Citra DIPA - Kern River Brewing Company

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Opened about 10 days after bottling.

A - Orange body, 2 fingers of white head. Hazy, like an IPA should be.

S - Grapefruit, orange, slight pine, sugary.

T - More subdued than the smell. Grapefruit, orange, pine, malt in the finish. A bit dry.

M - Lighter side of medium. Good amount of carbonation.

Great DIPA, smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 23:32:28 | More by s1ckboy

rlee1390

Indiana

4.61/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Cloudy yellow, two finger head, carbonated with great lacing.

S-Citrus orange, lemon, grass, just wonderful hop characteristics.

T-Such balance. Spices, citrus, orange, lemon, wheat, grass. Then it ends with a nice bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, nice carbonation and very smooth.

O-Now this is an Outstanding DIPA. One of the best. Not quite the same level as PtE and Heady, but damn near close.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 19:38:04 | More by rlee1390

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Big thanks to DaveHack for pouring one of these for me. This beer poured out darker than I expected. It has a golden amber color with a nice foamy white head on top. The lacing and retention were very nice. The smell of the beer is very nice, big amounts of peach and pineapple aromas on this brew. Smells very fruity and sweet, very inviting. The taste of the beer has some subtle lemon flavors with other hoppy citrus notes and a balanced malt backbone. The mouthfeel is smooth, very creamy feel to it along with some light carbonation. Overall this is very good, I would drink lots of this beer. Very pleased with how this beer was. Worth seeking out for any IPA lover.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:53:28 | More by Knapp85

chaint

California

4.69/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Courtesy of Mike, who shagged a few bottles at the release the weekend before.

A "flavorful" smell (a mix of citrus and pineapple) with great floral qualities, as well. As for the taste...I think balance was the word. A great balance of hops, sweet, and malty. My new gold-standard for DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 19:03:00 | More by chaint

tectactoe

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Big thanks to karink for this one - a huge one from my wanted list finally gets crossed off. Pours a deep copper color near the top that cascades through a gradient, finishing at a shade of amber near the bottom. Hazy and cloudy everywhere but the very edges, topped off with a thick fingered, foamy white head that leaves behind some huge pieces of chunky lace. This beer is simply beautiful. Maybe I'm swooning a bit too much because this was such a huge want on my list, but this is spot on for a DIPA... Looks good enough to drink.

The aroma on this beer is simply one of the best in the business. This is how DIPAs should smell. An orgy of fruit plows through your nostrils like a hobo rummaging through a deli; intense bouts of pineapple, mango, guava, grapefruit, citrus, apricot, peach, tangerine... Just name a goddamn fruit and you can probably pick it out of the aroma here. So much fruit, it's insane to think a profile like this comes from the use of only TWO hops (Citra and Armarillo, though most of it is probably from the Citra).

The hop aromas are raw and vibrant also; piney, resinous, oily, floral, and pungently juicy. A light onion-like aroma adds to the complexity as well. Despite the massive hop bomb, the malt backbone does not go unnoticed... It provides a strong and sweet bready aroma alongside the hops, like buttered crackers and lightly toasted buttered bread. This aroma is simply sublime, in every sense of the word.

Couldn't have been more excited to bring this one to my lips after smelling it... the malt underbody gets laid out right from the start; it begins with a highly drinkable malty sweetness, again, in the form of buttery biscuits, lighty toasted, hand-in-hand with a mild onion and salty flavor. It doesn't get too comfortable on your palate, however, because the hop bum-rush quickly asserts itself - heavy, heavy citrus peel, pineapple, mangos, grapefruits, tangerines, and honeydew. Just an insane collage of fruits that bounce of the sides of the mouth like crazy.

A piney bitterness washes over everything about halfway through, followed by a decrescendo of floral, herbal, and oily resins. The aftertaste dies out with this bitterness that couples with a light malt sweetness and a heap of bittersweet citrus flavors. 8% ABV goes completely under the radar, this beer is drinkable as shit. Medium bodied with somewhat high carbonation, ever-so-slightly sticky on the palate.

This was one of my biggest wants (thanks again to karink for the hook-up) and I am so glad that it not only lived up to the hype, but it surpassed my expectations by quite a bit. So goddamn tasty, aromatic, and drinkable. Everything a DIPA could hope to be. If you're a lover of citrusy based D/IPAs, do yourself a solid and get your hands on this beer. All hail the motherfuckin' Citra hop, baby!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 14:20:11 | More by tectactoe

cfrances33

Illinois

4.98/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: A hazy, deep orange body that has a nice radiance to it. Two fingers of cream colored head form, and leaves a thick sticky lacing. Head hangs around for a while. Yup, this looks great.

Smell: As I poured the glass, I already got big wafts of grapefruit and mango. That's a good sign. An insane amount of grapefruit, tangerine, mango, and a nice resin burst out of the glass. Some light breadyness tries to come through, but this is all about the hops.

Taste: Grapefruit explosion. Literally, this tastes like grapefruit juice soaked with citra hops. Lots of citrus, mango, and tangerine. A definite pine, and the typical white pepper that citra often displays. Some bready sweetness, but only enough to calm the hops down slightly. Finishes with a lingering grapefruit bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Just the right amount of bitterness. A medium body, that leans on the side of heavier rather than light. Very drinkable, but not at the level of say, Society and Solitude #5.

Overall: While I personally enjoy Society and Solitude #5 more than this, I would say this is the perfect Double IPA regarding the standards of the style, simply because of the sheer size of everything about it's profile. Whereas S&S5 was pure juice, this exhibits all the best qualities of a DIPA. I will definitely want this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 18:21:15 | More by cfrances33

LaChupacabra

California

5/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Notes from 9/17/12.

A: Golden orange with two fingers of creamy, eggshell head. Decent head retention and very nice, sticky lacing.

S: Super juicy with lots of pineapple, mango, grapefruit, and tangerine. Light breadiness. Smells very crisp and refreshing .

T: Similar to the nose – Bright citrus and tropical fruit. Also some subdued floral and pine flavors. Hop forward with medium bitterness. Sweet malt in the background.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation. Crisp, refreshing.

O: Maybe it’s just homerism at work here, but this is my favorite beer. It’s perfect and I can't get enough of it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 04:40:32 | More by LaChupacabra

anchordrinker

California

5/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This review is being transcribed from notes from a prior bottling (2011) Huge, fruity DIPA which is all about hop flavor as opposed to hop bitterness. Tropical, citric flavors with no trace of alcohol. Excellent lacing, abundant hop aroma. Definitely the best dipa I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 07:36:12 | More by anchordrinker

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

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared with JLindros and reviewed from notes. Poured into a Kate The Great tulip.

A - Poured a clear dark golden copper honey hue with a one finger white head that leaves a sudsy blanket and side lacing.

S - Super, super dank citra hops and light malty sweetness. Aroma is very enticing.

T - Not quite as dank more light, flavourful citrus and grapefruit with super faint tropical notes. A touch more malt sweetness than I had expected.

M - Mouthfeel is awesome, silky, velvety DIPA. Top notch.

O - Overall this is a stellar DIPA, but, I didnt really think it lived up to the hype. Maybe I'm just spoiled by what Hill Farmstead offers

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 17:13:52 | More by rudzud

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

DCon

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my first review in a WHILE! I'm now going to start reviewing in my own format and not worry about the Appearance, Smell, Taste, Mouthfeel, & Overall "Format" I've used so boringly in the past. Leggo

Bottle came from a trade with HoppySuds (in person in CA) and I shared this 22oz brew with my cousin Mark in a tasting held at my new house in Benton Park. This was one of the few (besides D4) that we finished the whole bottle during the tasting. There was no markings on the bottle of any bottling date.

The appearance was made up of a big, long lasting 1 and 1/2 finger head that was very frothy with bubbles. Had a deep orange/copper colored body with slight hazing. Left great lacing behind.

In the aroma, tons of fruit, hops, and mango are all thrown hard. Very great and appropriate for this Double hopped up IPA.

Flavor? Big Hopped (American variety), Fruity, and has a Medium-High bitterness level. Not too much complexity.

The mouthfeel starts with a medium to high body is well pronounced with hop. Medium carbonation and finishes with TONS of citra, hence the name.

Cheers to this one! Not sure I'd throw it onto one of the top 10 beers of popular category but it was damn good. Would like to see another bottle of this in my future. Go for it!

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 05:52:54 | More by DCon

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

gpogo

California

4.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Light amber body with a white head and a light lacing. The head dropped to a light foam cap.

A- Citrus aroma with a light malt sweetness.

T- Enjoyable bitterness with a nice spiciness into the aftertaste. Light hop aroma/flavor, but not as intense as I would have expected. The hop flavor was flowery and perfumey in the body mixed in with an enjoyable malty sweetness. Not exactly what I expected from a west coast IPA.

M- Medium-light body, very enjoyable as I expected something at 8% to be quite heavy. Light carbonation.

D- A great beer, but the ratings seem quite influenced by hype. I'd gladly have another, it's on the order of a good homebrew IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 23:51:20 | More by gpogo

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Orange brown opaque pour with small but dense white foam. Aroma is a blast of tropical fruits, lots of pinneaples, mango and oranges. Also some of the distinctive cat pee and wet grass from Citra hops. Taste is also very fruity, some resin with definite bitterness without being over the top. Could have a little more carbonation. The perfect example of the fruity IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 16:19:44 | More by Luk13

claspada

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazed golden orange color with a massive soapy white head leaving tons of sticky white lacing along the glass..

The aromas begin amazingly fruity and hoppy, no surprise, with lots of blood orange, tangerine, pineapple and grapefruit. As it warms there is a light touch of sweet honey maltiness and maybe a hint of pine in there as well.

The tastes begin with a light bready/honey sweet pale matinees immediately met by a lot of hop fruitiness. Same hop flavors as the aroma with pineapple, tangerine, blood orange and some juicy mango that I didn't get in the aroma. Medium bitterness at first, with some residual sweetness, and then lingering hops.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. The finish is a perfect balance of lingering moderate hop bitterness and juicy hop flavors. Dangerously drinkable, no alcohol detection what so ever except you can obvious tell with the thicker mouthfeel.

Overall I can say no wrong about this beer. It is a beautiful showcase of juicy hop flavors, not too bitter and resiny (or resiny at all for that matter). Great showcase of Citra and Amarillo citrusy hops in all their glory. I would have loved to have this like a week old as opposed to a month or so to really appreciate the hop showcase but this is just fine by me.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 23:34:08 | More by claspada

zac16125

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Citra DIPA
22oz bottle into a snifter
no born on date, acquired in a trade, presumably from the latest release

A big thanks goes out to Bonez05404 for sending this one over in a trade.

A:  Pours a slightly hazy golden amber with just under 1 fingers width of sea foam white colored head, which dissipates down fairly quickly to a thin film.  Leaves a fair amount of streaky, spotted lacing.  

S: Big citrus hop aromas, grapefruit, pineapple, and most notably orange.  A fair amount of dank, resinous pine.  A swirl of the snifter brings out more tropical fruits and some sweet malt aromas.     A touch of booze as well. Excellent.

T: Somewhat muted up front with most of the flavors coming out in the backend.  Pine, orange rind, a good degree of bitterness, raw sugar sweetness. A hint of booze.  Not nearly the citrus characters on the taste as the nose implied, but more sugary sweetness.  Honestly could definitely be more hop heavy in my book.  Tasty, but somewhat disappointing.  

M/D:  Smooth, carbonation on the low end, but appropriate, medium bodied.  Drinkability is high, although its a touch boozy for a DIPA thats only 8%. Real nice mouthfeel though.  

O: Very good, but in my opinion nothing spectacular, and certainly not top 10 overall for all styles as the rating shows (although I say the same thing about Pliny).  I had high expectations that this would join my personal "big two" of Heady and Hopslam, but it falls way short of those expectations. Dont get me wrong, its quite an enjoyable beer, but to me its not worth the hype.  Maybe a case of limited availability equaling overrated?  

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 23:18:26 | More by zac16125

cosmicevan

New York

4.83/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

once again, a million thank you's to GrumpyOldTroll...this guy is just insanely generous and mad cool. asks for my address and when i say why he says "well you said you haven't tried citra yet so i wanted to send you a bottle" - the bottle arrived yesterday (a day after the discussion). i tried to rally the local troops so we could all get a taste, but the stars didn't line up, so sharing this one with the wife. poured into 2 captain lawrence tulips.

a - `deep murky orange brown with a massive off white chunky foamy ipa head. massive milk shake like chunks of lacing cling to the glass as the head goes away but the head never seems to really leave this beer. can't see light through this beer...kind of looks like some ripe tropical fruit in a glass. swirling the glass brings it all back to life.

s - OH MY! OH MY OH MY! mangos and grapefruits and magically delicious. pineapples. fresh and i mean FRESH ripe fruit. really just stunning. i'm literally drooling awaiting my first sip.

t - big and bold hop flavors. really something from another planet. lots of fresh ripe fruit. unreal flavor. grapefruit, pineapple, mango...tropical fruit hops.

m - full bodied and a bit chewy. perfect bitterness on the finish.

o - overall, pretty epic. is it the best double ipa out there? quite possibly, very reminiscent of heady topper. i'd need to have it in a side-by-side show down, but this one isn't readily available for my consumption needs. really juicy and simply an outrageous double ipa. my glass is emptying way too quick. what a treat! my wife was pretty blown away by it also...and she was equally bummed when i revealed to her the truth that this isn't one to get used to. thanks again, mike...i really appreciate this bottle. who knew (well i guess with 290 reviews...at least 290 people knew).

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:28:17 | More by cosmicevan

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for send this beer for me to share with a friend! Thanks Hollis!!!

bomber poured into tulip glass.

At long last, I get to try this EPIC beer!

Appearance: golden bodied beer with 2 fingers of white head. spotty lacing.

Smell: big juicy oranges. grapefruits and pine take a back seat to this nose of unrelenting oranges. really nice nose that you can smell while you are pouring the beer.

Taste: moderate bitterness. Lots of citrus flavors. Touch of grapefruit very similiar to the nose. Nice pine notes as the supporting cast. Fresh, juicy, & green tasting hops. Tropical fruits with a touch of pineapple.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Well hidden ABV; drinks very easily.

Overall: This is top tier DIPA. Just as good and Lawsons double sunshine. Very orangey hops and it so dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 04:01:04 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Duff27

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a one inch dense white head. Opaque dull orange in color. Sticky lacing, excellent head retention.

Huge citrus/grapefruit aroma! Stray pine in there.

Hops overpower malt, no doubt about it. Great citrusy hop bite at the end of sip, pithy orange. Super drinkable at 8%abv

Smooth mouthfeel, lower end of carbonation.

One of the best DIPAs out that. Having said that, it's almost too over the top with the amount of bitterness it brings to the table. Definitely worth seeking out! Thanks ArchEnemyBrew!!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:29:59 | More by Duff27

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a recent Baltimore tasting group event (many thanks to Online73 for the opportunity to try this one).

The beer pours a golden amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose on this bad boy is flat out fantastic, as I get considerable mango, canned peach, orange citrus and a boatload of pine. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely, but isn't quite as intense. I pick up more pine and dry orange citrus on the palate, in a medium bodied to full bodied flavor package. The finish is long and bitter, though the bitterness is not over the top. Everything seemed well preportioned in this excellent, easy to drink DIPA, and I can see why it's so highly regarded. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 15:45:54 | More by johnmichaelsen

nrs207

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Really nice hazy golden orange with a nice 1.5-2 finger frothy white head. Delicious looking beer as long as you like the hazy unfiltered look, which I do.

S - Not as strong as I was hoping. However, what is there smells fantastic. It's just not one of those beers that you pop the cap on and the surrounding area immediately smells of hops. Definitely smell the Citra and Amarillo. Nice and fruity, definitely all about the hops like it says on the bottle. Nice and juicy.

T - Follows the smell well. Light caramel or some semi-sweet malt backbone to play off the juicy hops and accentuate them nicely. I really was hoping for more of a fruit juicy hop bomb. After having Zombie Dust, I was hoping this would be like that on steroids, but I really didn't find the taste much more hoppy. It almost just seemed like a heavier maltier version of ZD with an Amarillo kick.

M - Really nice. Coats the mouth. No alcohol presence. Impressively easy to drink. You can tell it is a well crafted beer.

O - Very impressive, but not a top 10 beer. If this was more of a hop bomb I'd love it. The sweet malt and juicy fruit hop profile is right up my alley, but I just don't think it really stands out or gives you a serious hop kick. A beer like Heady Topper or Abner would be my go to compared to this all the time. I really think the east coast (specifically rural Vermont, for some reason) is catching up to the world class west coast IPAs. Definitely seek this out, but it's not worth trading crazy things that you see in the ISO:FT forum. Trade for some Alpine or some Heady Topper before you trade away your cellar for this.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 06:18:29 | More by nrs207

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Light copper, excellent clarity, long lasting white head. Tiny bubbles. Beautiful, very appetizing beer.

S: DANK! mango, pineapple, good bud, sticky, resiny, pungent. Not much in the way of citrus or pine. Absolutely profound. Perfect smelling.

T: Huge, all-encompassing tropical fruits. Peaches, mangoes, apricots, pineapples, honeydew. This is perhaps the best tasting DIPA I have ever had. Unique, impeccably well balanced.

M: Light mouthfeel, perfect carbonation. Highly drinkable - almost in a bad way. I wish I could drink this all night.

Until next release... Phenomenal beer. This ties Pliny as my favorite IPA ever.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:37:26 | More by mattsander

waltonc

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a generous trader for sending this as an extra. Pours the color of honey with poofy white head. Tastes and smells as advertised - great tropical fruit notes. Super well balanced with malt. Love the super fresh flavor. Overall, a fantastic IPA, and I usually don't like IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:08:13 | More by waltonc

oline73

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet. Really glad I got to try this one at long last!

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with an orangish hue. There is a half finger of off white head that leaves a thin layer on top of the pour.

Smell: Now we're talking. Juicy citrus hops with some tropical fruit notes. A touch of sweetness and some pine as well.

Taste: Just like the smell, full of juicy citrus peel hops. I'm getting some tropical fruit and some pine needles from the hops. Just a touch of malt sweetness, enough to balance things out, but the hops definitely do their thing. The finish is bitter with a hint of spice.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a somewhat dry finish.

Overall: This is a fantastic IPA. I was so glad to get to try it, and it was extremely fresh too. I would jump at the chance to get more.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 01:03:21 | More by oline73