Ballistic IPA - Ale Asylum

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a darker golden color, and there wasnt in much for a head. Their was a more mellow smell for an IPA, but it was hoppy, and had grapfruit notes. The taste was hoppy, lots of grapefruit notes, but was very bitter; a very mellow flavor. Overall a pretty nice easy to drink IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 21:29:45 | More by vette2006c5r

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a glass mug.

I've never been shot with a hop cone before... The after-effects pour a clear sunset amber topped by a finger of slightly off-white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit, lemon zest, light coriander, and a very light spritz of caramel. The taste holds notes of ruby red grapefruit, green grapes, sweet caramel, and red apples. Good times here, nice and balanced without being "too" balanced. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a slightly sticky feel. Overall, a rather nice IPA, plenty of hops without being overbearing. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 18:04:05 | More by TMoney2591

Vdubb86

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Sam Adam's Perfect Pint Glass

Thanks to TMoney2591 for this beer

This beer pours a orange amber color with a white foam head on the surface. The smell is strongly of amarillo hops with a touch of caramel malt in the background. The taste is a sweet lemon citrus grassy flavor. The hops are rather nice and balanced with the malt characteristics of this beer. I must say at this point this is a damn fine IPA. The mouthfeel isn't overly bitter and is actually quite pleasant. I would have no problem drinking this beer at any time of year. I really think this is a solid IPA and would have no problem recommending it to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 05:42:28 | More by Vdubb86

marcobrau

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

An orange-amber IPA that is all about the Amarillo hops. Honeyish, tangerine aroma. Leaves some nice bits of lace with each sip. I'm sort of tired of Amarillo hops (bought this for the wife) but this beer is growing on me. The flavor is actually quite complex, with honey, biscuit, tangerine and marzipan sweetness. The hop bitterness is laid back and very smooth. Hop bursting?

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 04:30:24 | More by marcobrau

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to seeswo for the opportunity to try this one. 12oz. bottle served at 53 degrees in my SA Perfect Pint. No freshness dating indicated on the bottle. Pours a dull, burnt orange with a semi-hazy clarity and loose, half inch, off-white head that quickly settles and disperses towards the edges. Thin strands of lacing entwine the bowl of the glass during the tasting. Nose expresses sweet citrus and malt (perhaps caramel) with a trace of bitterness. Taste follows, nose; however the malty backbone really overpowers the hops character and there's a slight metallic tinge that peaks out just prior to a mild, bitter finish. There's also a touch of cotton candy sweetness that presents towards the middle. Mouthfeel is light-medium, with a slightly oily consistency and a crisp carbonation - slightly astringent, but not overly so. Decent, but perhaps past its prime. Some of the character reminds me slightly of a DIPA, particularly in the mouthfeel and the malty backbone. Falls a little short and not as refreshing as I would prefer

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 22:02:05 | More by Jwale73

Duff27

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark amber with great head retention and lacing.

S- Sweet hops. Citrus.

T- More sweet than hoppy. Amarillo hops. Very pleasant taste.

M- A tad on the thin side. Minor complaint.

D/O- Very drinkable IPA. Wouldn't guess 7.5%abv. "Sessionable" IPA. First visit to the brewpub...didn't plan on going, just kinda got in my way. Good Hot Turkey and Muenster sandwich too!

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 22:56:20 | More by Duff27

seeswo

Ohio

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Homer review coming as I used to live about 5 minutes away from this brewery (which is a very chill place to visit, by the way).

Pours a translucent dark golden, light brown color with medium head. Definitely one of the darkest IPAs i have poured. Smells of citrusy hops, identified as Amarillo on the label. Had to give it a little work to coax that smell out, though the beer might be a bit too cold to be fair. Taste is a bit different than expected. The hops primarily hit the finish, leaving some of the bitterness that sits on the back middle of the tongue. Interestingly, this is not the entirety of the hoppy finish I come to expect from an IPA, like they have removed one of two ingredients that leave hops on the tongue. Anyway, the front of the flavor is a bit limited, definitely shining as it makes it's way down. Mouthfeel is a bit heavy for an IPA, but then again, this is almost a DIPA. Certainly appropriate for 7.5%. Extremely drinkable with an enjoyable half-lingering of bitterness as discussed above.

This is one of the better IPA offerings out of WI, which might not be saying a whole lot, but ballistic is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 04:56:37 | More by seeswo

hawks10

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle with NO DATE - Poured into a pint glass...

Pours a reddish dark copper, just a touch of haze with two fingers of cream colored head, lots of lacing left behind. Almost looks more like a DIPA...

Citrus and fruit hop aromas stand out in this one. They are significantly tempered by an abundance of toffee malt however. I remember this one having a more intense citrus blast last time I enjoyed it, is this because it should be fresher?! PLEASE DATE YOUR IPAS!!!

Piny, earthy bitter hops give this beer a bitter bite right off the bat. A bunch of caramel/sweet malt cuts the bitterness a bit, but this is pretty one sided throughout. The bitterness returns and lingers long past the finish, drying out your mouth. Not bad, but again, I remember this being better, skewed memories, or is this beer not fresh?? PLEASE DATE YOUR BEERS!!

Full bodied, this one drinks more like a DIPA. Resinous, bitter and drying. Malt cuts the bitterness a bit, but adds tons of body. Lower carbonation makes this one stick on your palette and linger...

Why can't breweries date their bottles? Have had this fresh on tap at the source multiple times, and have purchased six packs from the brewery where they could guarantee its freshness, but I have hesitated to buy this beer many times in stores because there is no date.

Ale Asylum, you are losing money from me, start dating!

Drinkability score suffers for this...

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 00:50:23 | More by hawks10

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a great BA from a recent trade - cheers! Poured in to a cervoise.

Appearance: Pours an absolutely turgid burgundy, full of yeast and hop haze and all sorts of other floating goodies. One thing of note - this one slides out of the bottle with so much ease it was difficult to get a vigorous enough pour to yield any sort of substantial head, but half a finger of creamy taupe foam does manage to form even with my weakass dump. Retention is nice, forming a quasi-caldera with a thick, milky rim and a uniform, dense surface layer. The lacing on the sides of the glass is fantastic - incredibly fine, thin, delicate, soapy, forming a nice thin haze all over the sides of the cervoise. If the brewers could find a way to improve the clarity and color of the body on this one while maintaining the quality of the head and lace, we'd really be on to something here.

Aroma: Pure, resinous hops, wave upon wave, thick, spicy, fruity, and juicy. Amazingly, there are very few acidic astringencies here - the aroma of this one reminds me a lot of SN Torpedo, actually, as if the hops have been purified and softened prior to making this one.

Taste: Big, bold, and flavorful. The malts on this one are toasty, wholesome, chewy, full of caramel and dark toffee, glassy, very bready. Very roasty, and tending towards the sweet side of things, and with the small amount of hop astringencies present there's plenty of opportunity for that to come through. The hops are only minimally bitter, and the real star is the quantity of flavor - tons of leafy, spicy, spritzy mint, estery flowers, earthy, dirty tobacco, and a boatload of citrus, from lightly tart lemon to chewy, pithy, juicy grapefruit. A very fully flavored and enjoyable tasting brew.

Mouthfeel: A thick, chewy body with a good amount of carbonation for a really creamy, slick, oily body. Surprisingly even, a result of the not-excessive amount of effervescence and the viscosity of the body, I imagine.

Drinkability: A surprisingly well made ale, incredibly flavorful. Most remarkable is how smooth it is. In retrospect, I'll comment that this is perhaps in some ways a detriment, as the lack of bitterness and hop astringencies (which many of us have grown very fond of after having consumed as many IPAs as so many of us have) reveals the "nasty underbelly" of excessive hopping (that soapy, chemically note), though this is something it did take me a while to notice and actually think about enough to put in to words, so it's obviously not that large a detriment. At 7.5%, though, this beer is pretty high for an IPA - borderline DIPA, I'd say. Regardless, it's definitely one to seek out, and is every bit of deserving of its high average. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 03:58:35 | More by CrellMoset

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a medium amber with an off white head and some clinch lace as it goes down the glass. Nose isn't overpowering in any way. Get a bit of piney and citrusy hops atop a good amount of malt. Taste is balanced overly in favor of the malt and brings a little bit of alcohol flavors. Mouthfeel ia a bit light but within the acceptable range. Drinks okay, but not something I'm clamoring to have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 12:22:01 | More by Thorpe429

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Decided to open this one up with lunch on the fourth. I had been looking at it in the fridge for a while so it was time, lol. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 07/04/2010.

The pour was about what I would have expected, nice medium amber in color with loads of carbonation streaming up through the top to form a full head of white foam that reached a height of around two inches before settling back down to earth. Rich aroma of piney hops warms the nose straight away. Smooth, dripping with resin it starts to turn towards the orange and tangerine aspects as it warms getting a bit of that buttery malts in there. Clean, crisp and quick hitting this is the kind of IPA you want doing the job for you. Lip smacking hops hit you right in the front as you take the first sip, drying out the palate and coming to a wonderful sense of fresh and clean. Smooth buttery malts come in behind it offering a great balance to the overall flavor before that last hit of citrus takes all the moisture out of your mouth for good.

Overall a very solid and very respectful IPA. Would hold it up against almost any as it is smooth, session able and does its job well.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 23:18:11 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy apricot nectar color with one finger head that splashes a bit of lacing here and there

Smell: Citrus pith and toffee malt

Taste: Opens with a biscuity malt character that builds in toffee sweetness though joined by pithy hops at mid-palate; after the swallow, the hops build with a bit of aspirin bitterness, though the toffee flavors ultimately come out on top

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A bit too thick and a bit too sweet but otherwise a decent IPA

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 22:03:18 | More by brentk56

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Never heard of Ale Asylum before. Thanks to greatfulbeerhead for a chance to try this.

A: Hazy for an IPA, lots of tiny little floaties. Mahogany core, gets lighter around the outside of the glass. Looks a bit like dirty water. Big three finger head as a result of an aggressive pour into a pint glass.

S: Hop presence is not far detached from the malt, nothing really jumps out at me. Aroma falls a bit flat.

T: Tastes pretty good, a bit muddled. The hops do not have many "bright" characteristics, not much bite. Piney, bitter, and a bit of citrus fall right in with caramel malt, which makes itself well known. Definitely some sweetness going on here. A tinge of alcohol on the finish, nothing boozy.

M: Has a body that rivals some DIPA's, carbonation is somewhat low. The flavor profile doesn't quite back it up, unfortunately.

D: Ballistic is big in body, but the flavor profile isn't completely palatable for me. Thus, drinkability must suffer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 20:30:45 | More by zoolzoo

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into SA perfect pint.

A- Pours a murky deep copper with a two finger head. The head leaves a nice cap on the beer and some great lacing all the way down the side of the glass.

S- Some piney hops and a little bit of citrus in there as well. A small amount of malt and a good biscuit backbone.

T- A big dose of piney hops and a little bit of sweetness. The malt is barely present and is overshadowed by a lingering biscuit presence. Also a little bit of caramel in there as well.

M- Medium bodied that is a touch thick. Bitter on the tongue but gets smoother the more drinks I take. Almost creamy.

D- Reminds me more of a double than anything. I could have more than one of these and not have my palate busted.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 21:35:17 | More by Wisconsinality

hurricanelars

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - Poured a nice copper brown with a finger of head

Smell - A nice fruity, citrusy, hoppy smell

Taste - Hoppy with a bit of a lingering finish. The finish of this beer just lasts for too long

Mouthfeel - The beer tastes good to the tongue, but takes too long while it's going down

Drinkability - A thick feel make this one and done, on to the next one

Serving: Bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 03:39:13 | More by hurricanelars

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It poured a brown color with small suspended particles. I read a previous review that mentioned it looked like cider and I couldn't put it better myself. Head is almost non-existant and no lacing. It actually is a pretty pathetic looking beer. I'm glad to say it's shortfall stops there.

It has a very pleasant sweet and fruity smell, like candied apple. There is an array of citrus hops, mostly orange and a little bit of grapefruit.

It's a well-rounded ipa. Good malt presence of caramel. The middle is citrus and quickly turns into a bitter pine, which is what's left on the tongue along with some spice.

Mouthfeel is thin, but well carbonated. There's a little puckering and drying of the mouth. There is a filmly feeling left behind.

No issues with drinkability. This is a very good ipa that I had know knowledge of prior to buying it. I have had another Ale Asylum ipa that I enjoyed, and this was was another pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 02:15:12 | More by Vonerichs

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle with no date.

Pours a dark brown cider color with a nice foamy off-white head that leaves a ton of lacing.

For a standard American IPA this one smells above average. It smells very sweet but like hop candy. The hops have an acidic, grassy, raw tone to them.

I like my IPAs hoppier than this but it is a decent beer taste-wsie.
Their hop selection is good, but it needs more of it. And Amarillo isn't particularity the best of the hop varieties, it would be nice if thy accented it. The malts kinda fall short here, they are up front in the taste but aren't complementary to the hops.

The mouthfeel is a bit thin on carbonation, too little carbonation for the style, though the drinkability is higher.

Overall it is a middle of the road ipa with a good scent to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 21:42:05 | More by crossovert

Florida9

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy, dull brown in color with a little bit of fine yeast sediment on the bottom. A smallish off whit head head reduces to a surface coating. A little lacing.

S: Full of hoppy goodness. Predominantly citrus, sweet orange, with a little bit of pine. Very aromatic.

T: Sweet malt on the front followed by a moderate bitterness, and then a good dose of citrus hop flavor. However, the flavor washes out quickly, leaving a watery feeling in the mouth.

M: Medium in body with appropriate carbonation. A bit of spice on the tongue along with the aforementioned watery residue.

D: A mighty tasty, hop-centric IPA that could be easily loved by most any hop head. However, the malt is a little sweet for my tastes, but this is a personal preference.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 01:49:16 | More by Florida9

deereless

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Light brown to copper in color, thin layer of head, minute amounts of sediment, a small amount of lacing along the interior of the glass - 4.00, S: An magnificent blast of Amarillo hops on the nose providing a strong citrus aroma - particularly orange and some grapefruit, some subtle tangerine sweetness is evident, there's also some nuts and slight caramel - 4.50, T: Strong orange rind and grapefruit along with some herbal and floral characteristics, sharp hop bite, the taste is very good but doesn't quite live up to the nose, alcohol is present but not disruptive - 4.00, M: Medium mouth feel with an every so slight stickiness - 4.00, D: The aroma is pure American IPA and a highlight of the beer, Ballistic would easily be on my shopping list if I had access to it, if you are a hop head I would encourage you to seek out this beer - 4.50

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 00:13:14 | More by deereless

jera1350

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky burnt orange with a one finger head of tiny bubbles that make up the head. Leaves some sticky lacing too.

The nose is pretty faint. What I can pick up is some citrus and piney hops with a bit of caramel malt.

A well balanced IPA that has lots of hops and lots of malt. The malt is sweet and caramel like. The hops are bitter, but not overly so. There are hints of pine and citrus from the hops. Pretty big for an IPA.

This is one meaty and chewy IPA. Medium bodied, if not more. Soft carbonation that is smooth and creamy.

An interesting and pretty drinkable IPA. Based upon how big it is, I could only do a couple of these. A really nice IPA that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 18:52:36 | More by jera1350

Axic10

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle rec'd as an extra from ROBORB. Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper/orange color with minimal head.

Smell: Hoppy nose with grapefruit and mango hints. Followed by a nicely balanced sugary malt nose.

Taste: Grapefruit, passion fruit, sweet malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and really smooth (i.e. goes down way too fast).

Drinkability: Definitely would drink more of this if readily available near me. A nice surprise for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 21:34:14 | More by Axic10

AmberMan22

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had this on tap at Brickhouse BBQ.

Pours a clear amber color with an ivory head. Good retention, stains the glass with lacing during sipping.

Smell is quite fierce. In-your-face hops, along with pine, grapefruit, a hint of hop spiciness.

Taste is solid, especially because there's a decent pale malt backbone to guide the hop attack. All the aforementioned smells make it to the tongue as well.

Mouthfeel felt confusing...like it wanted to be a heavy bodied, but just couldn't quite do it. Solid medium body (almost a watery heavy-body if that makes any sense).

Another delicious offering from Ale Asylum. Great spring beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2010 22:08:39 | More by AmberMan22

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Imperial Pint. No date or info.

A - A haze gives this beer a dirty apricot orange-amber look while the moderate pour only gives up a two-finger, soft-white cream head. Good retention and awesome lace collars are left on the glass.

S - That's one refreshing crisp and hoppy nose! A perfect marriage of malt (including a bit of caramel), and American hops. Bold citrus zest and resin aroma I can't get enough of.

T - Again, the marriage of hops and malts are stellar! Undertones of sweet caramel and pils malts blend superbly with light fruity, citrusy, resin-filled hops.

M - A bitter and dry finish compliments the beer as well as the rest of it having a pretty strong malt sweetness. Soft and smooth with a mild carbonation finish.

D - A very good beer with a cool James Bond-like label, this IPA is a great brew I wish I had picked up a 6er of. Well-balanced and delicious, it makes for an awesome sessioner!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 23:27:20 | More by BeerFMAndy

portia99

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth goblet.

A - Pours a cloudy, copper color with a quickly dissipating 1/2" off-white head. Recedes to a skim coat of bubbles and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. Slight attempt at lacing.

S - Citrusy, spicy hops and a solid caramel malt aroma come through prominently, some breadiness too. Nice balance.

T - Citrusy hops, orange and strong grapefruity flavors - maybe a little lemon too. Sugary sweet malt has enough presence to balance and blends well with the bitterness of the hops. Bitterness lingers well into the aftertaste.

M - Slightly thin, a little watery in feel. Light to medium carbonation tingles the tongue subtley - a little bit creamy feeling.

D - Goes down very easily. A very nice IPA that I could have another right now.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 23:49:43 | More by portia99

brokenleadedcask

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Received SUPER fresh from GbvDave, thanks Dave!! Reviewed from notes.

I had never heard of this brewery until Dave mentioned he was getting some and we were working on a trade anyway, so bonus. Glad he suggested it. The cloudy amber, nice puffy head and super glue lacing were inviting me to savor it's goodness. The aroma punched me between the eyes before I got close, GRAPEFRUIT, ORANGE, HOPS oh my! The fresh hop flavor bounced around in my mouth like a super-ball. Did someone slip a slice of invisible orange in my glass when I wasn't looking? I've had quite a few IPA's, but this one has something special I can't quite put my finger on. Is it the earthy-ness, the hop schedule, or just WI water? The clean finish left no residue or hop bitterness around to just "hang-out". This is a very drinkable IPA, bright flavors and a clean finish make it a winner. I didn't really want to finish it.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 22:34:47 | More by brokenleadedcask