Hardcore IPA (2nd Ed. 9.2%) - BrewDog

MacQ32

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 378

A - Pours a nice orange golden color, unfilitered and cloudy, minimal light makes its way through (even my small allagash stemware). A solid finger of light, near white head, fair retention, superb lacing!

S - Lots of citrusyness, some sweet caramel malts as well. Tropical passion fruit, grapefruit, almost a mild pineapple aroma as well. Very inviting, citrus aromas dominate the hop bite in the nose.

T - Quite dry up front, nice hop blast (Which was a little surprising had I not known the IBU's. The aroma indicates more of a sweet tropical fruit aroma but the taste is much more forward with bitter boldness.) The sweet and citrusy fruit soon follows and the sweetness from the malts come in as well. Slightly dry towards the end but I still find my mouth watering a bit after the dryness subsides.

M - Medium bodied, very bitter and refreshing, a really nice summer session brew. Appropriately carbonated.

O - Alcohol is well hidden and it's very enjoyable and refreshing as i find most bitter ipas.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 04:09:16 | More by MacQ32

janubio

Spain

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330 ml. bottle. Hazy amber colour, decent foam that does not hold much. Leaves a lace in the form of tiny bubbles in theside of the glass. Strong funky aroma of tropical fruits, citruses, spices and some toffee. It feels very nice in the tongue, bitter and roasted, but silky. Taste of tropical fruits, spices, toffee, sweet and sour, but more on the bitter part.
Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 20:23:39 | More by janubio

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle.

This beer pours a slightly hazy medium golden amber hue, with two fingers of foamy, rocky offwhite head, which leaves a nice bombed brick pattern of lace around the glass.

It smells of big grapefruit citrus esters, strong caramel/toffee malt, and some sharp pine resin. The taste is even more grandiose bitter grapefruit and tropical fruit, plastered (heh) against a resolute bready caramel backbone that earns its keep well. A wee bit of astringent warming booze crashes the party fashionably late, of course.

The bubbles keep things rolling along nicely, supporting, but not interfering, the body a sturdy middle weight, a tad sticky, and generally smooth. It finishes on a quite balanced note - dense sugary malt, tempered by some waning fruity, bitter leafy hops, and simmering edgy alcohol.

It's been a surprisingly long while since I've come across a new instance of such a Cali-style DIPA. Good on Brewdog, and the many ingredients sacrificed so that I could once again hit that sweet (and hoppy, let's not forget hoppy) spot. Oh yeah...

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:56:05 | More by biboergosum

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark golden amber. A thin head. Amazing lacing leaves rings on the glass following each sip like rings in a redwood marking time.

S: Tropical fruits, apricot, passionfruit, tons of grapefruit hops. And a barleywine malt profile.

T: Follows the nose. A sweet (!) hop finish that really stays with ya. Lots of booziness that blends oh so well.

M: Creamy, bitter, and warm.

One of the top 5 DIPA's I've ever had. What a surprise. Top friggin notch.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 07:18:51 | More by Heavenisbeer

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into tulip 13/2/12

A clear reddish amber with very few bubbles but a still has a
solid two finger light tan head that slowly falls to a thin
film leaving three distinct rings followed by random patches

S loads of toffee and brown sugar with some citric hops with just a little booze

T not far from the smell with a little more booze and rind, its
a little sweet and the brown sugar I could smell is a little burnt

M enamel stripping stuff that has quite the pucker to it, strong lenghty aftertaste of dark caramel and citric rind, just a little burn but reasonable for 9.2%

O pretty solid DIPA here, I'm not blown away in any areas but its "good" in all departments

Its a big hops bomb with a some balance too it, this is one of those beers that I don't need a 4 pack of but wont complain about having more then I need

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 05:58:02 | More by wordemupg

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Best by date is quickly approaching on this one.

Poured a medium non-translucent amber that appeared to be fully filtered. A small white lackluster head faded to nothing but a mere ring of froath around the glass. First smells are of citrus hop, slight funk (dang best by date), very slight malt. The tastes include the citrus hop minus the slight funk. A nice bitter twang. Albeit it is probably at the end of its life cycle, it feels crisp. The malt is minimal which is my preference for a good strong IPA. I will definitely keep my eyes open for a fresh batch as this can only get better. Very nice.

Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:49:22 | More by rmcnealy

Murrhey

Montana

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- Poured out a bubble two finger head. Cloudy orange-amber color. Middling retention and little lacing.

S- Spicy hops, citrusy notes. Wonderful warm smelling beer.

T- Very hoppy of course, but with a great crisp tasting finish. Not overly bitter and combines the citrusy notes. Great flavor.

M- Medium bodied, crisp finish. Very nice.

O- Great brew. Wonderful flavor and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 22:25:46 | More by Murrhey

magictacosinus

California

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 11.2oz bottle into a tulip glass. Freshness date is listed as "18/08/11." Let's see how this holds up.

Appearance is extremely murky, especially for a double IPA. Carbonation is slightly visible within the reddish-orangish thick hue. At such a high ABV, I'm honestly surprised this had a head at all, as alcohol leggings are devouring the outside texture of this glass and making it seem syrupy. Quite a fascinating looking beer, to say the very least.

Does not smell like fresher batches of Hardcore IPA that I've had in the past. If anything, this HIGHLY reminds me of a barleywine. Honey and juicy sweetness in the aroma, some blood oranges and white grapes, as well as having a MASSIVE yeasty aroma that old ales tend to have. Hardly any zestiness, but then again, at nearly 6 months old I wouldn't expect this to have any.

Despite having barely any more hoppiness due to its age, it still holds up very well. There is a bitter feel to it, although it fleets very, very far away to be substituted but sweet, caramel malts. The yeasty taste is very good here, and the alcohol seems to balance things out well, surprisingly. Lot's of honey notes overall, and some fruitiness that is long-lasting. The bitterness reveals itself more as it warms up, to the point of good balance with all the maltiness. Quite thick and chewy - in the fact, the MOST chewy imperial IPA I've ever had.

Right, so I suppose I'm reviewing this far older than I should be, yet with the high ABV and delicious malts, it holds up well. I feel this is better when fresher (more zesty hops), yet it's pretty close in flavor still even when aged. I fail to see (even when fresh) how this is a proper tribute to West coast imperial IPAs, but it is still a good beer, nonetheless. Being warming, fruity, thick, and tasty, I found it hard to put down, but I would much rather have it fresher next time!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 04:32:37 | More by magictacosinus

henskejk

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes

A - dark amber color, light tan head poured to ~1 finger

S - mostly sweetness in the smell with some piney notes

T - initial taste is malty sweetness then the hops overpower the sweetness. small amt of citrus flair to the hop flavor but mostly bitterness, no booze detectable

M - thick feel, pretty heavy

O - good drinking

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 02:34:53 | More by henskejk

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an off-white, three-finger head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Hazy amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Light pine hop nose, but flavor is grapefruit and caramel. Light grapefruit finish. Nice ImpIPA. $3.50 for a 330ml bottle from Tully’s Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 23:35:57 | More by jdhilt

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Best before 08/28/2012

A - Pours a cloudy and murky burnished orange color with two fingers of bubbly, light-tan head. The retention is decent, and a soapy cap drifts lazily on top of the liquid when it recedes. Sticky lacing precariously hangs on, but gradually washes away with the strain of gravity.

S - The nose immediately brings a strong presence of C-hops with bold aromas of pine, soap, and especially grapefruit. Somewhat fruity, but the bitterness is almost palpable here. A touch of sweetness from the malts, but that impression is fleeting even as I type.

T - The flavors initially start with a puff of sweetness and caramel, but the bitterness practically explodes from these hops. Resinous pine gives off a sticky feel and flavor, and from there it's nearly all grapefruit. With this type of hop profile, sometimes you can get the residual flavors from oranges and other citrus, but this is pretty tightly contained to grapefruit. The malts do give off a slight brown sugar sweetness in the background, mixing with a touch of soap and alcohol.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with good carbonation. The hops leave a sticky, heavy feeling on the palate, and the abundance of hops lends to a long-lasting bitterness that lingers well into the finish.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. This is pretty impressive in terms of inking out every last IBU from the hops, but in terms of flavor I found this to be a little lacking. The amount of bitterness that starts in the flavor and draws out in the finish is somewhat expected but still doesn't absolve it as a distraction. If you don't mind a face-smacking bitterness, seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:12:05 | More by nhindian

jjkatter

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into a goblet...

A- amber/brown in color. Tan head that laces around the glass.

S- a bit like unsweetened tea ans straw.

T- hops and a bit of candy sweetness, quickly replaced by lots of bitterness. This beer is 9.2% ABV and you can definitely feel it. It's plenty thick and stick, as you might expect. There are hints of caramel and grapefruit.

MF- instead of mouth feel, I find myself thinking of the "other MF" word. This is DEFINATELY not a session beer.

O- well worth the visit. Tons of complexity and body. You might want to have a damp towel handy to mop the stickiness away. Limit one per beer induced coma...

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 08:40:38 | More by jjkatter

GoNowhere

Arkansas

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- Copper with a nice head.

Smell- Piney smell with some sweet malts.

Taste- Comes on sweet until the hops take over and never let go.

Mouthfeel- Chewy. Medium carbonation. Dry.

I like it. I don't like it a lot. My expectations may have been a bit too high. A good beer that may drink better closer to its home.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 19:19:28 | More by GoNowhere

Fux

France

3.4/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper - orange color. Thick head but with a medium retention.

S: Hoppy. Citruses, but also hints of red fruits. Also a malty, buttery scent.

T: Malty attack, sweet, a bit fatty. Slightly fruity. Grassy, medicinal, phenolic aftertaste. Long long bitterness.

M: a bit sticky (not very pleasant here).

O: Aromas are quite faint here. Not really a bad IPA but not really refreshing nor easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 20:59:00 | More by Fux

tronester

Oklahoma

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy reddish orange with a medium creamy tan head. Smells of fresh pine needles and molasses. Taste is big sweet malt up front followed by a toungue wrenching bitterness. Some citrus sweetness as well. A hint of alcohol in the finish. Mouthfeel is super rich. Overall a great beer, but for the steep price I can think of better options for less money. That makes it hard for a repeat purchase.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:13:30 | More by tronester

TheFlern

Idaho

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Surprisingly a dark amber. Slightly off white head has nice retention and good lacing.

Smell: Strong hops. For this bottle they are on the fading side of things I think. Malt backbone comes through strong and sweet. Reminds me of about a 6 or 7 month old Bigfoot, this might smell a tad more sweet.

Taste: follows the nose. bitter with a big sweet malt backbone. This one is full of flavor with a lot of fruity notes thanks to the excellent blend of hops and malt. reminds me of Bigfoot with 6-7 months on it but taste a tad more sweet.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, good carb. Tongue scorching bitterness but the heavy amount of sweet malt flavor makes this one a really slow sipper.

Overall: Very surprised by this beer. Was not expecting it to be this big. For the price I'll pass on this one most of the time. I'd like to try a fresher bottle. If you haven't tried this beer I'd recommend that you give it a shot if you like really big IIPAs with lots of malt and bitterness or if you like American style hop forward barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 03:43:39 | More by TheFlern

flannelman808

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pale orange ochre, This beer is sort of the color of a proper old fashion. medium clarity, light penetrates but shows a medium opacity minor haze. A quarter inch of Sea foam would appear to to have formed atop this brew and stuck around for a while. solit retention, ok lacing.

S: an inhale yields a sensation reminiscent of white grape fruit being cut open. orange zest (not pith) and brown sugar lend a finishing hand.

T: muddled flavors (high scrutiny) showing sweetness and bitterness making for a rather balanced quaff. In the end I find this to wind up on the dry of the style. dry + maybe... Flavors of navel orange peel cooked for a short time in brown sugar symple syrup (heavy on the water) seem to dominate. subdued grassy (were talking tall woody grass here) show both in the nose and on the tongue as this one warms up. The warming alcohol also shows up as this warms a bit ( not in a great way) .

M: 3 day old ginger ale type carbonation...

O: Not a great beer. Sort of run of the mill, and they ought to make it in six packs. that said its not bad at all and If it came in 4 or 6 packs I would get them. As it stands I won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 11:25:56 | More by flannelman808

Billolick

New York

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 ounce bottle
"best before 29-08-12”

Purchased as a single at the new Beer Necessities store in New Rochelle, NY ($3.99)

Into a snifter, pours heavily clouded, glowing red tinged apricot. Quality looking medium tan head, good retention, slowly goes to a thick film, leaving all sorts of sheeting, and nicely scattered ribs and spots of lace.

The sniff is chock-a-block with grapefruit.

Heady DIPA, marinated in citric hops, grapefruit notes blasting. Loads of maple malts, making things more sensible. Moderate lime/gin alcohol note.

High quality/high alcohol sipper/night capper

Quite enjoyable for hop heads/strong beer enjoyers.

A very nice treat

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 04:36:13 | More by Billolick

haddyhustle302

Delaware

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a hazy redish rust color. with a bit of orange throughout

Smell: very sweet with a boozy backbone.

Taste: initial hint of sweetness followed by the bitterness you expect from a quality IPA. the hop presence is very pronounced. definately my cup of tea.

Overall: Great choice if you love India Pale Ales. the hops are very noticeable and the alcohol content is not hidden very much at all. definately a mouth pleaser. and the first brew ive had the pleasure of trying from Brewdog. will definately buy again!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:33:27 | More by haddyhustle302

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Phyl21ca, thanks for sending this my way.

Hazy copper brown colour, 1.5 fingers of off white head, good retention with some lace. Smell is fairly sweet, caramel and toffee malt scents, some citrus and to a lesser degree pine, pineapple, grapefruit, light alcohol. Taste is lightly sweet initially and quite bitter, citrus fruit, pineapple, mango, some earthy pine notes come out in the finish, drying aftertaste. Mediums carbonation, soft feel and quite oily, medium-full body. Not the best from this brewery but still tasty and enjoyable and something I would revisit again, perhaps a touch too sweet for this to become a favourite DIPA but still quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 19:53:42 | More by peensteen

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My friend brought this bottle from Edinburgh. Best before 09-10-12.

A - Pours a nice dark copper. Bright. Strong carbonation. Two finger creamy eggshell head. Thick film of retention with great rings of droopy lace. Looks quite nice.

S - Oh ya. Strong resinous hops with generous pineapple and grapefruit citrus. Some bready notes but the aroma is mostly dominated by great, strong hops.

T - A really great sweet note starts out the taste, followed by a bit of bread. Then the hops really take hold with a strong grapefruit note, a little booze is there too. The citrus doesn't flow from the aroma like I had hoped it would. There is a slightly odd musty note, maybe as a result of the strong, aggressive grapefruit note? The offputting portion of the flavour goes away as the beer progresses.

M - Nice carbonation with a medium body with a good bitterness.

O/D - The odd musty flavour is a little odd. A fairly good DIPA. The aggression of the grapefruit note isn't something I look for in a DIPA, yet it grew on me. Good.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 00:54:22 | More by tbeckett

eric5bellies

Australia

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear Golden Amber colour with a nice tight White head that retains well.

S - Strong pine aromas with grapefruit, its all hop.

T - Plenty of grapefruit up front with pine flavours. The biiterness is aggresive and the finish is a little boozy.

M - Medium carbonation and body that makes for a great balance.

O - Nice grapefruit dipa and I woiuld revisit without hesitation.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 16:26:06 | More by eric5bellies

johndrinkspliny

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had the hardcore IPA before, but getting it on tap is very nice. I went out to Edinburgh just to check out the pub. For Double-IPA's this one is near the top (I'd place it just below Pliny the Elder from RR, Sculpin IPA for BP, and 90min IPA from DFH). I highly recommend it!

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2011 18:00:45 | More by johndrinkspliny

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: cloudy honey, yellow head.
Smell: sweet malt, bitter grapefruit.
Taste: bitter edge softened with a solid malt profile. Very nicely balanced. Alcohol well hidden.
Overall: solid imperial ipa. Personally I'd go for a dfh 90. Glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 23:59:20 | More by cindyjeffsmith

deepchills

Texas

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is in a bomber bottle, oddly enough this brew is given to me by a friend that hopes I would impregnate his little sister. Time will tell. Another odd fact is that this is a Scottish beer, and it’s rare a non USA beer ends up in my fridge.

Cloudy copper pour. The cloudiness is expected as this beer is dry hopped. No floaties.

Big thick head. About an inch in my tulip glass. Nice bubbly/chunky top to the head.

Interesting nose of bread, pepper and grass. No hop, pine or fruit.

A slightly bitter start from the four hops. Not much fruit noted, but there is some, a little dark fruit, though my untrained pallet can’t place it. The sweetness, caramel, comes out in the middle from the 3 malts. A bitter/acidic finish.

Great mouth feel and very easy to drink.

Overall I like this beer, though for a beer named “Hardcore IPA” and labeled as an “explicit imperial ale” I would have expected greater hop notes in all aspects of the beer. I really like the malt character, it’s the best part of the tasting.
I’ll drink the beer again, maybe with my friends sister…

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 00:10:26 | More by deepchills