Ballistic IPA - Ale Asylum

Onslow

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

big resin and earthy floralness in the 2 holed face triangle .. . dark dark tan, the bill-dozer.. . really tough foam .. . but when you smell the goaline, they're only words; just words .. . quite sweet, light hoppy mouth .. pretty slick but lucks an assertiveness like ricky suggs .. . i really enjoyed this brew, for the hop sniffers and a nice sessionable ipa that scores a touchdown and gets carried in for the 2 point conversion and then lets the other team score a consolation touchdown and then stammers incoherently ...

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 02:20:23 | More by Onslow

PHBoiler

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

05-10-2013 15:00:42 | More by PHBoiler

jreindl

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

04-20-2013 13:34:41 | More by jreindl

JeffreyRossMajor

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -0.7%

04-16-2013 04:18:49 | More by JeffreyRossMajor

VeloCityGirl

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

04-14-2013 14:45:43 | More by VeloCityGirl

InVinoVeritas

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

03-24-2013 23:58:44 | More by InVinoVeritas

MarshMan71

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%

03-18-2013 10:57:32 | More by MarshMan71

Tiburon

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

03-17-2013 21:56:56 | More by Tiburon

wmobley

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

03-14-2013 19:27:02 | More by wmobley

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

03-11-2013 18:15:44 | More by lunarbrew

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle poured to a pint glass, sent recently by Madison-based BA BarrytheBear. Bottle stored in the cellar; it's a milder day in late February (low 50s), so let's call this 'cask temperature'.

Label: "This American-style IPA has a mountain of Amarillo hops for explosive citrus aromas and aggressive bitterness with a clean, robust finish. Ballistic brewed with passion and is best enjoyed that way".

Label design is varying shades of green, image a Bond-like silhouette of a woman firing a round - a single hop cone. 'Best Enjoyed By' rectangle at the lower left is a blank white space, so I'm left to wonder...

A: Gorgeous beer! Deep semi-cloudy, 'bread crust' orange-amber pour - thick, alluring, dangerous in appearance. Head is tall and sturdy, almost 2 fingers of dense ivory foam, steadily ebbing but never coming close to dissolving. Excellent lace, too - garter bands of dense cobwebs with more foam than glass showing through. Minimal carbonation showing, but that's a forgivable 'flaw'.

S: Pleasing hoppy aroma, green grass and pungent herbs/bitters. I don't get so much 'citrus' from this more pithy rinds and dank, almost decaying, leafy wetness. Strength is modest, not as 'explosive' as promised...

T: Very nice balance... whatever juicy 'citrus' I could NOT smell showcases vibrantly across the tongue. Lots of orange, a little tangy grapefruit pulp and a brash bitterness that comes across as dry and chalky in the finish. And just when I think the finish is all dry, a glimmer of sugary sweetness appears - very clever, Ale Asylum.

M: Medium body, borderline thick... that juicy hoppiness and a grain-rich alcohol sneakily catches up while oils stealthily coat my tongue. Maybe a bit TOO gummy/sticky after awhile - a minor thing that may just be my personal taste.

O: Very nice IPA, this would play pretty well here in the Northwest. Although I have other local IPAs I prefer as 'go-to's, this is among the best new ones I've tried in a while. Glad to have received a bottle; thanks again, Barry!
Drink again? Of course!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:13:26 | More by msubulldog25

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This poured out as a hazy copper color with a white head on top. The retention is pretty solid on this as well as the lacing that sticks to the glass. It's a nice looking beer for the most part. The smell of the beer has a good balance of hops and malt sweetness. The taste of the beer is malty upfront, the hops come in much later, it's not a dominant hoppy IPA. The mouthfeel is decent, it's drinkable and nicely carbonated. Overall it's a decent IPA. Nothing too crazy or exciting but still a decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 05:43:08 | More by Knapp85

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%

02-03-2013 01:46:57 | More by Hopheadjeffery

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-24-2013 18:28:03 | More by BeerLover99

polishkaz

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-24-2013 03:43:36 | More by polishkaz

eyemustard

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

01-15-2013 15:46:17 | More by eyemustard

bigbeard

Wisconsin

4.26/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The hop aroma and flavor of this brew are a great example of a well-hopped American-IPA. What I enjoy most about the brew is that Ale Asylum brews it with only one hop variety (Amarillo I believe) so one can really appreciate and understand what that hop has to offer. Hopalicious and Satisfaction Jacksin are the same way, but with different hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 08:18:49 | More by bigbeard

BittEER

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

01-10-2013 02:39:06 | More by BittEER

Ri0

Wisconsin

4.56/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Hazy copper/amber color with a nice white 2 finger head. Good amount of lacing.

S - Nice floral citrus smell. Orange, Pineapple, Grapefruit. Touch of nice sweet malt.

T - I really enjoy the taste of this. Slight pine bitter flavor is complemented by juicy fruit and citrus. This is how I want IPA's to taste. The bitterness gives way to some malt sweetness and finishes with the pine bitter.

M - Medium body with nice carbonation. Sticky and oily hops left in the mouth.

O - A very nice balance between hops and malt for an IPA. This one is best under 2 months old and the fresher the better the experience will be.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 00:13:35 | More by Ri0

wesley14

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

01-04-2013 03:25:07 | More by wesley14

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-02-2013 03:03:53 | More by Stevedore

mdaschaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.7%

12-28-2012 23:01:39 | More by mdaschaf

Renae

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

12-18-2012 00:08:11 | More by Renae

Tuey13

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a opaque copper/honey color with an off-white half finger head..

The smell is floral, pineapple, grapefruit, and of course pine. I also get the sweetness from the malts on the nose as well.

The taste follows the nose, citrus and pine... very bitter... but with the sweetness from the malts this is very well balanced. I love that this is not over the top... perfect!

I love how rich and full-bodied this is..Ale Asylum always impresses me with their well crafted beers. I have yet to be disappointed with any of their offerings. A+

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:15:01 | More by Tuey13

TX-Badger

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

12-16-2012 23:22:22 | More by TX-Badger