Hopulent IPA - Epic Brewing Co.

Wasatch

Utah

2/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22oz. Bomber
Elevated Series
Release #1
$5.89 ea.

Pours a cloudy copper color, some carbonation, one-finger off-white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, with some malt notes, citrus, very slight pine notes. Medium body, this has some chewiness to it. The finish is bitter and dry. Would not buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 00:18:45 | More by Wasatch

hopfacebrew

Colorado

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Reposting review from hacked account (jmkratt) :(

Picked up a bottle of this at a store in Fort Collins today. However, it was the last bottle on the shelf and I can't read or tell if there are any markings or dates. I am new to Epic brews but can't make anything out. The sticker on the shelf had an extremely high rating and the bottle was decently priced so I picked it up.

Poured from the bomber to a pint glass. It pours a very hazy gold with a 1 finger white bubbly foam head. Some retention and lacing. There is quite a bit of sediment floating around, perhaps this is an old bottle? The aroma is very bread/biscuit flavored. The bread dominates the nose not hops, not what I would look for in a DIPA. Again, perhaps this is an old bottle and as such the hop flavor has deteriorated? The flavor mimicks the nose, little hop character and a lot of malt and bread. If anything the the mouthfeel is the best attribute, nice and full bodied and coats the palette.

Overall to say I was disappointed is an understatement. I am willing to chalk this up to an old bottle I just wish I could confirm that :(

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 07-21-2011 04:23:42

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 16:22:45 | More by hopfacebrew

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Grabbed this at Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits the other night. Looking for a cheaper option, I remembered that I had enjoyed Epic's Smoked and Oaked from the elevated series, so why not give this a shot. BAD IDEA.

I'm a hoppy beer man, so naturally, a beer with a name like hopulent would fall right in with the hundreds of "hop_" or "_hop" beers that I've come to love, right? Not so. This is one of the worst beers I've yet reviewed from a company I otherwise respect.

Like Allagash's Hugh Malone, in the Epic Hopulent, you have a beer that's so hollow and so devoid of body and character that the hoppiness of it starts working against you. And that's a sad thing, tasting an item you otherwise love that's gone utterly wrong.

But, as with my review of the Hugh Malone, here I have to wonder if this isn't a case of a beer poorly bottled or a cap poorly applied. Can't wait for a friend to have one so that I can steal a sip double check. In the meantime, beware.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 01:27:41 | More by petacutlasaurus

nlmartin

Ohio

2.78/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

After a few near misses for Epic I figured I would give them one last go. This beer was chilled and served in a Imperial Pint glass.

A- The body of the beer pours a hazy golden coloration. The head is a thick biege coloration. Nice head retention. This beer is off to a nice start.

S- The aroma of citrus and pineapple peak out from under a very heavy wicker and pine aroma.

T- The beers flavor gives a flash of grapefruit that quickly descends into pine, pine resin, very nearly approaching taking a bite out of the Christmas Tree levels. This is a gainst a crackery thin malt note.

M- The body of the beer seems to be a bit on the heavy side. The carbonation helps lift it up a little. No alcohol is present in the mouth but I am feeling it.

O- Overall this beer just doesnt wow me. The pine resinous notes are just a bit too severe.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 11:24:11 | More by nlmartin

CuttDeez

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into my pint glass

A - Pours a pretty hazy golden orange color with an nice big white head, which dies to patches of white clouds.

S - Very faint citrus covered by slight pine. The ABV comes out in the nose on the end. Very bland nose and at quick sniff only a slight citrus is noticable.

T & M - There is not much depth here. The slight citrus on the front end is covered in a slight malty pine flavor. The sweetnees of the pine malt is weak and it gets covered by bitterness right away. The mouthfeel is dry and only on the front end. It does not get to the back of the palate.

O - Very weak. I was left wanting in many aspects of this beer. Sad thing too because I was interested in Epic brewery as it started to become more prevalant in my area.

-Cheers

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 23:58:35 | More by CuttDeez

zimm421

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a tulip. Label is marked with Release #23. Appears a hazy, golden orange. Has a good 2 to 3 fingers of sudsy off-white head. The head goes down over time, but there's a good layer left on top through the whole glass. Also leaves great lacing.

Nose is citrusy, and very, very sweet. Too sweet for me. There's a little bit of pine scents, but not too impressed here. Taste is really sweet up front, and finishes with a citrus bitterness. Pineapple really seems to come through in the end. The pine is also there. Finishes somewhat bitter, but the aftertaste is actually sweet.

Mouthfeel is pretty watery and thin, but there is a decent film left on the inside of your mouth. Average to low carbonation. Not overly easy to drink. Overall, an average brew, at best. Love some IIPA's but this just isn't cutting it for me. Not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 01:19:31 | More by zimm421

rapidsequence

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle. $5.99 from Beer Run. Release 10, which according to the website is Nov 2010.

Appearance: Hazy orange. Really nice head with exceptional retention. Very nice lacing.

Smell: Muted citrus hops and grainy malt.

Taste: Again, muted. There is some nice tropical fruit hops flavor and restrained bitterness. Malt provides a sweet caramel flavor, but also a slightly unpleasant husky graininess that becomes a little vegetal.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is really good. Very soft, almost creamy, with a resiny stickiness.

Drinkability: Well, its a little on the old side, so the hops have probably suffered, but that's not my fault-- it needs a stamped on date. The grainy flavor becomes a bit much. I wouldnt really recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 02:00:45 | More by rapidsequence

BikeChef

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cloudy orange color, with a frothy head. The smell is of muted hops-- not particularly promising. This is a very malty beer-- malt totally dominates. It seems to me almost what a German altbier would be like if they tried more aggressively hopping it. I love DIPAs, but this just didn't work for me. Not enough hop aroma and taste by a longshot. Perhaps an old bottle?

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 03:32:33 | More by BikeChef

Beaver13

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bottle, Release # 10 brewed on November 11, 2010. Pours a hazy dark straw color with a medium creamy white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass.

The aroma is floral hops, lemoney citrus with a slight sour twang.

The flavor is sweet bready malts and floral hops with some citrus and a bit of an off note - leather? The finish is high in bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low smooth carbonation.

Overall, an OK DIPA. The flavors and smell just didn't jive for me. It seemed to have some notes that I can't place that I just didn't care for.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 06:46:39 | More by Beaver13

nandemo1

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Release 18

Appearance is a very nice, clear orange/gold color with a medium head.

Smell is a bit citrusy, taste is very malty, with only hints of grapefruit. Mouthful is pretty heavy, definitely pretty sticky from all the malt in this one.

Overall, I see what they were doing here with a malty base but this bottle was probably past its time as it was overly sweet. I'd like to try this again fresh to see what the hops were like before they mellowed.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 21:43:51 | More by nandemo1

GreenGoblinCC

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have had both bottle and draft...and let me say there was quite a difference between the two. I recently drank a 22oz and fell in love this beer! Nice Hoppy taste. Bitterness Galore! Over the weekend I went to a local Brewpub and they had a guest handle of Epic Hopulent. My eyes lit up! However, I was disappointed with the draft. No hop presence, mild in flavor, lacked bitterness. I would say for this rare occasion the bottle was better than draft, and for that my rating reflects my experience between the two.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:20:52 | More by GreenGoblinCC

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a pint; batch #27

According to the website, this guy was brewed on August 18, which was about 4 months ago. So, I am going into this with a little trepidation.

The pour yields a fluffy slightly off-white cap with a golden orange body and some nice yeast floaties. Some mild lacing.

Fear realized. The aroma is of candied grapefruit, sweet caramel, bready and overall sweet. This definitely has fallen off a bit.

On the palate, sweet candied grapefruit, bready malt, caramel and moderate bitterness. The bitterness builds with time and really leaves a dryness behind.

Medium body with good carbonation, a bit chewy through the middle and good sized dose of bitterness in the finish.

I would really like to try this guy fresh, so consider this a somewhat incomplete review. This beer shows some promise, I will seek out a newer bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 20:18:11 | More by ColForbinBC

malloyca

District of Columbia

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellow-orange, with a thick, cream colored head. Prominent aromas of ripe grapefruit and orange, strikingly fruity, fresh and clean, like a fresh grapefruit and orange fruit salad. There is an initial hit of sweet malt, which is followed by bitter dry grapefruit hops. There is not a lot of depth of flavor or much to contemplate once this beer hits the citrus-hop profile -- that is about it. Medium to full bodied, and creamy. It is a pleasant sipper.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 22:14:03 | More by malloyca

pdoran10

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a pretty hazy golden color into a pint glass. One finger of white head that fades quickly and leaves decent lacing.

Smell is candied white bread malt, with a slight pine hop sharpness in the background.

Taste is big sweet bready malt which is almost balanced out by sharp resin bitterness from the hops. Sweetness overtakes the flavor a bit, and I detect a hint of alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel is thick and the beer is moderately carbonated. Seems to have less attenuation than I would like in a double IPA.

Overall a nice enough flavor but malt sweetness dominates and with so many other great double IPAs out there, it would be hard for me to reach for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 02:54:50 | More by pdoran10

prototypic

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hopulent looks to be golden in color. It’s quite hazy. Backlighting gives it a slight orange tint. A soft white head covers it and rises to roughly a finger and a half in depth. It’s rather slow to dissipate. It holds firm at a surface covering for quite a long time. Lacing is very sticky and thick. Looks pretty good.

The nose is alright. Above average. Hops are easily noted. The smell fruity and a little herbal. Smells like mint actually. The fruity notes smell like pineapple, grapefruit, and mango. It’s not a bad profile at all. The malt base smells a little sweet. There might be a little caramel. Smells mostly like pale malt though with a bit of bread-like quality as well. Alcohol is a little noticeable. Doesn’t smell offensively strong though.

The flavor is pretty average. The malt base is predominantly pale with just a touch of sweet caramel and crackers. The hop flavor is alright, not great. It has a strong herbal, minty flavor that clashes a tad with the citric fruit flavors of grapefruit and pineapple. It’s a little bitter and dry, but the malts provide quite a bit of balance. Not my favorite quality in a DIPA. Needs to have a lot more hop bitterness. Alcohol is there, but isn’t too strong. It’s not warm or hot. Finishes a little sweet with some residual herbal hop notes.

Hopulent has a medium body. Carbonation is relatively light and soft. The feel is actually soft and smooth. It’s probably Hopulent’s strongest asset. For anyone interested, its drinkability is just okay. A bomber seems like a bit much.

This is my first experience with Epic Brewing Co. beer. Frankly, Hopulent’s an okay DIPA, but needs some work. It is somewhat distinctive with its herbal, minty hop flavor, but not in a great way. I like that the caramel malt aspect is light and restrained, but a little less balance and better hop flavor would improve it. It’s worth a try, but stick with a single bomber.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 02:56:33 | More by prototypic

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.3/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 picked up today at the COOP... Batch 3 Poured into my Old Guardian snifter.

Rocky white head... 2 fingers easily... good retention and lacing atop a hazy deep golden.

Nose is surprisingly muted... some tropical fruits and lite citrus zest.. plenty of pale maltiness... ehhh odd, but not a dealbreaker.

Big and bitter up front, but the hops mid palate don't quite deliver... more pale malt in the middle with some lighter than expected citrus hops... again a little bit of unidentified tropical fruits and then a big bitterness on the backend... seems a tad husky.

Body is pretty heavy, probably punctuated by a fairly lite carbonation.

Good... not great... could stand to be dialed in a touch.

4/3.5/3/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 06:43:29 | More by JohnGalt1

emmasdad

Colorado

3.3/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I picked this one up at 287 Discount Liquor on a recent trip to Fort Collins. Poured a hazy dark golden color with a loose ecru headl Aromas of earth, pine and biscuit. On the palate, this on is medium bodied and creamy, with earthiness and a little pine.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 23:02:11 | More by emmasdad

phishsihq

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In the ever evolving Elevated Series from Epic Brewing...

Hopulent IPA from Epic Brewing pours a hazy, pale orange with a solid white head and BIG lace. Restrained hop notes, mostly grapefruit and pine, mixes with a slight woodiness and some toasty aromas. Toasted malt flavors quickly slide into grapefruit, orange, and pine resiny flavors, sweet too. Moderately carbonated, Hopulent had a full body that was easy to drink for a DIPA. We like the idea of tweaking a recipe constantly, only wish we could follow it closer.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 01:54:05 | More by phishsihq

gatornation

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

from 22 oz bomber with rls #18 on side bar

A- pours a hazy amber/ orange color with an off white 1 finger and some spotty lacing

S- is malts first with piney /fruit hops a Little citrus rind and pine needles

T- was a malt forward 2ipa with a bitter pine/grapefruit combo. with some baked bread and lemon zest

M- was medium carbonation with a a malt presence

O- average with so many 2ipas/ipa this will get lost @ $8 a bomber its just not that good to compete for my $ to buy it again its ok tasty not bad.. but to much competition in the style..this one will get lost IMO

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 23:02:31 | More by gatornation

MetalHopHead6

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Epic Hopulent is super sweet, fruity, and flat.

It poured hazy gold with a short and short-lived off-white head. It left one lonely ring near the top of the glass. The aroma was this beer's highlight, with a strong grapefruit presence that popped with the cap coming off. The flavor was incredibly sweet and fruity, like canned fruit cup syrup. It had a yeasty metallic finish. There was very little feel to this beer; it was smooth and flat, with no bitterness and nothing lingering on the tongue. This was so flat and sweet, I thought it might be old. According to the Epic web site, the "batch" from which this bottle came was brewed less than 90 days before I drank it, so staleness is no issue.

Hopulent is, by far, the sweetest Double IPA I have ever had. The smell is good and the flavor is decent; however, the feel is sorely lacking.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 18:37:43 | More by MetalHopHead6

womencantsail

California

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The pour is a slightly hazy golden color with a nice white head.

S: Some sweet citrus hops are there along with a touch of tropical fruits (mostly pineapple). Bready and sweet malts underneath.

T: Definitely on the sweet side for a DIPA. The tropical fruit and citrus notes combine with the slightly caramelly malt to make for a fairly sweet beer with a mild bitterness on the finish.

M: The body is medium to full and the carbonation is perhaps a little low for my tastes.

D: Too sweet and uninteresting for me to really enjoy this beer or want to drink too much of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 16:26:15 | More by womencantsail

lynchmob9

California

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap, pairing w/ applewood smoked ribs & jalapeño slaw.
A - light orange, almost caramel. Light head. Fairly cloudy.
S - ought citrus. Like smelling outside of unpeeled or sliced grapefruit. Little dusty.
T - like it. Lighter IPA but good. Reminds me of shot of espresso with honey & raw sugar. Starbucks needs to replicate.
O - like it. Okay start, good finish, great pairing w/ my food.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2012 04:02:09 | More by lynchmob9

stercomm

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber

A - Very hazy yellowish color, can see some hops in the glass, very slight white head, recedes quickly, minor lacing on the glass

S- Very slight scents, not a whole lot going on here, some pine notes.

T - Nice hoppy profile, a slight malty backbone, minor sweetness, dry finish

M - Medium bodied, medium carbonation.

D - Overall, good hops profile but not a lot of flavor here.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 21:46:26 | More by stercomm

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From Batch #30, bottled September 22nd, 2011, claiming 8.2% ABV.

A moderate pour dished out a half finger of near white head over a cloudy yellow-orange body. While I inspected for particulate or sediment, the head shrank down to a bubbly ring.

Got a delicious aroma of grapefruit and pine with a sweet bready malt backbone.

Flavor was a little disappointing. The pine and grapefruit tasted... wilted, for lack of a better descriptive term. The malt background doesn't really bloom until well into the flavor, and there is a slight caramel touch on the aftertaste, but I may have picked up a bottle that was on it's way out.

MF is just fine. Good amount of carbonation keeps this DIPA from bogging down mid-tongue. Beyond that, smooth and hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:05:36 | More by CFHMagnet

MrDanno96

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Looks don't get much better than this for a DIPA. Multiple fingers of fluffy white head with lots of sticky lacing. Orange/copper in color. A good amount of sediment settles to the bottom as well.

S: Very hoppy, of course. Lots of grapefruit and pine aroma. Floral.

T: Very sweet, almost to the point of being cloying. Tropical fruit and piney resin. A nice punch of bitterness provides some balance to the sweetness in the finish.

M: Full bodied and thick with very mild carbonation.

O: Not bad, but nothing special. As with a lot of DIPAs, the flavor boarders on cloying and could do with some more balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 03:20:16 | More by MrDanno96