Citra DIPA - Kern River Brewing Company

tewaris

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bomber from the most recent release (about a month old I think) poured into a snifter. Thanks Ross (locke459)

Pours clear and golden with a moderate alabaster head that formed in cascades atop the amber mass. The head is more bubbly than creamy with medium retention and good lacing.

The aroma is all over the hop spectrum: from fruity to dank to spice. Reminds me of my local Abrasive at times. As it gets warm the sweetness comes through: hard to say whether it's exclusively from malts or there's some contribution from the alcohol. I think it's fairly standard for a DIPA and nothing exceptional, especially because it's all over the place and not showcasing a particular hop character.

Mildly sweet, hints of fruit, quite crisp as opposed to creamy-viscous, with moderately bittering finish. Everything about the profile of this beer seems "moderate", or shall I say ordinary?

As remarked, mouthfeel is crisp and clean on a lighter-than-your-usual-DIPA body; and I like the mouthfeel on this one.

Overall, ok. I can't taste the hype :/

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 06:07:49 | More by tewaris

younger35

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Big thanks to dgb3 for generously sending this growler my way. I've had the Citra Hop exactly one time from a homebrewed IPA and it was bomb.com. Drank from my Surly AHA Rally pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a burnt sort of orange with a light bit of chill haze and a perfect one finger creamy off-white head. A decent cap and collar remains along with plenty of thick rich lacing.
Smell- Not as pungent as you'd expect from a big DIPA but it is somewhat fruity. Some papaya, peach and apricot all join the fruit party but I'd just like it to be more intense. The malt is very noticeable as well as there is a bit of a biscuit/caramel malt tinge. Definitely not the typical west coast IPA type smell. Not bad by any means, just not as interesting as I was expecting.
Taste- Hmmm... interesting. Very malty and lightly sweet with a bit of a orange marmalade like thing going on. Maybe some grapefruit and papaya but nothing in the realm of really fruity or citrusy. I get a touch of pine every now and again as well. The malt could be the dominate characteristic in this beer though as some toffee/caramel is evident right from the get go. A grainy sort of toast is present as well. The 8% is hidden extremely well though. I wouldn't guess this beer was over 4-5%.
Mouthfeel- Nice full body with a soft biting carbonation. Probably the best part of the beer.
Drinkability- If I was to take a drink of this beer (not knowing what it was) and was told to guess what it was, NO WAY I'd say a Double IPA. Maybe I'm just too used to the big brash hoppy IPA's but for some reason this beer just didn't do it for me. I had big hopes too considering how good Kern River's Just Outstanding IPA was and how good the homebrewed Citra IPA was that I had. Oh well, can't love every beer but it was still great to try. Thanks much Dan!

Serving type: growler

05-25-2010 17:20:34 | More by younger35

tarheels86

California

3.25/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tap at Toronado SD for SDBW. Pours a bright, low haze, light orange. Small, white head. Nose is heavier butterscotch, vanilla, some vodka, mango, parmesan cheese. Taste is boozy/white alcohol/vodka, butterscotch. Palate is thick, chewy, oily. A bit sticky/syrupy. Not what I was expecting.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2012 20:42:34 | More by tarheels86

Gtreid

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been waiting for this one for a while. Thanks go out to mrbubbler for the opportunity.

A: Hazy orange color. The pour dropped a finger or so of pure white head that faded to a thin rim and left little lace.

A: The aroma is that of sweet pineapple, pine tar, and citrus. I actually get a little butter in the nose, which I hope is not a sign of off flavors.

T: The taste follows the nose, with notes of more pineapple, orange, and pine sap. The biscuit and caramel malt balance this well. I was afraid of this from the nose, but there is a distinct diacetyl taste. The buttery notes are not pleasant. If not for this, I believe this would be a good beer.

M: Creamy for a dipa. Medium to full body, light on the carbonation.

O: I was expecting an A+ brew, I got an B brew. Not bad, if it weren't for the diacetyl, I guess I got a bad batch. This is definately not on par with the world class brews such as Hopslam, in my opinon. I hope to get to try this again, and am chalking this review up to a bad batch. Skal.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2011 23:43:06 | More by Gtreid

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Generously hooked up in a trade from Slaphappysnark. Fresh and sticky. Thank you Becky!

Shared amongst friends, I pour my portion into a Darkness snifter.

Bright orange pour. Colorbook like. My nieces would run wild on the walls with that color crayon. Two full fingers of off white head. Smell is deep citrus. Sweet of course. It's not pungent or aggressive just sweet. My first impression of my sip is how undercarbonated it is. It's not omg awful, it just isn't there. Taste is semi sweet tropical citrus that cuts to a dry finish. Hmmmm. (Scratches head) This has been done much better by others.

Sure the beer was good. Great? No. I don't see what all the fuss is about, Albeit, I'm glad I tried it and had the overall experience. If I'm on the West Coast i'd much rather reach Expo Hopiness, and Knuckle Sandwhich. East Coast, Hill Farmstead. Kern can't hold a candle to any of those. Competition is closed boys and girls.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 03:55:23 | More by TheDudeRules

huskermike12

Iowa

3.7/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

3/20 Bomber into a Boulevard Tulip

A - Very nice light orange with 2 finger head that dissipates quickly.

S - Malt, citrus, pine. Actually very malty ... More than expected from a beer named Citra.

T - Pine and malt with citrus notes of grapefruit and orange peel. Honestly, a little more boozy and malty than I would have thought. High hopes for this one were dashed a little.

M - Very nice medium body with good carbonation.

O - I was disappointed in this beer. I actually felt it was pretty average and was hoping for more. Not sure if that clouded my judgement, but I don't think I will seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 00:34:09 | More by huskermike12

illidurit

California

3.73/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap in sample size at the 2011 Bistro DIPA Fest. Pours a hazy golf with a dense white froth. Malty brown sugar and candied lemon hops on the nose with a piney accent. Flavor is lemon zest with a light pale malt note. I appreciate the hop focus without a syrupy malt profile but it also is allowing a soapy astringent note to come through. Solid bitterness but not really up to DIPA standards. A good beer but I'm not buying the hype here.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2011 21:20:18 | More by illidurit

pepsican

Iowa

3.78/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A little darker than expected caramel color pour with a nice sized pillowy head floating on top. Huge resinous pine hop notes are mixed well with some tropical fruit and more dank dank dank. Flavor is a bit more malt forward than I figured. Aggressively bitter finish, great carbonation for the style. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:24:50 | More by pepsican

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour from a bottle courtesy of Dale.

A: Cloudy straw color with a thin white head. Great legs.

N: Lots of grapefruit. Lots of earth and pine. Very little malt.

T: Very citrusy. Lots of pineapple and grapefruit. Great malt base, but it has the stinging sugariness I associate with some underattenuation. Tons of earth and pine. Nice.

M: Medium bodied and quite sticky. Noticeable alcohol.

O: Quite good, but I wouldn’t kill myself for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 05:57:03 | More by writerLJBerg

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A growler.

A: Citra is a darker, autumnal with leafy, tobacco brown colors. Enough lighter hues lend to the yellow-brown leaves in fall aspect. A small head.

S: The citra nose is intoxicating, sweet with orange. Underneath the hops, caramel malts provide a surprising degree of balance.

T: The citra, as pleasant as the nose is, doesn't quite last. Hoppiness is present, a recurring theme. Citrusy orange flavors are rich and lush, well-balanced against the caramel biscuit malts. Citra starts out well but gets lost amongst the bolder double IPA flavors.

M: The mouthfeel is crisp upfront, hoppier and varied in the finish. The citra nose is great.

D: A good beer, plenty flavorful with the citra leading the charge.

Serving type: growler

03-06-2011 02:39:24 | More by akorsak

birchstick

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours an orange color with a touch of rustic brown and a pure as white snow color of a head

S - oniony, earthy, dank citra hops and a little bit of fruit leap out of the glass

T - sweet citrusy hops move on to a nice earthy, oniony presence. a little bit of caramel malt is hidden underneath, but you have to dig through the hop bombardment to find them. Ends with light citrus and more of the oniony earth notes.

M - medium bodied, smooth, matches the beer style well

D - overall, this is a solid DIPA. This beer showcases the citra hop very well as one might expect. I have been wanting to try this one for a while and was glad to get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:49:11 | More by birchstick

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Deuane for sharing this growler with the members of Team D(r)INK on 5/1/10.

A - Emerged from its vessel as a hazy golden orange-colored liquid with a hint of carbonation and firm, bubbly white head that transformed into an abundance of sticky lace around the glass.

S - Nose is quite citrus-forward as expected, but with more depth than I had originally anticipated. A hint of catbox is present, as well as mild pine and resinous notes. Aroma is somewhat pungent and a bit lacking, but not crazy for a DIPA.

T - Heaps of bitter citrus hops with a hint of catbox quality in the middle. Overall, this packs a seriously aggressive hop bite with plenty of citrus fruit and some resin and pine for good measure. There is also an oily perfumy character present. Finishes with a sweet, grainy malt character and some residual spiciness in the finish.

M - Texture is quite oily and softly carbonated overall, with perhaps a subtle prickle on the tongue. Finishes with assertive hop bitterness on the palate.

D - Complex for a DIPA, especially considering this was brewed with a single hop variety. While there is an abundance of citrus hops, there is definitely more happening beneath the surface.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2010 19:55:49 | More by ffejherb

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to alcstradamus for the chance to sample this one.

Poured into my pint glass the beer is cloudy cider orange gold. Three fingers of eggshell hued head recede slowly leaving thick gobs of lace.

The aroma is full on juicy citrus. Loads of mango, grapefruit and pineapple.

The flavor is a super resinous hop blast. Citrus is all over my tongue. Dry bitter finish. Light hints of malt.

Medium body mild carbonation.

Overall a decent DIPA. Nothing epic.

Serving type: growler

08-19-2010 00:20:58 | More by beerwolf77

Arbitrator

California

4/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-review off a growler on 12/11/10. This is much more bitter and less aromatic than previous batches. Still good, but much less drinkable, and the scores have been adjusted. I understand batch variation happens, but this is a pretty big swing.

Main changes:

S: Huge dropoff in aromatics. Citrus is still present, but it's less pungent, with more 'straight' citrus and less tropical variety.

T: As in the nose, less tropical focus. Still more tangerine, pineapple, apricot than the nose would suggest. But it is heavily grapefruit dominated, and the bittering hops have been played up more.

M: More of a lingering bitterness than previous batches.

D: I drank a couple of glasses, but my enthusiasm waned after the first one. It was mostly enjoyment of the memory than the beer.

Dial in your recipes, KRBC. This is not your best batch.

~~~

Original review (A+ / 4.8)

Chilled growler into a glass. Generously shared by chswimmer. Thanks, Craig.

It should be noted that the first time Craig shared this, I voluntarily skipped the tasting. I wasn't convinced by the hype, even as I received numerous annoying texts over the night telling me how awesome it was.

A: Pours a cloudy orange body, with 3 fingers of light cream head. To say this thing is still well-carbed is an understatement. I'm only deducting points for the lack of clarity here, but I don't genuinely feel that's a serious detriment to the beer.

S: CCC

III

TTT

RRR

UUU

SSS

!!!

Grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, apricot, perfume. I see someone scribbled "fuckin' beautiful" on my notes -- probably largadeer. I agree.

T: Dry, incredibly clean citrus flavors. It reminds me of the pops I'd make out of frozen orange juice as a kid, with overtones of grapefruit, pineapple, tangerines, apricot, mango, and some sugar cookie sweetness. This is one of the fruitiest IPAs I have ever had, and in 3 glasses of it all I could focus on was the wonderful melange of citrus.

M: Medium bodied. It's not viscous. Dry and smooth, just incredibly silky. I'm really blown away. It's a little unsatisfying by lacking viscosity, but I also don't need a heavy beer all the time.

D: This beer is amazing. I am not prone to giving high scores, and for a while I was considering violating my own standards and giving this all 5s. If it weren't for the cloudy appearance, this would be an across-the-board perfect beer. Its affordable price is just a plus. I'd drink the s*** out of this thing if I lived locally. Seek this out.

Serving type: growler

12-13-2010 06:39:57 | More by Arbitrator

abrand

Illinois

4/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to hooliganlife for letting me tick this one off my lis of musts. Small pour sampled in a tulip.

Pours a deep orange/copper color with a pillowy head that retains. Lots of fruits and hops on the nose. Aromas are not as big as some west coast IPA's can be but still enjoyable. Floral notes, citrus fruits, malts and plenty of hops are on the palate. Somewhat boozy but still very good tasting. Medium bodied. Overall this is a great beer but may be somewhat overhyped. I think there are plenty of offerings that are just as good and much more readily available. Still really glad I got to try this. Thanks Scotty!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 00:18:26 | More by abrand

rmalinowski4

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to AleWatcher for sharing his growler.

Pours a clear copper/ golden color with a large fluffy white head. As the head fades, it leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

The smell is definitely Citra, pineapple, orange, tropical fruit with a nice bready malt backbone.

The taste is hops forward. Pineapple, orange, mango, and other tropical fruits are followed by a maltier backbone than expected. The finish is on the dry side with some lingering pine bitterness. I was expecting more tropical flavor and a little lighter malt backbone, but this is still very nice.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. I would like slightly more carbonation,but this could be due to the fact that it was a growler shipped from California.

Overall, this is a very nice beer, but I expected more. It is not as spectacular as the hype would suggest.

Serving type: growler

09-05-2011 15:28:15 | More by rmalinowski4

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler from Sideswipe served in tulip pints and shared with a bunch of awesome ba's.

Really nice clear dark golden with a 3 finger frothy white head. Fantastic lace and retention.
Lots of citrus-- grapefruit, pineapple, little orange, and a touch of dry pine. Almost no malt. The taste follows suit and holds a nice bitterness. Really nice medium body, plenty of carbonation.

Overall-- this is a nice beer, but not worth the hype. If this were a local, I'm sure I'd drink it when it got released... But the hype around this beer is much higher than the flavor deserves.

Serving type: growler

09-04-2011 22:29:02 | More by AleWatcher

phingdong

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Consumed 3 bottles of this within 2-3 weeks of the 8/18 release/sale.

A - Attractive gold color with a fluffy white 2 finger head. Nice lacing and retention throughout. It certainly looks tasty.

S - Primarily citrus with a nice dank pine thrown over the top. Mostly a tropical aroma. It is a bit more muted than I would have thought.

T - Citrus, orange, tropical fruits with a bit of pine. Very nice taste. A bit subtle but the balance works very well for drinkability. I could drink this all night.

M - Creamy and full bodied. Standard feel and carbonation for a DIPA.

O - Glad to finally get a chance to try this. I was expecting more from its legendary status. It was a bit more subdued than I would have hoped. Still a very tasty DIPA. I'd love to try it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 16:22:55 | More by phingdong

Brez07

Maine

4.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle courtesy of oach. Notes from a month ago

A: Slightly burnt orange, fully translucent. 1 finger white head, retained well throughout the glass. Decent thin lacing

S: Definitely loaded with citra hops. Orange and mango burst forth. Accompanied by a light amount of scallion and bread crust

T: Same as the nose. Juicy citrus fruit - oranges, pineapple and mango. Thankfully, there is less scallion in the taste. Somewhat balanced with some lightly toasted bread

M: Medium bodied, slightly bitter. What I particularly enjoyed about this was it didn't your typical IPA "burn" for the palate

D: Glad to have finally tried this one, but can't say it lived up to level people put it at. Would drink again, but doubt I'd trade for it considering what people ask for

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 17:11:17 | More by Brez07

kbutler1

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler. Courtesy of maltzilla. Poured into a tulip glass a slightly cloudy orange amber color with a slightly off white head head that laces nicely as it settles. Aroma is that of tropical fruit like mango mixed with citrus. Malty start gives way to a very strong hop profile that lingers on and has nice flavors of citrus and fruit. Nicely done and well blended.

Serving type: growler

12-27-2010 23:58:47 | More by kbutler1

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to deadeye for this!

pours a slightly hazy golden copper with a nice inch plus of fluffy white head. nice lacing and retention.

lots of booze and bitterness with a faint hint of malt. not very complex on the nose. bits of citrus, mainly tangerine.

tropical fruit, with mango, pineapple, and tangerine coming to mind. lots of citra bitterness. grapefruit in the finish. malt body is there but the hops really take center stage.

great body. perfect mild to moderate carbonation. a bit chewy with a hint of resin on the teeth.

this is good but overhyped. glad i waited until this was bottled. nice 8% ABV for a DIPA, i would buy this again easily. however at the end of the day, i prefer the regular "just outstanding".

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 00:08:51 | More by hooliganlife

brew3crew

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler courtesy of cam

A-orange body with a white head of a round the edge

S-citra? Easily said. Done and done. Really doesn't smell that great

T-follows the Nose. Overly hoppywhich iisn't a bad thing. Nice hop bitterness to it

M-medium body and smooth

O-had side bby side with double dwisy and thought DD was better. Stikk a good Ipa, but has been bettered

Serving type: growler

08-27-2011 01:24:22 | More by brew3crew

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle thanks to DearthVader, this one was poured into my Duvel tulip.

Citra pours a largely clear orange, with just a little haze to it and some solid tangerine highlights shining through. The cream colored head tops out at over three fingers in height and has some fantastic head retention. The head is fairly sticky, but the lacing is just shy of perfection. It's interesting to compare the nose with this beer, which also used Amarillo hops, with the all Citra Hill Farmstead Double Citra that I had earlier this evening. They're certainly similar, but the Amarillo takes the edge off the citric and acidic fruit aspect of the Citra hops, resulting in a more rounded, fruity aroma (though those other attributes are also present). I just wish it had a little more oomph to it. There's a bit of caramel to be found in each sip, enough to differentiate it from a beer as bone dry as Ruination or PtE, but it's still fairly hop forward for the style. Mid palate bitterness is definitely present, but on the refined side. The Citra hops are a bit more dominant in the flavor than on the nose, as far as grapefruit and pineapple notes go. There's still some mango, and even peach present, but not as much so as in the aroma. The body is spot on, on the light/dry side while not letting the hops run 100% rampant. Carbonation is just as good, bubbly and exciting and really letting the hoppy flavors pop on my palate. Kern River's Citra is a very good DIPA, and I think it may be suffering a bit from having to follow a couple phenomenal hop forward beers from Hill Farmstead. I'll surely be cracking my second bottle soon, and this may be a rare case where I revisit and revise my scores.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 05:24:35 | More by axeman9182

ahalloin

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A good friend acquired this in a trade and generously shared it at a low-key tasting. Thanks Jonathan!

The beer pours a dark gold. I can't think of another DIPA that pours this dark actually. It was almost the color and density of apple cider with all the cloudiness. A good sized white foam cap formed showing the carbonation had lasted the transcontinental voyage.

The smell is very nice with some toffee sweetness backing up a major dose of super tropical fruity hops. It is so tropical that it reminds me of candied mango.

The taste has a nice smooth sweet, toffee-ish base. Over the top, we get tons of citric hop flavor. This isn't really a complex beer, just sweet base and citra hops. I generally prefer a few layers of hops but I don't get that in this beer. The finish has a medium-low bitterness: IMO, it is too low.

The mouthfeel is smooth with a medium body.

Drinkability-wise, I think this is a very nice beer. The low bitterness makes it accessible but doesn't really move my taste buds to NEED another sip.

I love the Citra hop and this beer is a very good hommage to it.

Serving type: growler

03-02-2011 22:04:22 | More by ahalloin

BrlyHpsWtrYst

California

4.1/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Damian (Solomon420) for the trade

Pours a hazy amber with a finger or so of off white head which quickly laces away. Smells of pine tar pungency and wafts of orange oil, a little sweet pineapple on the finish and surprisingly.. a little alcohol glides through just at the very end. Taste follows the nose but more diminutive. Hop bitterness comes in on the finish and maintains a bitter aftertaste on the back of the palate. Medium bodied and mouth coating. leaves an oily slickness on the palate, light carbonation..

Overall a very solid DIPA.. well made and balanced, I will be seeking this one out whenever I can

Serving type: growler

04-02-2011 22:18:08 | More by BrlyHpsWtrYst