If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I’m a huge hophead (is that a word?). West Coast IPAs, Pale Ales, you name it, if it’s hoppy, I want to try it.
So, imagine my elation when I came across Hoplark’s The Really Hoppy One HopTea. It might as well have been called “The Audrey Special.”
But did this bitter hop tea live up to expectations? You’ll have to check out my Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One Review to find out.
A Quick Look At Really Hoppy One HopTea
As the name suggests, Really Hoppy One HopTea is a combination of tea and hops. This flavor is said to be a lot more bitter than The Calm One, The Green Tea One, and The Mile-High-Biscus One.
The hops are brewed using the same methods as traditional beer brewing, minus the fermentation. Then, they’re combined with black tea to give it its flavors.
Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One Review
Looks
The Really Hoppy One pours a slightly hazy pale yellow color. There is no head to speak of, but that’s to be expected with hop teas. After all, they’re more similar to seltzers than beers.
I’d put the carbonation level at a medium. Compared to the other hop teas I’ve tried, The Really Hoppy One has less carbonation. This is noticeable visually and on the palate.
Aroma
In terms of aroma, the smell of tropical fruits hit me as soon as I opened the can. I didn’t notice much in the way of a tea aroma.
Taste
The first thing I’ll say is that The Really Hoppy One 100% lives up to its name. Y’all, this one is bursting with a bitter hoppy flavor. If you don’t like bitter IPAs, you’re really going to struggle to finish this hop water.
In terms of flavors, I can taste a mix of citrus orange and pine. It tastes like tropical fruits. The malty black tea and sweetness provide a strong backbone, while the finish is piney, resinous, and slightly tannic like an over steeped tea bag.
Personally, I found the hops had a really “bitey” quality to them. The hop flavors also dissipated pretty quickly. I’d take a sip, get a burst of hops, and then taste almost nothing. As a result, the finish felt a bit abrupt.
Really Hoppy One Ingredients
Carbonated water, hops, and either tea or herbs form the base of Hoplark’s hop teas.
The Really Hoppy One is made with organic black tea and citric acid, as well as a blend of Simcoe and Citra hops. All of the ingredients are vegan-certified and non-GMO.
Really Hoppy One Calories
Given The Really Hoppy One’s massive flavors, it’s hard to believe that this drink has zero calories, zero sugar, and zero carbs.
I’m always on the lookout for new healthy drinks and The Really Hoppy One ticks all of my boxes. If you’re choosing your drinks based on a diet plan, you’ll be happy to know that The Really Hop One is keto and Whole 30-approved.
Final Verdict Of Our Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One Review
I hate to say it, but I think I finally met my match. That’s right, this one might have been too hoppy for me. I don’t think that will be the case for everyone, but personally, I would have liked some milder flavor notes to round this one out.
Something else that challenged me was that the hop flavor didn’t hang around as long as I would have liked.
As I mentioned above, each sip felt like a hop-wallop, but as soon as I recovered, the flavor was gone. That meant I didn’t get a chance to taste all of the hop notes. Similarly, I didn’t taste much of the black tea. I’m sure it calmed down the hop flavor to a degree, but it was a very mellow addition to the drink.
Overall, I liked The Really Hoppy One enough to drink it again. That said, I kind of struggled as to when I should drink it.
I typically like to stick to hot drinks in the morning before switching to water or seltzer in the afternoon. Unfortunately, that’s not really possible with The Really Hoppy One, given that it contains caffeine.
I ended up drinking it around 11 AM, but I think I would have preferred this as an afternoon refreshment, if not for the caffeine.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine like I am, I imagine you’d run into a similar pickle. My advice is to try one of Hoplark’s caffeine-free hop teas like The Calm One or The Mile-High-Biscus One.
Best For:
- If you love hoppy IPAs
- Those who are not sensitive to caffeine
Not Recommended For:
- If you want a light and subtle hop water
Where to buy Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One
Customers in the United States can purchase The Really Hoppy One from Proof No More. It’s sold in individual 16-oz cans, 4-packs, 6-packs, 12-packs, and 24-packs.
Other FAQs
Does The Really Hoppy One taste like beer?
The Really Hoppy One is brewed to taste like a non-alcoholic IPA. As a result, it tastes much closer to beer than Hoplark’s other flavors such as The Mile-High-Biscus One and The Calm One.
Still, I don’t think there’s any risk of confusing The Really Hoppy One with a beer. While it definitely has a punchy hop profile and a piney finish, the body and mouthfeel are thinner than you’d get with a typical beer (even a non-alcoholic one).
That’s not a bad thing, in fact, it makes the drink that much more refreshing. So, while the flavor is reminiscent of beer, this isn’t the beeriest NA drink out there.
Does Hoplark Hoptea The Really Hoppy One contain any alcohol?
Like all of Hoplark’s hop teas, The Really Hoppy One is completely free of alcohol (0.0% ABV). This makes it an ideal drink for anyone avoiding alcohol for any reason.
If you’re wondering what’s the difference between a 0.0% ABV drink and a 0.5% ABV drink, check out this article where we explain the differences.
How much caffeine is in Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One?
The Really Hoppy One contains organic black tea and contains 70mg of naturally-occurring caffeine per 16oz (473mL) serving.
On average, 16 ounces of brewed black tea (either bagged or loose-leaf) contains anywhere between 94mg and 180mg of caffeine. That means the caffeine content in a can of The Hoppy One is 26% to 62% lower than a typical black tea.
Is Hoplark Hoptea The Really Hoppy One gluten-free?
It can be hard to find tasty non-alcoholic drinks when you’re following a gluten-free diet. Luckily, The Hoppy One (and all other flavors of hop tea) are completely free of gluten.
Related: Ultimate Guide To Gluten-Free Non-Alcoholic Beer
Is Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One vegan?
The Really Hoppy One is vegan-certified. Unfortunately, it’s unclear which certification Hoplark has, but you can feel confident knowing this product is completely free of animal products or byproducts.
Did you enjoy our Sierra Nevada Hop Splash review? Then check out our other non-alcoholic hop tea & seltzer reviews:
An IPA-inspired hop tea that might be too bitter for some.