Just Outstanding IPA - Kern River Brewing Company

DoubleJ

California

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What's so outstanding about this IPA? Time to find out. On to the beer:

Amber copper color, some small carbonation bubbles racing through the body, and a thick, creamy, sticky head sit on top of it all. The aroma is beautiful, a tribute to the hop. Juicy tropical hops, oily hops, and a crackery dry malt are a tease to the nostrils.

Smooth, soft, and slippery in the mouth. I don't get the crackery malt in the taste as I do in the nostrils....still, this IPA is balanced well. Certainly, the oily hops dominate. Faint tropical fruits, touch of tangerine, faint resin. Nothing bitter about this. Very easy going down the hatch.

This beer had generated some talking, so I was interesting with experimenting with this beer. I have to say that's it's quite good and worth looking for.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2009 05:07:51 | More by DoubleJ

spointon

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured this one from a 22oz brown bomber bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A= At fridge temp, this ale poured a deep hazy orange color with a ½" white head. The head dropped to a skim fairly quickly but left some nice sticky web lace down my glass.

S= Smelled of sweet malt and juicy/fresh citrus and pine hops. Some deeper, danker bitter hop smell in there too. Very fresh and very nice.

T= The sweet malt base came through first, showing a bit of biscuit and caramel edge to it. The hop flavor was all citrus and pine, with maybe a touch of tropical fruitiness. Hop bitterness was up there but not so high as to overpower the other flavors. Finished dry and full of lingering hop resins.

MF= Medium bodied with a big but not overdone carbonation feel. Very much a palate cleansing beer.

D= This was my first beer from Kern River Brewing (received in a trade) and I was well pleased. Tasty and easy to drink for sure. I could easily session a few of these!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 16:28:24 | More by spointon

mjl21

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Toronado. Poured into a pint glass. No abv info is given.

A-Pours orangish amber with a very minimal off white head. While the retention isn't the best, it does maintain a small filmy layer throughout. Leaves a little bit of lace.

S-It has a nice fresh, hoppy nose. Lots of citrus,pine, and some dank come through. Apparently it is dry hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe and these two varieities give it that great WC nose. This one deserves 4.25 for smell.

T-The citrus and pine come through quickly on the palate. There is a nice caramel malt backbone that kicks in as it goes down. It finishes with a nice level of pine bitterness. Pine is the predominant aftertaste.

M-Lighter end of the medium spectrum. It has good carbonation from being served on tap and finsihes dry.

D-Damn good WC IPA. Had no problem knocking this one back.

This was my first beer from this brewer and I have to say I was impressed. A few people sitting next to me also had this and remarked on how good of an IPA it is. I would love to see bottles available up here. These guys deserve some accolades for making yet another great WC IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2009 02:55:21 | More by mjl21

jjayjaye

New York

3.58/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy orange amber color with a full finger foamy eggshell colored head that fades fairly quickly. A reasonable amount of Belgian lacing in its wake. The smell is good. It has an aggressive floral candied pineapple character. Adequately carbonated, the mouth feel is medium bodied. Full flavored, the grassy pineapple hop taste is balanced nicely with the sweetness suggested in the nose. The piny notes linger significantly. A nice drinker in a sea of options.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 20:48:39 | More by jjayjaye

carps12

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Solomon420 for this extra

Pours a golden amber with a thick fluffy head and nice lacing

Smell brings out the simcoe with its tangerine/orange citrusy smell

taste has good orange citrus but the finish leaves a metallic taste mixed in with bitterness that I dont like.

mouthfeel is great carbonation up front and smooth/watery on the finish

a solid beer, but the finish is the killer for me

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 00:29:34 | More by carps12

BitterPachyderm

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is the 3rd treat from the mystery box (thanks again Solomon420!), 22 oz. bomber with no freshness noted poured into the appropriate SN pint glass...

Aggressive pour=aggressive head...rocky off white foam head with great retention as well as good lacing and legs. A burnt golden body with a slight haze...

Floral boquet of spicy hops and grapefruits...solid nose, very West Coast with lots of spice and citrus.

Lots of hop bite up front with s drying bitter finish. Citrus grapefruit notes throughout with a hint of malts...bits of caramel in the finish also noted.

Slick, oily, and buttery-top notch carbonation!

The spiciness keeps it from a 4.5, but still superdrinkable!

An AMAZING IPA that needs some more respect. This ranks right up there with Blind Pig in my opinion. Simcoe and amarillo hops were used, and damn were they used well!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2009 00:38:38 | More by BitterPachyderm

rye726

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brownish copper color with nice beige head. Nice lacing. Nose has citrus and pine, bitter hops and sweet malts. Taste has candy malts up front followed by fruity hops that last through the finish. Medium body is well carbonated. Good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2009 01:11:20 | More by rye726

magictrokini

California

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First experience with this brewery. Pours clear copper with a medium white head. Good lacing. Earthy, kind of barnyard noseful of hops. If you are familiar with the area where this beer is brewed, it smells like that. Its uncanny and only adds to this beer's character. Smooth, clean mouthfeel with a long finish. Taste is bitter and earthy. The Amarillo hops are the boss in this one; peppery, earthy, piney, and bitter. The Simcoe is a nice compliment, but take a backseat to the Amarillos. Hefty malt, but as is my favorite, they also take a backseat and don't turn the beer into a sticky, candy mess. This is a true single IPA that packs a strong hops punch. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 04:31:31 | More by magictrokini

Zorro

California

3.58/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark amber beer with a medium sized white head. This thing is very close to being brown. Clear beer despite the darkness.

Smell is strongly of hops, mainly the northwestern type. Strong pine and eucalyptus scents. Caramel malt and a wisp of wood and smoke make up the rest of the scent.

Starts out Sweet then woody. Strong grapefruit flavor, fairly bitter in the mouth but the malt keeps up with it. Lasting bitterness and astringency in the back of the throat.

Mouthfeel is full.

This seems a bit unbalanced like they extracted too hot and picked up an astringent note. Think I might be asking too much drinking Firestone Union Jack all the time.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2009 01:44:26 | More by Zorro

Floydster

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle purchased from Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa for $4.49, currently drinking out of my Duvel tulip glass

A-Light golden orange color, 1 1/2 inch foamy white head with above average retention, some nice sticky lacing
S-Big piney hop aroma, good amount of both Amarillo and Simcoe, grapefruit, lemon, orange rind, other citrus, and earthiness
T-Starts off with a nice hop welcome, stays bitter through the middle, rather slick but has some caramel and other malts to balance things out, stays dry in the finish, lots of nice hop flavors going from firm pine to citrusy fruits, really like this and especially for its low price
M-Slick, dry, bitter, and citrusy mouthfeel, thin to medium bodied, good amount of carbonation, taste lingers with a nice bitter bite
D-Could drink a few bombers of this, packs a punch for a single IPA, alcohol is very well hidden, feels light but has a lot of substance, goes down easy and is a smooth drinking brew

First beer from Kern River that I have tasted, this brewery is pretty close to my grandparent's house and I have never made it out here, this beer has made me want to even more, looking forward to trying more of what they have to offer, recommended

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 00:09:59 | More by Floydster

jwc215

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Solomon 420 for the 22 oz. bottle!

Pours hazy amber with a frothy off-white head. Trailing lacing sticks.

The smell is of citrus (grapefruit) and floral notes.

The taste is malty upfront. Sweetness turns to a floral/citric bitterness in a dry, slightly salty/minerally finish.

Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation/effervescence.

A nice, balanced, drinkable IPA. Alcohol has a tiny bite, but well-hidden overall. I don't know about "outstanding", but it is very good!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 03:28:19 | More by jwc215

joe1510

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz Bomber

This here IPA is yet another in a long line of great brews sent my way courtesy of BitterBill, thank you sir! Just Outstanding IPA shows off a polished copper body that manages to glow when backlit. There's a slight haziness but this one was just taken from the trade box about 2 hours ago. A small dirty white head formed on the pour that grew to one finger max and left incredible sheet lacing the entire way down the glass. This is one impressive looking IPA with some of the better lacing I've seen in awhile.

The nose is very interesting and screams hops. The aroma of this beer drips with resinous, spicy hops over the top of a unique semi-sweet caramel maltiness that shows signs rich toffee underneath. There is a smattering of grapefruit pith but the spiciness takes the lead. A crazy spicy wood character pops up here and there that I'm assuming is from the hop profile. I've come to thoroughly enjoy this style of IPA; it's unique in a world filled with grapefruit bombs.

Wow, I am really digging this IPA! Big, spicy, mouth sapping resinous hops kick things off in the proudest of ways. The spiciness really picks up in the back of the throat. Dry pine needles and bitter grapefruit pith play solid roles but stay in the back where they belong. Rich caramel and mild toffee make up the malty aspect of this beer that tries it's best to pull itself to the hoppiness but falls far short. Citric qualities actually make a stronger appearance here than the nose suggested and I enjoy it immensely.

The mouthfeel is the only aspect of this beer that could use a little improvement. The body is medium and shows a bit of stick upfront but for whatever reason feels a bit thin on the swallow. That's in no way a knock to the mouthfeel, just some nitpicking on my part. The bitterness hits its hardest on the swallow and lingers around in the best of ways.

Drinkability is off the charts easy. Seriously, this bomber is disappearing in a matter of minutes and I'm under no control of myself to slow down. The abv is nowhere to be found and I could see that catching up to me very easily in the long run.

This beer sounded like a winner but it's a knockout! This is one of the better IPAs I've had in a while and one I hope to enjoy numerous times over the next few months. A big thank you for this one Bill, it's delicious!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2009 23:56:42 | More by joe1510

moosington

California

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

Pours a hazy amber/gold with a small white head.

Aroma is probably the strong suit. Nice sweet tropical/citrus nose with nice, balanced hoppy floral notes throughout.

This stuff is fresh and very balanced. Nice caramel malt combined with a very citrusy hop charge (grapefruit and orange mostly) and a subtle but lasting hop bite.

Full mouthfeel with solid effervescence. Pleasant feeling left behind with each sip.

Goes down smooth and easy, and works as a great session IPA. Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 19:12:30 | More by moosington

Halcyondays

California

4.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours amber with a one-finger white head, good retention and lacing, great looking pint.

S: Bright, sparkling tangerine, papaya, citrus.

T: Relatively light caramel malt, with a very tasty hop character. Orange zest, pink grapefruit juice with concentrated pine oil and cedar in the aftertaste. Great Simcoe hop notes, shades of Port 2nd.

M: Thin at times, but overall a good body, very resiny.

D: One of the best tasting IPAs I've had, as the label says it is just outstanding, you can't sue 'em for false advertising on this one.

Edit - Having a 6 Day old bottle (5/31/10), incredible, rivals Duet, upping the smell and taste scores to 5s, it's at its peak, this is brilliant IPA, shows how important freshness is.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 22:06:21 | More by Halcyondays

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from HiTime Wines in Costa Mesa CA.

This pours a clear golden colour with an inch of foam. Not many bubbles visible in my glass.

The smell is big notes of citrus hops with a light malty presence peeking through. Similar nose to Odell IPA and RR Blind Pig, me thinks, so I'm liking it.

The taste starts of with big notes of citrus bringing a lot of bitterness. More sips in and it's obviously big on the grapefruit and about mid palate, there's some malt moving in and brings a light sweetness to somewhat balance this IPA. Near and through the finish, I can taste a buttload of pine making for a nice bitterish finish. Man, this is a very tasty American IPA!

Further sips in and I'm starting to notice the malt more, which is a plus for me. It's still definitely an American style but I love me some malt to keep it from getting too bitter.

Good solid medium mouthfeel and the carbonation is just a notch below medium.

Drinkability? If I had easy access to this brew, I'd drink a lot of it. Very smooth but brilliantly tasting, the abv doesn't get in the way at all.

My second brew(of 3) from Kern River Brewing and ....who ARE these people???? Colour me impressed!

Btw, good head retention and lacing...

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 23:14:39 | More by Bitterbill

PhiloPsych

California

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light orange tan in the glass--somehow reminds me of a light maple syrup. Little to no head. Floral hoppy nose. [I heard from a weed connoisseur that it smells like weed--and good weed, at that.] Wow, what a taste, though! Really good and interesting! Hooray for maltiness! Hooray for dry hopping! The mouthfeel is light and finishes with just a touch of dry stickiness.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 02:56:31 | More by PhiloPsych

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle obtained via Growling at the Moon from Solomon420. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" off-white head over the slightly cloudy polished brass brew. Head recedes gradually, with plenty of sticky lacing. Aroma is piercing grapefruitiness. Taste starts lightly sweet, goes citrus in the middle, then fades to pine which dominates into the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is wow smooth, and drinkability is way too easy. This one is named just right.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2009 21:57:10 | More by ppoitras

srandycarter

California

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky golden amber, not much head, ring remains, spiderly lacing.

S - Floral citrus and sweet malt dominate. A little tinniness at finish.

T - Above average coating, good carb, fair balance, although a little on the bitter side.

D - Very quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 04:34:02 | More by srandycarter

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Solomon420 for sending this to me, been wanting to try some Kern River for awhile now.

Pours a light copper color with a good sized head, fades slowly to leave a good amount of patchy lacing.

Smell is not overly assertive, light citrusy hop aroma with a caramel and grapefruit presence.

Taste dominated by the hops, citrus and grapefruit off the bat but is then balanced out with a good portion of caramel malt, finishes rather dry.

Overall a good IPA, just short of outstanding but pretty darn good.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 00:37:30 | More by deltatauhobbit

SkinnyElvis

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to solomon420 for this brew in a trade. Amber in color. Thin head which settles to no head. Big nose of citrus and piney hops. Taste is dominated by the bitter grapefruit-like hop profile. Mouthfeel is a bit dry but still drinkable. My 1st beer from this brewery & it was a good one if you are a hop-head.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2008 00:01:13 | More by SkinnyElvis

JDV

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Odeed for this bonus bomber!
Pours a nice amber color with a nice offwhite head. Some lacing on the glass. Smell is balanced grainy maltiness and nicely fruity and piney hops. Taste has a bit of a gummy, fruity, floral quality about it, with a pleasant fruity hop flavor to match. Medium bodied with a touch of gummy chewiness. Really a clean, solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 04:52:29 | More by JDV

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a lovely, clear copper body with a creamy-looking, lush white head.

Smell: Overall hoppy aroma of pine and tropical grapefruit with only a thin measure of caramel malt lurking in the background.

Taste: Starts with a meager amount of caramel malt flavor and sweetness as well as hints of grain. The hoppy, citric bite of pine and grapefruit follows quick with a solid bitterness that lasts beyond the dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A decent IPA. For some reason I really enjoy their bottle labels, finding them both odd and amusing.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2007 20:39:38 | More by ChainGangGuy

sirk0rebreg

Nevada

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

had this on tap at the brewery in kernville, ca...

took my raft guides advice and gave this a try even though i was not a fan of the IPA...i would like to say that this is the beer that turned me around on the IPA and now it seems like i can't get enough of them!

pours a nice golden color with a decent head...the majority of what i was tasting could only be described as grapefruit peel, which was great! it is very citrusy on the nose and taste...the girl at the bar did tell me that this is dry-hopped...

so in the end the name really says it all...just outstanding!

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2007 15:47:29 | More by sirk0rebreg