morana Midnight Stout and Hirt Rubin Bock, Tektonik Fat Lady and O'Hara's Hop Adventure, Grieskirchner Dunkler and St. Bernardus Tripel, Pink Farts & Unicorns IPL and Hazy Sister NEIPA, First Chop POD & Fruitpocalypse Now!, Hanalei Island IPA & Svarog Solar IPA, Freistädter Black Bock and Gabriau du Poitou Blonde Forte, Brooklyn Defender IPA & Perlenzauber Pale Ale, Camba WinterZauber & La Cervoise des Ancêtres, Bohemian Lager and Bamberger Rauchbier, General Maister IPA and Steamworks IPL, Saso Mange Choppy APA

More stories about beers? You can go back a little further in history! 😁

🍻 2017 🍻 2018 🍻 2019 🍻 2020 🍻 2021 🍻 2022 🍻 2023 🍻

Enjoy your beer!

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