Hoptical Illusion-Blue Point Brewing Company

 First up on the pedestal or chopping block is Hoptical Illusion. Being a person that loves word play, I had to get this beer just because I love word play. Plus I never tasted a beer from Brewing Bluepoint Company so I figured I now have 3 reasons to buy this beer and give my opinion.

The bottle: is what also caught my attention besides the name. Labeled with dark orange and dark yellow labeling, the all seeing eye pyramid and as well as the crescent moon on the label is just giving off the hint that this beer is mysterious yet playful at the same time. Poured from a twelve oz bottle, Hoptical Illusion on the surface appears to be a nice taste to the dark side while having fun arriving there. 

Appearance: Hoptical Illusion is definitely a craft brew that is definitely an amber ale beer as it has a very light amber color. When poured into a glass this ale pale has foam that is larger than most and is also very bubbly long after it is emptied from the bottle. The more you smell this craft beer the more you will be able to pick up and relate it to some sour things that seem extremely familiar.

Aroma - At first smell, I immediately picked up a sour type aroma that seemed real familiar but I couldn't place my finger on it. The more I smelled it was similar to a sour dough or extremely ripened fruit type of smell. The more you smell this craft beer the more you will be able to pick up and relate it to some sour things that seem extremely familiar.

Taste - Unlike the smell, the taste is more similar to the label of the bottle. It is not extremely sweet tasting like a cherry wheat, but it is definitely sweeter than most top craft beers that you will find at a ny brewery or beer shop. This craft beer doesn't overly dominate your taste buds after swallowing and it leaves a taste that makes you feel that you just had a beer and there is no need to rush and have a second just yet. This is a good warm up craft beer to kick off an adventurous night of drinking and unwinding.

Mouthfeel - As mentioned before, the taste of this craft beer is not offensive at all and unlike most beers in general, it actually leaves a rewarding feeling of gratefulness that you tasted something is a little sweet yet assertive when drinking.

Overall - Although it is not a beer from Brooklyn, and not being from world famous Brooklyn Brewery; in addition to it's main features being a rare hop grown exclusively on a small farm in Oregon,  I will still give it a thumbs up since it's coming from the largest craft brewery on Long Island. It being a Long Island craft beer gives it yet another reason to have at least one of these during your drinking excursions. I am not going to lie, I have to agree with the makers of this beer pale ale, I did have a psychedelic feeling after finishing 12 ozs of Hoptical Illusion. For a moment there it felt like this craft beer was the liquid equivalent of marijuana. Maybe it's me but after finishing I felt satisfied but still wanting more with a little stronger dominance. As a starter craft beer I would give it a solid 7 our of ten if you make this the first beer you drink out of a variety of others. One of the top craft beers to lead off with but not to make it a staple. However, if you decide to make a six pack of it or venture out and grab a case' the rating would slide down to a six or lower if no other beer is drank afterwards or before. I would have to drink a complete six pack for some time before I recommend it as the beer of the month.

Serving type: bottle