Zephyr - Rising Tide Brewing Company

beer2day

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From the Liquor Locker in SW Harbor.

Pours dark gold, nearly copper. Massive, towering, thick unforced darker cream head. Chunky lace and excellent head retention. Swirling torrent of medium sized bubbles.

Nose is malt and pine. More malt than pine. Sweetbread comes into the mix and really overshadows any hop presence.

Taste follows the nose with more malt than pine here too. Just not much flavor, then a light kick of spice, pepper, and a hint of pine. Some slight floral notes at the beginning, but fleeting.

Feel is creamy and thicker than expected. Probably stands up well in colder weather.

I've had several IPA's like this in the NE. Just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 01:43:39 | More by beer2day

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.5/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

From the bomber into a pint glass:

A: beautiful golden copper colored body that yields a two finger foamy white head that lasts for at least a good two minutes. The body is too hazy for any carbonation to be seen rising and has some spider web lacing speckling the sides of the glass.

S: good complexity of hops and malts, some sweet, some bitter, and some spicy. Some light pine and citrus comes in as the beer warms.

T: peppery yet piney sort of flavor that to me is pretty good.

M: not watery nor is it sharp, a perfect feel on the tongue, pretty sessionable.

O: I was not expecting this IPA to be this good, but yes I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 18:48:22 | More by kangarooAdam59

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

bomber poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - 2.5 fingers of white head with very fine bubbles. deep amber body - darker than i was expecting. a pretty beer- crappy head retention though, and the lacing is not as good as i like.

S - caramelly malts, some fruity notes. no real citrus or pine at all. this is pretty damn disappointing for an IPA nose, to be honest.

T - again, a lot of fruity flavors. sweet malt. plenty of bitterness, but not really hop flavor at all. a tiny bit of pine at the end. disappointing for an IPA. really disappointing.

M - one thing i can say is that the feel of this beer is good - carbonation is excellent, the body is just thick enough but not too thick. if i didn't have this yucky flavorless bitterness in my mouth, this is would be fantastic in this category.

I really had high hopes for this beer, and I love Rising Tide... alas, it was not to be. Stick to Daymark, a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 23:40:24 | More by tehzachatak

dasenebler

Maine

2.48/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Rising Tide Zephyr
8/17/12
22oz, no date

Clear and dark amber, nice head and solid retention. Darker than I like to see in an IPA, but I'll roll with it. (3.5)

Aroma emphasizes the fruitiness of the hops, with notes of melon, pear and apple. There are signs of a stressed fermentation (Esters) in the nose though, and a touch of Diacetyl. (3)

Very bitter, a bit boozy. Grassy, slightly fruity hop flavor. Full bodied and heavy on the malt for an IPA, with notes of dark toast and bread. The flavor profile does not scream IPA to me. It does not have much resinous hop character, pine or citrus. Unbalanced bitterness starts to wear on the palate. Messy. The carbonation is just about perfect, and the mouthfeel is weighty but not overbearing. (2, 4)

Overall I'm not impressed with this new offering from Rising Tide. Kind of homebrew-like and not as well thought-out/executed as their other beers. Ishmael and Atlantis are outstanding beers, but everything else they brew is hit or miss. I'll look for Zephyr on-tap in Portland to see if it's any better than this bottle. (2.5)

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 01:16:52 | More by dasenebler

andrewinski1

Maine

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass. There is a great orange-copper color with a bit of haze. There is a nice off-white head with great retention.

The aroma has some melon and graham cracker malt. I guess I get MAYBE a note of citrus.

The taste morphs bitter hop character and some mildly sweet malt with a touch of bubblegum. The hop flavoring is mild; barely leaving an oily pine flavor towards the finish. The bitterness is strong throughout.

This is medium bodied with nice crisp carbonation. I am disappointed with this one for sure. I liked other Rising Tide brews, but this is no better than a common six-pack offering at at least twice the price. Bummer.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 03:32:52 | More by andrewinski1

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a solid golden orange color with a fingers worth of puffy, slightly off-white head

S: Hops are the stand-out here, with a slightly citrusy, fruity, and grassy presence. Malt has just enough presence to give it a slightly sweet caramel note

T: Follows the nose, with a great balance between the malt and hops. Hops are still at the front, but the malts make themselves known. Alcohol is very well hidden, and simply adds some more fruity notes to the hops

M: Medium bodied with a soft, moderate carbonation. Makes this beer very easy to drink

O: Wow, what a solid new beer from the guys over at Rising Tide. Amazingly balanced, yet will more than please the average hop-head. Definitely of the east-coast style of IPA, as pine isn't even in the picture with the hops. The cascade, centennial, and calypso hops really do wonders for this beer. Great job, guys!!

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 03:59:00 | More by BEERMILER12