I am pretty sure the most vociferous response I’ve ever had to a Hoppy Boston beer review was to Boom Sauce, the Double IPA from Lord Hobo Brewing Company in Woburn, MA. Normally when I write a positive review I get a couple people who agree or occasionally someone writes and tells me why they didn’t care for the beer. I enjoyed Boom Sauce, it featured plenty of hops rounded out by a full malt body. This review got a number of comments between the blog and social media, some who agreed with my assessment and some who disagreed, but it seemed like everyone had a very strong opinion one way or the other. From what I understand there were some tweaks to the recipe as they scaled up the early batches, so that might have been part of the disagreement. I also understand that people will have different tastes and some hop heads don’t want to taste anything but hops, but it was still strange to get such a strong response from both sides. Lord Hobo Brewing probably made itself a bit of a target when they boldly announced that they were going to brew beers that were as good as the most popular IPAs in New England, but were made on a large enough scale that they would be readily available without waiting in lines. This is a worthy goal, but it sets people up to compare your beers to some of the best beers in the area, which is tough competition. Even if you brew exceptional beer it will inevitably be different from other favorites, which will please some but not all. It will be interesting to see how the opinions of this brewery evolve over time and as they release more beers. Lord Hobo’s second widespread release is Steal This Can, a “single” IPA available on draft and in tallboy cans.
Lord Hobo Steal This Can pours a clear light amber with a mild white head. The scent is very hoppy, pungent aromas of citrus fruit and pine. The taste is also hop forward, notes of lemon, resin, grapefruit and grass along with a solid but not overly aggressive bitterness. The hops are balanced by a full malt backbone, touches of caramel, cracked grain and honey. It is definitely more malt flavor than many newer IPAs, but doesn’t take away from the hoppiness. The beer is crisp and easy to drink, at 6.5% ABV it is about average for the style. The finish is clean with some lingering hop flavor and bitterness. Lord Hobo Steal This Can is an interesting beer, the malt suggests a classic British style IPA but the hops showcase the flavors and aromas that have made American IPAs so popular. I enjoyed this combination, and will continue to sample the new creations from this brewery. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Previous Lord Hobo Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
