Hopulent IPA - Epic Brewing Co.

BiereBlanche

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

This batch is labelled "Mosaic"

Looks - Slightly haze deep orange, massive white head slowly falls to rocky patches and lots of lacing

Aroma - Moderate hop oil, notes of underripe mango, fresh grapefruit, background alcohol. subtle graininess

Flavor - Tropical fruit dominates, dried mango, mandarin orange, sweet peaches. resiny flavor and moderate bitterness, notes of citrus rind linger. Moderate honey and light bread.

MF - Super smooth, brain says drink it down! Medium-full body and clean but notable alcohol presense says take it slow. CO2 is a bit low.

Overall - a very accessible IIPA, with the right alcohol and gravities to be a sipper; the bitterness is low and smooth while the finish balances on the sweet end for style, but the hop character for this batch is pleasant and dominant, if not absurd. A nice, big, hop-heavy beer for IIPA new-comers.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 21:13:44 | More by BiereBlanche

abeerwiseguy

Texas

3.59/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed a 22oz bottle of Epic's Hopulent IPA from my local discount merchant and was not disappointed.

Poured a 2 finger off white head with a cloudy golden orange color. Lots of thick lacing.

Aromas of citrus, pine, and hops dominate. Very pungent.

My taste buds picked out hop induced spiciness with citrus and some malt with piney overtones in the background.

Mouth feel had medium body that was smooth and thick with a bitter but clean finish with light carbonation.

Overall I think this is an above average example of the American Double / Imperial IPA style. However that are a number of other choices that have better profiles overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 16:35:44 | More by abeerwiseguy

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.29/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a murky burnt orange with a large off-white head. Left a good amount of lacing.

S - Tropical grapefruit and pineapple up front, followed by a moderate hit of maltiness and tangerines.

T - Follows suit pretty much down to the tee. Grapefruit and pineapple, instantly followed by the malts and tangerines. Somewhat bitter finish.

M - Medium bodied with almost no carbonation.

O - Overall, I didn't expect too much outta this one but I was pleasantly surprised. A good IPA for the true hopheads out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 04:10:42 | More by SometimesIfart

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Release #59

Served in a Port City tulip.

A: Poured a beautiful, bright orange color, extremely murky (yah for unfiltered!) and about a finger or so frothy white head that had tremendous staying power.

S: Fresh, clean linen, along with some orange juice, Pixie Stick dust, and a good bit of melted lollipop.

T: Kinda boozy but not too bad, however, the flavor was a bit off. I would have preferred a bit more grapefruit burn and less raw bitterness.

M: The sweetness was kept in check and the bitterness was teetering on the verge of being offensive, but not quite. Lotsa lacing.

O: There wasn't much wrong with this, but overall it wasn't memorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:05:41 | More by Chaney

KillahB

California

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I'm drinking a batch that was bottled in October and it is now March, and I do think that this has had a negative effect on the beer.

Smells great. Really great. Very promising.

Taste is a little disappointing at first -- an unexpected alcohol kick covers the hops that I smelled. Bitter, boozy. I think this is because of the age. The hops mellowed, unfortunately.

Luckily the deeper I get into it the better it gets. Bitterness subsides and a smoother, purer hop flavor comes through.

If you find this one fresh, try it. Great for the price. If you find it old, try it anyway, and then you'll definitely want to try it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:04:28 | More by KillahB

nimrod979

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pale and hazy orange. One finger white head with some extreme retention and lacing. Very nice.

Aroma: Big dose of hops. Orange, and grapefruit citrus zest. Grass, and some pine. Hint of sweet bready malt.

Taste: Citrus zest and pine resiny hop bitterness. Wet hop oil. Decent hop bomb with only a hint of some sweet bready malt.

Mouthfeel: Wet, juicy bitter hops coat the palate. Oily mouthfeel. Medium body with medium, soft carbonation. Bitterness actually doesn't linger all that long.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:13:16 | More by nimrod979

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.31/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

this beer is awesome, as fresh and bitter and oily as an ipa can be. real expensive bottle at a pizza place in ogden, Utah really threw me off, but I couldn't pass this up. the pour is hazy golden orange in color, with a fluffy few inches of white head with outstanding retention and lacing. the nose is powerfully hoppy and bitter, freshly made, nuanced and sticky. the hops have both a floral and a pine component, and the IBUs on this bad boy just be 100 or more. the taste starts out oily hoppy, with no sweetness or residual sugar at all. the hops are so pungent and dank that they almost suck all the moisture off the tongue, its really quite profound to taste bitter hops from a big ipa on a dry mouth. some grassy malty notes too, middle of the spectrum in terms of color and body, but the hops are what this is all about. it is the essence of hops, as fresh as any ipa has gotten to the real thing, its like fresh picked ipa, unbeatable really. they alcohol is disguised well, and one could easily drink several bombers of this based on how crisp and interesting it is. I knew it would be good, but its even beyond my expectations. I just loved it. creamy texture but clean dry finish, nice combo for these flavors. epic is by far and away the best thing happening in beer in Utah these days, no contest.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:25:50 | More by StonedTrippin

Rizalini

Nevada

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber bottle, release #59, into my Stone goblet...

A - Pours a semi- hazy golden/crimson color, with 1 finger of off white-head that leaves some nice lace rings as I sip.

S - Has some earthy hops when I really get in there. When I take a second smell, I get some grapefruit. Nothing huge and in your face, just kinda sublte. Nice, but not Woah!

T/M - The taste is a little more hop forward than the smell. The taste leans more towards the citrus hop, the middle opens up with some honey flavored caramel malt. A nice hop aftertaste stays on the palate. Medium mouthfeel, good carbonation.

O - It's a good, solid DIPA, not great. The one thing that's holding me back from calling this great is the aroma. I don't think I should have to struggle to get a big hop aroma. So in conclusion, really good DIPA, not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 04:23:00 | More by Rizalini

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This beer poured out as a hazy golden color with a nice looking white head on top. The retention and lacing were pretty good on this. The smell of the beer has a decent hoppy aroma, kind of earthy. The taste of the beer starts out malty with a rush of hop bitterness in the finish. Very modest IPA, quite sessionable. The mouthfeel of the beer is smooth, easy going and nicely carbonated. Overall this beer is decent. Not the best IPA out there but still not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 20:04:09 | More by Knapp85

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle from Beers of Europe, England poured into a tulip;
A-Pours a bright orange and topped by a small, bubbly off white head of foam that settles quickly and leaves spots of lace on the glass.
A-The aroma is very fresh showing notes of bitter grapefruit and orange hops along with dank, grassy characters.
S-The base is made up of toffee malts which adds a touch of sweetness, but the hops are the driving force.
T-The flavor follows suit and is dominated by the grassy and citrus hops bitterness, which adds a nice dryness to the mouthfeel. Some cereal grains and the toffee malt add balance, but the hops are still the dominating factor.
M-Medium bodied, crisp, and dry on the palate with ample carbonation that finishes clean and refreshing.
O-This is a nice, easy drinking IPA, but falls short of upper ecehlon DIPA’s to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:42:43 | More by mtbdonn

mactrail

California

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

For some reason this has one of the most beautiful tall, creamy white heads. Beer itself is a hazed glowing amber. A classic in appearance.

What I especially like is the big flowery aroma that follows through in the initial perfumey taste. Melon, dried pineapple, and some piney hops. Just sweet enough with honest malt flavor. Mellow rather than acidic. Seems to avoid most of the excessive sharp, sweet, or bitter flavors that plague this style. Definitely one of my favorite DIPAs, now that I finally get around to tasting it. But it is plenty bitter, it's just part of the long, interesting complexity.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at the lovely state liquor store in Salt Lake. This label says Release #54 and the ABV is 8.9%. Epic is one of the breweries that I happily try everything that shows up (unless, of course, it's sulking on the warm shelves at Total Wine).

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 06:42:21 | More by mactrail

Bake

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm kind of surprised by some of the lukewarm reviews of this beer. This is probably the third bomber I've purchased in the last four months and I've enjoyed each one of them. It's definitely a hop forward beer - nice citrus and piney smell (great in a tulip). It is a little murky in appearance but not muddy. It's got some body to it but still drinks really smooth. A well balanced DIPA.

If you are in the mood for a crisp clean IPA this isn't what you are looking for. If you want a hoppy meat and potatoes beer this is a good choice.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 00:41:45 | More by Bake

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cloudy dark golden yellow to orange in color with very light notes of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a two finger tall creamy dark beige head that slowly reduces to a very thin film with a large thick patch and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Very significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light amounts of caramel and bready malts upfront in the aroma of this beer but the dominant smell is that of the hops. There is a strong presence of grapefruit/citrus hops with a moderate amount of pine/resin hops and light notes of herbal hops.

T: Like the smell, this beer starts out with the flavors of bready and caramel malts with some light to moderate amounts of sweetness. On top of the malts, there is a significant flavor of grapefruit/citrus hops and a light amount of pine/resin and herbal hops. Moderate amounts of lingering bitterness.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness and light alcohol heat in the finish.

O: Another good beer from this brewery, I have been impressed with this brewery from Utah's offerings. There is a very nice hop smell and taste but the beer is not overly bitter - fairly easy to drink and the alcohol is mostly hidden.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 00:57:15 | More by dbrauneis

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Beer #37 in my great Utah Brew Hunt.

I feel like this is the IPA I have been wanting to try, here in Utah. It's got the punch of flavor and hops all up in your mouth. That west coast kind of thing that, well, I kind of come to expect for the style. It's certainly not smooth or elegant, or exhibiting much subtlety, but I think it is pretty well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 16:23:35 | More by RblWthACoz

2beerdogs

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very nice balanced IPA.
A bit of citrus meets sticky pine to the nose.
Flavor comes through similarly, with a bit of bready maltiness to balance it out, yey still hoppy overall.
Finish is clean with a piney meets sweet slick follow.
Mouthfeel was very much where I like an IPA, not chewy, but with a bit of heft.

All in all, a very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 03:14:28 | More by 2beerdogs

tdm168

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - bright orangish yellow with a soft, white head

S - bread, pineapple, grapefruit, some alcohol

T - grapefruit, pineapple, bread, cake batter, sweet, mildly bitter; perfect balance

M - medium bodied, warming alcohol, smooth, well carbonated

This was really an awesome beer. The hops are intense, the malt is solid, and the balance is superb. I really enjoyed this one. I recommend it!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 19:40:08 | More by tdm168

Halcyondays

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a deep hazy orange, I was watching Harry Potter at the time and it really does look like butterbeer. Creamy, long-lasting white head, sticky lace.

S: Pine resin, grapefruit, orange zest.

T: Pine heavy, pink grapefruit, heavy on citrus. Classic DIPA flavours. Still has some malt character so not totally West Coast.

M: Medium to full-bodied, crisp, tingling, with a hint of acidity.

O: A solid DIPA, it does go throught the motions a bit, but there are some stellar parts especially in the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 02:02:56 | More by Halcyondays

ZimZamZoom

West Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very murky, on the orange side of amber. Nice thick dense white head.

Some citrus and piney hops in aroma. Taste is on the piney side, some sweet malt but not totally balanced.

There is a body to this beer but you might miss it. Odd, but can come across as thin unless you take the time to study it. Definitely some alcohol warmth and this seems to dry and thin it out a bit.

All in all, I'd say it's pretty good but not stellar.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 18:51:47 | More by ZimZamZoom

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Release #42, 8.1% ABV.

4.0 A: Deeply hazed orange brown color. Three fingers of white, creamy/frothy head. Retention is very good and plenty of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Mix of herbal, piney, and citrusy hops. Pine, grapefruit, and orange are the strongest components. Light caramel with bready malts and yeastiness.

4.0 T: Again, herbal, piney, and citrusy hop taste. Pine, grapefruit, and orange again dominate. There is also a light sugariness. Caramel, bready malts, and moderate bitterness and yeastiness. The sugariness really brings everything together.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Reasonably creamy. A little too chewy for my tastes though, which is often the case with unfiltered IPAs.

4.0 D: Epic keeps putting out some great brews. That's all I have to say.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 02:21:29 | More by DavoleBomb

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: Bold bitter hops. Pine cones, white grapefruit, caramel syrup. Moderate pale malt adds a grainy aroma. Somewhere between Bell's Hopslam and Russian River's Pliny the Elder. Some spicy black pepper and alcohol, which smells a bit hot.

Appearance: Tons of loose sediment at the bottom of the 22 ounce bottle prior to opening... need to be careful with this one. The pour develops a medium height head which is off-white in color with a touch orange. Great retention and some of the thickest lacing I've every seen (from any style). The brew is deep but bold orange. Very hazy. Less the foam it looks like a glass of apricot juice.

Taste: A bit different. Lots of spicy pepper and alcohol. Moderate to high orange peel and a bit of lemon, which is still strong when compared to the hops. The piney hop flavor blends with the hops a bit to seem like "hot" alcohol. The pale malt is there but hiding in the background.

Let it warm up a bit more than usual for an IPA... The alcohol is still there, although the orange peel lightens up and a few other flavors come out, very subtle chocolate and yeast. The mouthfeel is much more oily and finishes just barely dry, if at all.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, quite thick. Carbonation is very drying. Finishes very dry. Again the alcohol is warming, a bit hot.

Overall: Different, but a good "strong" beer. A little extra with the high spice, orange peel, and mildly hot booze which isn't exactly overly harsh. The taste and mouthfeel both improved once I let warm up past typical drinking temperature.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 00:00:23 | More by soulfly1492

david131

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a hazy, luminescent orange with a thick and creamy off white head. Looks pretty nice.

S- Caramel, pine, mint, citrus, and grass. My first impression is that it is rather simple, but there is definitely some more to it.

T- Same as the aroma with an emphasis on the caramel and mint. Interesting and tasty.

M- Bitter and slightly oily. The lasting bitterness is about right for the style. There is a bit of alcohol warmth.

O- Not really a stand out for the style. Still it is tasty and definitely not something I would pass up.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 04:09:34 | More by david131

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Epic Hopulent IPA. India Pale Ale. Elevated Series. Release #37, 8.2 % ALC./Vol.

Opaque appearance, peach/apricot hue, smallish wheat head, leaves lace and lots of tiny bubbles. Nice.

Aroma: classic American IPA nose, Cascade and then some, citrus and pine, plus peach and so forth. Getting more prickly, and pleasant, the more I drink it in through the nostrils. Just right.

Taste: Mmm, mmm, mmm. Almost perfect. Tons of pine and citrus, with the merest malt, providing a plump pillow. Hitting all the marks, plucking all the strings, striking all the notes. Nothing too over the top in bitterness, not too heavy, not too lean. Not too high in alcohol, either, though it is on the strong side. Very palatable, very approachable, easy to please for the experienced hop-o-phile. Plenty of pure hop flavor, here, gets a touch astringent, but not too much of anything I can't handle. Gets increasingly bitter and pungent, but, again, that's right up my alley.

Let us now put to rest the notion that there is no good beer coming out of Utah. Eventually, that will be claimed for all 50 States, just you wait and see.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 05:12:44 | More by feloniousmonk

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

HOPULENCE, I HAS IT!!! Purchased at Bruery Provisions.

Nice orange pour, good 5/8" head on it, not much for retention though. Aroma, not a huge dry hop aroma, its there, but nothing to write home of really. A bitter piney existence.

Taste, damn, mostly bittersweet, nothing like the green lush hop mouthfeels you hope for, especially when you get pine initially. Pine turns to copper throughout the drinking experience. Chewy malt mouthfeel. Sticky at times. Alcohol plenty noticeable. There's some sweet, but it comes nowhere near the prominence of the bitterness. I prefer less malt, sweet, bitter and more of a lighter body and more hop exposure.

Would not buy again given the $8ish price at Provisions.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 02:18:50 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Cresant

Kentucky

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

Served this 22 oz. brown bottle in a Sierra Nevada Hops glass. Release #37. The beer was hazy and amber in color. The cream colored rocky head left ladders of sticky lace rings in the glass. a solid cap remained throughout.

The smell was of crisp fall leaves, pine needles, and tropical fruit, There was a mild alcohol aroma too.

The taste was intensely citrusy. Pithy bitterness and candied fruit sweetness. Fresh and flavorful!

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with mild carbonation in the body.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 13:46:07 | More by Cresant

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #58 (November 2011):

LOOK: Hazed orange amber, impressive head

SMELL: Hop oil, spice, floral, papaya, pineapple, fresh hops, green tea, bready malt, alcohol

TASTE: Smooth, bitey, spice, soft bitterness, hop oil, pipe tobacco, herbal, citric zest, birch sap, earthy, grainy, alcohol, tropical fruit, bread crust

Obviously smacks of hops, flavor over bitterness. The flavor, however, scrapes the palate as hard as it can with a plethora of complexities that open up with each sip. A killer, palate devastation is inevitable which is a great thing for any true hophead.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:48:09 | More by BeerAdvocate