My most recent Vue Weekly column is a review of Hog’s Head’s (hmm, two possessives – that can’t be right) Hop Slayer. I reviewed their flagship IPA shortly after its release, but thought I should offer it a bit more space given its newness on the Edmonton beer scene.

I won’t rehash either review here – you can read the Vue version here – but I will re-iterate what I find interesting about this beer. Because they have intentionally made the beer darker with a bit more malt accent, the beer comes across as much more balanced than would normally be the case for a beer with 100 IBUs. There is a definite hop bite, but it comes later than with many IPAs, and it doesn’t seem to overwhelm the beer as some IPAs can be. Now, if you like a hop bomb, then this particular version may not be for you, but I personally like the appearance of balance while knowing there are some real hops in there.

There has been some talk on the street about some quality control problems with Hop Slayer. I can’t confirm that is the case, but neither am I worried at this stage. A batch that goes sideways shortly after it leaves the brewery is a concern but not fatal. Such a hitch is not uncommon for new breweries. It is one thing to nail a beer while brewing test batches; it is far another to consistently be error-proof while simultaneously ramping up production, learning the kinks of the brewhouse and scrambling to procure the right ingredients on a regular basis.

My recommendation for people is that you keep trying the beer periodically over the first couple years of production. First, it will undoubtedly shift as the brewers tweak the recipe. Second, production issues will eventually get worked out. In the meantime, if you do get a pint or a six-pack that seems off, don’t hesitate to inform the bar owner/liquor store owner. And be sure to offer a heads up to the brewery as well. They can’t fix what they don’t know has gone wrong.

Following my own advice I will be picking up another six-pack of Hop Slayer sometime soon.