Hardcore IPA - BrewDog

maximum12

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A pint of this was ordered, served, & put down at The White Horse on Parson's Green.

Pours on the darker, redder side of the IPA spectrum. Pure hops assault the nose, with that particular subdued note that is a trademark of cask brews.

Brewdog Hardcore IPA is easy to describe. It's like drinking pine sap. Pine, pine, pine rushes the palate & will not let up. A bit off-putting initially, as my stomach & mouth adjust, I warmed up to it. Perhaps there is honey playing hide-and-seek amongst the tarry pine littering the glass, but perhaps not. Could be the thickest brew I've ever tasted, but its a tribute to its weird appeal that I thought of having another before deciding that riding the barely known Tube drunk wouldn't be such a fine idea.

Very good beer. Glancing at a few other reviews, I can only imagine that this is losing something in the time it takes to cross the pond. Too bad. Fresh, it's a unique, hit-you-in-the-nads IIPA.

Serving type: cask

05-20-2010 15:05:31 | More by maximum12

BeerBelcher

Ohio

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

I had this on cask at Nicholson's in Cincinnati. It was interesting - I wasn't familiar with Brewdog prior to this, and didn't even realize they were from the UK. This may have been prejudice on my part, as the server described this beer as super-big and overly hopped. By English standards, perhaps, but I found this beer to be pretty tame. It wasn't bad, but it didn't have the over-the-top hoppiness I was promised. It was a nice golden color, with a clear body, and a head that looked surprisingly-un-cask-like. Aroma was faintly hoppy, biscuit-y, and toffee-like. A nice malt balance. Flavor was same. Mouthfeel, for a big (9% ABV) was nice and smooth and middle-of-the-road and not too slick or sticky. A nice beer, but not what I was expecting.

Serving type: cask

02-22-2010 17:06:12 | More by BeerBelcher

cdpike

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On cask at The Pub in Lexington, KY.

Poured a beautiful deep reddish amber with plenty of nice creamy foam. Nose is big on citrusy, piney hop glory. The smell is terribly inviting and backed with some caramel sweetness and a bit of alcohol. What a flavor this beer has! Lots of thick chewy malt and a good bit of alcohol up front with an aggressive hop finish. This is quite complex and balanced. The cask adds a bit of spicy funk that is just delicious. Additionally, the cask temperature and light effervescence make for a wonderful experience. What a great beer on a breezy Sunday afternoon! Perhaps the cask added more than meets the eye based on the other (less than stellar) reviews here, because this was one of the better beer moments for me in recent memory.

Serving type: cask

01-31-2010 15:59:42 | More by cdpike

Travlr

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy orange with a small white head that evaporates rapidly to leave a few bubbles and some lacing.
S: Aroma of freshly cut hay, with a hint of black pepper.
T: Hops are evident throughout, persistent bitterness, fairly well balanced. Light spice. Dry-ish finish.
M: Good body for an IPA.
D: Nice IPA, not too over-the-top.

Serving type: cask

12-16-2009 17:01:14 | More by Travlr

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at Max's the other day.

The beer pours a slghtly hazy copper amber color with good head retention and lacing. Didn't get a lot on the nose, just some light citrus and graniness. Flavors on the palate are pleasant, with the beer displaying moderate sweetness with citrus, apple, pepper and light bitterness. The bitterness comes on strong in the finish, with a bit of an alcohol bite as well. Mouthfeel is soft and long, with plenty of flavor, and I think there's little doubt that this beer benefited from cask conditioning. Drinkability is OK, though the alcohol became increasingly noticeable as I went on with this beer.

I thought this a nice enough beer, but really, this is nothing to get too excited about. Probably won't order this one again.

Serving type: cask

10-26-2009 14:07:46 | More by johnmichaelsen

pershan

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this from a firkin at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD.

The beer poured a hazy copper with a thin, white head into a chalice. The aroma was an amazingly huge hit of hop essence: pine needles, citrus, grapefruit - it had it all. The flavor did not dissapoint, with a big hop wallop up front, followed by a clean malt profile blended with a fairly intense, warming hop flavor (with hints of bourbon also), finishing off with the lingering taste of fresh-baked bread and a very strong hop bitterness. The bitterness seemed to actually intensify the more I drank - one of the hoppiest beers I've ever had, start to finish. Nice fluffy lacing all the way down the glass. Hard to believe this was brewed in Scotland - a great over-the-top DIPA hopfest.

Serving type: cask

10-23-2009 15:24:34 | More by pershan

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the Gotham Cask Festival last week. I noticed that some pretty passionate negative reviews have been written about this beer, but I must say that the Cask I sampled...if only that batch...was divine.

The beer poured a nice orange/copper, with a thin head, expectedly no carbonation, and good lacing. The aroma was an inviting mix of pink grapefruit, mango, peach, and honey, with very subtle hop bitterness. The flavor progression impressively started with a round full-bodied bouquet of the aforementioned fruits, which dissolved to a nice hop-bitter finish, and a dry mouthfeel aftertaste. The body overall was medium, but the flavor progression with each sip made this an excellent experience. If I didn't want to try some of the other great Casks on hand, I probably would've drank this one all night.

Serving type: cask

09-25-2009 06:30:06 | More by donniecuffs

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: As the beer is served it has a rich dark orange/gold color with a thin-off white head. There is a light ring of foam around the glass and some patch patches of foam on liquid. Most of the bubbles are relatively large and eventually disappear but do so before the beer is half gone. Early on sipping leaves part of a ring and sparsely speckled lacing. About half way through there is minimal lacing.

Smell: The aroma is clearly hoppy, but with lots of floral, herbal notes and some citrus character, mostly tangerine and orange zest. There is also a hint of the caramel malt but no alcohol.

Taste: Taste is definitely that of an English style IPA but no single hop flavor stands out above the rest. The bitterness is herbal, floral, citrus (tangerine, etc)all bundled together with a clear backbone of sweet caramel malt. The alcohol is well concealed and not really detectable

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied but carbonation is light and pretty much gone by the end of the beer. The finish medium in length with the malt fading away to leave the dry bitterness of the hops

Drinkability: I thought the drinkability on this one to be just fine and I could have had another. I certainly would sample it again on cask. But this is not an American style DIPA and is best thought of as an English style (Scottish style?) DIPA. It also was a fine beer to go with the Bangers and Mash for supper that was served about half way through the beer.

Serving type: cask

07-12-2009 00:32:37 | More by drtth

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a dark coppery amber with a nice two finger yellowish off-white head with good retention and massive lacing. Aroma of citrus hops, pineapple and sweet malt. Flavor follows with citrus hops and and a quite tasty caramel malt and fruit body. Interesting sweet fruit element to the hoppy malt finish. Not as hop intense and many west coast DIPAs, but a quite enjoyable, well integrated flavor with decent flavorful hops. Medium bodied with some creaminess, nice mouth feel. A quite enjoyable DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 05:29:08 | More by LiquidAmber

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pumpkin color with a pumpkin colored head that dissipates quickly.

S: Lots of citrus and orange. A bit of bitter spice. Some floral notes. Good balance here.

T: Hit's with massive hops and a good kick of sweetness. Fades pretty well but the lingering bitterness is a little harsh. Not a lot of other players.

M: Sits will but over some time a sour burn begins to hit.

Overall if you love hops (and I do!) this is a good one to check out. A good balance between the two flavors of hops and sweetness but not bringing much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:35:02 | More by Jamesthebrit

taulpepper

New York

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep amber, really cloudy, big frothy head, tons of lacing

Smells bready and malty with notes of toffee. Reminds me of some doppelbocks I've tried. Smell of alcohol is not strong but noticeable. A bit of citrus/hop aroma, but not much, definitely not what you'd get from a typical American DIPA/IIPA.

The taste hits you with tons of malt flavor. This is way malty for an IPA, more malt than anything else in the flavor. Again tastes of bread and toffee. There's plenty of bitterness to balance the malt though.

This definitely doesn't stick to style guidelines, but it's a really interesting beer, unlike any I've had. Really enjoyable. But at 9% it's definitely not a session beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 05:13:14 | More by taulpepper

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bomber served in a tulip.

pours a dull orange/coppery tone with a good amount of haze to it. small white head that quickly recedes into a thin collar around the glass. not a whole lot of lacing.

citrusy hops (primarily grapefruit) dominate the nose, with a sweet maltiness hanging in the background. decent aroma even if it doesn't enliven the olfactory senses. taste opens with a healthy blast of the citrus hops suggested in the nose followed by a little pine and sweet malts... too noticeable (albeit not overpowering) 9.2% ABV is at play.... a decent, tasty, if somewhat unremarkable DIPA.

medium-bodied with middling, slightly prickly carbonation. i like my DIPAs with some semblance of balance but IMO the malt characters are overdone here. still, worth a try.

originally reviewed: 11-21-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 22:01:01 | More by BostonHops

philerman

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into my Great Lakes Brewery snifter. Pours a very hazy dark orange color with a decent, fastly dissipating head. Citrusy, malty smell. Very smooth taste for this high ABV that goes down pretty easy. Somewhat heavy alcohol aftertaste.

Lot of people comparing this to Dogfish Head 90, but I'd put it closer to 102.5 or so.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:23:15 | More by philerman

coy

Mexico

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

Appearance.- Yellow to light orange color, white head.

Smell.- Citrus strong hop aroma.

Taste.- Hops are very strong but faint quite quickly, nice malt flavor.

Mouthfeel.- Medium body, carbonation goes of quickly.

Overall.- Nice but overpriced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 05:39:46 | More by coy

Bfarr

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

BB 15-02-12
Dark cloudy orange amber with big yellow-tan foamy head. Musty citrus aroma with light earthiness. Strong hops up front disappear very quickly in a strong sweet malt finish. Notes of toffee in the malt. There is a bite in the finish and a lingering hop taste of grapefruit and earth. Foamy and thick feel with a light tackiness.

I’m afraid this is not the “hardcore” IPA a west coast IPA drinker would look for, however there are some interesting qualities in the malts. Hops build up but it’s still relatively balanced. Alcohol is well blended but overall it’s not totally impressive for a DIPA. Perhaps an intriguing brew if found on tap. Or a fresher bottle (or now that I’ve looked on here, the 2nd edition which I believe I had the first…)

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 21:48:13 | More by Bfarr

d4114

California

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy burnt orange with a fluffy off-white head. Murky looking.

Big citrus notes with a pretty strong malt character. Alcohol comes through a lot.

Very Juicy, almost like fresh orange juice; Good amount of bitterness on the tongue; Actually balanced because of the malt coming through so much.

Full bodied, heavy in general; Could use to be more creamy and smooth.

Good flavor and balance but a little sweet for my taste. Also its heavy feel makes it more of a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 18:14:32 | More by d4114

ferrari29

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer poured from bottle into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Thanks to Beerman1965 for finding this limited selection brew.

A - Beer poured into the glass with a one finger white colored head; no visible carbonation; opaque dark orange colored body; small amount of lacing formed on the side of the glass and didn't stick very much

S - Strong caramel malt scent; citrus and hops; pine cone; smooth biscuit scent

T - Beer has a slight scotch taste to it, probably from high ABV; slight hint of toffee; nice and smooth caramel and biscuit malt flavor washes right over the tongue; pine; not extremely hop dominated, which made it taste just great

M - Quick bitter aftertaste, with a slight lingering taste of caramel and hops; smooth taste and medium feel body

D - Great flavor and scent profile, I really liked this beer; I wish they would make more of it; not sure why this got a lower rating from everyone but it is definitely one of my favorites

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 19:00:37 | More by ferrari29

MammothBrew

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass:

A: Pours a light amber, citrus like color with 1/4 inch head. Good amount of lacing.

S: There's a lot going on. Grapefruit, lemon, apricots, earthy wood/pine odor, mild hops, with sugary, caramel malt.

T: Heavy malt, citrus, mild hops. Then there's a boozy flavor that quickly gets toned down by the sugary/pine taste.

M: Medium body that tends to seem thick from all the sugar. Also leaves a grimy pine, oil like residue in mouth.

O: It's not something I'd seek out again, it was a tad bit of a sugar bomb. There are better Imperial IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 03:31:22 | More by MammothBrew

deskim

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very solid IPA. More east coast than west coast (malty vs. hoppy). Poured a copper yellow into a DFH signature glass. Sweet alcohol smell along with yeast and malt. Not hoppy at all. Comparable to a DFH 90 minute, but a little less malty. Hints of toffee were more prominent as the beer warmed up. It was a little on the expensive side, but would gladly drink it again on tap or if it were a bit cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 02:24:35 | More by deskim

srandycarter

California

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Almost clear Copper Orangey goodness. Nice Big off white head leaves quick to ring. Tons of sticky cling lace all over the glass.

S - Mostly deep malt. More like an East Coast IPA for us folks in SD. That's ok, I like the strong malt profile in an IPA. Bitter takes a back seat.

T - Sweet, really sweet malt center, surrounded by a bittering layer.

M - I like the malt, but this one is exceptionally sweet and the bitter sweet sides to the sweet. Not extremely balanced. Good carb and medium to full body for an IPA.

D - Alcohol is very hidden and the flavors are not ruining to the palate. Might be tempted to drink more than recommended...

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 02:19:51 | More by srandycarter

ZacHart

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: cloudy, burnt orange color that left a half-inch head and no lacing when poured from the bottle to a chalice.

S: toffee malt and alchohol on the nose followed by spicy, evergreen hops.

T: taste is dominated at first with really strong toffee malt flavors, which fade to a fantastically bitter burst of hops. The hops linger on the palate indefinitely, although the alcohol flavor in this brew does not overpower. A very balanced and flavorful brew.

M: this is a slightly chewy, grainy brew that really coats the palate and is relatively low on carbonation.

O: a nicely balanced, potent, and flavorful brew that's good for the special occasion when you can actually find this stuff. It lived up to the reputation of the brewery and reminds me of the 90-minute IPA and other high quality imperial IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 03:36:00 | More by ZacHart

laituegonflable

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drunk from a growler purchased from Slowbeer. (That's not just a description of my method of imbibing but a description of me a couple of hours later)

Pours a red-tinged amber colour. Head is listless but some nice sheets of lace with not much substance; not thick or sticky. Carbonation is minimal - looks alright but just a bit lacking.

Lots of citrus-forward hops on the nose. Lemon, orange rind with plenty of herbal notes as well, coriander and thyme on there which is really quite tasty. Bit of earthiness rounding it off; very pleasant aroma.

Taste is very hop-centric. Lots of citrus - lemon, orange with touches of tart pineapple on the front-to-back. It's like the pineapple closer to the skin, the more acidic taste. Bit of pine resin to the hops as well. Tangy overall with fruit, sherbet and then floral bitterness with resinous touch. The back is very aggressively bitter but stops short of being overpowering. Great hop bomb here.

Quite a full body with lots of texture. A bit sharp around the edges where the hop acids really assault the mouth but yeah, enjoyable overall.

Well flavoured and brewed IPA. A growler full must be shared with friends but it's definitely a good one to send round a party (as I did, for the most part).

Serving type: growler

04-12-2011 00:22:53 | More by laituegonflable

CMB2012

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle, batch 174, best before 26-07-11. Served in a 16oz stemless snifter, out of the fridge for about 20-25min before serving. I have had this many times, but I finally decided to review.

A- Pours a deep copper/orange color, slight haze, and one finger of creamy, off white foam. The head dissipates pretty quick with some lacing. Without much effort though, this beer will keep a nice and creamy topper throughout the adventure.

S- Distinct English ale yeast character, sugary fruity- dried apricots, cherries, figs, prunes, dates, and raisins (very lovely). This all melds into sweet caramel and toffee malts, and the whole aroma is wrapped in a tangy, citrus, grapefruit and alcohol blanket. So where are the hops? Well, they are certainly there, mixed in with the fruity yeast character, but they show themselves most distinctively with an earthy pine and wood scent, which is slightly bitter.

T- Very sweet for a Imperial IPA and it's right up front. English style IPA meets American style Barley wine. A citrus tingle encompasses the tongue while sweet, sugary fruits burst upon the taste buds. Again, I get apricots, prunes, figs, dates, and raisins. Dark fruits abide, but not in a winey Imperial Stout way. This beer is very sweet and round. The hops make a bigger stand in the taste, showing up early on in the form of citrus acidity Then once the fruit is gone, they mix with the large malt backbone to create a nice nutty caramel effect. This ale finishes sticky and bitter, but somehow very smooth- lots of pine, earthy grit, and some wood notes. There is definitely some heat on this one, the 9.2% isn't hiding very deep. Intent? Well, I am partial to this beer because it was my first favorite for the style, and I personally appreciate the burn it produces. To each their own, but the alcohol is noticeable.

M- Possibly the best part of this beer, the mouth on this is as creamy as it gets for the style. The body is only medium, maybe medium-full, but it is viscous without being thick, chewy without being rough. It is sticky, but akin to a cream ale in consistency. Not much carbonation to speak of, but certainly enough. I love it, it really works for the flavors this beer offers.

0- As mentioned before I have had this beer many times and it is a favorite of mine. It isn't what you might typically expect from an Imperial IPA*, but then again none of Brew Dog's beers are typical. The brew is English at it's core, so don't think West Coast. It's hoppy and high in alcohol, and you will be overwhelmed, but it is far from one-dimensional, there is a lot of complexity here. You really need to sip and think about this one. Try it!

*In all honesty I think it is unfortunate that this site requires all IIPAs to be considered American Double/Imperial IPA's. This beer does not exactly fit the American IIPA category, and I don't think it wants to. I decided not to review it based on this categories more strict guidelines because it would limit my intent, and also rate this beer lower than it deserves.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 19:00:25 | More by CMB2012

ChadQuest

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

large 3 finger head, the body is an amber color, darker then what i personally desire in an IPA, but i can't knock it for being what it is.
nose is a bit resiny with an orange sugar candy aroma too, like those brachs orange slices. Alcohol is easily detected here too, and is somewhat solvent like.
I guess Scotland is on the East Coast now, this is not very hoppy and i am still 4 months within the best-by window. Flavors are not bad per say, but i did reach for this wanting an IPA, a "Hardcore" one at that. The non-hardcore flavors include Candied Pears that are slightly fruity but more sugary, some piney notes, and a mist of citrus to make things obligatory. Besides the Sugar coated light fruits there is some caramel thrown against this canvas.

If this was called an English Strong ale, maybe i would approach it better, but i wanted an IPA. Mission Failed.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 04:19:49 | More by ChadQuest

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange-ish to copper color with a light tan head. In the aroma, orange citrus and alcohol. In the taste, dry hops, starts with pine to an orange citrus, quite malty and a hint of sticky alcohol. A small bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry, small orange citrus hop in the aftertaste. Big and hoppy, and balanced and boozy.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 13:33:00 | More by OWSLEY069