Sunken Island IPA
Kenai River Brewing Co.

Sunken Island IPASunken Island IPA
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From:
Kenai River Brewing Co.
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
English IPA
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 8.05%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
31
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 08, 2017
Added:
Feb 28, 2007
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  3
An off-white head sits atop an attractive amber beer. The aroma is a complex mix of hops and malt with traces of yeast. Assertively spicy hops balanced by a rich malty profile will entice the pallet. The finish is long with a lingering hop bitterness.
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Rated: 3.9 by Agentveba from North Carolina

Jul 08, 2017
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle/can share thanks to Jeremy. IPA in aroma and flavor, but nothing sets this one apart. Rather pedestrian for NW IPAs. Still pretty tasty though.
Jan 13, 2016
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Reviewed by Back_in_the_Saddle from Vermont

4.09/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a soft hazy burnt orange to amber color with a one finger white foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute. Lotsa light trickling lacing slides down into the glass.
The smell starts off with a light earthy spice sending some quills into a light citrus zesty rind on the bitter side of the house. Light English malts come in underneath to balance nicely.
The taste was mainly spicy with a light sweet maltiness to beat into the earthiness and balance out. The zest comes back to fill in the gaps and leads into the aftertaste and pounds into the finish.
The mouthfeel was about a light to medium in body with a nice sessionability about it. Carbonation feels right as an English styled IPA.
Overall, this was a nice English styled IPA made by an American brewer. Too bad I can't get it again, because if I could I know I would.
Nov 22, 2015
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Reviewed by jonboyd_md from Alaska

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thick off-white head. Color is dark
-orange. Great mouthfeel, slightly thicker that water. Very well balance taste, Long finish. Almost more of a xtra pale ale. Good beer though.
Jun 03, 2015
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Reviewed by Kuaff from Alaska

4.37/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pint glass. Moderately cold.

This IPA is a very hazy, glowing golden orange with much visible sediment. The head is puffy, fluffy, and just off white. Looks natural and substantial.

It smells of lemon, lime, honey, and... cantaloupe. Yup. Cantaloupe. Sweetly bready, too.

Ah... I can see why this is classified as an English IPA upon taking a taste. Not as assertive in its citrusy "zing" or bitter astringency as American IPAs. It buries its maltiness under a shallower layer of hops, allowing the so-English biscuits and bread to float up through a marmalade fruitiness and linger with pleasantly subtle bitterness in the finish. Nice.

It's full-bodied as is appropriate for an English-style ale. Mmhmm.

Being an English-style IPA, this doesn't come anywhere close to the palate obliteration of a lotta IPAs around these days. And as much as I enjoy palate abuse, it's nice to experience a well-put-together alternative like this once in a while.
Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by GBfan75 from Alaska

Oct 26, 2014
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Reviewed by TucsonTom from Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
My new favorite IPA! Had a can at Fat Stan's in Ketchikan.

With a 6.8% ABV, Sunken Island still has a feel and depth of flavor comparable to an imperial IPA. The fact that it's unfiltered may have something to do with such great flavor and mouthfeel. And while it's categorized as an English IPA, it tastes like you still get some of your American hops.

And just to show that's it's not just my imagination, a guy I shared some Sunken with said it was very unique and better than the imperial IPA he was drinking.

Find it. Try it!
Aug 29, 2014
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Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Second beer from tonight's hidden in the fridge series, thanks to BeerKangaroo for the opportunity.
Dark golden almost amber color with a huge frothy beige head that slowly recedes but sticks to everything. Citrus and pine aroma with an earthy almost sulfury English yeast thing going on. Light fruitiness and a bit of sweet sugary malts round out the aroma. The flavor is solid bready caramel maltiness with a nice earthy citrus hop flavor and and a mild level of bitterness. Medium body with a light to moderate level of carbonation and a sweet slick mouthfeel. Nice IPA, a bit old school, but nice to drink, and its in a can!
Mar 09, 2014
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Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

4.01/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the can. Received as a gift from BeerKangaroo. Thanks a million! Sampled on February 18, 2014.

The pour is a very soapy and heady copper color with a slight chill haze. Medium body.

This is an interesting beer and I will tell you why I think so. First of all I pick up a floral and hoppy nose with a few distant herbs and spices.

I was expecting more or less the same in the taste but instead there was this explosion of sweet brown sugar, nutmeg, and other sweet herbs and spices with the hops being more to the back ground. And the toasted malts were more notable in the flavor. Aroma-taste like night and day.

I liked it.
Feb 18, 2014
Photo of DelMontiac
Reviewed by DelMontiac from Oklahoma

3.94/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Received a single can as a gift from a buddy in Wasilla, AK. Love the artwork on the can - a couple of salmon chillin' in lounge chairs with beers in fin on the beach of their sunken island under the water of the Kenai.

Nice hazed copper orange color topped by a single finger of white froth. Sweet bread dough backed by hop zest and apple cider to the nose. Great tasting IPA - caramel malt, peppered lemon butter, sweet apple and pear, spicy hop zing, and pecan nuttiness all fading equally at the finish indicating the nice balance of it all. Very silky feel from an IPA. Another winner from the great state of Alaska. Would love to try other brews from Kenai River Brewing Co.
Jan 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by dsvanino from Alaska

Dec 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by bcm75 from Illinois

Nov 22, 2013
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Reviewed by wvsabbath from West Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Serving Type - Can

Appearance - Golden copper/tan, nice 2 inch foamy head, plenty of lacing.

Smell - Orange, pine, Hop resin, sweet yeasts, citric fruits. A slight caramel malt backbone. Smells really fruity and sweet.

Taste - Starts off with a nice orange and piney bite, but has a decent caramel malt presence that I wasn't expecting. Not overly sweet but has a natural fruit flavor, not so sweet or bitter. Apple, some clementine and grapes round this out.

Mouthfeel - Really light on the tongue, has a semi sweet tang along with some sweet malts. Palate gets more fruits along with a herbal tea flavor. Aftertaste is light, fruity and slight bitterness.

Overall - Pretty good, really smooth, light and easy to enjoy. Has a west coast hop profile mixed in with a solid malt backbone. Refreshing and glad I got this in a trade, would drink again.
Nov 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

Nov 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

Nov 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

Nov 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by MAUEX_MFA from Alaska

Oct 16, 2013
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Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pulpy, translucent amber brew with orange highlights that pours a creamy 1 1/2 finger head. Nice lacing, decent retention.

Sweet, floral aroma with caramel malts.

Nice balanced IPA: floral and citrus hops, with a strong but not dominant caramel malt backbone. Some pine and resin, and a dry hoppy finish. Strong peel/resin aftertaste.

Medium feel, very easy drinking, with a refreshing bite and nice oily hop residue.

This IPA is perhaps a little too malty/sweet for my palate, but it's refreshing, drinkable, and tasty. Everything about it is pretty good, but shy of great.

Thanks to BlackCloud for the trade!
Oct 12, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by JMBSH from Colorado

Oct 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Reswald from Alaska

Oct 05, 2013
Sunken Island IPA from Kenai River Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 31 ratings