Hopburst IPA - Madhouse Brewing Company

Herky21

Iowa

4.95/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Caramel, amber body.

Smell: The nose is great, lots of grapefruit. It's citrus-y and the dryhopping is done really well it seems like. The scent is my favorite part though, great nose.

Taste: Fantastically smooth . The hop bitterness comes around in the middle of the drink but the finish has a big caramel sweetness that is really welcome after the bitter middle part of the drink.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated and hoppy. Really sticks to your teeth. And despite such a malty body it is a very light feeling beer which is nice.

Overall: There are so many IPAs available but many are missing out on a good hop selection. This is a well made beer, especially for Iowa.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 04:03:35 | More by Herky21

quaybr

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From notes: had on tap at Crescent Moon Ale House, 12/29.

Body is a crystal clear copper. No head, just a light foam ring around the top.

Aroma is of citrus and floral hops.

Caramel malts a little too much, outweighs the flavoring and bitter hops. A relatively clean finish begins to leave an oily residue as the brew warms up.

Part of the unpleasant taste is probably a product of undercarbonation.

I didn't particularly enjoy this beer. If this were an english IPA I would have reviewed it a little differently.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 17:08:47 | More by quaybr

mdwalsh

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had on tap at El Bait Shop in Des Moines, IA.

The appearance was not impressive, but not great. The head was too small, there was haze involved.

The smell was what hooked me. An intense, dank hoppy beer with all sorts of citrus and pine.

Taste followed with the aroma with a solid malt backbone.

The mouthfeel was good, but nothing to write home about good or bad.

Try this beer if you can.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2011 05:52:16 | More by mdwalsh

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First! I got a glass or three at the release party tonight at Jasper Winery. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the brewery can produce a brew with this intensity.

It's and amber color like dark ice tea with a small amount of carbonation and white head. The aroma shows a lot of the hop characteristics and has a touch of citrus included. The taste almost made my eyes go cross from the amount of flavor that hit my tongue and give a five-finger death punch. The hops were very noticeable with some additional notes of citrus and a touch of pine and sunshine! It's tartness is mid-level making for a fairly balanced higher-end IPA. The body is a tad heavy for the style but still good.

I honestly can't wait to get a few bombers of this. A few hop heads were comparing it to other brews and the consensus is that it's about half way between Ranger IPA and Hopslam for flavor and intensity. Another win for Iowa breweries. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2011 02:09:49 | More by DesMoinesMike

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was bursting with hops in my nonic pint.

Appearance- This beer's foam has a nice dense look to it, but fades once the first drink is had. I like the big ring of lace orange-white lace that is left behind on the glass. An amber-golden glow comes from the glass, the carbonation columns are plentiful and fast moving.

Smell- This nose is pretty good! The citrus comes across as mandarin oranges, and even a bit like marmalade! I thought that there would be more resin, but this nose is a little more sweet than malty.

Taste- There is a big change on the palate. The beer gets a little more herbal and slightly bitter. It is like a combo of resin and tea-like qualities. I also pick up a little booze heat in the finish that is a touch inappropriate. There is a little bit of the marmalade, but it is so buried. Huge potential, but it does not pull it out.

Mouth feel- The feel is fine for the style. It is a solid medium that straddles the line between slick and creamy.

Overall- This IPA starts out very nice but falls off a little on the palate. I wish more of that sweet orange came through. I would come back to this IPA more if that were the case.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:46:19 | More by Pintofbrown

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rich copper body beneath the dense, foamy tan head which is quite slow to dissolve leaving a persistent head.

Earthy and spicy hop notes float from the glass. There is also some bread presence and nutty sweetness.

The flavor is also spicy hops with a sweet malty backbone. The spicy hops really kick in as it warms.

The body is rather chewy for an IPA with medium carbonation and a spicy finish.

Not necessarily the pungent hop kick I'm used to seeing but this is tasty. Impressive head retention and visually appealing to boot.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 02:08:02 | More by CHADMC3

katan

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz into a pint

A - Pours deep copper in color. Very clear, seems to be well filtered. Light off white head formation, just a little bit of lacing.

S - A more malty IPA - lots of nuttiness, bits of caramel, and just a little citrus hops.

T - Starts off sweet, malty, thinking of a sweet chocolate and caramel. Melds into some citrus hopping and a fair amount of bitterness in the mid-stream. Balanced and smooth. Finishes with a clean amber like flavor of of caramel.

M - Moderate body, light carbonation. Comes off pretty heavy. Alcohol warmth is restrained. A bit sugary and clingy.

O/D - More of a pale ale than an IPA, but I don't mind this beer. This probably brings back Madhouse a little bit for me. A little filling from its hefty nature. Overall tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 18:37:01 | More by katan

argock

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Received as a gift from little sis Tami.

A: Medium-amber with 1-2 finger fluffy light beige head with decent retention and random lace formations all around the glass.

S: Orange citrus and floral hops with an earthy undercurrent. Malts are light crystal with nice bready roundness.

T: The flavor is vibrant with pineapple and orange with floral tinges and the same herbal/earthy notes. There is a light-medium caramel sweetness that I wish was a little less prominent. There are toast and bread notes these as well. Solid balanced IPA flavor.

M: The feel is a little slick and oily with medium-body. It has low carbonation overall.

O: A nice beer that could benefit from a little more aggressive dry-hopping and decrease in the crystal malts. All in all though, this was a pretty enjoyable IPA and very pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:50:21 | More by argock

JackieTH

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is amber orange capped by an inch of pillowy, off-white foam that persists nicely and leaves rings of lace. Smells of oranges, grapefruit, pine, and a subtle presence of malt. Taste is orange marmalade and grapefruit hop, subtle resin hop too, bitter initially, but with a decent heap of malt that reigns in the bitterness with a biscuity backbone while keeping the hop flavor front and center. Medium body holds together well, slightly chewy, tingling carbonation. Very solid offering out of Iowa.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:29:57 | More by JackieTH

bismarksays

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours an orangish/amber color with a nice two finger head. Decent lacing. It certainly looks the the part

S- Wow, orange juice and flowers. Hopbusting indeed.

T/M Strange, not bitter to me..really at. Really citrusy and slightly sweet, maybe a touch metalic...like those little cans of orange juice I had as a kid. Not unpleasant, but not really what I was expecting. Mouthfeel, a little sticky and resiny, but nothing unexpected from an IPA or Pale Ale.

Overall- A solid IPA. If anyting, it might be a little sweet for my standards, but if someone told me that they loved this beer, I would understand why. For me, the highlight of this beer was the nose.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:13:41 | More by bismarksays

phenomenologian

Nebraska

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Upon pouring a white fluffy two finger head forms. It retains really well and laces nicely. The body is translucent and you can see constant bubbles rise to the top. The body color is an orangish hue. Almost brownish but predominantly orange. A dull orange at that. This is what I like to see in an IPA. Something like this or something around that color.

The smell is definitely of hops. It has a nice smell that is overloaded with hops. It also seems to have hints of citrus and barley. Hops are the best thing. Love the smell so far.

On the bottle is discussed a technique called hopbursting which shows in the awesome taste. Awesome blend of hops which I can taste some barley in or maybe Im wrong. Wonderfully tasting beer.

Its carbonated a bit and not to harsh. The mouthfeel is good and complements the qualities of the beer.

Overall, I love hoppy IPA's so Im obviously going to rate this high. I love the taste and other qualities. I will buy it again. Its a bit expensive but its a big bottle and you get your moneys worth if you like hoppy IPA's. Give it a try if you like any IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:12:04 | More by phenomenologian

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bottle into Tulip.

A. Poured a 3 finger head. Nice retention. Thick lacing. Color is a dark orange.

S. Nice hop aroma. Nice pine and citrus hop mix. Get a little bit of grapefruit. Some caramel malt base. Pretty nice hop bitterness.

T. Nice fruity hop flavor. Pretty surpised. This is an easy drinking well balanced IPA. Get a little bit of pine, but mostly citrus and fruity hop flavor. Get mostly caramel malt, but has a bit of biscuity malt flavor as well.

M. Medium bodied. Feels just a touch light, but maybe that is because I have been drinking Abrasive all week. Medium carbonation. Finishes just a little sweet.

O. Overall, I will admit that I had overlooked this beer for quite a while. Thanks to Dan for some good advice. This is a pretty solid IPA. Goes down exceptionally easy. Much better than the last Madhouse beer I had.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:38:27 | More by siradmiralnelson

dbossman

Nebraska

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper hue with a small but steady head and great lacing

S: Subtle citrus and grapefruit aromas on top of a sweet bready base--subtle but pleasant

T: Sweet malt quality followed by the citrus tropical fruits; fairly bready underneath and balanced though a touch too sweet; not really the "hopburst" I was hoping for

F: Thin up front and then the oily sticky hop residue helps thicken the body

O: A decent, little IPA but nothing overwhelming and like I said a touch thin and not quite what I was hoping for

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 22:05:31 | More by dbossman

agomega

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with a huge frothy white head that lingers.

Smell: Tons of hop aroma. A very nice mix that is difficult to nail down. There is some orange and pineapple citrus aroma, a piney note, and a nice subtle floral aroma holding it all together. Very pleasant.

Taste: Sweet malty backbone that is almost perfectly balanced with hop bitterness. Even though there is some piney hop aroma in the nose most of the flavor is citrus - primarily orange, but maybe some subtle pineapple or lemon in the background. Very pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Thin to medium mouthfeel. Very well attenuated and easy to drink for a decent sized IPA.

Overall: This is really a great IPA - much better than I was anticipating. Even my wife stole half a glass from my bottle. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 23:26:42 | More by agomega

pigc

Nebraska

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a copper color with a massive three finger head. Lacing clings to the glass as it recedes.

S - Initial bready malt smell followed by a wave of earthy, piney hops.

T - Follows the nose. Malty flavor at the start followed by earthy pine and a slight citrus in there as well. Very well balanced.

M - Light to medium, slightly drying. Right on par with this style.

O - The best IPA out of Iowa thus far. This isn't an over the top West Coast style IPA, more of a well balanced IPA that still feeds that hop craving IPA lovers' desire. This one is very well balanced with a strong malt backbone, well done Madhouse!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 00:55:43 | More by pigc

bsp77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Somewhat dark amber with foamy cream colored head and light lacing tendrils.

Smell: Pungent orange, toasted and caramel malts, some spiciness. Aroma is both sweet & dry, and fairly typical for an IPA, but done well.

Taste: Taste is as expected as well, but also done well, with semi-sweet orange and toasted caramel malts upfront, followed by lingering spiciness and bitterness with highlights of grapefruit and pine.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, medium body that is somewhat smooth and creamy with a dry finish.

Overall: Great example of an IPA that nails the style, but does not do anything out of the ordinary to truly stand out. Basically, it is delicious but not unique.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 22:25:16 | More by bsp77

emerge077

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks like this was first released in May 2011, so it's possibly 2 months old at this point. 22 oz. bomber from the cooler at John's Grocery.

Poured into a tulip glass, a thin layer of foam forms then quickly ebbs away to the edges. Color is a deeply saturated copper orange with bright clarity and rising carb trails visible. Some drippy lacing eventually forms and clings to the glass.

Sweet caramel and candied orange in the aroma, not overwhelming, fairly mild and pleasant.

Malty flavors of multigrain bread and caramel, spicy hops lend orange peel and a medium bitterness. Aftertaste has an earthy, resiny hop flavor. Very light caramel malt sweetness appears before the bitter hops do their thing, lasting well into the dry aftertaste. Medium bodied, somewhat mild carbonation. Overall pretty tasty, wish I could have tried a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 01:19:16 | More by emerge077

daledeee

Iowa

4.4/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 22 oz bomber from an Iowa brewer.

This pours a very rusty clear body with a nice white head and lacing.

Nose is mostly hops.

Taste was one of the biggest surprises I have ever had in a beer. This stuff is GOOD! I had a couple other drinks from this brewery and it was OK but not exceptional. This is really good stuff. It is nicely hopped and on the sweet side but has malt as well. Hops are on the grapefruit and grassy side.

Mouth feel is wonderfully creamy and perfectly carbonated. This is as good as any West Coast IPA. It may not be quite as intense on the hop loading but it has the mouth feel and balance that I seek.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 22:50:02 | More by daledeee

Abouna

Iowa

4.83/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Well I'm certainly no beer reviewer. I tend to shy aware from the "beery" expletives.

That said, I do have a fair palate for micro brews and am especially keen on IPAs. Unfortunately I had nearly burned myself out on IPAs lately...simply too much Ranger after getting a very good deal.

My brother picked up this Madhouse and I was back in the game! Wow:

- Hoppy, but not blatantly so. Seems like lots of IPA makers are jumping on the hop wagon without balancing.

- Just a hint of sweetness. Again, not blatant, but just right.

Unbelievably drinkable. The only other IPA I've had that I like as well is the Hebrew.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 01:00:26 | More by Abouna

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass.

A: Pours a clear copper orange with one finger of off-white head. Decent retention and lace.

S: Mangoes and apricots, very good. Smell lasts until the end of the glass.

T: Mellow peaches up front grow a little in sweetness through the middle, with a flash of sharp pine on the finish. Wow, that's a lot of flavor for a single IPA! Alcohol hides in the pines nearly undetected.

M: Medium-light body and plenty of cream, feeling very good.

O: Yowsa! Very impressive, great profile, and it's local. Dangerously drinkable and the flavor won't let you put it down. I can see some other IPAs having to give up shelf space in the fridge because this one will be moving in. My first beer from Madhouse, and now I'm anxious to try more.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:19:04 | More by AmericanGothic

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Deep copper color with an average sized, creamy, smooth, white head. Disappears pretty fast, but it leaves a nice creamy layer of lace.

S - Enjoyable nose. Lots of citrus and a good amount of tropical fruit as well. Grapefruit and melon pretty strong. In the back there is a herbal, floral, tea like hop aroma. Very nice.

T - The taste unfortunately does not live up to the aromatics. Nowhere near the amount of tropical fruit and only a touch of grapefruit/citrus. More pine, strong floral/herbal and bitter hop flavors. A bit of a malty finish. A bit of a spicy kick on the finish as well. It gets better as it warms.

M - Medium body with a nice amount of carbonation. Smooth and easy to drink.

D - Pretty easy to drink and pretty balanced. The hop flavor doesn't quite pop out as much as I'd like, and it doesn't make me want more but it does drink nicely.

Notes: Not bad but the flavor falls off a little in regards to the hop flavors. Much better than the first IPA Madhouse did, but that isn't saying much. Worth a try and it was an enjoyable experience, but I probably won't be getting this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 22:52:13 | More by FreshHawk

airmike

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz. Bomber poured into pint glass

A: Amber in color, an agressive pour yields minimal head that disipates quickly. I can tell already this is under-carbinated.

S: Nice Piny, floral hop aroma. Not much to add other than smells tasty!

T: A sweet flavorful brew and nice hop flavor without being too bitter. Really tasty, tastes better than the 2 month hopslam I had the other day. This is more pine/floral in the hop department where hopslam is more sweet grapefruit like.

M: Mouthfeel is pretty standard, except the carbination just about all but dissappeared on me by the time I was halfway done with the glass!

Overall, I am proud to see a big hoppy IPA come out of Iowa that is well done and this is Madhouse's finest release to date! Fix the carbination issues, and we're talking an A+ brew!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 22:56:36 | More by airmike

cpolking

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was released on May 12, 2011 and I am trying it on May 13, 2011.

The beer pours a glowing orange-brown-copper-amber and a touch of ruby with a quarter inch of rapidly dissipating head that leaves little to no lacing.

The aroma is hop, fruit forward with tropical fruit, melon, a touch of pine and slightly sweet, strong tea with lemon. There is also a bit of spicy rye-like malt.

The taste is sweet, but not disproportionately so, nowhere near cloying. There is a ton of melon and cantalopue and some tropical fruit. There is the slightest bit of pine, and just a touch of the tea with lemon that is more apparent in the aroma. There is also a bit of the spicy rye-like malt that shows up in the aroma and provides balance in the taste.

The mouthfeel is round and smooth but could stand a little more carbonation. If you like a very melony, tropical fruit type of hop forward IPA, then definitely try to get a taste of this. Delicious and a hopheads delight!

According to the bottle: Hopbursting is a relatively new brewing technique in which the vast majority of hops are added to the kettle late in the boil in order to achieve enhanced extraction of hop components (i.e. Hopbursting gives you tons of hop flavor and aroma).

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 00:56:10 | More by cpolking