Punk IPA - BrewDog

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

"If some unemployed punk in New Jersey can get a cassette to make love to Elle McPherson for $19.95, this virtual reality stuff is going to make crack look like Sanka."

--Dennis Miller

Sunshine yellow beneath an ivory colored crown that has a wonderfully sticky, bubbly texture and is beginning to coat the pint glass with loads of attractive lace. This is the single palest IPA that I've ever seen. Looks good, though.

The nose features nothing but bright, zesty, slightly cheesy American C-hops. If there are any English varieties in here, they're very well-hidden. Warming ushers in a power and pungency that makes the above score an easy call.

This (Brew)Dog is definitely barking up the right tree. While it isn't as aggressive as its brewers would like us to believe (The U.S is the land of huge hops after all), it is damn tasty in a freshly squeezed hop juice kind of way. On further reflection, and once the taste buds get into the act, perhaps the hop bill is an Anglo-American affair after all.

There isn't much malt present (no sin in a 6.0% IPA)... and what's appreciated isn't the least little bit earthy or toasted. It tastes like a very clean ale yeast strain was utilized. What's left is pure humulus lupulus. In the end, that's the best sort of IPA.

The flavor profile is relatively simple. Again, no problem for a beer of this style. We have pink grapefruit, lime and maybe even a little puckery peach. The tasting notes on the brewery's website are good for a few chuckles: lychee, kiwi, passionfruit, cherry and strawberry. Kidding, right?

Ignore the 'best by' date (1/1/09). The snappy hoppiness that is present in mid-late June won't last anywhere close to that long. Once the hops fade there won't be much left. The mouthfeel is light, edging toward light-medium for the style. The bubbles are fine and add energy without being annoying. Good job here as well.

This review call be boiled down to one simple sentence: Punk IPA is deliciously citric hoppy and is insanely drinkable. I can't wait to see if the rest of BrewDog's offerings are as well-crafted. Not sure what the bottle cost, but this is a repeat purchase for damn sure. Welcome to America, guys. We can always use more good IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2008 15:20:29 | More by BuckeyeNation

brendan13

Australia

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

A - Poured into a pink glass a slightly hazy golden straw colour - certainly a very pale IPA.
Centimetre or so of white head falls away pretty quickly leaving big patchy lacing.
S - Piney, earthy & floral hops. Bit of a sweet grainy smell.
T - Along the same lines as the smell, more sweetish grain though.
M - Light to medium bodied, medium carbonation. Fairly bitter.
D - A decent beer, nothing horrible but nothing that would make me rush to buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2008 09:35:51 | More by brendan13

merlin48

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22.4 oz bottle cost $13 in Evansville, Indiana. Pours a hazy, pale yellow body with an ample vanilla head that leaves lots of sticky lace on the glass. Aroma is mostly all hops. Earthy and floral notes mingle with a hint of grainy pale malt. Crisp carbonation enlivens the medium body. Taste is quite bitter. Hops dominate with an earthy and floral iron hand. Some bittersweet lemonrind is the only hint of fruitiness. Finish is earthy and grassy hop bitterness which carries into the aftertaste. A decent IPA but overpriced for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 12:34:09 | More by merlin48

Grundle20

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch #001
Freshness dated for 01/01/09
22.4oz Bottle

Appearance:
The beer pours straw yellow in color with a tight creamy white head. The head hangs around for minute or so and falls to a thin film that skates the surface of the beer leaving bubbly deposits on the way down.

Smell:
A light touch of sweet malt, almost corn like. The malt falls to the wayside of a faint yet sharp lemony hop character. It smells very similar to a Sorachi Ace bitter I once brewed.

Taste and Mouthfeel:
To be blunt it's kind of blah. The majority of the flavor here comes from a biting citrus peel quality from the hops. There's an ever so slight sweetness coming from the malts but for the most part this beer drinks a little on the green side. It sort of reminds me of Longhammer IPA. The finish is clean with just a touch of lemon zest in the aftertaste.

Drinkability:
I could see this making a great summer beer, it is rather refreshing despite the fact that it isn't particularly robust. Maybe not the IPA I'd turn to for a meal.

Bottom Line:
$13 for the bottle, w00t for b-day presents. I have to give props since this beer is from Scotland but I honestly don't see myself pimping this beer out to anybody. It simply isn't worth the cost in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 20:44:20 | More by Grundle20

mdm46410

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle (Batch 001) and served in a shaker. This IPA poured a light golden amber with a slight haze and a one-finger thick head of bubbly, sticky foam. Heavy lacing coated the entire glass. The aroma of the beer was made up of grassy hops, mango, oranges, and some spicy yeast esthers. The flavor was dry and peppery. Lots of bitter grapefruit rind, white pepper, and light mango. Very natural and earthy. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied with light carbonation. Crisp and clean. This was a pretty decent IPA. Not overly tasty, but it has a nice, crisp bite.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 01:13:48 | More by mdm46410

Ch1mpy

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden colour which give me eurolager vibes. Unfortunately, the small bubbly head isn't very appealing either, for a second or two I actually asked myself if I cleared the glass properly. There is however nice lacing.

Yeasty smell. The first tastes to reach your tastebuds are of pears and apples. The fruitiness is shortly after replaced with a very hoppy taste with dry grapefruit flavours.

Light carboration and a smooth mouthfeel. A stingy but balanced bitterness in the finish.

Goes down more easily than I first thought it would. If only it looked a little better.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2008 19:37:20 | More by Ch1mpy

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a wonderful addition to the industry, in my opinion.
see the website at: http://www.brewdog.com/micro_brewery.php

The label reminds me of "Arrogant Bastard"'s marketing harangue: 'You're not worthy', they say.
This one says 'This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. But we don't care' (words to that effect)

So I bought it and loved it.
It is aggressive. However, the color, in a tall glass, makes it look like an average lager would- very deceptive.

The bitterness is up front and persistent, and totally in keeping with the IPA style. This is the best British version of an IPA that I've ever had. I would normally choose a NW USA IPA over most anything, but this was a very nice surprise.

Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2008 19:03:11 | More by MAB

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The smarmy text on the side of the label is very remeniscent of what Stone throws down, though not as long winded. That sort of attitude carried weight in the 90's with Gen X, and although I am one of them, I simply find it cute and lacking impact now. Stamp your feet and shout all you want, it's the substance that you bring to the table now that actually counts.

Not much head at first on the pour, but it seems to build up of it's own accord over time, and now sits at two fingers of white froth and hasn't budged. The body is a deep apricot hue, more transluscent than it is transparent, but still possessing clarity.

Tart white grapefruit rind up front on the nose, the hops own this ship, that's for sure. Whatever malts that may be lurking within this IPA, the hops are standing on their backs and holding them underwater.

It's hops all the way in the flavour profile as well, I think they just added malt for the colouring.... Starts off with a bit of pine, along with lemon and grapefruit citrus, and then just explodes after that as it builds to an oily and mouth puckering crescendo. It's that white grapefruit rind from finish well into the aftertaste. In fact, just like the head, the aftertaste starts to build up of it's own accord long after you've swallowed you last sip. Perserverence, I'll give this IPA that!

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, smooth and velvety, yet oily and sticky on the finish. You can almost literally peel that grapefruit rind out from the inside of your mouth.

An ambitious IPA, if lacking in any balance whatsoever. I'm not sure what they're talking about regarding sophistication or depth they throw in our faces in the blurb on the side of the bottle, this is simply a well put together one-dimensional hop bomb, and nothing more. The only depth present is how high the Cascade hops may have piled up in the boil. If you came for a whallop of hops then you will be pleased. And I admit I was happy enough to get my hop fix.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 08:35:09 | More by IronDjinn

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Slightly hazy orange gold in colour, and despite a fairly aggressive pour, only a thin white head formed. That head didn't last very long either.

Smell is as much citrus as it gets. Grapefruit is the standout, but lemon and lime is in there. At moments I think I can detect the liquor, but the hop aroma seems to mask it more often than not.

A faint honey and fruit sweetness kisses the lips and tip of the tongue before hops take over entirely. A mouthfull of citrus bitterness, that lasts for some time. Very last taste at the back is somewhat medicinal. Comes across to me as one dimensional, a gift to the hopheads.

Prickly carbonation within a medium body, almost thick for the style.

This one is not really made for me, I wouldn't want another, but that doesn't mean it was bad, as I'm sure it will have its fans.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2008 02:47:36 | More by elricorico

swizzlenuts

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Light bronze colour, and small head that leaves rather quickly. Not very carbonated

S: It has a fruity and hoppy smell to it. It's quite pleasing to the nose.

T: When taking a drink the hops don't pop right into your mouth, but they follow a nice fruity taste. After the hops finish their course, a pleasing bitter taste stays around.

M: The beer is thin, but in a good way. Rests nice in your mouth.

D: Quite drinkable and it's not filling so I would like another, though I find the bitterness stays around too long to drink it fast.

This is best described as a mix between an American IPA and a English IPA. It has less of a hoppy flavour than most American IPAs, but still way more than an English IPA. This is highly recommended for hop lovers in England.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 22:16:24 | More by swizzlenuts

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle bought from GapWines, Belfast...

Poured a completely crystal clear pale golden colour. White head poured pretty thick, foamy and meringue like then faded slowly to decent thickish coating... barely any carbonation... a fair amount of sticky lacing lines...

Aroma - Lots of nice juicy citrus and tropical fruits (limes, oranges, grapefruits, pear drops, some pineapples), lots of wet grass notes, light biscuity malts, peppery hops, sea salt notes, faint rubberiness, light floral honey sweetness, light basil herbiness, some pine traces...

Taste – Lots of fresh citrus and grassy hop bitterness, quite peppery, definite sea salt notes, tart fruits (apples, grapefruits, pears, light lemons), faint caramel hints, very light honey sweetness, some medicinal notes, quite floral and perfumed...

Feel - Quite sharp and dry initially then becomes smoother... light bodied... an extremely thirst quenching and drinkable brew.. just about sessionable at 6%...

Overall - Another excellent Brewdog beer... a good, and not too extreme, example of an American IPA... definitely worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2007 15:04:20 | More by mdagnew

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.03/5  rDev -45.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Pint served in an imperial pint glass at the Bow Bar in Edinburgh

A - I was expecting something more creamy and cloudy like deuchars. This was pale golden with a thin crown of foam on top. Beading lively.

S- Some floral notes, not a lot of sweetness coming through. Grapefruits and lemons.

T- I nearly cried it was so sour and bitter. Astrigent and abrasive in its citric, grapefruity, lemony nature. I found this stuff hard to swallow!

M- Medium carbonation, couldnt say much else as i wasnt exactly savouring it.

D- If this is american IPA, you are welcome to it. Not a pleasure to drink at all, cloying, abrasive and sour. No thanks!

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2007 14:25:24 | More by seanyfo

bark

Sweden

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

When pouring this beer, the looks didn’t really meet my expectations. The colour is pale yellow with tints of orange and green (!). The finger thick head is white and airy. It sinks slowly to a thick lid, leaving some good lacing. There is oddly no best-before-date on the bottle. The liquid is a little hazy as the beer is bottle conditioned.

The smell is sweet and hoppy with strong notes of lemonade, grapefruit and a dry hint of yeast. A touch of alcohol is present too.

The taste is at first very sweet, but then some American hops comes forward; notorious flavours of grapefruit, lemons and hints of caramel and toffee. It is not as bitter as some of the American IPAs, it is more balanced (in a British way?) with some malt in the aftertaste. There are also some sweet notes of lemon toffee, citric acid, fruit candy and some mild malty flavours.

The carbonation is mild-medium with small fresh bubbles. The liquid is smooth, almost thick.

An unusual blend of American hops and British craftsmanship. The label states that “We don’t care if you don’t like it.” Well, I liked it!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2007 21:01:18 | More by bark