Today's Beer of the Week, Mondo's Dennis Hopp'r, is one we've had in the shop for ages, it being Mondo's core IPA, but for some reason I hadn't got round to trying it before now and it turns out I've really been missing out.
It's a bit grapefruit-y on the nose, so I thought from this and the look of it, as well as its West Coast yeast strain, that I'd be in for a bitter ride but on taking a sip you straight away get hit by lots pineapple and tropical fruit, with some of the grapefruit carrying through. It's not a juice bomb though—I found it a really classic, incredibly well-balanced IPA, bang in the middle of a hazy, fruity, slightly sweet East Coast and a super bitter West Coast IPA (although Mondo themselves describe it as West Coast). To me it doesn't really have the dankness and overt bitterness of west coast, it's more just the exact right level of bitterness on the finish to balance out the fruitiness and make it really easy drinking.
I feel like I really ought to have a few cans of this fridge at all times, sometimes to have with meals (the slight but not overwhelming bitterness should make it pretty food-friendly), but mostly for when I just want something perfectly well-balanced and not over-the-top.
