Trockener Hüpfender Verrückter Brauer
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Trockener Hupfender Verruckter Brauer from Hoppin’ Frog. 4 pack of 12 oz cans purchased at the brewery for $26.68 (including tax) ($0.556/oz). Stored at room temperature in store and at 38 degrees after purchase. Reviewed 13/12/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “CANNED ON JUN 17 2021”. Served at 38.8 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 45.1 degrees.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), slight haze.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), opaque. When rear-lite, slightly translucent.
Head – Small (Maximum one cm, aggressive center pour), white, short retention, diminishing to a one to three mm ring of tiny to small bubbles with no cap.
Lacing – Poor – narrow reticulum and many small islands – still quite good for 15% ABV!
Aroma – 3.5 – Weak hops and malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Nice balance of malt and hops – both can be tasted but neither overpowers. No ethanol (15 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Moderate gastric glow. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4.5 – Full, creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 I had a can from this 4-pack about a month ago and the hops are falling off. Should have reviewed it then. Still, much better (i.e., hop-forward) than the Mustang and Colt 45 malt liquors I used to drink back in the day. Malt sugars and sweetness are well-balanced against the hop terpenes and bitterness. The palate is as comforting as that of a Russian Imperial Stout. Overall, an excellent example of what malt liquor could be if the mass brewers wanted to produce a quality product, not simply a delivery system for intoxication.

Hazy straw yellow with a thin off-white ring.

This has that distinct Gangster Frog hop profile that I've never quite tasted anywhere else. Somewhat citrusy and lightly cannabic, with a clean resin and uniquely perfumey character that's hard to describe, but has a slight bite to it. This is amped up by a warming heat, yet met with a new note of biscuit.

It's way better than the plain Verrückter, with a little more body and slightly more firm carbonation, finishing semi-dry and less sticky, where the heat surfaces on the back end with a touch of toasted cracker.

I really don't know how to describe the "lager" part of this. It's just another science experiment by the whacky minds at HoFro, fitting no mold. As is often the case with their wares, though, it's surprisingly easy to drink for the ABV.