Back when Gordon Knight released Hoppy Boy, the clarion gold color, the snappy grapefruit citrus of Cascade hops, and the strong backbone of bitterness (65 international bittering units) placed the ale firmly in the India pale ale category. And when Knight handed the brewery over to Bob Baile, Baile kept Hoppy Boy’s taps flowing, making the brew Twisted Pine’s flagship ale.
But times change, and so do tastes. As IPA became the reigning style among craft beer drinkers, Hoppy Boy seemed to match up less and less against the bitter bombs and hop-saturated ales. So, in 2015, they tweaked the recipe and rechristened Hoppy Boy as a Pale Ale, dropping the alcohol from 6.2% to 5.7%, the IBUs from 65 to 52, and letting the caramel malt shine through citrus and pine.
The results are a song. Pops of citrusy hops and sweet caramel malt walk hand in hand down the glass while middle-of-the-road bitterness gives the beer presence without aggression. It’s reminiscent of Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale (another pioneer from craft beer’s early days) and easily one of the best quaffs you’ll find in Boulder County.
