Epic Armageddon - Epic Brewing Company

nrbw23

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear copper color with a slightly off-white head that leaves pretty decent lacing.

S- Smell is caramel malts with good amounts of herbal and citrus hops. Also picking up some slight hints of pine hops.

T- Follows the nose well. Slightly grainy caramel malts, light pine hops and tropical fruits. A nice amount of bitterness here too.

M- Medium in both body and carbonation.

O- Pretty solid. A bit on the pricy side so not sure how often I'd pick this one up.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 03:19:05 | More by nrbw23

Alieniloquium

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle poured into a British pint glass.

Appearance - Remarkably clear body with a big white head at first. Not great retention. It's gone fast, but it sticks nicely to the side of the glass as a good IPA should.

Smell - Earthy, grassy, and piney hops. Some bitter citrus involved as well. Some malt in the back, but it doesn't scream sweetness.

Taste - The malt is more prominent, but still a hop-forward IPA. Sweet malt, but only for a moment, then it's drowned out by more pine and grassy hops. The bitter finish isn't overwhelming. Enough to be a solid IPA.

Mouthfeel - A little more malt-forward than a true hop bomb IPA. Slightly heavier in the body, but still easy drinking. Well carbed.

Overall - A good, but perhaps unremarkable IPA. Definitely not worth the import costs. At the same price, I'd take this over a Two-Hearted, but it certainly isn't the same price.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 00:06:21 | More by Alieniloquium

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Listen I love IPA and I like most "epic" beers, quite the beergeek terminology. This IPA is solid all around it's hard to pick on it being the U.K.'s drunken cousin with a rap sheet isn't it hard enough to get by with that reputation. These guys who I first heard of through last year's DFH callaboration during the short lived Travel Channel Brewmasters series. As I pour this unique shaped bottle into my nonic pint I think to myself, why the fuck did I just spend 8.99 on a bottle of 6.66% New Zealand single IPA for 16.9 ounces. Well this is Ohio, and all of the Americans are using New Zealand hops in beers like Alpine Nelson, Widmer Bros even has a Nelson Sauvin hopped beer, hell Sierra Nevada has the Southern Hemisphere Harvest ale. It's time to try an IPA from New Zealand the motherland of Lord of the Rings, quite the "epic" movie series to go with this "epic" IPA. Alright half the beer is gone and I haven't even described it yet...WTF! Alright it's got a pale golden copper body with a bright egg shell white head flowing thick and dwindling or at least getting glugged down pretty quick. Fine speckled bands of lacing left behind, visually eye appealing in this "epic" bottle. Aroma, okay I'll give you a fair shake...citrus twang with a bit of funk slightly tropical in nature could even be called old sweat socks funk, either way it's effin' "epic". A bit of tart malts intertwine with the same hop description I've given you. Flavor has a hoppy...earthy funky tropical hop kick that will leave enough bitterness and cereal malts to leave this big guy from Ohio happy enough...a light golden ale in America could potentially have more hops but due to the delicate malt profile the hops in here come off "epic". Mouthfeel let's not forget that or the alcohol is 6.66% in an Armageddon IPA, GTFOOH! I just made an "epic" acronym for get the fuck out of here. Alcohol evident slight pine/citrus rind bitterness and hop oils leaves behind a pretty "epic" beer drinking experience, with a nice drying finish and moderate carbonation keep on chuggin'. Wait you want another pint point nine ounce bottle, that'll be an "epic" $8.99!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 07:24:22 | More by WVbeergeek

HipHop5

California

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

After a long absence from my beer reviews, I have found a beer that got me back out of my hibernating bear mood.
I was looking for this beer for a while.
During Mexico holidays vacation I receive an email alert from my local specialty beer vendor in LA Wally's. I call via skype and reserve few bottles with great joy anticipation.

It pours a very bright orange golden color in a tulip. (glass ware is extremely important for this beer, as it's fragrance deserve respect)

Solid head that retain for short period with mild lacing traces on the glass.

Amazing complexity of citrus and earthy pine needles mixes with light berries caramel cotton candy malt sweet aromas. It changes with warmth into earthier/mustier notes. I am salivating:)

Taste very close to it's aromas. Hop grind on first sip that fades into a luscious hop flavor of rare intensity and complexity. Extremely floral, the citrus grapefruit and a light touch of passion fruit cuts through the caramel malt foundation quite extraordinarily, living a extra super dry finish that screams," one more sip,just one more sip". Can't get enough of this brew. The carbonation is a bit high but escape this miracle beverage at the perfect ratio to first, open up the taste buds to the hop acidity, then round up the tragic but delicious last bit of it, to live you with a tear at the corner of the eye knowing that this is beer is rare and a financial investment for the average wallet.

Epic has created, not only a great and potent IPA, but also a object of desire that awaken both sense and intellect with it's name ARMAGEDDON (we are in 2012 after all :) and its evil 6.66% abv.

Hopheads, you know what to do! Beer lovers, don't think about it twice when you see a bottle at your local vendor.
IT'S A TREAT, and you deserve it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 21:45:09 | More by HipHop5

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Armageddon rained down on me in a shaker pint.

Appearance- The puffy and off-white head started out as an impressive mass of two-fingers. It has receded to a slight cap of sporadic bubbles.

The body is a glassy gold-copper with fast bubble streams rising to the lid. A fast deteriorating head on a supposedly hoppy beer is never a good sign...

Smell- Well now, that was a pleasant surprise! The nose is greeted with a wonderful resin oil and slightly citrus note, grapefruit and lemon. That is quite delightful!

Taste- The flavor starts out with the strong resin and a general hop grassiness. It never really turns the corner to a full citrus taste, just a slight hint of some grapefruit.

Instead, in the middle of the drink just the slightest biscuit and wheat malt comes through. Then the finish lends to the bittering hops and a little kiss of honey.

Expect that resin hop to be everywhere in the mouth. It is a pretty good mix of flavors, but the bitter and general grassy hops are too forward. That great citrus nose needs to translate here.

Mouth feel- The medium body is pretty standard. Not really great coating, and whatever creaminess may be here is dwarfed by the bitter finish.

Not necessarily bad for an IPA, not really that great for an IPA either.

Overall- This is a pretty decent, resiny IPA. It is a good bitter bomb, which hop heads should enjoy.

The feel just is not attenuated enough, and the citrus flavors are a real let down after the promise of the nose.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 00:21:04 | More by Pintofbrown

champ103

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear but dull golden/yellow color. A two finger white head forms and recedes to a ring. Light lace is left behind.
S: Resiny, perfume like hops. Tree sap and pine aromas. Fairly oily and slick. Not much else.
T: Big resiny pine/sap like flavors along with some peppery spice. Slick, oily, and soapy. Some grainy malt tries to make its way to the front in the finish.
M/D: Medium carbonation but viscous, resinous, and overly oily. Not hard to drink, but one is enough.

A fairly standard IPA as far as I am concerned. Lots of resiny hops for the hop head if that is your thing. This will probably not be a repeat purchase for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 01:20:20 | More by champ103

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at Wine source...enjoyed from a goblet, shared with tenderbranson69.

A beautiful copper tinged golden with great clarity and fast moving carbonation with small bubbles rising to a light cream cap which has great retention and fine bead. This is an IPA that screams NZ hops -smell of white grape from Nelson Sauvin is there with lots of tropical, fruity and floral odors...there is a sunny vibrant quality which has a hint of sweetness in the aroma but fruit is juicy smelling with mellow tangerine and subtle vegetal accents with some mango and perhaps passion fruit.
The feel is smooth in bitterness up front with moderately high carbonation and mild astringency levels. The bitterness creeps in mid taste and becomes slightly sharp but recedes toward the finish with is interesting how it peaks with mild acidity and nice backbone of malt but the finish is mostly dry.

I like the flavor of New Zealand hops in this, there is some tangy fruitiness with good malt backbone adding some sweet tinges to the mildly vegetal hops. The tropical taste is there with the white grape tanginess, mild mango and it gets more grapefruity toward the finish where the majority of the bitterness emerges in the back end. The malt never intrudes just supports the hop flavors which are potent and come off as a tangerine and citrus with the tropical notes secondary really. There is mild pine-like sharpness as it finishes hitting the back of the throat with some spice but in general the intensity is right on the money, no alcohol anywhere in the taste. This is one extremely quaffable IPA I tried to savor it, but each taste begs for another and The taste is just different enough from your standard west coast citrus bomb to really keep things interesting -juicy not overly bitter and super tasty!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 12:08:37 | More by Slatetank

nataku00

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a wine glass. Beer poured a clear orange with a finger of off white soapy head. Head leaves a lot of sticky lacing as it dissipates. Very active carbonation, plenty of tiny bubble streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is decent, mainly bitter grapefruit peel and pith, with some lighter sweet orange, and some fresh pine and grass hop aromas. Just a faint caramel sweetness as the beer warms a little.

Taste follows the nose, bitter citrus peel and pith with both grapefruit and orange, fresh pine needles leaving resinous bitterness on the tongue. Middle of the mouth has a good malt presence, caramel and lightly toasted grains. Finishes dry with light citrus hops.

Light to medium body, but heavily carbonated with prickly bubbles on the tongue. A nice beer IPA from the southern hemisphere.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 06:23:10 | More by nataku00

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at RSVP in Portland, ME. B.B. 06.04.12

Pours a golden amber with some off-white head. Nose is full of piney and earthy goodness, and I smell some sticky pale malt in there too. This smells great.

Palate is gripping with hop "acidity" and bitterness. Tastes really fresh and chewy. Leafy bitter dry hop character dominates but there's some citrus flavors in the background too, mostly yellow grapefruit. Long, hoppy finish.

Notes: On first sip, I didn't think I was going to like this. I tasted a bit of biscuit malt. But I think that was a fluke because the hops dominated this beer. Don't think shipping it across the ocean did it any favors, but I think I can taste the pure beer enough to guess.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 03:30:18 | More by SFLpunk

heygeebee

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours golden straw - one finger pillowy head, some lacing, a few large bubbles slowly rise.

Aromas of pine, citrus. Strong aromas, good stuff.

Taste is a balanced mixture of hops, citrus, pineapple, lemon, pine and some dryness. ABV of 6.6 holds well, and despite indications of hop-bombness of Epic brews, it's not overpowering. Nicely carbonated.

Good beer, but not worth the $15 price tag, sadly. Overall -1 point for that

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 07:08:23 | More by heygeebee

matjack85

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I saw this on the beer menu at Quencher's Saloon in Chicago. I never saw a New Zealand beer on their menu before, so I decided to try it despite the high price. It comes in a big .5L brown bottle, but they charge $11 for it, so it's not cheap.

The beer poured a mostly clear and rich gold color with 2-fingers of foamy white head that lasted about 2 minutes and left splotchy lacing.

The smell was both hoppy and full of tropical fruits. I loved the smell of this beer.

The taste was malty sweet with plenty of fruits and plenty of hops for balance, but the interesting thing was that the hops weren't that bitter. There was only a mild bitterness to this one. I don't think I've ever had New Zealand hops before, but I liked how they worked in this beer. Cute use of the 6.66% alcohol content (666) in a beer called Armagedon, but the alcohol is barely noticeable.

Light to medium bodied with only medium carbonation, which I thought could have been higher.

While the price keeps it from being an everyday drinking beer, I'd recommend trying it every once in awhile as a treat to yourself. I've seen this beer on store shelves since trying it at Quencher's, and found the store price to be $9.99 a bottle, so the $11 bar price is not much of a mark-up.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 06:44:08 | More by matjack85

Offa

California

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep gold, medium-big off-white head slowly steadily shrinks.

Aroma is very juicy and citrusy, esp. grapefruit, with some yeasty bread and faint raisiny element underneath. It is very bright and clean, and pleasant.

Taste is very juicy, minerally, leafy with raisiny-sweet bread dough underneath the zesty, juicy yeastiness and hoppy bitterness. It has nice balance and well-rounded character, a characterful and firm but easy-going IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 05:10:14 | More by Offa

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split a bottle with this dude that always shows up wherever I am. Beer is orange / peach colored, hazy with a nice white head, some lacing moderate carbonation.

Aroma is malty, earthy, piny, hops. Good.

Beer is heavy on the palate, malty, earthy, grinding sulfur hops, sweet malt backbone, decent but not great. I enjoyed it, would have it again but there are better IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 02:58:25 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle at Churchkey. Served in a stange.

Pours a golden-peach color with a good white head and some nice lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward some very nice tropical fruit character and a bit of citrus. The flavor is lightly-malty and has some faint tropical character. Nothing too over the top. Light body with good carbonation and moderate bitterness. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 16:45:53 | More by Thorpe429

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$9.95 bomber from Liquor Outlet, Boonton.

Well, it had some sort of date code, but when I tried to wipe away some condensation from it, it wiped away too.

Bright shiny rich gold body with lively carbonation, topped by four fingers of rocky snow white froth.

Deep inviting grapefruit and orange aroma.

Solid sweet caramel foundation. Big orange and grapefruit builds on that base. Assertive bitter bite at the swallow that mingles and then outlasts the fruit through the aftertaste.

Solid medium mouthfeel carries the beer with a light carbonation.

Overall, a superior ipa which traveled from New Zealand (is that considered "down under"?)very well. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 04:19:43 | More by RonfromJersey

danieelol

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This review's from a little while ago, found it and decided to put it up.

Duvel glass. Pour yields an apple juice colour with good head and lacing.

Classic IPA aroma. Honey/rye-y malt, parmesan umami, lychees, grapes, pineapple, more honey. Beautiful tropical fruit nose, like a honeyed fruit salad. Rockmelon. Galaxy? Nelson Sauvin? Maybe Cascade. Know nothing about hops but they're my guesses. Edit: Apparently it's Cascade and Centennial.

Taste is a carry-over of the nose with more pine and a tea-y British-tasting hop presence notable. Bit of bitterness, but not quite as much as there could be.

Mouthfeel is thin, highly carbed and textbook.

Overall a great beer from our Kiwi brothers. In the same league as Blind Pig. But, why is this beer so expensive, almost the same price as grey market Blind Pig? World class beer, and priced accordingly.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 08:42:23 | More by danieelol

Seanibus

California

3.83/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pretty tasty, though it finishes lighter than I'd expect for the style.

Pours clear golden with a fully white head that develops slowly and falls quickly. The aroma is sticky and piny. The flavor is strongly citrusy and piny, mostly hops, with a varnish-like top note and a little toasty malt on the bottom. The beer comes on strong on the first taste but fades to a weak finish, bracketed by a sharp, piny bitterness on the back of the throat. The mouthfeel is a little prickly.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 02:36:08 | More by Seanibus

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a bright crystal clear orange with two fingers worth of white head. leaves a bit of spotty lacing.

S - the dominate aromas are of orange and grapefruit. some medicinal cherry like notes and a touch of candy sweetness.

T - the candy sweetness hits the tongue first followed by notes of bitter orange peel and grapefruit rind. there is a touch of fruit esters in the back with a boozy finish.

M - the mouth feel is rich. medium bodied verging on full and a light carbonation.

O - overall a decent take on an America IPA but a little too sweet for my taste to make this a repeat.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 04:30:47 | More by Teleweizen2

smakawhat

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A crystal clear twenty four carat gold brass buffed and shiny body is presented. Two finger off white clumped head looks good and stays solid. Slow rising carbonation from the bottom.

Classic grapefruit with mild apricot hop. Somewhat mushy. Mild sense of malt as well. Very nice and balanced.

Taste is a simple lingering grapefruit slow punch of hop action. At first sip a hunt of caramel bringing some malt thick texture, then kicks into classic resin and grapefruit. Not bitter at first but then oils pick up and lingering creeping citrus grapefruit comes just at the perfect time on the aftertaste. Even just a hint of bread crust on the end.

Overall a great friggin IPA this is my second Epic NZ beer and I am very impressed with them.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 22:11:40 | More by smakawhat

uustal

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very light, see through, orange/amber with a solid, yet quickly dissipating bright white head. Aroma of fresh grapefruit, hints of tropical fruits and off the tree pine resin. Flavor beings with notes of citrus. Mostly grapefruit. Lesser tropical fruit flavors blend in. Not quite as pronounced as in the aroma. A balancing bready, caramel and hint of toffee malt is next before the agressive, fresh pine flavors give this one a semi-bitter finish. A nice, hop-friendly, Americanized IPA that survived the long trip to the states quite nicely. I could imagine this one being fantastic fresher, but holds up well.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 03:38:33 | More by uustal

dansmcd

Australia

4.58/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - The clear amber lurks below a two finger head. A nice lace follows it down the glass.

S - Big hop nostril awakening aroma of pineapple, mango, grapefruit. Lovely.

T - Wow! Super hoppy but nothing harsh about it. Apparently has a 60 IBU rating (same as SN Torpedo) but has more smack to it if you ask me. The same tropical fruits abound, with apricot, pine and a slight nuttiness in the malt.

M - A moderate body with just the right carbonation levels. Slightly oily.

O - A super sharp turbo-hopped IPA. Possibly fresher than the American counterparts that Ive tried thus far but my favourite of the big and bold IPAs to this point.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 01:36:38 | More by dansmcd

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice translucent medium orange color, with a khaki colored finger and a half of head. Aroma is very nice: juicy citrus, huge resinous pine notes, plenty caramel malt notes. Not hugely bitter on the taste, but more sticky and resinous. Plenty caramel malts and soft sweet citrus. Feels medium bodied, good carbonation. Nice, solid IPA...from New Zealand!

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 00:25:04 | More by EgadBananas

05Harley

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased @ Tulleys Wells, Maine

Price - $10.50/bomber

Pours deep gold with a huge soapy white head. Fairly long lasting retention leaving behind patches of lacing. The clarity is crystal clear showing lines of bubbles rising from the bottom.

The aroma is short lived with a mild floral hoppiness followed by pine. The nose is definitely lacking in fruitiness maybe due to the age of the bottle.

The flavor is lite with caramel and pine.

The mouthfeel is soft at first followed by a faint bitterness. Lite and crisp with a Good balance between hops and malts. Well carbonated with a dry finish.

Overall I'm a little disappointed after having read through some of the previous reviews. I can only imagine due to the age it's faded a bit from it's former self. The highlight here is definitely in it's appearance. The major downfall was it's price, ouch..

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 20:00:59 | More by 05Harley

Trilogy31

California

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nothing like a beer that costs $10.99 to celebrate #ipaday. Pours a beautiful honeyed rose colored amber with a two fingers of fluffy head and excellent clarity. The nose brings honeyed malt, sweet citrus, tropical fruit with kiwi (might be tricking myself), standing out along with lemongrass. The taste brings tropical fruit custard (wonder if sorachi ace is a hop very similar to the single mikkeller i just had recently), again slightly sweet honeyed malt, bright lemon along with light pine forest and finishes with a very pleasant hoppy bite. An excellent ipa that i would love to try knowing how fresh it was, though doubtful i would ever pay such a steep price for it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 04:47:18 | More by Trilogy31

sdderek

California

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle purchased from Olive Tree Market in Ocean Beach.

Nose on this is awesome. Heavy pineapple with some hints of oak. Smells like it's going to have a heavy malt taste to it.

Very well balanced on the taste actually. I'm getting some bread, apricot, and grapefruit. Very nice.

It's a very unique IPA and that's tough to do these days. I'm impressed and would buy again. Price tag at $8.99 is a little steep, but worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 03:11:18 | More by sdderek