Atwater Conniption Fit Double IPA - Atwater Block Brewery

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Very cloudy orange color, soapy 1 finger head, thin lacing.
S - Dank hop oil, orange juice, grapefruit peel, dried flowers, soapy alcohol scent. Not really appealing.
T - Bitter hop bite, some orange juice flavor, sweet malt, a little pine.
M - Sweet bitterness hangs, very thick and chewy mouth feel.
O - Didnt really care for this at all, it has a weird odd medicine type aroma and flavor that grosses out my palate. Overweighed with malt, and an unappealing mix of bitter flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:11:11 | More by Omnium

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This wasn't fresh, about six months old, so it probably will impact the score. Pours a dark red orange tannic brown, cloudy, very cloudy. Smells of malt sweet and bread and ripe fruit and but not much hops alive in this one. But taste is less malt forward than the nose suggests, the bitterness more pronounced, but in a way one dimensional. Mouthfeel is ok, spot on for a DIPA, although a bit clumsily effervescent. Ok, but sure would like to try this fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 22:52:22 | More by Bitter_Echo

CHickman

New York

4.2/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy orange copper color with a big foamy 2 finger light tan head with a ton of bubbles in it that faded very slowly, leaving great foamy rings of lace as it went down.

Smells of grapefruit, piney hops/pine cones, orange peel, citrus hops, grass, mint, floral hops, grains, herbs and light spices like pepper and coriander; a nice hoppy nose that bursts with the different hop notes and was like sweet wet hops were added - a very nice nose.

Tastes more malty than the nose, with biscuit, malt, lightly toasted grains and sweet bread or cake leading the way, followed by orange juice, pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, guava, citrus hops, piney hops, brown sugar, apple skin, herbs, tea leaf, pepper, light spices and coriander; very juicy hop flavor mixed with nice sweet malty notes made for a complex and enjoyable flavor. Started out English IPA and finished as a West Coast IPA, which was a great transition and hid the alcohol completely.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth and buttery with mild zesty carbonation, a medium chewy body and a sweet overall flavor with a slight bitter citrus finish. What a very pleasant surprise, this was a solid DIPA that went down so smooth and easy and felt more like an IPA. A really solid beer that I recommend trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 02:47:25 | More by CHickman

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
8.0% ABV, 92 IBUs, production of June '12 notched on label.

A - Conniption Fit pours a murky orange color despite sediment remaining in the bottle. A quiet hiss of carbonation is released as the ivory head rises to a tall stature before dropping to a giant dollop of foam that floats on the beer below it's clutching lace.

S - A billowing strong hop presence embodies a bolder earthy tone than that of the big ripe citrus fruit generally found in a double IPA. Canned pineapple and grapefruit half appear but this beer leans more towards cut grass and wood chip earthiness with a bit of pine resin. It doesn't smell quite like an explosive double though as a hint of stale cardboard pokes in before the malty finish caps things off with cereal grains and caramel malt. A passing whiff reveals a hint of paint thinner on the finish; an odd hop side effect methinks.

T - Sticky caramel malt seems to become sticker with the aid of the hops' biting pine resin but it displays a good partnership between the two. Pale malt backs up the rest of the hops which jump into a muted blend of citrus with lemon zest coming out on top as the most focused flavor of the bunch. Overall, the taste just seems rather plain though. There's different things going on here, but none of them express unique characteristics from their core ingredient, instead they all seem to clump together.

M - Medium-full bodied, this tacky beer combats the feel's stickiness with higher carbonation for a crisp finishing feel that also batters the tongue with dry bitterness. Even if the hops' flavor profile doesn't quite expand, they do a good job of creating a nice bitter mouthfeel.

O - Atwater Block's Conniption Fit Double IPA initially seems more like a double English IPA with it's dry, earthy characteristics but citrus fruit eventually makes it's way in and gives the feel a necessary boost when the rest seems to fall somewhat short. Double IPAs are intended for immediate drinking, but I find it strange this beer would exhibit oxidation characteristics after only a few short months. Regardless, it's not offensive, it just doesn't hold it's own in a world saturated with big, bold double IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:38:54 | More by BeerFMAndy

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into tulip. Bottle date is July 2012.
Currently enjoying while watching Doctor Who for the first time in my life.

A- Hazy copper pour with a finger and a half off white head., Lacing is decent.

S- Bright citrusy grapefruit, strawberries, sweet malts and a touch of honey and lemon rind.

T- Bright grapefruit, sweet malts, some honey, some mandarin oranges and a bit of digestive cookies. Fairly balanced for a DIPA but still quite good.

M- Light the medium body, great carbonation with a bit of chew.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 19:38:11 | More by korguy123

JVoyager

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured into a Pint Glass from 12 oz Bottle dated June, 2012. Nice appearance with a bright amber/orange color; not much of a head, maybe only one finger's worth.

S: Smell is very citrusy and fruity with some slight earthy-hop notes.

T: Bitter and citrus taste; almost reminded me of grapefruits. Not as hoppy as I was expecting from a DIPA.

M: Medium bodied with a very dry feel.

O: Overall, it was a decent beer from Atwater. I was expecting a hop-explosion, but this was a little more mellow. Not the best DIPA I've ever had but it was definately different.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 22:17:32 | More by JVoyager

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled June 2012. Pours a hazy orange amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some good foamy lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, bread, grass, orange, mango, pine, earth, and herbal spiciness. Pretty good aromas with decent strength and balance; a bit too herbal and grassy. Taste of orange, grapefruit, pine, caramel, biscuit, floral, and herbal spiciness. Fair amount of pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of orange, grapefruit, pine, caramel, grass, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. Good flavor balance; with a nice malt/bitterness balance as well. No cloying flavors or astringent bitterness; a pretty clean finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming after the finish noticed. Overall this is a good DIPA. Some good hop/malt balanced flavors, and very smooth to sip on. Quite pleasant and enjoyable for a DIPA. It is unlike most that are in your face with a lot of hops and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:22:21 | More by superspak

oneaday

Michigan

2.08/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bottle into a DFH snifter. Started cool - 48f and warmed up to about 55f. Decent expectations for this based on the color, creamy head and great piney / grassy smell. Best advice is to just leave it in the glass and smell it. This is just an average hoppy IPA, it's nowhere near a real DIPA or IIPA. No balance, no malt, no alcohol, no greasy mouth feel. Just bitter, metalic yuck. Save your money and buy a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 18:29:13 | More by oneaday

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

multiple pints drank from the keg over the evening. didn't realize it was a DIPA until later, easy to drink.

appears a dark rusty orange brown color. nice off-white head, good head retention. fruity, herbal, and earthy hop aroma. enough malt in there to balance the taste. medium body, fairly smooth carbonation.

overall - a solid beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 21:44:52 | More by jmdrpi

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a nice looking golden color with a touch of haziness to it. The head was soapy looking and it left a good lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer was ok, but as I drank it I felt that it got a little funky. The taste of the beer was crisp and bitter, has the taste of a solid DIPA. The mouthfeel was clean and medium bodied with a nice carbonation to it also. Overall this beer wasn't pretty good, I love the name of it which is why I picked it up in the first place. It's not a bad DIPA, I would probably drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 23:04:45 | More by Knapp85

warnerry

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled notched Nov. 2011

A - Pours a clear burnt orange with one finger of off-white head. Head has decent retention and leaves some nice lacing.

S - Very fruity hops, with citrus, mostly orange, being most prominent. Also some caramel malt and grassy hops.

T - Nice hop bitterness up front, again with a big citrus component, but caramel and bread malts come in pretty quickly. Finishes with more bitterness. Definitely one of the better tasting beers I've had from Atwater.

M - Medium mouthfeel, slightly sticky. Finises semi-dry with some nice bitterness.

O - Certainly not in the upper echelon, but this was a pretty enjoyable DIPA, and one of the better Atwater brews I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:45:46 | More by warnerry

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a deep gold color with a thin off-white head.

Aroma of sharp grassy hops and grainy malts.

The taste was grassy hops with a big caramel malt bite. Bitterness in the finish.

Medium bodied and moderately carbonated.

An okay DIPA but not one that I'll remember.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 23:15:36 | More by Monkeyknife

GRPunk

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle, notched N 11, poured into a GRBC pint glass.

A- It had a slightly hazy, golden body with moderate carbonation. The 1-finger, khaki head settles to a thin foam. There were some great sticky rings left on a glass that doesn't tend to do any favors in that regard.

S- Nice and hoppy while in the bottle. After the pour, it opened up with grassy and herbal notes. Sweet bready backbone reminded me of something like Hawaiian bread. It seems pretty fresh. Warmth brings out the malts, providing a little more balance.

T- Very rich, double IPA. No mistaking this one for a barleywine. Hops are full on from beginning to end. There is a sweet malty backbone (again reminding my of Hawaiian bread and other grainy qualities) that pulls it somewhere toward balance, but hops really do rule this beer. Hops run the gamut of flavor (herbal, organic/leafy, citrus on the verge of pithy). There's also a bit of an aspirin-like flavor that gets a litte abrasive. As with aroma, warmth brings out a little more malt flavor.

M- Very dry from the hopping that also provides a tingle (even slightly tongue numbing). Foamy 1st sip gives way to moderate carbonation. Medium-full body.

O- A really hoppy D-IPA. A little rough around the edges to point of being biting/sharp/harsh. I sense the ABV, but it is a smoother quality. Any harsh aspects seem due to the hopping. Maybe better suited to a true "hop head." In fact I'd suggest it to some of my friends who love the hops. I prefer a little balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 20:43:40 | More by GRPunk

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a medium orange amber color, a one fingered creamy head that's fairly thick and viscous, and gentle, but tight carbonation.

S - Mild citrus and pine with light caramel malt. The aroma is pretty weak, I'm breathing in for all I'm worth and not getting much from it.

T - Sweet caramel malt backbone is sturdy and present from the start of the sip all the way to the very end. The malt immediately builds a quick burst of sweetness and almost as fast, is met with a swurry of pine and bitter grapefruit with a little acidic tang to the bittering. After the two collide, they continue to do so throughout the remaining sip and at the end, the pine and grapefruit bitterness win and create a fairly long and lingering dry aftertaste. The flavors start out more balanced and towards the middle the hops come on like gangbusters.

M - Full medium body, smooth on the tongue, dry finish.

O - What I really like is they date their bottles. Had this not been stamped with a bottle date, I would not have bought it because I'm tired of laying out mounds of cash for outdated big IPA malt bombs. For me, this one sits between a B- and a B. What kills the deal for me is the weak aroma. For 8%, the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 01:52:05 | More by jzeilinger

david131

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a nice clear orange liquid with a thin, bone-white head. A quick swirl brings the head back to a nice, one finger thickness.

S- Caramel, pine, grass, citrus, and maybe a touch of cotton candy. Very aromatic and intriguing. A bit old school considering the lack of fruitiness but it is nice for a change-up.

T- Caramel, vanilla, pine, oranges, and grass. Bitter and sweet. Much maltier than many beers of the style. Unique.

M- A very smooth body with some lingering bitterness.

O- A unique double IPA that is definitely more on the old school side but is definitely memorable. Fairly drinkable considering the lower alcohol content for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 05:25:35 | More by david131

Svenhook

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bought a 4 pack of this before I will travel to the brewery for a tour.

Pours a nice fluffy head and leaves a moderate lace. The taste seems a little boring and flavorless at first, but quickly grew on me. Was not impressed after the first bottle but have since changed my mind. Very nice pure hop aroma. Not overly bitter with an after taste of florally hops.

Overall, this beer grew on me. Was unimpressed on first taste but believe it is a well rounded DIPA. Very excited to taste it fresh on tap at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:37:27 | More by Svenhook

Durge

Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found this oddity at The Mellow Mushroom in Greensboro, NC. It's a clear dark amber/light copper color with a solid off-white foamy cover and great lacing. The aroma offers very little, just a slightly yeasty wheat and maybe hint of bayleaf. The flavor is more purposeful with a dry grass hop over light bready malt. I pick up some suggestion of cherries and some pine hop steps up after a few tastes. This is a bright, crisp feeling DIPA with medium body and modest but adequate carbonation. The flavor is pretty grassy but it is favorably balanced with the piny-malt characteristics. It's not an overstated DIPA, no special evidence of alcohol. In fact, the hops are not real loud here so it might disappoint most DIPA enthusiasts, but it's not bad tasting and quite drinkable for the style. A little too grassy leaning to be a favorite for me but I recommend it for a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 01:52:30 | More by Durge

oberon

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at the Mellow Mushroom in Greensboro.I looked around for this beer and there isnt much information about it,kinda surprised to see it on tap down here.Poured a a mix of amber and burnt orange,a large fluffy white crown atop.Very muted aromas with mainly just a passing whiff of leafy hop and sweet alcohol.Flavors are much like the aromas meaning very light and ho hum,leafy hop and sweetsh caramel malt with a shot of the sweet alcohol.To me its nothing like a DIPA,not big hops,not much complexity,just sweetness.Eh another Atwater beer to not have again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2010 17:46:38 | More by oberon