Wormtown Be Hoppy

Worcester, MA got the nickname Wormtown from a local magazine detailing the city’s vibrant punk-rock scene in the late 1970s. The name Wormtown Brewery is fitting both because the beer is brewed in Worcester, and also due to a business philosophy that matches the ideals of punk music. Wormtown aims to be innovative, locally focused and unafraid to think outside the box. Wormtown brews a series of unique beers from hop-bomb IPAs to a stout brewed with coconut. They emphasize the use of local ingredients, all of their beers are at least partially sourced from local suppliers. Head brewer Ben Roesch is a Worcester native who gained experience brewing at Cambridge Brewing Company, Wachusett Brewing Company and Nashoba Valley Spirits. He has developed a series of popular year-round brews along with seasonal and limited edition offerings. One of Wormtown’s flagship beers is Be Hoppy, an American IPA. One of my favorite parts of a great American IPA is the pungent floral and citrus aromas from the late hop additions. Be Hoppy uses extensive late hop additions as well as dry hopping to give their beer the taste and smell that have made the American IPA style so popular.

Wormtown Brewery Be Hoppy pours an amber gold, slightly cloudy, with a mild white head (I had it on draft). The smell is all that you love about an American hop-bomb IPA. I get strong citrus and floral notes along with some pine and earthiness. The taste is extremely hop-forward too, grapefruit, lemon, and resin up front followed by some mild spiciness and orange zest. There is some pale malt flavor in the backbone to balance the beer out a little. The beer is crisp and clean and goes down smooth with a little tart bite in the aftertaste. At 6.5% ABV Wormtown Be Hoppy is solid for an IPA, but drinks very easy. This is a very strong beer. I will definitely seek it out again and check out more of Wormtown’s year-round and seasonal offerings. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.