Name: Hop Henge Experimental IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
Brewery: Deschutes Brewery website
Country: USA
Region: Bend, Oregon
ABV: 8.75% Abv
How served: 22oz bomber poured into a Duvel tulip.
My Overall Opinion: Very Good. 
I paired this beer with: Grilled and smoked turkey burgers topped with Habanero pepper sauce and corn on the cob.
Tasted on: Wednesday April 14th, 2010.
Note: Best by Date: 04/16/10, whew, I made it by 2 days. This beer paired better with this same meal then yesterdays, Bière de Mars. This IPA cut thru the heat of the hot sauce better. This beer is listed as an Imperial IPA, but to me drinks and smelled more like an IPA, a good hoppy one at that. If it wasn’t for the 8.75% abv this would be a fantastic brew for a session, & I would be careful if you choose to do so. Overall I was very pleased with this beer, too bad it is not sold in Florida, at least not yet.
On the Label: Stonehenge is a mystery. Hop Henge is a discovery. Our Monument to hops- Hop Henge is brought to life by the uncompromising creativity of our brewers. With an immense hop flavor and bitter finish. This experimental IPA will stand the test of time. 95 IBU’s.
From their website: This is a Bond Street Series Beer: Inspired by the original Deschutes Brewery & Public House on Bond Street in downtown Bend, the Bond Street Series highlights a handful of our hop-forward beers that began at “the pub.” These local favorites, both old & new, truly display Deschutes Brewery’s diversity and creativity. Available in 22 oz bottles and draft only.
First brewed in 2006, Deschutes Brewery’s Hop Henge Experimental IPA reappears this year with more extreme hop flavors than ever before. The new formulation is the epitome of the brewery’s experimental style and commitment to innovation, while gratifying their unquenchable thirst for beautifully balanced hoppy beers. The newest incarnation of Hop Henge uses several new hop processes and techniques to create a truly unique and unexpected beer.
Several pounds of Centennial & Cascade hops are in each barrel with a heavy dry-hop presence to top it off. A blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creates an overall biscuity characteristic that is dense and muscular, building the alcohol base to support the monstrous hop profile.
When one of our brewers came up with the name Hop Henge, he also came up with the idea of actually recreating Stonehenge, only with hop bales. We were up for the challenge and even though the weather did not want to cooperate, we pulled it off and threw a party afterwards
Ratings, Awards & Notables
World’s Best Strong Pale Ale (Imperial IPA)
2007 World Beer Awards
World’s 50 Best Beers
2006 International Beer Challenge
Gold Medal, 92 Points
2006 World Beer Championships
Silver Medal, India Pale Ale Category
2006 Australian International Beer Awards
Modern Brewery Age, February 12, 2007
5 out 5 stars
Hop Henge started its life as an India Pale Ale, but this year it was bumped up to “Imperial IPA” status, with a hefty dose of additional hops.
“This one is lovely,” said taster Tom Conti. “They got it just right.”
It pours out a deep amber, with an appealing rocky head, and rich hop aroma wafting from the glass. “They sure dosed it with a lot of hops…[there’s] a lot of hop bitterness in the taste,” one taster observed.
In addition to the Imperial-level hopping, Hop Henge also boasts Imperial-level alcohol content, with 8.1% a.b.v.
This was the top-rated beer during its tasting session, and tasters had to dig deep for new superlatives to describe it. “This is a beautiful beer,” concluded taster Gregg Glaser. “Full of flavor and hops and malt and hops again.”
“Not for the timid,” said taster Robert Lachman.
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