Ace Of Spades - Hopworks Urban Brewery

jellikit

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: orange-orange. No head. Just small bubbles. Not much lacing. Thin and quick.

Smell: faint floral and a little orange peel. Not in your face aroma.

Taste: hate to say it, but orange peel and more citrus. Not too powerful. But hops linger for a few. Balanced well with the high alcohol level.

Mouthfeel: Medium-high carbonation. Medium-large. Not thick, but full body. Think Jenny McCarthy.

Overall: hoppy taste and strong bittering make this a hoppy, strong beer. Good. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 04:05:06 | More by jellikit

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured in tulip at hopworks. Solid amber with amble off white head and good retention. Nose is all citrus with orange and grapefruit. Bit of caramel coming through. Taste follows with big Curtis hop and caramel madly back bone. mouth if all pucker with big bitterness, but good balance for iipa. Fine beer. Only one point for me though.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 00:11:41 | More by IllNate

dirtylou

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. It's IPA Day, also, FU GABF

appearance: served in my great lakes chalice, bright orange-copper body, nice white film

smell: candied sugar, orange peel, sugared grapefruit, sweet malt

taste: potent - fiercely hopped, candied grapefruit rind, moderate to high bitterness, orange, pine resin, sticky and bitter

mouthfeel: big, heavily hopped, bitter

overall: enjoy this one - been through 2 bombers and a few drafts

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 03:39:14 | More by dirtylou

brentk56

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber with a somewhat modest head that leaves a few shards behind

Smell: Although this is a very hoppy beer, the malts come through sugary sweet in the aroma; floral citrus is present, as well

Taste: A perfect example of "Man Candy" with sugary caramel flavors balanced out by the grapefruity hops; other tropical fruit flavors build through mid-palate, with gobs of pineapple; finishes sweet, citrusy and bitter

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, with moderate carbonation

Overall: A real delight; an epitome of the West Coast DIPA style

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:06:00 | More by brentk56

kemoarps

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is certainly a pretty beer. Deep amber, opaque, minimal white head. No lacing.

The nose is... different than I had anticipated. There's some grapfruit hops, and something that I can't quite get my finger on. Wet.

This is a potently bitter beer. It's crisp, yet quite large. No balance, just damp vegetation.

Not a well balanced IPA. One that might appeal to those who just want a hop bomb, but it doesn't really do much for me. Even other high-hop/high-IBU brews I've had and enjoyed, they had some balance to them. I probably wouldn't drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 03:28:16 | More by kemoarps

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

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

thanks to egrace84 for sharing this brew! Thanks Elliot!

poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: Golden orange bodied beer almost getting to an amber color. 2 fingers of white head that drops down quickly.

Smell: This beer smells of super potent pine and grapefruit hops. Smells really resinous.

Taste: This beer is a hop monster! High end of moderately bitter almost tipping the scales at high bitterness. Brutually big pine, grapefruit rind and more citrisy flavors. You dont get much from the malts in this beer the hops just overtake everything. The bitterness just lingers around for quite a while after taking a sip!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. This beer is oily and resinous, but has a dry finish to it. ABV is hidden well.

Overall: If you are new to hops stay away. This beer will destroy you... For a true dedicated hophead that likes a big bitter hoppy beer that gets down to business fast... its a good choice. Its a hoppy palate wrecker!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 17:09:05 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

draheim

Washington

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear amber w/ a 2-finger sudsy off-white head, good retention, lots of sticky lace.

Aroma is grapefruit, pine, and earthy tropical fruits.

Taste is acidic grapefruit rind, pine, mango, peach, and booze, balanced by a blend of caramel and pale malts. Resinous, sticky, and very bitter.

Mouthfeel is slick and a little oily.

Overall a good strong DIPA, perhaps just a little more malt-forward than I prefer. Well-crafted.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:57:11 | More by draheim

kevinmkirk

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nearly clear, orange-amber liquid from the magnum into my favorite tasting glass with a strong two fingers foamy head, not much in the way of retention, but decent lacing as the glass empties. The nose is big, pine hops, citrus rind, herbal flowers, and caramel malt notes. Flavors include, but are not limited to oily pine hops, grapefruit rind, caramel malts, and a pretty boozy finish. Mouthfeel is slick, with appropriate carbonation. A very tasty sipper that'll whoop yer ass if you're not careful. I like it, though the boozy finish is a wee much for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 23:52:52 | More by kevinmkirk

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 3/2011 notes. Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a rich medium red orange amber. Nice color. Light head and lacing. Intense hop aroma with light fruit and malt. Pleasant medium body with sweet malt, grapefruit, light and dark fruit, a hint of caramel and like the aroma, intense floral hops. The base approaches a barley wine. Nice intense bitter aromatic hop finish. Well made and enjoyable. An absolute must buy each year.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 02:46:47 | More by LiquidAmber

merc7186

New York

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a bottle poured into a snifter glass.

The beer pours great with a solid hazy orange hue to it, a nice white head ring, and mild lacing on the glass. The scent of the beer is decent with a solid resin scent and mild citrus on the back end. The beer tastes decent with a solid resiny hoppy flavor and a citrus aftertaste. The mouthfeel is decent with a decent carbonation and a dry bitter mouthfeel. Overall, a solid IPA but a little too over bearing.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 02:22:57 | More by merc7186

claspada

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice slightly hazy dark orange/amber colors with a nice inch or so of eggshell head with nice bubbles and lacing on the sides of the glass.
Aromas begin quite dank with heavy doses of resiny pine and grapefruit hops. Some blood orange and lemon rind in the background. There some sweet bready malts also emerge but are very light compared to the copious green hops. Smells a little "hippie-ish" if you catch my drift.
The tastes begin different than I expected. I get a lot of the citrus hops flavors up front with the sweet mandarin orange, blood orange and grapefruit dominate here (as opposed to the pine that dominated the nose). As it warms the pine begins to join the party and actually dominate the lingering bitter flavors along with the grapefruit. All the while there is a really nice bready and slightly caramel malt backbone to help balance out the huge hops here.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. The finish is sticky and resiny but not palate wrecking bitter. It's definitely not your beginner's DIPA for sure and it probably higher is the bitter department, but still finishes pretty crisp and clean but definitely drys out the palate and sticky throughout.
Overall this was the most hop dominant, bitter DIPA I have actually enjoyed. It borders on being a palate wrecker and probably is for you introductory craft beer drinker, but if you are a lover of West Coast Hops, this will be a definite winner for you. I definitely recommend this to any advanced DIPA drinker, if you dislike extreme resiny/sticky beers, look elsewhere. Do I need to have it again, no, but I am very very glad I did try it. Oregon is slowly overtaking California as my favorite West Coast beer state as they continue to churn out winners.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 22:59:38 | More by claspada

dgilks

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear golden colour with a creamy, off-white head. Fair head retention.

Malty sweet aroma with some floral hops. A bit light on the aroma hops.

Smooth malt with a hint too much sweetness. Good bitterness and some citrussy hop flavour.

Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Fair.

An okay beer but as an IIPA it is too thick and malty.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 10:26:56 | More by dgilks

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brought a bottle back from a recent trip to Oregon. Drank it July 22, reviewed from notes. Wish I knew the age, but I can't find a date on it anywhere.

Pours a cloudy amber color, thick and syrupy, with a minimal off-white head. Head retention and lacing both pretty low.

Smells strongly of fruity and flowery Cascade hops, with a heavy malt dose underneath. This smells like fresh leaf hops, which is amazing. But it could us some more dimensions to it; as is it's a strong dose of one hop variety.

Taste is not quite as good as the smell. A balance of malt and hops, with heavy caramel malts. Quite rich, a rounded richness that stretches through for quite a while. The hops break through late, but aren't really that strong in the taste. They're present as a potent bitterness, and as a little bit of fruity lightness. Finish is long, with a mix of bitter and sweet.

Mouthfeel is heavy and sticky. Long finish.

A strong, balanced, malty DIPA. I like it, though I would appreciate some more hop presence in the flavor. All that fruity, floral deliciousness that I smell isn't as strong in the taste. But it's quite good all-around, with a nice bitter finish. Probably the best organic beer I've had yet.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 03:30:52 | More by zeledonia

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another great find at Zyn's. Average appearance of golden body with a good sized head. Hoppy aromas. Hop flavour and mouthfeel tremendous balance. 99 plus IBU rarely tastes this good. Great drinkability, spot on the style, and my palate survived it all.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 04:18:04 | More by northyorksammy

Florida9

Illinois

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

A: Darker amber in color with some orange highlights. Forms a rather smallish off-white head that reduces down to a creamy surface coating. Some light lacing. Clear.

S: Predominantly pone with some notes of peach, orange, and mango. Caramel malts and alcohol hang out in the background.

T: Starts off both sweet and bitter. Lots of pine with some pine resin and a little earthiness. Bitterness is strong, but fleeting.

M: On the heavier side of medium with good carbonation. Surprisingly clean in the mouth.

O: A good to very good IIPA, offering a nice balance of aroma, hoppy flavor and bitterness. Not overdone at all. Very nice. Easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 01:39:13 | More by Florida9

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Hopworks in Portland Oregon.

A: 1/8" cream coloured head over cloudy reddish amber liquid.

S: Citrus hops, malt, and yeast.

T: The taste is peppery and malty with a bitter flavor and a dry finish.

M: Medium level of fine carbonation.

O: A good Imperial IPA with high IBUs.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 06:57:57 | More by DaftCaskBC

BeerisfoodLLC

Maryland

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On a tour of HUB we got to try a glass of this awesome DIPA directly from the source, fresh as it gets.

A - Slightly cloudy orange tinted, fair head.

S - strong bouquet of citrusy hops, slight malt sweetness to the smell as well.

T - One of the best imperial IPA's I have had. Well balanced, complex, very hoppy as expected, smooth.

M - Well carbonated, medium/heavy bodied.

I will seek this beer out anytime I am in Oregon. Bonus that its organic.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 01:22:49 | More by BeerisfoodLLC

NorCalYeti

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

taste- citrusy hops, compact bitter hop finish, butterscotch flavors

color- orange amber

clarity- pours clear but dense in glass

smell- complex notes, citrusy hops, must, candy

body- compact bitter hop finish

appearance- thin slightly off-white spotty carbonation and lacing, good carbonation when agitated in the glass

overall impression- above average double ipa, nice presentation on the palate, well balanced, beer opens when consumed but not overly so, nice lingering character with hop bite at the front of the mouth and nice sour/bitter character on the sides and back of the mouth, not a "hot", over the top abv which makes it easy to drink...thumbs up. beer is a nice example of the style

beer spy- ashland or, june 2011, 22oz

glassware: tulip

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 03:23:00 | More by NorCalYeti

2xHops

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - The color looks golden and cloudy when you tries to look through it. It certainly isn't transparent, and for me it means it will have at least some body.

Taste - It tastes very citrus-like while very hoppy at the same time. It's why I like Imperial IPAs more than the usual fare you see with breweries offering ordinary IPAs.

Mouthfeel - The beer lingers in your mouth for a while, and the finish is certainly hoppy.

With a strong ABV and higher price point, I imagine there's not a lot of people that would buy this beer regularly. However, it's definitely something I would want to drink once in a while when I'm in the mood for an Imperial IPA. It's also nice to see that you can brew quality beer that is organic.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 01:25:25 | More by 2xHops

harrymel

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011, unknown bottle date:

A: Hazy toasted apricot ale is topped with less than single finger of white foam. This falls in moments to a sheet of the same. No lacing.

S: Lots of sharp citrus notes here. The amarillo's in this are a bit overdone IMO. Lots of grapefruit, some peaches, cat piss and onion. Can't say I'm impressed, but don't feel disappointed really. Just kinda, meh.

T: Super sweet. Super bitter. It's hard to address, but it is certainly both really bitter and really sweet simultaneously. The bitterness is resiny, citric peels, spicy (think raw peppercorn). The sweetness is peaches, malts, caramels, pralines. This is quite a complex IIPA.

M: Medium on heavy for the style with moderate carbonation. Dry finish. Not quite what I look for in the style, but certainly fitting for the beer's personality.

O: I'm really torn on this beer. The appearance is far from impressive. The smell is not particularly good, almost dislike. The mouthfeel is forgettable. The taste, the taste is really nice. I would like to see more reviews on this beer to see if there is something I'm missing about this, if I got a chill haze beer, or what. It's good, not great and far from exceptional. Adjust the aromatic hop additions and we'll see how this beer improves.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 06:38:31 | More by harrymel

billab914

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into my Southern Tier tulip glass. It poured a hazy, darker amber color with a thin off-white head clinging to the edges of the glass.

The aroma has a very pleasant, juicy, fruity hoppiness to it. I get a good dose of grapefruit with a little bit of a pineapple and peach fruitiness to it. A sweeter, malty base compliments the hoppiness nicely.

The taste shows a lot of bitter grapefruit and citrus rind flavors to it. I get a little bit of a fruity, pineapple and mango like flavor to it as well. The malty base again provides some nice complimenting sweetness to it.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side for the style with carbonation being a little below average. Overall I thought it was a pretty nice beer. It had some nice hoppiness to it that I really enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:21:45 | More by billab914

velosuds

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a clear pint glass. No freshness date apparent. Paid $8.19 at John's Marketplace in Portland, Oregon.

A-Pours a slightly hazy golden amber color with a two finger, off-white head with good retention and copious lacing.

S-Citrus like hops, especially grapefruit are prominent. Piney hops too. No wonder since three of my favorites are used: Amarillo, Cascade, and Centennial.

T-Good balance between the aggressive bitterness from the hops at 100+ IBUs and the pleasant slightly sweet, bread like and caramel malt base. But at 21.5 degrees Plato (or about 1.090 original gravity) and 9.5% ABV there is a bit more residual sweetness than I like in a DIPA.

M-Very smooth and extremely well balanced with a medium to full body, but I would like this better if it were a bit drier. Nicely carbonated.

O-Another fine beer from a brewery I like to support due to their commitment to organics and sustainability. Well done, Hopworks!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 02:35:12 | More by velosuds

Franch

New York

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very little to say about this. it's very solid and a reliable backup IPA in the same way Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA is. the citrus comes through delightfully, and the drinkability is shocking - it hides its ABV very well compared to say, the firestone walker double jack that i had the same weekend.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 05:11:07 | More by Franch

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Shared this with my BA in crime andrenaline
A - slightly hazy copper orange, thumb of head with decent retention, not much lacing to speak of
S - piney and bright citrus, light herbal note and mild woodiness
T - nice citrus hop start, then a herbal and resiny charater, sweet caramel malt backbone throughout, and lightly musty
M - Medium bodied, smooth start that finishes with a pleasant dry bitter, with sweetness lingering
O - a very solid double IPA, classic flavour and very easy drinking with well hidden alcohol, worth a try but probably not a regular for me

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:39:52 | More by joemcgrath27

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy copper colour, finger of soapy head with decent retention and no real lacing.

S - Sweet pine and citrus, sweet lemon iced tea and a touch of mustiness.

T - Sweet citrus off the top, with a slightly metallic oily resin on the finish. Caramel undertones linger alongside a solid bitterness. The ABV is incredibly well hidden.

M - Medium bodied ale that goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

O - Fantastic DIPA with some great flavours and delicious hop/malt balance. Glad I took a bottle for a spin but at $15 a piece, I doubt I'll take down another.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 03:53:14 | More by andrenaline