Humulus Lager - The Bruery

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.95/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Immense thanks to womencantsail for trading this to me. Andrew was kind enough to ship it Express without my even asking for it, just so I'd get to drink this sooner.

A: In my Duvel tulip, this is a very hazy orange with a large, frothy off-white head that seems to stick around a while, leaving a little lace in its wake. For a beer this hoppy, the lace is a little less than I'd expect

S: Holy hops on the nose, batman! This is a true explosion of hops bright, citrus with orange, tangerine and a little bit of pine bitterness in the back. I'm not going to review this as an Imperial Pils, because it isn't one. It's a hoppy lager. Mild sweetness reminiscent of candied grapefruit. Pretty much a flawless expression of what hops are about. As it warms up, the pine character grows and is just immense

T: Holy fuck, this beer makes me laugh. Opening up with a firm bitterness with grapefruit and orange peel before being overwhelmed (in a good way) by a ton of hop flavor just beautifully express with a lot of pine needles and citrus - orange, sweet tangerines, a little grapefruit. There's just a little bit of malt character, and this just makes the citrus character taste candied. The finish is incredible as well, long lasting, with a smooth bitterness.

M: The resiny hop character makes this beer feel heavier than it is, and the soft carbonation just enhances it. Nothing is missed, though, as this beer showcases everything hops need to be - bitter, resiny, and flavorful. The finish is excellent, long lasting with a very smooth bitterness (I guess that'd be reserved bitterness). Just incredible.

D: Off the charts. I am looking forward to polishing off this growler tonight, and have a rollicking good time doing so. It is only into my 3rd pint that I feel like slowing down, and a little devil on my shoulder is telling me to save some for a friend tomorrow.

Notes: This is easily the best hoppy beer I've had since Younger. While Younger deserved a 6 for the way it felt on my palate, this beer earns it's 5, but otherwise, I can't think of a beer that better showcases what hops are about.
This beer also exemplifies the difference between East Coast and West Coast hoppy beers. The hop character of this beer is just epic, without whelming my palate, making this an absolute pleasure to drink.

Serving type: growler

08-28-2009 01:40:29 | More by DefenCorps

GbVDave

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 64oz Bruery growler into a 20oz imperial pint. Extra special thanks to errantnight for the extremely generous hook-up!

A: Pours a rich, perfectly hazed, gold bar color with four fingers of the thickest and creamiest head I've ever seen on a lager. It seemed like it was planning on retaining forever, but it very suddenly receded down to a bubbly ring and thin skim. Sheets of puffy lace were left coating the glass. Carbonation was lazy.

S: I couldn't believe how fresh the hops smelled as soon as I cracked open the growler. Huge and resinous. Loads of pine and tropical fruit. Apricot, mango, pineapple, clementine, orange zest, with a dallop of pine tar. I couldn't keep my nose out of the glass!

T: Damn! My first few sips of this were so loaded with hops, it felt like my tongue blacked out for a second. When it "revived", I was met with a wall of hoppiness so perfect and well thought out, I could scarcely go more than 20 seconds between sips. All of the aforementioned tropical, citrus, and pine flavors, plus some peach, and the addition of a bit of crackery malt that does its' thing during the finish.

M: This beer is so packed full of resinous hop oils, the whole inside of my mouth seemed like it was buzzing. Astringent hoppiness actually made my teeth feel "squeaky", if you know what I mean. Wonderful.

D: Well, this beer humbled me. Seriously. So absolutely delicious. I got the email from the Bruery last week saying that they were growlering Humulus Lager and I thought to myself, "Oh well, another Bruery beer I won't get to try." The very next day I got a bm from Derek saying there's a package on its' way to me that's meant to be consumed "soon". Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and saw a Bruery growler inside with a sticker on the top that said "HL". Thank you very much for your generosity Derek!

Serving type: growler

04-18-2010 12:39:14 | More by GbVDave

ehammond1

California

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Bright golden amber and orange with a touch of haze. Thin white head. Just a touch of spotted lacing down the glass. Not the most impressive beer to look at necessarily, but this was one of the most enjoyable beers to drink I have ever had!

If I didn't know any better, and I smelled this beer, I would say it's a DIPA, and a world-class one at that! The aromas are of citrus, melon, pineapple, guava: an overwhelming aroma of fresh and pungent hops! This is like standing in a hop field or bathing in hop juice!

This beer is smooth, easy to drink, clean and disappearing, yet bitingly hoppy, pungent and citrusy. The flavor is of a world-class DIPA! It's fruity, it's balanced, it's bitter, it's biting, it's tropical, oh my is it tropical! WOW!

Smooth, thick, creamy yet airy, heavenly mouthfeel! This beer is extraordinary.

I've never simply enjoyed drinking a beer as much as I enjoyed drinking this one.

A masterpiece.

Perfection.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 04:21:07 | More by ehammond1

dubinsky

California

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On Tap at the Public House at the SF Giants Stadium, poured into a tulip.

A – Pours a hazy golden yellow, with a two finger frothy head that sticks around for a while eventually leaving a nice layer of lacing behind. This is the antithesis of what I expect from a lager, and boy am I happy to see something done to better a style that I normally glaze over and pass over.

S – Holy Hell! This is a what? A lager? The hell it is. Well folks this is a hop bomb for a lager, imperial or not. Piney, with tropical fruits, mostly pineapple and mango. Some citrus aromas shine through as well. Very clean and crisp smelling.

T – I would swear this is a GREAT ipa if you put a blind fold on me. Very piney with some really great hop bitterness. Some of that pineapple and mango lend themselves to sweeten the beer a tad. Truly unique, and wonderfully balanced.

M - Body is fairly light, with excellent carbonation and a pretty dry finish. Smooth with a nice crisp finish that i tend to really like in a pils.

O – I was blown away by this beer. Easily in the top 5 best beers of 2011 for me. I knew it was a ticker, but I generally dont really care for lager, and this one exceeded my expectations! Very well crafted. I think I will go grab another tomorrow for lunch before its all gone.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2011 03:14:14 | More by dubinsky

Beerenauslese

California

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured in a Bruery tulip glass. An ample white head floats above a clear deep golden body. Moderate head retention with gobs of sticky lacing. Eventually recedes to a ring and some film.

Lovely, fresh aromas of straw-like lager malt, pine, herbal-weed, citrus, and a little spice.

This is a strongly hoppy beer that one might confuse for an IPA except for its unmistakable lager yeast signature. Tastes of grassy, herbal and citrus hops, supported by smooth bready malts. Grapefruit bitterness builds into a long finish. The lager malts and rice adjunct that is used provides a light body but with just enough structure for the hops to really shine in this beer. I have not had a cleaner tasting hoppy beer that showcases hops so well. Hops seem of the noble variety, but there is also a strong element of west coast hops. My Citra detector is blinking, but actually the hops used are Simcoe (piney), Summit (orange and grapefruit), and Centennial (noble bittering).

The body is light and carbonation fizzy, lending to a crisp and refreshing mouthfeel. There is, however, a little astringency on the tongue.

With this beer, The Bruery takes lager into a wonderfully hoppy dimension. It's really a terrific beer, especially consumed fresh. I hope The Bruery will start bottling it sooner than later.

Serving type: growler

12-02-2012 03:03:35 | More by Beerenauslese

womencantsail

California

4.9/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Cloudy golden color with a nice fluffy white head, good carbonation.

S: A great combination of pine and grapefruit, a bit floral as well (seems to be the case with all Bruery beers, however).

T: An excellent crisp bitterness, like the nose, lots of pine and citrus are immediately present. Not much malt character, which is very well suited for this beer (I think, anyway).

M: Medium body, very plentiful carbonation as well.

D: For as hoppy and apparently high in ABV as this is, you could certainly drink a lot of this (which is why I got my growler filled with it).

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2009 18:46:48 | More by womencantsail

drabmuh

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Humulus is the hop genus, and humulone is a 21 carbon containing compound that is responsible for hop bitterness.

Can I get some lager love up here right about now? Not only is the BY FAR! the BEST Impy pilsner I've ever had, its probably a top 20 beer overall for me. It is seriously that good. Well done Bruery. All of you guys with Black Tuesday boners are missing out of a beautiful draft lager, thanks womencantsail for this brew.

Split with the other Matt last night, beer poured from a growler into a Corsendork tulip. Beer is yellow, a little dark yellow and pretty hazy, haze clears up slightly as the beer warms, we may have started out a little too cold. Forms a soft white head of small and medium bubbles, good moderate carbonation, steady, and lots of lacing on the glass. Looks good.

Now I know why its called Humulus, its very hoppy. It nearly smells like an IPA its so hoppy. Its strongly CTZ hoppy with a nice floral / fruity back and a mild sulfurness. I bet this is amazing out of the tap.

Beer is medium to light in body, even with this high level of hop aroma and flavor, its not harshly bitter and it finishes completely cleanly. This is seriously a beer that I would have to monitor myself drinking due to the level of alcohol and the complete ease of drinking this beer. There is nearly no room for improvement and this was a GROWLER. The perfect beer.

Serving type: growler

09-11-2010 21:11:30 | More by drabmuh

largadeer

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Toronado. Cloudy blond appearance, tons of hop haze on this one. Served with a finger of foam that retains well for a draft pour. The aroma is explosive and mind-blowing, loaded with pine, wildflowers, freshly cut grass, a touch of citrus and a bit of weed for good measure. Incredible. The taste, surprisingly, lives up to the aroma, with the slightest hint of malt supporting an enormous amount of dry hopping. Resiny, floral, fresh and crisp with a light body and the perfect amount of bitterness in the finish. Lager yeast is faintly noticeable but really, this is all about the hops. I really couldn't fault this beer in any area except for appearance, it's one of the most well-crafted lagers I've ever had and has a more complex hop character than 99% of the IPAs I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2009 00:02:19 | More by largadeer

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Holy hell I scored a growler of this! I am just tickled to be able to type this review. There are some beers out there that just seem to allude, big thanks to my man for not letting this one become part of that lot. Served gold and shared amongst friends and family on 09/04/2009.

The pour was nice, I was looking for a bit more, but that would come later. Bright golden amber in color with a good bit of haze and cloudiness to it. Small head of white on top that needed to hang out a bit longer but faded back with only a touch of side glass lacing.

Holy hops batman. I did not think it would be so strong. Rich pine hops cut with tons of citrus, Huge notes of medicinal malts cutting it as well. Really big aroma here. Then I took a sip and melted, literally melted. This was what I have always wanted in this style. I have had soo many bad imperial pilseners, this was the shit to be blunt. Crisp, clean, rich hoppy goodness cut with huge bready malts and a light touch of grain. Simply amazing. Each sip better then the one before it. I was just beside myself with joy. Medium and well carbonation body let the silky smooth taste just absorb all the moisture of my mouth and leave a long dry finish akin to apricots and grapefruit. Holy hell this is good. Abv is well placed, letting me get a taste without being overbearing.

Overall everything I thought it would be and a bag of chips. This was sublime. One of the best beers I have had in the last year hands down and worth every effort to try and obtain. Wow..

Serving type: growler

09-05-2009 20:14:45 | More by mikesgroove

scubazook

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Toronado San Diego

A: A bit hazy golden with a hint of orange with frothy off-white head. The head retention is pretty good, and it leaves laces when it fades.

S: Very rich citrusy hops aromas, grapefruits, orange, lemon and pineapple with floral note. Very aromatic.

T: Succulent citrus flavors, big juicy grapefruits, oranges, a bit piney as well. High hop bitterness with a hint of sweetness. Definitely citrusy West Coast hoppy beer but the malt balance is also great.

M: Medium high carbonation, medium light body

D: This is one of my favorite hoppy beer. Every time I unconsciously say "Wow." Very tasty. Hope one day it'll be bottled.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2010 07:54:31 | More by scubazook

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another fresh from the tap beer at the Bruery's tasting room, and this is certainly a beer that is sublime fresh.

Pours a hop-hazed gold with a lovely, pure white head of suds that sticks, clings, and clumps.

Mega-hoppy all around, this is essentially a big-ass West Coast IPA brewed with a lager yeast and some rice. I'd argue that the yeast and rice is just a way for The Bruery to claim this isn't an IPA, and I guess it technically isn't, but I compare it to the best that Russian River and the other great West Coasters are throwing out there. And quite frankly they can call it whatever the hell they want when it's this good.

Pine, citrus, the intense perfume of flowers; all the usual American hop suspects are there and I'll spare any further description of their character since we all know what American hops are all about. They're everywhere. Leaping from the glass to my nose, coating my palate, and lingering into a long, smoothly bitter finish. Malt doesn't even dare to rear it's head. It knows its place. Clean, dry, and bitter on the finish. This could just as easily be Chico as a lager strain. I don't give a damn what yeast they use it's still an IPA that's all about the massive hoppiness in my book. Get it anytime you have the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2010 19:37:19 | More by bump8628

Arbitrator

California

4.78/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Tried at the Bistro IPA fest and at the Toronado anniversary party. Notes transcribed later from memory, typed up now.

A: Pours a hazy golden orange with pretty minimal head and short retention. There is a ring around the brew that leaves some streaks here and there.

S: The one at the IPA fest was definitely skunked, but the Toronado pour was very aromatic and impressive. Orange peel with hugely floral backing behind it, and not-insubstantial grassy note. There was something herbal in there (weed?) but I couldn't put my finger on it.

T: Has all the qualities of the nose and then some. A great hop profile, with the barest hint of some pale malt character swimming around underneath. Starts off with citrus and floral hops, but by the finish it becomes more grassy and herbal. A slight lingering bitterness.

M: Light-medium bodied, moderate carbonation, and very dry. I would never have pegged this for a pilsner, imperial or not, from these characteristics. It goes down very easily and is quite clean, although it does have some sticky resin to it.

D: This offering pleases the hophead in me. I demand more.

I know it has "lager" in the name, but I was still surprised when I found out this wasn't an IPA. A damn good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2009 00:36:03 | More by Arbitrator

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.78/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

A: Slightly hazy yellow hue with a huge white head that leaves a ton of lacing.

S: Really hoppy. Wow. Smells like an IPA.

T: Insanely delicious. Fresh and tasty hops. This beer has greatly exceeded my expectations. This beer is nothing short of phenomenal. It's remarkably smooth and easy to drink. I could put away endless pints of this until I fell off the bar stool. Seriously, it's that good.

M: Wonderful aftertaste with long lasting hop flavors.

D: Without question the best imperial pilsner I have ever had. Wow - my highest recommendation.

Serving type: growler

09-11-2010 02:22:39 | More by Huhzubendah

gregmoscetti

California

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The Bruery has constructed the perfect IPA. How? By making it not an IPA. This beer is an incredible wrench in the IPA hype train. I drink this over pliny and will continue to.

The nose on this beers is a hop-a-palooza of sweet, dank hops. I dont know if its the lager yeast but there is no overly aggressive, bite your face hop smell. The smell is clean. As if the hops just came out of the laundry and the snuggle bear dropped them off, still warm from the dryer.

The mouthfeel of this beer is creamier than most IPAs as well.it coasts your palate like bubbly, hoppy robatussin and wakes up your tastebuds with delicious floral and fruity notes.

The finish is as clean as it starts. It just leaves you wanting another glass to you can forget how weird your mouth feels after such a hop monster mauling.

All and all, top three hoppy beers I've tried and the best of this small small category

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 03:28:32 | More by gregmoscetti

dbmernin83

California

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was told this was a "lager" after I tasted it. I spent 5 minutes arguing that there was no way this was a lager. This is an imperial pilsner that tastes like an IPA.
It pours a hazy but bright golden, great lacing.
Pine hops on the nose followed by juicy sweet fruit.
Nice hop front with a mango-peach finish that balances the hop perfectly.
Amazing drinkability. This is very complex for the style, goes down too easy, and is just incredible. This is a beer that has something for everyone

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 00:13:56 | More by dbmernin83

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.71/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Had on tap at the bruery, what a treat this beer is. It really drinks like a fresh hop IPA or pale ale but has a nice dry feel and clean finish that remind me of its fermentation.

Pours a nice gold hue with some orange highlights. Amazing ring of foamy head and lacing, nice look. The smell and taste have an amazing balance of resinous and piney hops along with a dryer fresh bread malt and a hint of subtle kitchen spice. It's well composed and very well balanced in its palate of flavors in both nose and taste. Definitely some citrus rind too.

The feel is dry at the end but very juicy up front. Altogether an extremely good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 00:06:05 | More by Dreadnaught33

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.71/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

not only the best lager ive ever had (not even a close second), but possible the best beer ive ever put to my lips. this stuff is incredible. on tap at the monk on Colfax. the pour is glowing golden with an orange hue, mostly clear, and an inch of white thick whipped cream looking head that lasts, and is easily roused with a swirl of the globe. the nose is really hoppy, this was obviously dry hopped generously. the lager yeast gives it a crispness, and I smell some tropical fruit in there with all the bitterness. the flavor is just astounding, it has a very similar hop complexion to the pliny the younger, no kidding. its that decadent. the grains are light on the toast but give a lot of body, which I think works well with the lager yeast, a fuller bodied crisp clean beer with a ton of hops, its really a nice and new combo. so much fruit and hop oil here, ive really never had anything like it. the mouthfeel is also fantastic, lots of tiny bubbles and a full body make it feel like almost a nitro dispense, and the texture is so big and coats the whole mouth with this fresh hopped goodness. this is a beer that is worth every bit of its hype, it reopens the lager category as exciting for me, and it is another reason why the bruery is near the top of the brewing world right now. this is absolutely divine, and I cannot wait for my next one. A+

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 17:53:55 | More by StonedTrippin

rhinos00

Colorado

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Very happy I got to try this one. Thanks again Mark for this opportunity. Going into this beer I have really high expectations. I have had a few of the distributed beers from the Bruery and have not really been impressed. That being said, I was told their on-tap brews are amazing...so here we go. Poured from a growler into a snifter.

A- Pours a dark golden, maize color. Produced two fingers width of white pillowy head. Some lacing left along the sides of the glass. Clarity was at 100%.

S- Absolutely ridiculous. The aroma just from pouring the beer out of the growler was so noticeable. I found the aroma in this beer to be quite interesting. On one hand there is a cornucopia of rich, citrus hops, revealing notes of oranges, lemons, and pineapples. On the other there is a clear, piney aroma with a bit of malt that attempts to balance it out. The result is an aroma of citrus candy with an after scent of pine and malt.

T- Much like the aroma...plenty of citrus hops countered by a piney attribute and slight bit of cracker/biscuit type malts. What I really liked about this beer was that the bitter piney hops, along with the malts, left a clean, crisp, bitter taste on the palate. Very refreshing and an interesting twist when you are expecting a straight forward citrus hop bomb.

M- Light bodied, with a decent amount of carbonation. Loved the slightly sticky residue this beer left on the palate.

D- Probably the most drinkable beer I have ever had, especially with a beer at this high of an abv. I can't believe how fast this one went down.

Overall, well...I stand corrected. The Bruery has produced something that has blown my mind. After this experience I will most definitely be seeking out some of their more limited offerings.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2009 01:12:31 | More by rhinos00

glid02

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Downtown Johnny Brown's in San Diego.

Pours a crystal clear straw color with a 1.5-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of bright herbal and tropical fruit hop aromas. Backing things up are lighter amounts of citrus hops and even lighter amounts of light and slightly biscuity malts.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Light malt flavors kick things off and are overtaken almost immediately by all kinds of hops - herbal, tropical fruit, and citrus, in that order. The hop flavors sweeten a bit midway through the sip before drying out just a tad before a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass very quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I thought I would like this beer but I had no idea I would be this big of a fan. A phenomenal showcase for hops, well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 23:47:04 | More by glid02

localhost

California

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

I'm not usually a lager fan so i was very skeptical when trying this beer, but i was very pleasantly surprised.

Pours pretty yellow/gold with a good amount of head/lacing. Smells pretty much like an IPA, hoppy and delicious. Taste is like a good IPA, bitter, hoppy, and still very refreshing. This is a very good tasting beer, i could drink this all night. Mouthfeel is about what you'd expect of an IPA, a little bitter, but nothing bad. If they're calling this a lager, it's the best lager i've ever had, and i would drink it non-stop.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2010 22:31:06 | More by localhost

notchucknorris

California

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale golden color with a thin cream colored head.

S: Floral and earthy hops, some pine and a bit of funk.

T: Wowzers. Starts with a soft malt flavor that soon gives way to some piney and peppery hops. A bit of grapefruit as well. Really tasty and well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 15:34:28 | More by notchucknorris

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

32oz growler. Pours a clear copper with 2 fingers of rich and frothy bright-white head. This soaps the sides of the glass with thick sticky lacing. The aroma smells fresh, floral piney and dank, with bright and zesty citrus flavors straight up the nose. Tropical character mixes with sweeter bready notes to give this a ripe flavorful twang in the nostrils. The taste matches the aroma, which a fresh, zesty and resinous bitterness that lights up the mouth with a bright feel. Herbal and tropical flavors spread out, mingling with the honeyed and bready sweetness from the malts. Man, this is just juicy feeling across the back before things finish dry and piney with a pithy bitterness that sticks. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a crisp and tight feel that is undercut by a creamy slickness that has this just moving effortlessly across the palate. Overall drinkability is impeccable for 7% ABV. With this tasting like a fantastic West Coast DIPA and drinking like a super smooth Pilsener, I can say with a certain degree of certainty that this might be one of the best beers I've ever had. It's that good. I have wanted to try this one for a while now and it more than delivered. This gets my highest recommendation.

Serving type: growler

04-10-2013 17:00:19 | More by Kegatron

Rampage1

Arizona

4.68/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A-- The appearance is a beatiful gold yellow with a nice slight haze to it that appears to glow.

S-The smell is what at first made this beer so special-- lots of tropical fruits -- pineapple,orange mango are the one's i pick up. Some citrus smells come in on the back end as welll. Its so clean and fragrant in the smell of this awesome Lager.

T--The taste is what sets this apart from the other ipa's i've had. It has such a great balanced malt and hop character with a really clean crisp after taste that no ale can touch in this category.

M- A nice amount of carbonation that delivers the tropical flavors to the palate in a bright, smooth manner.

D- This is such a highly drinkable beer simply from the fact that it has such a dry, smooth after taste that is perfectly balanced and very easy to drink. I am drinking this from a growler and could take this growler down pretty quick if i didn't watch it.

Overall i simply cannot say enough about this beer and look forward to hopefully having it again sooner than later. Its such a smooth beer with one of the best fruity smells to come from a beer. I would actually put this up with hopslam as one of the best beers i have ever smelled. Nice job on the great beer Patrick!

Serving type: growler

05-17-2011 22:16:20 | More by Rampage1

SirBentham

California

4.68/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Gold, slightly hazey with a thick head.

S: Citrus, hops and yeast.

T: Slightly bitter with a lot of citrus and pine jumping out. Long and smooth aftertaster

M: Moderately carbonated. You notice the lager here a bit more than your standard IPA.

O: I'm now obsessed with IPL's. This gets the slight edge over Ballast Point's Fathom.
Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2013 08:35:40 | More by SirBentham

avaldivia

California

4.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at City Beer in San Francisco. Poured into an Tulip style glass.

A: Nice golden color with a thick head. Left very nice lacing.

S: Floral hop notes. Intensely citrusy and grapefruit like.

T: Wow. This was fantastic. The hops are intense but nicely balanced. Very floral. Just a hint of alcohol on the end, but rather nice. Perfect.

M: Palate was completely coated. Great carbonation.

O: If I am ever lucky to see this again, I will, without hesitation, order it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2011 17:59:12 | More by avaldivia