Grapefruit Jungle IPA - Sun King Brewing Company

brentk56

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a two inch head; a fairly nice pattern of lace is left behind

Smell: Citrus aromatics, with pink grapefruit and tangerine elements; biscuity malts underneath

Taste: A little bit of the biscuit to provide a platform for the hops and then we are on to the bitter, pithy elements that dominate the aroma; pink grapefruit and tangerine; tropical elements linger, after the swallow, with some pineapple and a hint of apricot joining the citrus; the finish is clean and dry

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very nice IPA, just like I like it - loads of citrus and a very clean malt character

Thanks, duels, for the opportunity

Serving type: growler

03-09-2012 23:52:49 | More by brentk56

MasterSki

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Test batch from an anonymous source. Label was a sticker on a generic Sun King can. Served in a Jester King snifter.

A - Finger of off-white foam that settles to a thin cap and thicker collar, leaving behind splotchy lace. Body is hazed dark golden-orange that made me think Double IPA initially.

S - Hops seem to have faded since this was brewed, although there is still some pithy grapefruit and tangerine character. Malt character is mostly icing sugar, and there's a bit of alcohol zest as well. I'm not going to be too hard, as I'm guessing this is from the January batch.

T - Taste is a nice East Coast blend of citrus-heavy hops with a caramel and bready malt backdrop. Tastes like there is some added dextrose as well. Finishes with light bitterness. Alcohol is better-hidden here.

M - Resiny medium body, pleasant medium carbonation level, dry finish, and no alcohol. Quite nice.

D - I thought this was more of a Double, but that may be because of the faded hop character since late January. In any case, it was enjoyable and I'd love to try it when there is a fresh batch, either on-tap or from a growler (or can if they go that route).

Serving type: can

04-07-2011 15:19:22 | More by MasterSki

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love the way The CANQuest (TM) CANtinues to ferret out new CANs for me to review! I read a post about this beer's upcoming release and sent a BeerMail reach-out to one of the release's attendees to see about trading for some. Many, many thanks to dannyfrost for taking me up on my offer! I CAN't wait to drink me some jungle juice.

From the CAN: As noted by a previous reviewer, it came in a generic CAN with an attached sticker. "A pint in every [CAN]"; "Fresh-Local-Beer"; "Specialty Beer"; "Water-Grain-Hops-Yeast; Crafted for you enjoyment with love from Sun King".

The Crack immediately filled the air with a grapefruit scent and the Glug left no need for air freshener, as long as one likes the citrusy smell of grapefruit ... I produced two-and-a-half fingers of thick tawny head with excellent retention. The beer itself was a gorgeous shade of amber with NE-plus quality clarity, allowing me to see into the future. BUPGOO! The nose was enough to put this hophead into orbit, what with its full-on raging grapefruitiness. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was EXACTLY like grapefruit juice - intense, bitter, tangy, effin beautiful! I have to cop to being an aficionado of grapefruit juice in the morning, especially when I take breakfast at a diner. Grapefruit juice and a hot cuppa joe has resurrected my dead, drunken ass on more occasions than I care to think about. Man, I was feeling fully revitalized while drinking this beer! They might market its medicinal qualities in the future. Just sayin' ... Lacing was on the light side, although it was present. The finish was gaspingly dry and bitter and I was sucking it down the way an SUV sucks up gasoline. I read complaints that it was spendy, but I found it worthwhile and I would definitely buy more to have in my cooler on Hula in the Coola Day in February. It may not be for everybody, but it was definitely for me! Thanks again, dannyfrost.

Serving type: can

10-09-2011 16:51:09 | More by woodychandler

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to my boy aasher for sending me this one after the second release due to losing the first one in another shipment. Thanks Al! Shared this one with my doppelganger, funkydelic, and beeruser. Served from growler into a Bell's stemmed tulip. Poured yellow-orange with a two finger off-white head that subsided to half a finger slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, grapefruit, grapefruit hop, citrus, and citrus hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, grapefruit, citrus, grapefruit hop, and citrus hop. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. As stated by the name, this one was pretty grapefruit dominant. This is usually a great thing, but this one was a little too much grapefruit to be able to pick out other subtlties in the brew. Definitely still a nice beer that any fan of the American IPA should get their hands on at least once!

Serving type: growler

10-10-2011 18:46:38 | More by thagr81us

AgentZero

Illinois

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

Thanks to Ethan for bringing this growler to our UFC 134 viewing.

A - Hazy orange beer with some gold in it. Head didn't stick around for long, left some moderate stick on the sides.

S - Actually does smell like grapefruit, although not overly bitter or sour. Citrus has a nice sweet, note to it. Sweet sugar malt backbone. Some ecent resin bitterness on the end.

T - Good amount of grapefruit that is nicely sweetened with the sugar malt backbone. I'm not a huge grapefruit fan but this manages to keep the flavor and not get too "grapefruity". Some bitterness on the end.

M - Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O - Slight alcohol bite on the end makes it seem a little bit bigger than the ABV, but this is still pretty easy to get down. Pretty good beer, although as I'm not a fan of the grapefruity beers. It's solid enough though that I'd gladly drink it again if offered.

Serving type: growler

09-04-2011 04:47:25 | More by AgentZero

mynie

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the Black Sparrow in Lafayette.

Pours thick, dark, and hazy. Like clay-laden puddle water, only in a good way.

Smells... welp, it smells like grapefruit hops. Giant, sticky citrus nodes balanced with a bready malt that does a good job of bookending the aroma without detracting from the hop complexities.

Tastes as it smells, a barrage of citrus hops that would be overwhelming were it not for juuust the right amount of pleasantly dull, bready malt. It's a very big flavor, and it's pulled off quite well--there's no icky nodes, no tongue scum, no burniness. It's not quite complex enough to make an elite strong IPA, but it's damn close.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2010 20:54:02 | More by mynie

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to the legendary woodychandler for the hook up. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a burnt orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is alive with grapefruit and hops. Taste is very hoppy, grapefruit, considerable bitterness throughout. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

Serving type: can

11-29-2011 16:52:40 | More by tone77

mcallister

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A quick to fade pillowy head tops a clear copper/orange liquid. No lace.

Wonderful citrus aromas with what would you know, grapefruit leading the way. Tangerines, lemon rind, A biscuit malt with force underlying all the fruity goodness.

Much more neutral in the mouth. Carmel, toffee and breast malts hold the earthy, grassy, not nearly as distrust hops at bay. Good bitterness but hops seem lost in the malt. A hint of burnt sugar on the finish, lemon, orange meringue, and just light grapefruit. Good acidity with a medium bodied Southfield.

Serving type: can

11-09-2011 22:29:30 | More by mcallister

JamesS

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a very nice semi-deep copper color with some very nice head and a bit of nice lacing. It had a great thick citrus hop aroma with a great sweet malt backing, well balanced in the nose. Great flavors, with a wonderful thick malt sweetness and an excellent, and very well named, grapefruit hop bitterness at the end that lasted on the tongue. Went down extremely well, with no hint of its high ABV, and just a bit of hop roughness.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 16:32:28 | More by JamesS

alleykatking

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on cask at Winterfest.

A- Poured a hazy golden orange color. One finger white head hows poor retention. Light streaky lacing on the sides of the glass.

S- Tons of fresh grapefruit with hints of orange peel in the front of the beer. Some light caramel malts in the very back of the nose. Some piney hops in the ending of the aroma.

T- Well grapefruit and more grapefruit rush and crush the palate right from the get go. Light notes of orange peel toward the middle with a nice caramel malt backbone. I also get a little mango right after the caramel malt which quickly turns to grapefruit. Ending of the beer is nice warming alcohol and nice bittery hops to balance out this sweet IPA.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation was a little weak but overall still good. Grapefruit and more grapefruit left on the palate. Aftertaste is mostly light medicinal alcohol, medium graprefruit hop bite, light caramel malts, and heavier crisp piney hops. This beer was grapefruit forward and balanced toward that. No off flavors in this beer. Medium heavy drying on the palate from alcohol.

D- On cask this is a different beast. The alcohol seemed to be a little more well hidden and this helps with the drinkability. As a hophead this was dream come true. I had this both on tap and on cask and must say cask is way better.

Serving type: cask

02-09-2011 06:22:29 | More by alleykatking

aasher

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked this up at the brewery and had a couple growlers filled. I tried it on tap before I purchased the growler and it was excellent. It was my first time there so it was cool to see how they operate and to grab a beer that had just been released. The growler popped pretty loudly as I opened it and this beer poured a pretty thin, very translucent dark auburn in color with a one finger fluffy white head which laced the glass. Instantly you get aromas of very citrusy and piny hops as well as orange peel and grapefruit (hence the name). It also has this pleasant bubblegum like sweetness on the backend. The flavor is very good as well. It's very dry and very piny. The citrus and grapefruit come through really well and give it both bitter and sweet accents. It drinks pretty light and is very crisp and well carbonated. This beer is very drinkable. I'm not usually a fan of Sun King but this beer is pretty superb. It's understandable why they ran out of the beer in less than two days.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2011 00:08:25 | More by aasher

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pour - streaming out of the can GFJ fills the glass with a brilliant orangish golden color topped with a good inch of fluffy white foam. Nice carbonation, clean and clear. Great looking beer!

Aroma - tons of citrus, resiny, piney goodness. Lots of great hop aroma bursting forth from this IPA. Smells like a fresh halved pink grapefruits, oranges and lemons. Some slight sweetness in the aroma as well.

Taste - wow! My tongue has been awoken by an onslaught of big hop flavors and plenty of bitterness. Lots of tropical fruits like passionfruit and mango combine with pink grapefruit and sweet blood oranges. The piney, bitterness that comes into play at the end of each sip is masochistically delicious. So many great flavors in this beer and its well-balanced too!

Overall - excellent IPA! I can't possibly say enough good things about this beer. The hop profile and the flavors it imparts are just outstanding. Lots of big tropical fruit and citrus flavors with a solid malt backbone (yet, certainly hop forward) make this a real joy to drink. I only wish I had more of them! I feel lucky to have had the chance to give this one a try. I would encourage the folks at Sun King to order 100,000 Grapefruit Jungle IPA cans and put this one into year round production.

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 00:03:22 | More by indiapaleale

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear orangish brown. Light amber. Big frothy white head. Dissipates quickly but leaves a nice layer on the surface. Pretty
Smells hoppy and citrus heavy. Lots of grapefruit on the nose as promised!
Tastes sweet and lightly bitter. Mostly citrus hops but some nice grapefruit and light bittering. The malt backbone is pretty prominent.
Mouthfeel is a bit off. Undercarbonated perhaps? Can't tell what about it isnt perfect but it just lacks slightly
Overall very solid but WAY over priced

Serving type: can

10-03-2011 01:23:39 | More by Urbancaver

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.65/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a bright orange/gold with some white foamy goodness.

Smells of grapefruit and citrus hops however there is just a hint of caramel to balance out.

Wow this may be my favorite Sun King brew. Huge grapefruit flavor throughout. At first there is some citrus to accompany it followed by some bready caramel malt and it finishes with a HUGE grapefruit bitterness in the aftertaste like nothing I've had before. I've had similar intense piney bitterness before but not grapefruit. It really finishes like I am drinking grapefruit juice.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are typical for the style.

I can't get enough of this stuff. Hopefully it'll be a future canning release as I'd love to have this more.

Serving type: growler

09-02-2011 17:09:53 | More by jmarsh123

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Urbancaver for picking me up a four pack of this on his way to the CBS release and brew3crew being the middle man getting it to me. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours a dark amber into a tulip with around half finger of off white, almost tan head that dissipates slowly leaving some nice lacing.

Smell – As SOON as I pour this I smell just massive amounts of grapefruit, hence the name I suppose. Resiny, hoppy aromas mixed with a slight backbone and a crap ton of grapefruit is about all I get.

Taste – As I sip I imagine eating a grapefruit as a child, no joke. The initial bitter grapefruit taste mixed with the citrus and finally the malt comes through (like the sugar I used to put on top of grapefruit) to help balance some of the bitterness.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, creamy, could use a hint more carbonation.

Overall – A solid beer but at $18 a four pack, it is a bit pricy. I’d for sure pick this up every now and then if it was distributed by me though. Quite good.

Serving type: can

10-07-2011 00:09:46 | More by SpdKilz

kirok1999

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear gold with sticky foam that laces nicely. Massive grapefruit nose, it really does smell like fresh grapefruit. Smells both bitter and sweet at the same time.
Taste is like someone squeezed a grapefruit into a nice IPA. Tart and bitter wih enough malt to pick up the sweetness. Longering bitter finish and a slick and smooth mouhfeel makes this a nice cool evening sipper.

Serving type: can

10-09-2011 22:04:00 | More by kirok1999

brew3crew

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Carlton, will Smith's cousin for this one

A-orange body with a great white head that looks phenomenal.

S-grapefruit. Go figure. Nice but not super nice

T-not just a clever name. Tastes like grapefruit. Smooth, not bitter

M-medium body and smooth

O-good bbeer but a little pricey.

Serving type: can

10-01-2011 02:40:58 | More by brew3crew

DarthKostrizer

California

2.95/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Can shared by NosignsofPain in which she got in a BIF

Look: Orange in color and totally translucent. 1/2 inch head and no retention at all

Smell: Not much going on at all. Some bready notes backed up by a hint of citrus. Old batch maybe??

Taste: Ever so slight notes of citrus but no grapefruit what so ever. A bit of hop sting on the backend

Mouthfeel: Light body and medium carbonation

Overall: Not that great of a beer maybe this was a old batch

Serving type: can

10-31-2011 19:33:31 | More by DarthKostrizer

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Finally found Grapefruit Jungle! I've been on the hunt due to some friendly recommendations, and because I know these guys can do the bitter thing well - they really won me over with their Osiris PA. Plus, I love supporting my hometown brewery.

On-tap and into a pint glass at The Black Sparrow in Lafayette, IN on 09/15/11. Reviewed from notes.

A: Love this look: rich amber with a creamy beige head. Awesome shine, like I've seen in so many Sun King brews. Minimal lacing and retention.

S: Mmmmm...a big, piney hop nose. Savory grapefruit shows itself, as expected, but the main attraction is the tart pine. Some bright malt aromas beneath, though mild. Bright and lively, altogether.

T: Lovely bitters up front - bold and crisp, with a delicious, slightly citrus tang. Some chewy malts underneath provide a wheaty, fruity base, which adds nice sugars to an undeniably hop-centric brew. Aftertaste is super-dry; nothing but pine there. Very nice, Sun King.

M: Incredibly drinkable. Medium carbonation and fluidity teetering right on the edge of thinness (but never crossing over, mind you).

O: I've had a Sun King or two that did not taste like it was made in a commercial brewery - but not this one. This is a very professional example of an American IPA, and certainly worth seeking out. This is my favorite Sun King beer so far; hope they can it ASAP!

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 23:54:14 | More by BarryMFBurton

robwestcott

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

grabbed a growler at sun king on friday and poured a deep amber to a dogfish head signature glass a day later. the brew poured with a finger and a half off-white head that left nice lacing after each sip.

strong earthy hops in the nose that lasts through the first few sips. sun king lists the brew as a west coast-style I.P.A with rich grapefruit characteristics from the three hops used to create it.

they're certainly on the mark, without question, i'm tasting grapefruit and citrus throughout. slightly bitter, but the bitterness fades a bit as the beer disappears from the glass.

very nice ipa and quite drinkable for 7.5abv and 77ibu.

Serving type: growler

05-23-2010 01:15:02 | More by robwestcott

seeswo

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cam just brought me some cans of this. Thanks man.
Pours a caramel brown with a nice cap of white heat. The nose is very light malt and the slightest suggestion of grapefruit hops. Could use an upgrade in this department, though the mild whiff is nice. Taste is a good blend of balancing malt flavor and a nice touch, building flavor of grapefruit, which leads to a nice, bitter finish. Each sip doesn't bring substantial grapefruit, but it seems to build and leave that flavor with you. Mouthfeel is nice to me, medium carbonation, medium mouthfeel. This is all fine, but the whole beer is pretty subtle and maybe a bit underwhelming. $4.50 a can though, I don't know about that. Recently had a lot of Zombie Dust and White Rajah. Both are cheaper and better. That said, I do really like this beer and would drink it more. It kind of grows on you. Giving a bump because it is kind of unique because the presentation of grapefruit is fun.

Serving type: can

10-03-2011 02:20:58 | More by seeswo

AaronHomoya

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice double IPA from Sun King. Color is a dark amber with an off-white head. Persistant, but not a lot of lacing. Tropical fruit, caramel, biscuit and grapefruit aroma. Powerful. Taste is hoppy, of course, with a good malt sweetness, pine and a bit of alcohol at the finish. Mouthful is thick, dry at the end and could use a bit more carbonation, I think. Overall, a great beer that I love being able to get fresh here in Indy.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 18:30:37 | More by AaronHomoya

salvo

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arrived crystal clear yellow-towards-amber with only a trace of head with 1mm bubbles floating to the surface. Smell was breakfast juice glass: clean, clear, sweet, unmistakeable grapefruit.

One note in the taste. Except for the lack of pulp, clarity, and color, I could indeed be drinking grapefruit juice. While I'm not one for one-note beers, this is simply amazing. Just to be able to do it!

The mouthfeel was a little thinner than I wanted; I think I wanted just a little more substance -- yes, perhaps like fresh-squeezed juice. It was very drinkable: I ordered a second.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2010 01:35:39 | More by salvo

Sideswipe

California

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz can courtesy of Memyselfandi. Thanks Mike!

A- Clear orange/amber color with two fingers of dense white foam. Nice lacing.

S- Fruity citrus hops abound in the nose. Grapefruit and tangerine with notes of pine and bready malt.

T- Bitter from the git-go. Grapefruit predominates. Malt bill smooths things out midway. Nice piney bitterness in the finish with a lingering bitter aftertaste.

M- Medium feel. Prickly carbonation. ABV well masked by the hoppy goodness going on in this brew.

O- This is a very tasty example of the style. The only brew I've had from Sun King, and a darned good one, at that. I'd have this again anytime, and would choose it over a good number of other highly rated IPAs. Recommended.

Serving type: can

10-09-2011 05:41:49 | More by Sideswipe

1Adam12

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried this just today on tap at Sun King. Review is from the growler I brought home.

Pours a hazy orange. Huge hoppy citrus smell. Loads of grapefruit and orange. Tastes very citrusy. Very hoppy. Huge bitterness on the back end of the taste that keeps me from pounding this. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, carbonated, and excellent. This might be my favorite brew if not for the IBU's on this bad boy. They are very noticeable. Once again, sun king has these awesome beers that they haven't canned yet. They need to expand.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2011 20:28:22 | More by 1Adam12