Epic Hop Zombie - Epic Brewing Company

heygeebee

Australia

2.74/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.25

From IBS. No BB. On special, and not fridged... Hmmm... Should alarm bells be ringing?

Pours clear amber, head looks good, and lacing is on the money, clinging in lines.

Aromas mainly of vanillas.

Taste is smooth and creamy, lingering.

Mouthfeel creamy, low carbonation.

Hang on, have I just reviewed Hop,Zombie?

Really, in this case, all Hops are alive and well. None were harmed in the making of this beer. Really not sure what's going on, but it tastes more like maybe Imperial Pilsner?

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 05:38:14 | More by heygeebee

mulder1010

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500 ML bottle poured into a tulip

Thanks to Adam @Platinum Liquor for holding one for me. Much appreciated.

A-- Poured a clear, straw yellow gold color. Quick fading white head that looks good as film. One finger head on swirling but recedes pretty quickly. Visible alcohol legs and some splotchy lacing. A few carbonation bubbles here and there.

S-- Candied lemon, orange, peach, lime and pine. Sorbet on crack. Sweet candied fruits smell with touches of passion fruit. Just hints of bitterness in the back of the nose.

T-- Guava, passion friuit, apricot blossom and melon. Lots of flavors in this. Not a lot of bitterness in this at all.

M-- Quite sweet feel, bordering on syrupy. Very slick and oily in the mouth. Lots of apricot blossom, orange sorbet, mango, and passion fruit. get a combo of Grapefruit and blossom in the back of the mouth. Quite pungent really, good kick to finish this but not sure of the blossom feel to this. High amounts of bitterness afterwards but it is like eating a flower bitterness. Sort of fresh cut grass mixed with apricot blossom. Strange. Carbonation and feel are very spot on for the style just the residual sweetness drags this down.

O-- Not bad. very true to style and the combo of US and NZ hops works for the most part. Not sold on the sweetness of this at times as I struggled with the sweetness of it and at times the hop bitterness gets lost to the sweetness. Sometimes in balance, sometimes not.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 15:36:01 | More by mulder1010

Brad007

Vermont

3.59/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a nice golden color with a one-finger head into my glass. Nice presentation. I prefer my DIPAs as close to pale as possible.

Lots of NZ hop character here. Checked out the website with the hops of finding out which hops were used. No such luck but they're obviously heavy on the citrus side. A bit of peach and mango.

That same citrus characteristic carries over to the taste. Like biting on a grapefruit in some ways. Balanced and doesn't overload your taste buds with hop juice.

After a while, the hops reveal a strong malt backbone that is buttery in nature. Crisp. Melts on the tongue.

It's sneaky because you can't really tell that it's 8.5% ABV. Quaffable too!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 08:28:21 | More by Brad007

eric5bellies

Australia

3.68/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drank from my Duvel Tulip

A - Pours a pale Straw colour with a large bubbled White head that dies quickly. Minimal lacing.

S - Aromas of citrus and pine with a little passion fruit.

T - Up front some nice passion fruit flavours followed by some melon and a little grapefruit. A little residual sweetnes also.

M - Light to medium body and a little over carbonated for me.

O - A solid DIPA without being spectacular. Lacks a little body and balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 13:34:57 | More by eric5bellies

dgilks

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crystal clear, pale golden colour with a large and airy white head. Good head retention.

Big tropical fruit aroma with great pawpaw, mango and citrus notes. There's even some lime here. Very nice.

Fruity hop flavours with a sweet, pale malt flavour. Somewhat syrupy with noticeable alcohol. Moderate bitterness. Slightly grassy. Not as good as the aroma but still nice and not overly malty.

Medium to medium-light body with moderate carbonation. Good.

A delightful little beer that is typically hoppy and packed full of flavour. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 09:42:05 | More by dgilks

Parrotshake

Australia

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Archive. Pours a paler-than-expected gold with a finger or so of tight head, which disappears in seconds, somewhat disappointingly.

Big bright nose of passionfruit, mandarin and an elderflower-like floral smell. The suspense is killing me...

Taste is similar with big tropical notes up front as well as a sharper citrus/grapefruit note. Lemon oil, boiled sweets (as another reviewer has pointed out) and a slight dank weedy note underneath. Sweetness from caramel malt is evident but more subdued than a lot of beers of this style. No real malt presence overall, which might come off as a bit one-dimensional if the beer wasn't exploding with bags of hop flavors.

Feel is the most disappointing aspect for me. A bit flat and syrupy. A little more carbonation would have carried the flavours a little more and been more refreshing. Still very drinkable - quite gentle, bitterness-wise, and not a hint of alcohol.

Really good. The DIPA to beat as far as the southern hemisphere goes.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 11:03:25 | More by Parrotshake

Dope

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear golden amber. Fluffy and effervescent tan head. Fades at a moderate pace but with great head retention. Essentially zero lacing, just doesn't want to stick to the glass, oddly enough.

S: Some orange marmalade, some pine, and some garlic/onion.

T: Again, lots of orange. Sweet orange marmalade. Humph. Followed by an interesting garlic bread taste. Followed by a hit of pine. What an interesting sequence of flavors. Get almost no malt, maybe a little caramel following all the hops. Maybe. Has a lingering piney and garlicky finish. With....melons? A bit drying. Swear I get some...swiss cheese in between sips? Strange.

M: Medium bodied and slightly drying.

O: As mentioned, an interesting combination of hops and transitions between the flavors. Largely unbalanced, almost no sign of malt but the beer isn't overpowered with brutal mouth-puckering bitterness either so it works out decently enough. Quite tasty but a bit unusual....not necessarily in a bad way but not in a "Wow this is good!" kind of way. Just....different.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 05:33:09 | More by Dope

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-golden amber color with a decent white head and minimal lacing

S-citrus, pine, light tropical fruit, slight herbal notes

T-grapefruit, pine, tropical fruit, caramel malt, faint herbal, moderately bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, clean

O-a good beer, but comes across the palate more like an IPA than a DIPA to me

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:32:23 | More by MDDMD

danieelol

Australia

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

Thanks to Chris @ Slowbeer

Not sure of the age on this one.

Pours a yellow pilsener colour. Good head and lacing.

Smell is sweet malt, sulfur and a lot of grapey hops. Alcohol well concealed.

Taste is parmesany with a lot of malty sweetness and a lot of bitterness. I think the sweetness helps carry the bitterness somehow. High alpha.

Mouthfeel is moderately thick/syrupy and moderately carbed.

Overall this beer does what it says on the label. I'm guessing it's got a lot of influence from Ruination, as well as being similarly grapey to Armageddon. Definitely knocks the palate around so a success.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 00:45:11 | More by danieelol

MasterSki

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served in a Darkness tulip. Purchased at West Lakeview Liquors. Best before September 25th, 2013, but not sure how old that makes this? Probably somewhere in the 3-6 range, but who knows?

A – Two fingers of white foam settle to a solid cap, thicker collar, and a few specks of lacing. Transparent golden body with visible bubbles adhering to the sides of the glass and rising upward rapidly.

S – Plenty of melon and pineapple, with notes of dank weed, pine, grapefruit zest, and gooseberry – this thankfully doesn’t seem as aged as the 8 Wired beer I had. Seems like a mix of American and New Zealand hops. There’s a more pronounced malt bill than I was expecting, with more caramel, honey, and nougat mixing with initial crackery notes as this warms up.

T – Taste is fairly balanced, with sweet caramel and buttered biscuit pilsner malt yielding to citrus and tropical fruits and perhaps a mild herbal note. No hint of the listed alcohol which is a plus, and fairly restrained bitterness as well.

M – Somewhat zesty carbonation, medium body that’s creamy and mildly chewy, some malt stickiness that lingers, with a bit of resinous hop oil in the finish as well. Again, no trace of the 8.5%.

D – I suspect this was really excellent when it was fresh, but unfortunately these New Zealand beers seem to take a long time to make it to our market. Perhaps jrallen34 can confirm this suspicion for me. Not worth $12 with tons of local DIPAs available, but nice to know that breweries in this part of the world make some quality hoppy brews in case I end up there for some reason. Had no problem drinking all 500ml on my own.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 17:09:31 | More by MasterSki

Immortale25

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. Bottleneck says 25.09(?).13

A- Pours a clean light amber color with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains well before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Very resilient lacing clings heavily to the glass.

S- Sharp, grassy hops emanate from the head creating a wonderful bouquet that includes notes of grapefruit and lemon. Slight whiff of booze and some must.

T- Taste isn't quite as exciting with a mild bitterness and a bit more of a bready malt presence. Still very drinkable and the hops have a tangy quality that's enjoyable.

M- Oily and sticky with medium carbonation and a lighter body.

O- Quite good but not as to-die-for as the Armageddon IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 03:17:42 | More by Immortale25

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle. Any label that can link 'ichor' and hops in the same breath is all right by me.

This beer pours a clear, medium golden hue, with three fingers of puffy, tightly foamy off-white head, which leaves a few awkward arches of sudsy lace around the glass as it evenly sinks away.

It smells of bitter grapefruit and orange rinds, a further, somewhat dank tropical fruitiness, mild white pepper, warm caramel and toffee malt, a touch of fresh brown bread, and some subtle acerbic pine notes. The taste is essentially more bitter orange, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and well, I could go on, but you get the idea - this has all kinds of fruit essences meddling about - with a sturdy enough toffee-heavy caramelized malt backbone to keep things on a more or less even keel. Once again, a few resinous pine stragglers show up late to the party, where they are faced with very little to no booziness, and presumably, a picked-over palate.

The carbonation is strong in that supportive, rather than prickly manner, the body a somewhat surprising medium-heavy weight, and mostly smooth, but you know how those rascally, brains-fed hops can be. It finishes weirdly on the sweet side, as all that otherwise complex fruit just seems to turn that way, into the open arms of the waiting caramel pudding amalgam malt.

A pretty boisterous DIPA, the Rand McNally hops really making it work, but not without an equally froody, malty keeper of honesty. Overall, gauging by how fast this went down, I have to give it a hearty endorsement - big, beefy, and balanced, with a relaxed elan. Not an easy thing to pull off, that.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:35:47 | More by biboergosum

Damian

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

Drank from a 1 pt .9 fl oz bottle purchased at Julio's Liquors, Westboro, MA
Served in a snifter

A near one-finger, bubbly white crown topped the crystal clear, golden tinged, orangey liquid. The head quickly dissipated to a thin, bubbly ring of froth. No lacing whatsoever. Some fleeting, frothy drops trickled down the glass with each sip.

The nose was super hoppy and bright. Tropical fruit notes dominated. Mango and papaya were most apparent. Astonishingly sweet with strong peach, apricot and nectarine notes. Touch of candied orange peel. The nose continued to become sweeter, hoppier and more intense as the beer warmed.

Crisp, citric notes came through strong in the flavor profile. Lots of tangerine and orange zest. A noticeable pale malt backbone appeared on front end but did not interfere with the hops. Hint of caramel-like sweetness. Some peach and nectarine notes. Ruby red grapefruit came through in the center. The beer became drier and more bitter as it moved along the palate. Grapefruit was again apparent on the finish, but this time it displayed more of a rind-like pithiness.

The mouthfeel was the only real mediocre aspect of the beer. It was thin and airy with a fine, spritzy effervescence.

Hop Zombie is a interesting and highly drinkable double IPA that perhaps comes off as a bit too refined. If the brewers could ease up on the filtration for a bigger mouthfeel and integrate a secondary fermentation for added complexity, they might end up with an even better product.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:50:09 | More by Damian

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

BB 25/09/13

Appearance. Pours a very clear gold-amber with 1.5 fingers of thick off-white head that doesn't last all that long and leaves some patchy lacing.

Smell. Here we go! Big citrusy hops with a ton of sweet tropical fruits. There's a little toasty malt to back up the hops, but a little is all I want here. Yum.

Taste. Big bitter citrus fruits and rinds, mainly yellow grapefruit, with some floral tropical fruits and a little bit of grainy malt. Very nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium carbonation.

Overall. A very nice, big ipa with some great tasting hops. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:07:33 | More by Rutager

StJamesGate

New York

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Champagne gold with loose white froth.
Grapefruit, cantaloupe, papaya, with hints of rind, resin, and flowers - complex.
Saltines for half a second before a big white grapefruit hit, some spicy grape, touches of passionfruit, mandarin, and pine needles.
Linoncello finish and lime Starburst linger.
Salty, crispy, only slight chew, a bit of burn.

A lean, pale, bitter, DIPA ala Hop Wallop, but lots and lots of fruit in there, too, with some of that NoCal juiciness, too. I can taste (or fancy I can) both the US and NZ hops. Big flavor in a small package (body-wise), and another strong entry from Epic.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:35:27 | More by StJamesGate

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.31/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Perfectly clear and richly golden with a warm glow of apricot. Some active columns of carbonation percolating upward to a mircofilm of bubbles that rim the glass.

S: Pine with juicy tropical fruits of pineapple and grapefruit rounded with smooth vanilla. As the ale warmed the distinct floral characteristic of orange flower water is revealed.

T: Sappy pines up front followed quick with a bouquet of flowers, primarily orange flower water, with tropical fruits and grapefruit and smooth golden malts. Finishes hoppy and rounded with smooth oaky flavours.

M: Coats the mouth with a viscosity similar to an oaked chardonnay, in the smooth warming feeling. Carbonation pricks up front, however seems to lose the carbonation rather quick - my was nearly flat before I even finished the glass. Despite that, the smooth presence with just a hint of warming alcohol at the end worked well together.

O: Hop Zombie is incredibly floral with oaky smoothness and a perfect balance of hops and malts. It's smell of fresh citrus and pine and tastes of orange flower water are delicate and warming - while still refreshing and quaffable. Similar in taste and smell to Central City's Red Racer, a terrific drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:23:05 | More by FondueVoodoo

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at the Darlinghurst Local Taphouse in Sydney, as part of the Kiwi SpecTapular.

Pours a very clear and bright golden colour. Head is full and frothy and bright white. Lace is a bit ambivalent, and the body is light, but it looks great for a crisp Kiwi IPA.

Nose is as fresh as you could hope for, clean crisp Kiwi notes of passionfruit, green apple, and pungent citrus. Still, very light, no malty sweetness or suggestion of backbone. But that just matches so well with the hop characters. Lovely.

Taste is very clean throughout, with a robust bitterness that balances nicely with a very faint malt character; it just provides a cushion. Exceptionally crisp and refreshing—it's just lovely how easy drinking it is for an 8.5% ABV double IPA. Finish give a touch of the tropical fruit flavours, with a green crispness to add a staccato finish.

So light and very well balanced, this is not the ridiculous hop-bomb I was expecting at all. Rather, it's a very soft, very crisp, light and easy to drink hoppy ale. So clean, so ripe, so fresh. Gorgeous.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 05:26:10 | More by lacqueredmouse

ratedz

Kansas

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Surprisingly light in color for a double IPA. Pours a clear golden color with a quarter inch white head. The head dissipates quickly and leaves a very thin layer of white bubbles atop the beer.

S - Wow, this one smells insane! Pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, and a touch of pine are the dominant scents. Some malty sweetness, but the citrus fruits are main attraction.

T - Backs up the nose perfectly. Lots of sweet citrus and hints of pine. Sweet malts are a little more prominent than they are in the nose and they balance out the hops nicely. Reminds me of several of the upper echelon US-made DIPAs.

M - Oily and below average carbonation leads to a fairly smooth mouthfeel. Slightly more carbonation might have been nice, but it doesn't detract from the other features of this beer.

O - Overall, an excellent DIPA. This was a perfect beer for a warm summer night. I've seen some of the other Epic beers around KC, but I've never seen Hop Zombie before and I'm assuming that it isn't distributed to the states based on the lack of reviews from the US. A huge thanks to MrTopher for picking this up in New Zealand and sharing a bottle with me!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 01:16:54 | More by ratedz

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-Pours completely clear. The color is a bright golden orange. Head is a thick clump of creamy white paste. Head leaves loads of lacing.

S-Lively citrus flesh hops combine with floral hops and a twinkle of lupulin spice. Pleasant tropical notes as well. Definitely exotic...hey, it's form New Zealand!

T-Almost reminds me of a slice of pineapple slice left in a mixed drink so the pineapple absorbs some booze but still remains delicious. Spicy and very citrusy with an almost minty twang. Sweetened cracker malt can be detected in the middle. Then she finishes with some serious grass and pine bitterness.

M-The only knock on this brew is that its a tad boozy. Other than that, the bitterness is superb and the body is incredibly light for the ABV.

O/D-Liked this far more than their Armageddon (and I thought that one was cool too). Great hop profile. I enjoyed it more with every sip. This is my type of DIPA; tropical and complex without being heavy. Home-run!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:05:57 | More by VelvetExtract

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Why does everything have to be "zombie" nowadays? It's like ten years ago when everything was "extreme". Hell, even my deodorant and book markers were "extreme". Meanwhile, back at the ranch... there's nothing zombie about this beer. It's not a lumbering, dull, slow, or dark beer at all. Much of the contrary is delivered to palate with a zeal that bright hop flavor brings to the glass.

Bright golden with slight amber highlights, the beer carries with it a hoppy haze that promises greatness. The beer releases an ivory white foam that caps the beer confidently with a creamy froth that easily lasts the session and sprinkles the glass with broken lace patterns. It's simply looks like a well build ale.

Bright and zesty aromas enliven the nose with sharp citrus and fresh tropical fruits. Anything from grapefruit, oranges, mangoes, pineapples and apricots can be found with a simple sniff of the glass. Background malts provide a terse caramel and honey note that props up the hops but never rivals for balance. The clean scent easily puts a pep in your step.

Flavorful malts strike the front of the mouth with a thin honey and caramel sweetness that prepares the taste buds for the sharper hops to come. Ruby red grapefruit pulp, tangerines, dried orange peel, pineapple, mango, and apricot flavors all contribute to a juicy and succulent middle palate. The taste slowly morphs from ripe fruit to dry bitterness in finish that resembles pine needles, muddled grasses and herbs. Again, the beer is full of flavor and squeaky clean in taste.

Medium bodied early, the beer's supple malt structure and dissolved carbonation gives the beer a lift, but the beer soon after releases its carbonation and pulls the reigns on malt sweetness and starchiness to allow the hops to carry the load heading into finish. Closing with a cleanly bitter feel, warm minty alcohol, and a bone dry snap, the beer lingers slightly with citrus oil bitterness that marries up with the next sip easily.

Hop Zombie executes the power of flavor and aroma hops to perfection. Its bitterness is present but doesn't grip the throat in the way that IPAs traditionally has. Instead the back-loaded hop use makes the beer so seductive and irresistible.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 19:10:16 | More by BEERchitect

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into tulip 14/1/13

A clear golden copper with a few bubbles feeding a short lived finger of foam that leaves just a random patch of lace

S a nice hop blast I can smell my glass on the table, pineapple, passion fruit,lemon, lime, green apple, guava juice, sweet orange and grapefruit, some of the tropical notes remind me of candied fruit, hard toffee and some faint cracker and pine, hop heaven

T the pine and citrus rind intensifies in the mouth but that's fine with me, still a tropical punch going on but its a little more West Coast with in the mouth and I can't really complain

M medium bodied and creams up nicely from the bubbles, a little slick after the fact with a nice bitter bite and a fruity pine finish that lingers with a little sweetness

O no mention of the 8.5% at any point and a great hop profile, I could drink myself stupid with this one, just a wonderful beer all around

I really liked the Armageddon but I'm just loving this, worth the price and I'll be drinking another soon. A great mix of US and NZ hops I just wish I knew what they were, keep an eye out for this one its worth searching for

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 19:06:25 | More by wordemupg

laituegonflable

Australia

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pale gold colour with light bead. Head is white, nice and tightly packed, slight trails of lace but not a lot. Looks OK.

Lots of sauvin on that nose. Sharp, tangy passionfruit aroma with lovely tropical characters creeping around it - peppermint, pineapple, cedar and plenty of citrus. It's all about the hops here, and the hops are good.

Taste is enjoyable, clean and well-balanced. Lots of malt with caramel upfront and a slight nutty edge; touch of pecan. Fresh floral and fruity hop notes hit early on the mid with passionfruit, lemon, sherbet, lime zest and fresh mint. Hop oils surface late, providing a robust bitterness that is earthy, rich, deep and just a strong but tender smack of hop. Beautifully handled with a steady hand on the rudder.

Full body, lots of texture, no rough edges though, just a light fizz. Great.

Again Epic shows why they are the kings of hop in the New World (imo, sorry 8 Wired and Emerson's). The temptation would be great to muck this up with too much bitterness, alcohol - too intense a flavour - but it's just a big, complex beer that also happens to be drinkable and pleasant. A true winner.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 22:47:44 | More by laituegonflable

spicelab

Australia

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle with thanks to Chris@Slowbeer. Poured into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip.

Brilliantly translucent golden straw. Head is modest and not particularly interested in being there. If not for a small ring of retention, you could be forgiven for thinking it was flat.

Smell is immensely tropical. It's like being pleasantly assaulted by mango, passionfruit and kiwi fruit. A sharp organic grassiness cuts through the intensity of the tropical notes nicely. Savoury malts tie it together. Smells delicious.

All of the aromas play out in the taste. There's a big resiny hit - yet it's the first time I've experienced it not being overwhelmingly tied to pine character. Malts sit in the background and essentially serve as the canvas to exhibit the hops.

Syrupy, rich and terrifically even. Moderate carbonation with surprisingly low bitterness.

Brimming with flavour yet superbly balanced. This is anything but a gratuitous hop-bomb. Great to see a big IPA who's presence owes itself to something other than massive pine and grapefruit.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 06:32:47 | More by spicelab

jbowers56

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Love the pale colour. Head isn't super retentive, and leaves alright lacing. I love me a well filtered pale ale, too.

Mandarin, passionfruit and zesty citrus-lolly like goodness all mingle well. Very hoppy, and very well put together.

Exceptional balance. The tangy hop flavours shine out easily over the malt base. The malt is there to provide sweetness to balance out the hop profile, and is not super 'malty' in it's flavour. Very crisp.

Overall, clean finish with lingering hop flavour and some bitterness.

Really, really good IIPA. Hopped to the brim, but still super drinkable. Aussie brewers take note, this is what a 'drinkable' hoppy beer tastes like. You don't need tonnes of crystal malt.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 14:14:22 | More by jbowers56

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a super clear, bright gold with a chunky and frothy two fingers of white foam.

Smell: Pleasantly soft and mellow aroma of overripe mango, orange, guava and apricot.

Taste: Smooth and mildly tangy grapefruit with pine, muted floral notes and an unmistakable pilsner malt backbone. Very clean and refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, good carbonation, tingly on the tongue, with a really nice, smooth finish.

Overall, I really enjoyed this double IPA from New Zealand brewery Epic. There's nothing too unique about it but it's refreshing, flavorful and well balanced for an 8.5% beer. I'm not a huge pilsner fan but I actually enjoyed the flavor and crisp mouthfeel that those malts imparted here. It works really nicely with the combination of fruity New Zealand and American hops. I must also note that this was still super tasty after it had significantly warmed. It really mellows out and goes down satiny smooth but brings just a touch of alcohol in the finish. My first beer from New Zealand and a really pleasing, filtered double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 17:03:37 | More by WolfsbaneBloom