Watershed IPA - Oakshire Brewing

emberain

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Tried this first in the local pub - loved it so much I went and got a keg of it. Fantastic beer, appearance is near perfection with a light red / orange glow... the Smell had a good balace of citris with a slight resonance of pine. As you drink the mouth feel is crisp and not to heavy. the Finish is also exceptional because it starts citrus and ends pine, with a nice bite from the hops. For an IPA lover - you will most likely love this beer!!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2011 15:20:21 | More by emberain

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fantastically fuzzy apricot with orange juice along the edges of the glass. The beer looks wonderful... and the expansive crown of lightly toasted marshmallow colored creaminess up top looks even better. Abundant lace is an added bonus.

The nose is everything that an American IPA nose should be. There's very little maltiness and there's a whole lotta hoppiness. Although the hop bill is unpublished, Cascade has to be one of its members. Specifics include tropical fruit (grapefruit and lemon), along with a gentle ganja-like vibe. Very nice.

Oakshire Brewing's Watershed IPA is the real deal. Hopheads will be mighty pleased with the aggressive hoppiness that tastes and feels like every one of the 75 IBUs are present and accounted for. That said, it isn't a complete hop bomb. The majority pale and minority toasted malts provide just the right amount of flavor (not much) and sweetness (also not much). Humulus lupulus are the stars of this show.

Hop-derived flavors include juicy pink grapefruit, orange, lemon and illegal herb. Gotta be Cascade. The mouthfeel is spot-on for the style and the ABV. It's also a perfect trade-off between medium-full smooth creaminess and alpha acid edginess. This beer oozes quality.

Watershed IPA zeros in on every one of my American IPA preferences like a laser-guided missile. This is fantastic beer that I'd love to drink again and again. Prediction: Oakshire's watershed moment as a brewery was when they decided to hire Matt Van Wyk as their brewer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2009 15:24:55 | More by BuckeyeNation

bitterthebetter

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

ok, so this just came out in bottles in prt, so I finally remembered to snag one tonight, but had to run to catch the bus, so it did get jumbled around, but I let it sit in my fridge for 45 mintues before I cracked it, and it was still a very delicious beer after that, so I can only surmise what it tastes like without the turbulence

poured into a quart mason jar, pours a cloudy, deep golden orange with bubbly, belgian style massive head that formed a mesa on the rim of the jar.

rich, big spicy, resiny, floral, slight dried apricots, and a dash of carmel at the end. super inviting, almost earthy aroma with a dash of pine too

solidly crisp and resiny hops upfront, with numerous hoppy layers floating around such as spicy, somewhat grassy (in a good way) dry pine, and a faint but mellow caramel and biscuity backbone. thick resiny/sticky pine dominates the finish, becoming a little dry, but enduring with solid balance and flavor

smooth upfront, but extremely well balanced hop flavors than really mingle well and create a very durable and enjoyable finish. it really tastes a lot bigger than its 75 IBUs, which is a really good thing at only 7.1 % ABV, it is really pretty meaty with the hops, but there is a solid yet sublte malt body

absolutely delicious after a hectic workday, and even with a 10 block job to the bus, it hit the spot. super enticing aroma with numerous layers to dig though, that all follow through and then some on the palate. finish is long, smooth, and it really sticks with you for quite some time, literally, but in a great way. this beer reminds me why I love IPAs so much, excellent, I will be buying another tomorrow and letting it settle for at least a day, if I can wait that long

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 07:13:32 | More by bitterthebetter

MaltsOfGlory

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice frothy one finger white head. Body is a hazy orange color, cannot see through it at all. This almost looks like a wheat beer to me. Smells extremely refreshing, you can smell hops and citrus on the nose. Taste is not what I expected, much more powerful than the smell indicated. You get way more flavor all around than I was expecting. More hops for sure, more citrus and more body than I thought there would be, I thought it was going to be really light bodied and thin in the mouth, but no, this hits you and stays there. Drinkability is actually still pretty high though, while it has a lot of taste, it's not offensive. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 05:51:52 | More by MaltsOfGlory

Immortale25

Florida

4.39/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Random 12 oz. received from a trade. Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. No readable freshness date but the sticker on the can put there by the store where purchased says 3/13/2013.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a full two fingers worth of head that retains for a super long time, almost too long, before finally creeping down to a 1/4 inch head with a protruding bump of foam in the center. A chaotic trail of spackled lacing is left behind on the glass. This is exactly how I like my IPAs to look.

S- Grassy, almost metallic aroma of hops that's also slightly musty and sweet.

M- The flavor expands upon the sweetness found in the aroma with a nice caramel malt showing itself pressed up against the mild hop bitterness. It's actually quite complex as it displays both earthy and citric hop characteristics as well as some bready, sugary malt. Also highly drinkable for the ABV (the can says 6.7, BA says 7.1).

M- Very balanced with a slight hop bite, hint of oiliness, moderate body and medium carbonation.

O- Great stuff. It's nice to try a beer from a brewery that's completely foreign to you and be impressed.

Serving type: can

03-28-2013 00:48:45 | More by Immortale25

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Thanks go to Wackyfoot for these bottles of Oakshire goodness.

Pours a brilliantly clear (yet effervescent) copper, with 2 foamy fingers of just the slightest off-white colored head. Retains with a 1/2 finger of froth, which leaves a big creamy cascade back, before settling into a thick latticework of lacing. The aroma is floral, with a bit of a dank herbal quality to it, with plenty of piney resins as well. Good bit of hoppy tropical fruit character gives this some sweetness. Pretty nice mashup of the different hop qualities here, with a little bit of everything thrown in. Toasted malts gives the nose an extra layer of grainy thickness. I'm getting just a touch of light warmth as well.

The taste has a strong bite of spicy and resinous bitterness to it. Thankfully, this doesn't get overbearing, due to a silky sweet backbone of softer tropical fruits and lightly toasted bready malts. The sweetness has a real delicate nature to it that I'm really digging, giving the balance more of a deft touch than anything. This finishes with a sticky resinous feel, before heading into the sunset with a steady dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with an extremely mellow feel to the carbonation, which keeps thisvery easy in the mouth. I'm getting nary a trace of alcohol from this, which I think speaks to the full flavors and great balance here.

I've been wanting to see what Matt Van Wyk has been up to out in Oregon, and after consuming this bottle, I'm very pleased to see that he's up to great things! This is definitely a robust West Coast IPA, but this was less about blow-your-socks-off hops, and more about the little things that this did right for me. No matter where he's at in the country, this man knows how to a brew an IPA!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 17:06:13 | More by Kegatron

AshleyKing

4.34/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

OK, here is a new beer in the poor but getting better Alaskan beer selection. Hadn't seen it so I must try.

Nice clear, light amber with nice head. Pity most of the hops fade once they get up here. Not this one: good hop on the nose immediately, and very clear pine on the aroma side with the fading citrus on the bittering side.

Thanks for the hops. Sometimes lower 48 IPAs are just past the aroma gifts by the time we get em.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:31:55 | More by AshleyKing

HopEnforcer

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden and hazy, a few inches of white head, and a nice amount of lacing.

S: Strong citrusy and piney aroma; probably dry-hopped with Amarillo or Cascade.

T: Citrusy bite of the hops comes through perfectly and is balanced will with a slight sweetness of the malts. You're left with a very pleasant sweet/hoppy aftertaste. Again, this one cries out Amarillo.

M: Medium bodied with an appropriate level of carbonation to complement the hop taste.

D: Very drinkable; a solid IPA all around. Any fan of west-coast IPAs should give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 01:36:20 | More by HopEnforcer

Mora2000

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle provided by slasher007.

Light orange color with a small white head. The first thing that hits you in the aroma is hops. This is definitely a West Coast IPA. The predominant hop aroma is grapefruit. Taste is slightly fruity with citrus and grapefruit and then the bitterness hits you. The aftertaste is heavy on the grapefruit. This is a very drinkable IPA with no noticeable alcohol. I had never heard of this brewery but will definitely seek out other beers from them after being impressed by this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 04:01:04 | More by Mora2000

flagmantho

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: murky orange hue with plenty of haze and a nice cap of frothy tan foam. Looks like a good West Coast IPA.

Smell: earthy and biscuity. Hops are big but balanced and appealing, mostly earthy with citrus and other fruity notes tucked nicely around the edges. I quite like it.

Taste: biscuity and earthy but bitter and very nicely hoppy. This is probably my favorite beer that I would call "biscuity". The hops start out earthy and then reveal their fruitier characteristics; the bitterness at the end is dank and satisfying. This isn't the hoppiest or most bitter IPA out there, but it appeals to me in a way which is hard for me to articulate. Just fantastic.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and concomitant creaminess. Good.

Overall: this might be my favorite Oregon IPA ever; it is certainly in my top 5 Oregon beers. Usually I disdain "biscuity" beers, but the hop combination here is just exactly my cup of tea. Fantastico!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 22:46:36 | More by flagmantho

cbros

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type- 22 ounce bomber poured into a mug. Got this as an extra in a trade madhombrewer.

A- Pours an orange ting with a white finger white lace. There is a small amount of cling after the pour. There is a fair amount of carbonation activity present after the pour.

S- I am getting a strong presence of citrus followed by a hoppy backbone. Behind both of these smells is a subtle alcohol smell.

T- The citrus hoppy flavor continues in the taste. The combination is very well balanced and the taste ends with again a subtle alcohol flavor. The ABV is fairly high for an IPA and you can certainly tell in tasting this beer. Overall a very well balanced and tasty IPA. Just what I would expect from a West Coast IPA.

This was an extra in a trade from Ben. I wanted a 6 pack of Ninkasi Tricerahops and I was lucky enough to have this West Coast IPA thrown in. Even though I have never had anything from Oakshire before I can tell that they make solid beers. This is a very solid IPA, nothing overly mind blowing but a good beer nontheless. I would certainly like to have more options from Oakshire and I would certainly have this IPA again if given the chance.

Thanks Ben.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 23:38:30 | More by cbros

velmalikevelvet

California

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a 22oz 2010 bottle into a chilled mug

Half-inch, creamy head left good lacing after quickly deflating, atop a slightly cloudy but lovely apricot-colored brew.

Grapefruit jumps right out of the glass into your nose, very pleasant.

Hops and bitterness in just the right measure; tangy! Good fizz, great round mouthfeel.

Clean, crisp, & begging for a hot summer afternoon BBQ!

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 21:23:26 | More by velmalikevelvet

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Orange/copper/amber body. Two finger creamy white head. Quickly receded but left some decent lacing.

S: Classic pacific northwest bold and big IPA. Lots of dank pine and bright citrus. Mostly grapefruit, but some orange rind and lemon peel as well. The malt is just hanging out in the background.

T: A bit cleaner and more complex than the nose with various shades of pine, forest, and citrus fruits provide a nice burst of flavor. Its skewed towards the hops but its not one dimensional as the soft caramel malts provide a nice base.

M: Medium to heavy body. Assertive carbonation delivers the hops to the tongue. Clean, bitter finish.

D: Quite nice. Got this as an extra and it was quite a nice treat. Just might need to track this down again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 04:08:58 | More by callmemickey

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a hazy amber-gold with a small, bubbly white head.

Smell. Nice toasted light grains, piney hops and a little cedar.

Taste. Good hit of bitter piney hops with those nice toasted light malts I was smelling. Good ballance, slight sweetness, abv well hidden. Pretty nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium-low carbonation.

Overall. Nicely surprised by this random grab from a recent Portland beercation.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 01:29:12 | More by Rutager

velosuds

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a clear pint glass. No freshness date apparent. Purchased for $3.89 on sale at local health food store.

A-Poured a hazy golden-amber hue with a two finger, foamy off white head that receded into an abundant, sticky lace. Gorgeous appearing.

S-A very fragrant IPA. Piney and citrus hops, especially grapefruit are prominent and inviting.

T-Hoppy bitterness is very citric, especially grapefruit and lemony esters, and full flavored. There is also a pleasant, and welcome, bready malt backbone providing a nice sweet balance.

M-Very smooth and well balanced. Nice carbonation level and complexion. Extremely well crafted for a beer with 75 IBUs.

D-Exceedingly drinkable for an aggressively hoppy IPA. Drinks well cold and warmer. A very good IPA, and one of the best I have had from an Oregon brewer. My favorite IPAs are brewed in California. But this is quite nice. I hope Oakshire plans to bottle this in 12 oz. bottles. Soon.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2009 03:01:35 | More by velosuds

Pecorasc

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired as an extra from oregonskibum. Thanks for my first Oakshire Dale! No bottle date. Poured into an imperial pint glass all for myself, not three of my closest friends as the bottle suggests.

A- Poured with 2.5 inches of head above the lip of the glass. Holds a ridiculous cream colored froth with so much retention that you can see rings from my several pours, even when the beer is almost gone. Hazy deep gold in color with tons of beading coming from all over the bottom of the glass. Splashes lacing everywhere. Looks average, but gives amazing head.

S- After the mountain of foam receded, I was able to get a whiff of the actual beer. Bread, carmel and wood aromatics inhibit the hop character. Smells much sweeter than it tastes. Definitely the low point for an otherwise very nice beer.

T- Bready and oaty malt flavor at the outset, followed by a tingle of carbonation and a round-house kick of several hop flavors: pine needle, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, and wood. Loooong, drawn-out, bitter finish. Leaves a clinging, bitter hoppiness all over the palate.

M- Medium bodied for a higher alcohol IPA, with a dry, cleansing finish. Looks much more carbonated that it drinks, but still medium to high carbonation.

D- Not sure why the bottle suggests drinking with three friends? This bomber was great all by myself. The 7.1% makes this a beer to be consumed in moderation, but I wouldn't hesitate having more than a couple of pints.

A lot of bigger IPAs over-do it on the carmel, malty, and bready flavors and take away from the crispness of the IPA. This one has those flavors, but they are restrained and allow the bitterness and hop flavors to dominate.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 19:16:07 | More by Pecorasc

ElGordo

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is a pretty cloudy golden-orange color with lots of suspended hop particles. A half-finger's worth of creamy white head lasts for about a minute before receding to a thin, creamy ring. Aroma of light, biscuity malt and a big, citrusy hop profile that's big on notes of orange juice and grass. with a hint of cannabis.
Palate is well-balanced between mildly sweet biscuit malt and citrusy hops. Notes of grapefruit, cannabis, and a touch of honey sweetness. Finish is surprisingly mellow for such a hoppy beer, but the hop flavor remains, minus the bitterness.
Body is nice and smooth for an IPA, with a very subtle stickiness from the hops. This is a highly drinkable west coast IPA, although not quite as hoppy as many from the region. Still, very nice and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 05:38:53 | More by ElGordo

MasterSki

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to d0b for ordering a few bottles of this brew - I've been looking forward to seeing what Matt Van Wyck has been up to.
Served in my Pisgah pint glass.

A - Two fingers of off-white foam that dissolves slowly and leaves behind a nice intricate lace pattern. Transparent golden body. Good looking stuff here.

S - Lots of C hops - big orange citrus flavor and zesty ripe grapefruit with a hint of earthy pine and spice in the background. There's a nice doughy malt backdrop with some light toffee and biscuit flavors.

T - There's a good deal of bitterness that accompanies some strong grapefruit and pine flavors. Again, there's a decent amount of balancing malt with some multi-grain and doughy flavors to it. The finish is actually surprisingly orange-y; it's almost as if the flavors come in the opposite order in this brew. Residual bitterness is moderate but persistent.

M - The feel is a little bit gritty with a slight carbonation tingle. There's tons of oily hop resins with a slightly dry finish and a bit of alcohol heat. I wish the body was a little smoother, because otherwise this is pretty good.

D - I had no problem downing a bomber of this stuff. It's a very solid brew that is eminently drinkable, but not really standout in any particular area. Looking forward to the next Oakshire brew!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2009 00:05:54 | More by MasterSki

emerge077

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks d0b for sharing this recently...review from notes.

Bright orange with some minor hop haze. A long lasting soapy head that imparted both intricate lace and flecks of foam inside the glass. Dank and resiny aroma, with some orange and cheesy hop funk. Big orange peel flavor, a flash of candied hop sweetness at first, segueing into a dry, leafy residual bitterness. Earthy and herbal in the middle with a touch of clean Golden Promise malt to back it up. Fairly light bodied with excellent sessionability.

It was a treat to try this, and very interesting to see what Mr. Van Wyk is brewing these days. Thanks again d0b!

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2009 14:39:24 | More by emerge077

DamDweller

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Oakshire Brewing Watershed IPA, 2010

Pour is a nice pale golden color. The head is about a index finger thick and is a nice white color with a creamy consistency. Smell a lot of citrus fruits including oranges, lemons, and also some sweet fruits like mangos and peaches. There is a strong presence of bitter hops on the nose as well. Beer taste is very floral. Not as bitter as expected but the body is very lovely. It hangs on the tongue for quite some time and the back end of each each drink is very impressive. The head remains throughout the drinking process and has very impressive retention. This beer is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 00:36:50 | More by DamDweller

dgilks

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear golden colour with a nice white head. Fair head retention.

Mild, citrussy hops with no malt and yet still slightly balanced.

Really good flavour with lots of fruity hops woith some grapefruit. Plenty of bitterness but not harsh in any way.

Medium light body with moderate carbonation that gives it just enough zip.

A good West Coast style IPA. I really like the smooth bitterness here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2011 01:33:02 | More by dgilks

draheim

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle (batch 174) poured into a tulip. Golden glowing orange color with a nice dense creamy sticky white head.

Aroma is nice piney citrus, grapefruit, pineapple. Smells great.

Taste is bitter hops, pale malt and clean water. Really refreshing. Nice crisp bitter hop bite on the finish. Great balance, smooth mouthfeel.

Overall a solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 04:54:04 | More by draheim

cosmicevan

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

thanks to MADhombrewer for this one!

a - opened the bottle and filled my capt lawrence taster tulip. poured a really murky orange with a steady line of visible carbonation. nice classic 2 finger plus of classic frothy chunky ipa head. lacing clings to the glass in chunks. really attractive.

s - subtle hops. mildly sweaty. orange peel. very subtle. clean.

t - some decent orange peel hopping then a slap in the face of thick piny sticky bitterness.

m - medium bodied. finishes very bitter and really cools my mouth. refreshing zing at the end. the mouth is actually the highlight for me. leaves such a nice feel and glow in my mouth.

o - overall a nice ipa. nothing earth shattering, but if this was available locally i'd probably have it every now and again. mouth is amazing and makes this one worth a try for any fan of ipas.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 03:46:12 | More by cosmicevan

roadhouse

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber into a pint glass

Poured a mostly clear orange color with a slight haze to it. A one inch off-white head sits atop which fades to a cap and leaves some very nice lacing.

Aroma was dominated by (surprise) juicy citrus hops. A bit of a spicy herbal character and a touch of pine goes along. Very slight sweet malt presence but it's hard for it to break through the hops.

Taste was again dominated by the citrusy hops with some grapefruit and orange rind being most prominent. A hint of some pine with the slightest malt sweetness showing up for a second. Finish is dominated by lingering hop flavors.

Mouthfeel is medium-light bodied, good carbonation level, though nothing exceedingly amazing. Drinkable if you are a huge fan of IPAs, but like their Espresso Stout, I probably would have done better with a 12 oz. size or someone to split a bottle with.

A very nice IPA, which I had high hopes for seeing that Matt is now the brewer over at Oakshire. It's not as good as his Flossmoor IPAs, but very good nonetheless. Those are hard to top.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 20:30:15 | More by roadhouse

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle supplied by the milwaukeeclassic. If and when he makes his way to Portland, I'll be visiting as often as possible.

Light mid orange with thin surface spotting and sporadic lacing

Fruity esters, peach, perfume? and tropical fruits with a light biscuity malt

Tastes follow suit: light mild tropical fruits, peach, cracker malts, and a dry bitter flowery finish

Medium bodied and moderately carbonated

The classic strikes again....but how the hell is he growing taller?

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 02:06:23 | More by BarrytheBear