Halcyon - Thornbridge Brewery

OttoBomb

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 ml bottle poured into Dogfish Head signature glass (August 2, 2010). The rear label states "Hops harvested in 2009 and bottled in April 2010"

Eyes: It pours a very hazy amber-yellow. Much brighter and hazier than many IPAs. A vigorous pour creates fluffy white head that almost overflows the rim. Three fingers easy with significant lacing.

Nose: I'm not sure if my bottle is different from those of other reviewers, but the nose is extremely tame. Some pine and citrus evident but quite muted.

Tongue: An impressive hop kick starts each sip, and forebodes a bitter palate assault, but the bitterness surprisingly fades on the tail. Much more flavorful than the nose, herbal citruses, and some pine.

Mouth: Good carbonation and feel.

Libation: I like this beer, but I'm left a bit confused. It's quite drinkable, nicely smooth for the style, and the flavor profile isn't overwhelmed by bitterness or alcohol. That said, what the beer does have going for it (flavor & mouth feel), isn't fantastic. All in all I liked it, but based on the odd appearance, aroma, and flavor profiles I think I'll have to revisit this one to make a final decision on it.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 20:43:56 | More by OttoBomb

pkenkman

Estonia

4.75/5  rDev +20.6%

05-24-2013 19:37:43 | More by pkenkman

heygeebee

Australia

4.44/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

From Slowbeer. BB 2014.

Appearance - light golden, two finger head, tons of spotty lace

Smell - tangerines, passionfruit, mango, peach, hops.

Taste - tropical fruits, mango, balanced hops, moderate malt

Mouthfeel - smooth, medium bodies, slightly alcoholic warmth

Overall - wow! Thornbridge just keep on delivering. As with their other beers, a very integrated and balanced taste without being massive, or more importantly needing to. A very atypical APA, or AIPA, as per Thornbridge norm. Tropical heaven.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 10:15:41 | More by heygeebee

Travcofarms

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.9%

05-21-2013 16:27:40 | More by Travcofarms

AilHead

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

05-20-2013 21:22:10 | More by AilHead

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

No freshness date. Bought from John's Grocery.

A- pours a hazy straw colour, over 1 finger head of foam, leaves some lacing. Lots of sediment.

S- bitter notes of grass and tropical fruit with a mild malt sweetness.

T- pretty bitter taste here. Tropical fruitiness with grassy flavour that brings that bitter taste. Mild on the malt, not much offered by way of sweetness or balance.

M- on the high end of medium bodied, well carbonated, good mouthfeel.

O- I have no idea how fresh this bottle is but it's a good IPA, 7.4% abv per my bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 22:31:49 | More by Bitterbill

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -23.9%

05-14-2013 00:13:26 | More by jenray

CTJman

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-10-2013 19:23:08 | More by CTJman

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours gold with a small head.
Nose shows light fruit: pears, apples, elderflower. Also some sweet light malt.
Flavours instead focus on spicy and earthy hops with a soft light malt character in the background. Bitterness is not insane but stands out amongst the low malt.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 01:07:49 | More by CrazyDavros

Tone

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a slightly hazy, straw/golden color. One inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of hops, hint of pine, hint of tea, slight alcohol, and slight sweet malt. Fits the style of an American IPA, though it does have the subtle qualities of a good English IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of hops, slight herbal flavors, slight sweet malt, slight alcohol, hint of floral hops, and hint of citrus hops. Overall, good appearance, blend, both body and aroma strongly dominated by hops.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 13:07:11 | More by Tone

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%

05-08-2013 02:06:46 | More by cadaugherty

GuyIncognito

Maine

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

05-05-2013 20:33:22 | More by GuyIncognito

chambeam

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

04-21-2013 00:11:01 | More by chambeam

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle from Peckhams (£3.75):
Clear golden colour with a good sized, foamy white head on top that had good retention and only shows a slight reduction in size.

Medium, hop filled aroma with a lot of pine and some subdued tropical fruit notes coming through. The smell isn't a weak one by any means but I was expecting stronger from a double IPA. There is some citrus notes shooting through and an earthy floral scent with a touch of sourness.

Bitter pine hops and floral notes straight off the bat and this is coupled with a fruity bitterness, mainly grapefruit and a few tropical fruit flavours as well. There is some citrus too.

Strong & smooth beer with light medium carbonation and a strong citrus and alcohol laced kick. The beer is quite dry at the finish and very bitter.

An average double IPA, perhaps a little light although it smelt quite nice. Bitterness levels were what let it down, I felt it was a little to strong on the front. Still, not a bad effort from Thornbridge.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 22:57:30 | More by flyingpig

pathman

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.5%

03-10-2013 21:17:37 | More by pathman

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.94/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

7.4% 500 mL bottle. Poured a pale straw gold, a large head of rocky white foam. Shows nice retention and good lacing.

Smell has dried grapefruit, pine sap, tropical fruits, dry earthy notes. Fair bit of malt and some honey in the background. Some florals, nicely fragrant and balanced.

Taste has a full hop and fruity bitterness. Again quite dry, dried grapefruit, pine needles, mango, raspberry. Not too medicinal, but a nice mild astringency. The hops are not overly assertive abone the biscuity sweet malt. Finish is quite dry, coating hop and pine oils.

Mouthfeel has a big body, a soft moderate carbonation makes it really nice and easy to drink. Alcohol is only perceptible as a warming spice on the finish. Balanced feel, quite tasty.

Not the most interesting IPA ever, but it is nice. This is much more about balance over real intense depth. Falls somewhere between a regular and imperial IPA, not too big on the palate and really easy to drink. Balance is certainly quite good, and this is a beer I would for sure have again. A good brew for a UK brewer but there are better ones stateside.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 19:10:24 | More by mick303

owend

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

02-27-2013 20:38:28 | More by owend

Polasiuss

Ireland

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

02-24-2013 12:31:08 | More by Polasiuss

shigg85

Japan

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

02-23-2013 02:50:25 | More by shigg85

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I had this beer at Ginger Man in NYC (the review is taken from notes).

This beer was served in a fluted glass. The beer is hazy yellow with about one and a half fingers of foam.

The nose has a little bit of spices and a decent amount of sour presence. There is also some good hopping.

The flavor has a good saison feel to it, and the hops continue in there. It doesn't seem like a very stock Euro style beer.

There is some breadiness to this beer. It makes for a challenging sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 01:54:34 | More by ummswimmin

mendvicdog

Maryland

4/5  rDev +1.5%

02-10-2013 13:55:43 | More by mendvicdog

kbrown

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%

02-08-2013 21:30:37 | More by kbrown

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle split among three buddies

Pale golden body, a little orange. Fairly hazy with a sticky off-white cap. Some mild lacing around the glass.

The nose is of pale tropical fruits and grassy, earthy hops. Definitely a noble hop aroma with some tropical fruit thrown in. Some sweet bready malts underneath; like shortbread and biscuits.

On the palate, bready malt asserts itself well, balancing out the hop attack. Light burst of tropical fruit (mango and pineapple) and then the earth notes poke through. A mildly spicy, earthy bitterness in the finish.

Medium body, light on the carbonation. Dry finish.

This is a very nice IPA with definite English characteristics. It almost has a cask like feel to it. Nice job.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 19:53:36 | More by ColForbinBC

inspektor

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

01-27-2013 07:05:23 | More by inspektor

Adlar2789

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.5%

01-21-2013 06:25:36 | More by Adlar2789