Tallgrass IPA - Tallgrass Brewing Company

macrosmatic

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 16 oz. can into a Russian River pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy bright copper, with one finger's worth of white foamy head and good visible carbonation.

S: Sweet caramel, and some citrus and sweet pine hops - but the overall impression is not terribly hoppy.

T: Notes follow the nose, but this is more malt-forward than most IPAs around. Moderate bitterness in the hang but even this is balanced by some malt bready sweetness.

M: Medium body for style, good carbonation sensation, but it is a touch too hot given the style and the relatively tame ABV.

O: This is an acceptable but forgettable example of style. I was wondering if it might be a bit on the old side, but the "drink by" date on the bottle was 5/11/13 (drank 3/29/13).

Serving type: can

03-31-2013 19:04:19 | More by macrosmatic

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz. can, looks like it may have been canned back in July of 2012, but that sounds wrong based on what I can tell from Fresh Beer Only website. Oh well, here goes.

It actually looks pretty decent in terms of color & vibrancy. It's a bit cloudy, but the reddish orange dark gold coloring is enticing. At first about two fingers of solid fluffy off-white head, with some lacing -- both dissipate relatively quickly.

Smell does seem a bit aged. It's really grapefruity, with lots of malt and some caramel candy notes as well.

Taste is similar, but a bit better. All of the above with an OK hop profile to it. I also get a bit of sour tart citrus, which again could be due to a slightly dated IPA with a relatively low ABV compared to what I normally take down. It's not bad but I get a sense that it is not at its freshest.

Feel is smooth but textured up front, with a lots of body. Medium carbonation as well.

Overall this is more than a halfway decent IPA, and one I hope to try fresh one day. It's not amazing by any standards, but it's OK. Cheers.

Serving type: can

02-08-2013 03:02:48 | More by rodlavers

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer is slightly hazy and appears light sunset orange hued, sporting two inches of dense head. Lasting retention with ample lacing on the glass. The aroma brings grass, pine, earthy malt. Smells OK. The flavor is lightly bitter with zesty carbonation. Fair hop presence, but pretty understated. A non challenging IPA, offering balance and restrained flavors. Mediocre.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 02:53:36 | More by Huhzubendah

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slips out a lightly hazed, orangey body with a medium-sized, near white head.

Smell: Bready pale maltiness coated in butterscotch cohabiting with hoppy notes of florals and citrus.

Taste: Bready, pale malts with, again, the noted butterscotch. A light, lingering sweetness. The buttery quality remains even after the sweetness dies off. Flowery, citrusy hops, perhaps, a bit resiny, too, with a medium-plus bitterness. Closes out dry, smooth.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: Seems we have a bit of diacetyl present, which, is a fault I've never been too terribly upset by. I mean, pop open my refrigerator and who is an omnipresent member? Butter, baby!

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 01:03:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint can from GraniteSkunk into Sam Smith pint nonic.

A: Beautiful hazed sunset gold; fluffy white head dissipates at a medium speed, great rings of lacing left behind.

S: Floral hops, grassy, a bit sweet, with a faint resiny bite. Biscuity and bready malt backbone. Malts shine more as it warms. Definitely an IPA that appears to aim for balance.

T: Bready with a moderate but subdued bitterness. Touch of dried citrus fruit, toffee, with a suggestion of pungent earthiness. A touch chalky.

MF: Creamy smooth maltiness. Nearly medium bodied, fairly low in carbonation. Light bitter dryness on the finish.

O: More malt than I'm used to in an IPA; it doesn't necessarily taste old, but more balanced than I'm used to. Still tasty. The can says 'Surprisingly Malty'. Yes. It is.

Serving type: can

01-07-2013 17:09:38 | More by Scotchboy

ubenumber2

Arkansas

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from can into a nonic , reddish hue to the beer , small amounts of carbonation and a nice white 3 finger head that drops off pretty quick with a little lacing

Aroma is hoppy at first then the malt comes through on the back end , neither one really pops out , both just kind of there

Not a real full bodied beer , almost too thin for my liking

The taste is ok , nothing special , the bitterness is there for an ipa but not alot of the flavor that usually comes with it, almost a stale flavor , it is more malty than hoppy to me and finishes dry

Overall not a horrible beer , I dont believe I would buy this beer again , I still have 3 more of this 3 pack to drink , maybe Ill change my mind after 2 more , going to trade one with a buddy at work

Serving type: can

12-29-2012 02:14:11 | More by ubenumber2

waldoiverson

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16 oz can into nonic

a: orange/copper color, slightly cloudy, massive pillow of off-white head that sticks around and laces in a very fine fashion.

S: the malt is a bit toasty and the hops come across as both grassy and sweet citrusy

T: very nice balance between sweet and bitter with the sweet citrus from the nose coming across in the mouth. It's nice to find a beer that has a great smell and a cleanly paired flavor. I get a lot of apricot-ish notes. The end is slightly bitter.

M: very full in the mouth with just a hit of cleansing carbonation, slightly dry finish

O: Easy to drink and well balanced, this is a great beer.

Serving type: can

09-08-2012 20:37:07 | More by waldoiverson

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear orange body, frothy finger of white head.

Nose is clean malt and hops, but there's a hint of must, or maybe just old hops.

Flavor is muddled and malty. Coating and rich. That's not what I want here. It says IPA, but drinks like an amber.

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy with a slick coating effect. No tooth-strippy, and I love me the tooth-strippy.

Overall a good beer, but a bit light on the hops for an IPA.

Serving type: can

08-31-2012 23:05:59 | More by ghostwalker

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: No haziness but a little too dark to be translucent. Soapy white head. Like the amber/copper color in an IPA. Great lacing.

Aroma: Big hop presence. Lots of citrus and grapefruit. A little bit of pine or resin as well. Not getting too much malt.

Taste: Starts out smooth and then kicks your tongue with some bitterness. Finishes smooth and bitter. TallGrass says this is an IPA with lots of hops and good malt presence and I definitely agree with that. Although there is only a hint malt in the nose, it makes up for that in the taste. The grain almost has a roasty quality that you don't get in the usual American IPA. That roastyness teases your palate a little before coming in stronger in the finish. Really good example of a perfect harmony between hops and malt. Both make themselves present in all the right ways.

Mouthfeel: Good all around. The right level of carbonation, medium bodied, and very drinkable.

Final Thoughts: I had this beer about six months ago and liked it but didn't ever buy it again. I'm really glad I picked this one up randomly today. A really good IPA that treads many lines within the style. It could probably please lovers of English IPA's and of American IPA's.

Serving type: can

08-12-2012 02:56:13 | More by JamesMN

bsp77

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Serving glass: Poured from can into Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Clear amber with large sticky head and nice lacing.

Smell: Sweet caramel, sweet bread, sweet citrus. Doesn't smell like an IPA.

Taste: Tastes somewhat like an IPA, although the citrus is pretty sweet. As are the malts, with strong caramel notes and some breadiness. There are some spicy and pine-like notes on the finish to combat the sweetness, but not quite enough.

Feel: Moderately low carbonation with a very creamy body. Finish could be a touch more dry but the body makes up for it.

Overall: This is a fairly tasty, balanced beer, but not quite what I want in an IPA. Also, Tallgrass's own Oasis is kinda similar but ultimately much better.

Serving type: can

08-04-2012 00:29:22 | More by bsp77

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to bunkrock (Reddit) for this one, another IPA to drink on National IPA day, yay! And tall boy cans!

Pours a big fluffy/fizzy 1.5 finger head that fades at a med pace, decent lacing, over semi clear amber color.

NOse starts fruity aroma, almost fake like, light syrupy malt base, the cheap fruity hops that come from the not so well done IPAs unfortunately, and very little hops.

Taste continues, with light grainy malts, little caramel like, semi sweet. Then the cheap hop flavors again, fruity and lackluster, candy hop flavors, the slightest hint of citrus, with decent but lighter side of bitterness. Mostly sweet malts with caramel and grainy tastes though. Finish is dry with a bit more bitterness as it ramps, a touch of lingering earthy and candy hop taste but not much.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall blah, very bland IPA, with some bitterness and some grainy caramel like malts, some sweetness, but the hops are just very lackluster. They provide a light bitterness towards the finish, but no real flavor except fruitiness that doesn't match well with a good IPA. It has most of the aspects of a cheap IPA, sorry Tallgrass, please don't take this in the wrong way. Maybe I got an old can, or maybe my tastes just aren't for your style.

Serving type: can

08-03-2012 02:09:05 | More by jlindros

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Copper colored with thick creamy off white head that lingers forever with lots of sticky lacing along sides of glass.

Smell is grassy with some mild lemon citrus.

Taste is very malty and sweet. Mild grapefruit hoppiness with some musty grass flavor. Bitterness is not overpowering.

Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth.

Overall this was good but definitely not "Bombastically hopped".

Serving type: can

07-28-2012 23:51:28 | More by TrappistJohnMD

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass from a pint can.

Looks: Nice clear dark copper color. A foamy sea-sudsy cream colored head sits for a while. Foamy lacing sticks to the glass.

Smells: Nice mellow pine, woody, citrus hops.

Tastes: A sharp taste at first, biting hops. In the middle is an undeniable sweetness that offers a nice balance from malts. Finish is sweet too.

Feels: Medium, dry finish.

Final Thoughts: Nothing wrong with this beer at all. Has a nice sweet body in it hidden behind all of the hop bitterness.

Serving type: can

07-19-2012 22:50:24 | More by JuicesFlowing

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: 16-ounce can. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color is solid gold with hints of amber. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving a buttery, frothy lacing.

Smell: The aroma is very muted. However, what is most noticeable is grapefruit and the usual hop citrus. It is balanced nicely with grassy malts and caramel. It has a little Schell-esque hairspray, too.

Taste: Balanced, though the hoppy grapefruit/orange citrus stands head and shoulders above the caramel and grassy malts. The body is creamy and flavors of toffee and vanilla also come into play. The Schell-esque hairspray is thankfully absent from the taste.

Drinkability: It is not “Bombastically Hopped,” as is written on the can. But it is “Surprisingly Malty.” It is a nice and tasty brew — much more of a British than American IPA.

Serving type: can

06-16-2012 04:46:43 | More by TheQuietMan22

stampfler07

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear golden with a foamy white head that sticks around for a while, light lacing clings to the glass

S- Sweet and floral hop, slight pine presence as well

T- Malt up front with floral hop, floral notes stick around throughout, malt tastes like a sweet amber, dry bitterness rises towards the end, slightly bitter finish, good balance

M- Moderate carbonation, slightly watery in the body, moderate weight

O- Good balance between malt and hop, floral dominance and not too much bitterness from the hops until the end is different, could almost be sessionable, solid offering

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 01:43:20 | More by stampfler07

augustgarage

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16oz can into a pint glass.

Clear orange peel liquid with an active half finger of beige cream up top. Soapy, fast running lacing; average retention.

Butterscotch (though not from diacetyl) or perhaps caramel in the nose followed by a wave of cherry, faint pine, and a difficult to parse herbal quality.

Sweet palate entry with pale malt and a light bitterness coming through as well. Black pepper, dandelion greens, and caramel emerge and last into the medium-dry finish. There is a slight bight from alcohol, even though the ABV is not especially high for the style. Perhaps a touch of DMS as well?

Crisp yet round mouth-feel with low but sufficient carbonation.

Overly sweet yet adequately dank to still be enjoyable...

Serving type: can

06-01-2012 05:08:48 | More by augustgarage

Pencible

Virginia

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

A: This poured a hazy dark gold with moderate white head.
S: It smelled like strong bitter grapefruit, with some pine resin and sweet honey.
T: It tasted like bitter grapefruit and earthy resin hops, with a little caramel and bready yeast. It had a clean bitter aftertaste.
M: It was somewhat thick with moderate carbonation. Decent body.
D: This was a nice, clean and enjoyable IPA. It had a good scent and taste and body. It had a smooth finish too, so it was easy to drink. Not unique, but a solid brew.

Serving type: can

05-26-2012 18:54:29 | More by Pencible

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an inch or so above the glass give this reddish-golden colored beer a big white to off white head that settles into a rather light lacing.

A medium bodied beer that has a decent piney to grassy hops aroma with some of the grain malts sneaking through.

The same dry grassy hops in the taste with a light grain malt coming through clearly.

A pretty dry hopsy aftertaste on this IPA, this seems to be the most IPAishness of the drink, the taste and aroma seem to be more akin to the dark IPA that are so popular now.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 22:34:42 | More by LXIXME

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pounder can into a shaped pint glass. Thanks to Clockworkorange for this one. The brew appears a clear color of copper with 2 fingers worth of fluffy yellowish stained head. As the cap slowly fades, it leaves a webbing of lacework sticking all over the glass.

The aroma is sweet with a scent almost like candied oranges. It is somewhat fruity and floral with a solid caramel malt inclusion. A clean yeasty note is evident mixed with some herbal hop character and more fruit scents that are somewhat rindy like the previously described orange but zesty and natural.

The taste is somewhat sweet upfront with a flavor of toasty caramel malt. A bit of herbal flavoring is present before the onset of some bitterness that is mildy vegetative. A bit of fruity rind elements somewhat like grapefruit are present with a zesty bitterness that continues towards the finish with some mineral inclusion and mild solvent alcohol touch.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is fairly crisp with a much more prominent solvent alcohol flavor than expected for ~6% abv. Overall not a bad brew but not something I would continually reach for if I had other options. Worth a try if you get the chance but nothing crazy here.

Serving type: can

05-03-2012 00:16:38 | More by stakem

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the pounder into a fluted pint glass, color is copper, translucent with clearer edges anda nice dense off white to light tan head with some very nice lacing

Smell is a wonderful mix of light biscuit malt, clean pale malt and some fresh light grassy hops.

Taste is malt flavor upfront, biscuit/pale mix and a nice finish of lightly citrusy hops.

Mouthfeel is just right, good amount of bitterness and a nice presence from the malt.

Overall, great IPA rendition, similar to an extra pale ale from flying fish mixed with a dogfish head 60. Very solid brew. and its a pounder!

Serving type: can

04-25-2012 00:04:09 | More by mvanaskie13

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured a nice crisp clear light amber with 2 fingers of frothy head and great lacing. smells bready, malty, caramel. slight earthy bitterness up front, a little boozey, tastes like rye bread, toffee. medium bodied and light carbonation. not a bad beer, but not the typical ipa either - which is not a bad thing at all, just not what i was expecting.

Serving type: can

04-04-2012 23:23:07 | More by facundoCNB

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed out of a 16oz can with no freshness date

Smell was of grassy hops and a sickly sweet malt smell. Taste was the same: sweet malt with juicy citrus and grassy hops. The aftertaste is very bitter. Good balance but not very deep or memorable.

Decent beer, but nothing special.

Serving type: can

03-21-2012 07:25:56 | More by jimmah120

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

1.18/5  rDev -67.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This beer pours a hazy copper color with one-finger head and lacing throughout. It's aroma is of hay and caramel and pine. The flavor is bland, mostly an overpowering hop bitterness with just a hint of malt. There is a severe bitter aftertase that lingers too long. The mouthfeel is medium light and sticky. Tallgrass IPA is a total hop bomb, not recommended.

Serving type: can

03-20-2012 23:06:10 | More by B967ierhunter177

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The aroma comes off like fresh mown grass on a nice spring day. I also get a hint of guava and mango too. A freshly mown tropical lawn.

Appearance is a deep, somewhat hazy orange with a beautiful off white frothy head. Carbonation is visible from the bottom of the glass.

The IPA tastes pretty good, a nice assertive bitterness almost overpowers the malt in here. The flavors I pick up are very grassy, a little fruity like mandarin oranges too, and a bit of a grainy finish too.

It has a effervescent mouthfeel to it being highly carbonated and a moderate body. It finishes dry with and honestly kinda feels like I was just munching on some hop leaves, which is a bit unpalatable.

Serving type: can

03-11-2012 23:02:21 | More by tlazaroff

buschbeer

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can
Served in a perfect pint glass

A - It pours sunset amber with golden highlights. With very little effort I achieve four inches of off white head.

S - The aroma is mild citrus. I am surprised at how much the bready malt comes through.

T - It has a nice balance of hops and malt. The hops are slightly more prevalent.

M - Moderate

O - If you are looking for a hop bomb this is not for you. It is a very balanced ipa. It has a solid malt backbone with enough hops to make it interesting. It is a good ipa for the beginner.

Serving type: can

03-02-2012 23:56:51 | More by buschbeer