Zephyr - Rising Tide Brewing Company

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle was poured into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance: The beer is a copper amber color with some clarity and lots of bubbles coming up through the glass. It poured a frothy one finger head that has reduced to half the size. There was some lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: bready and caramel malts followed by tangerine and grapefruit citrus heaven.

Taste: Lots of citrus, spiciness, some pine, lingering bitterness, bready and caramel malts too.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium to high carbonation, medium bodied, a little bitterness, and easy to drink.

Overall: A nice IPA from Portland, ME. Good to see an east coast brewery dabble with west coast styles. Alcohol is hidden well and there has a nice citrus and spicy taste to it too.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 01:05:03 | More by Flounder57

geoffpm

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I am always happy to find a new local hoppy beer.

Served in a Duvel tulip from a Bomber at cellar temp.

Appearance - caramel colored with half inch beige head. Certainly darker than I expected.

Smell/Nose - Totally devoid of the piney/ tropical fruit that I prefer

Taste - Much better than I expected, Good malty overtones with strong bitterness at the end.

I have to admit that I am a West coast IPA fan. My Favs are Pliny, Heady, Lagunitas Sucks, and ODell.
This beer is far from this type. Not an English style or the newly designated East coast style either.

Not my fav IPA this fall but worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 19:13:06 | More by geoffpm

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a well-shined orange hue. Barely any head at all. Leaves more lacing than expected.

S-Smell is very mild. About a 4 out of 10 in terms of IPA intensity. I am picking up baby notes of flowers and tangerines. Cracker malt. Aside from that, this brew is quite silent.

T-The flavor is an upgrade in both intensity and overall enjoyment. This beer stresses candied citrus. Maybe a bit of apricots. Malt reminds me of stale Animal Cracker. Candied oranges for days. Not much complexity.

M-Medium bodied. Not resinous. Mild to moderate bitterness and dryness. Smooth carbonation. A lick of alcohol.

O/D-The nose was weak. The flavor has enough muscle but the hops were not able to express themselves. Not a huge fan. One-sided flavor. Failed to keep me interested. Just a snoozer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 23:45:47 | More by VelvetExtract

KarlosT

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this beer at the Amesbury Beer Festival on Sep 22 2012.

Most of the beers were served from bottles into small 3oz plastic pixie cups.

Although I took notes on the 20+ different beers that I tried, it is difficult to remember all of the details associated with each beer. My apologies to readers of these notes. However, I did pay attention to my overall scores, and noted what I thought were unique positives and negatives w/ each beer.

Note that for me:
< 2.5 = probably would not finish the beer
3.0 = drinkable beer, but likely would not buy again or look for
>3.5 = will try to buy again in the future

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 14:41:07 | More by KarlosT

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Rocky head with plenty of sweeping lace. The liquid is cloudy with and orange hued amber color.

The malt base is on the sweet side. Mild hop nose--flowery.

Starts with a soft, not-so-sweet malt. The hop stays in the background until the swallow, then its all bitterness but without overwhelming. Long lasting aftertaste. Accurate body and carbonation.

Overall, a decent IPA without any extreme aspects. Nothing complex about this one, but that's okay.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 20:08:47 | More by smcolw

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.48/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was a hazy copper color with a fluffy, off-white head. There was a little bit of lace.

Sweet caramel malt aroma, then citrus. Interesting to me, there was a bit of a pear aroma.

Mostly grapefruit taste. Also a lot of caramel. The pear aroma translated well in the taste, and there was even a bit of apple.

Pretty cool, hoppy and sweet. More caramel than I would have expected, but very pleasant and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 23:33:02 | More by lordofthewiens

GuyIncognito

Maine

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is like walking through a pine forest, chewing spearmint gum (in a good way). It is a way over the hop, piney IPA. I like beers like that, but it is a little gimicky. This is a completely one sided, hoppy IPA, but I don't know if I would drink it often. I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad I tried it, but it is a little pricey. Whenever my taste buds want to go to the North woods, I'll get a Zephyr, but I don't know how often that will be.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:50:26 | More by GuyIncognito

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy and rusty orange Zephyr kinda looks like a Rogenbier. Layer of foam on top like a blanket of bone marrow colored lichen.

Odd aroma for an IPA Zephyr features pears and caramel covered granny smith apple. The usual citrus spice is there too but the pear and apple really make the aroma stand out as something fresh, air and different.

Citrus and green apple hops over rich caramel. I usually don't like lots of caramel in my IPAs but in Zephyr it work. Mouthfeel is nice and resin-y. Despite plenty of hop flavor and resin it's not a very bitter beer.

My first encounter with Calypso hops. Is that where the pear and apple are coming from? Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 23:21:54 | More by donkeyrunner

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: cloudy orange to light amber color with good head and very impressive retention.

S: sweet, malty, and some citrus hop character

T: sweet countered with bitter hops along with some pretty flavorful hops. Citrus with some grassy character stays with you on the tongue for a while. Has a weird, kind of metallic or medicinal smell.

M: very well carbonated with a medium body gives this a nice refreshing feel.

O: though its parts seem solid, there is something a little off about this beer. The smell gives away a little, but I can't tell what's going on. $7 or something like that for a bomber at Whole Foods in Portland, ME.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 22:45:58 | More by Holland

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

ToasterChef

Maine

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rising Tide held their Grand Opening Party at their new location today, and one of the big draws was growler fills of their new IPA: Zephyr. Since being filled earlier today, this growler has been in a cooler with ice packs and my fridge.

The beer looks slightly hazy. It has the color of tarnished copper. The head is small and colored tan. I don't remember it being this hazy when I had a sample pour straight from the tap at the brewery, and it had a bigger head with bigger bubbles, but such is nature of a growler pour.

The beer has a really appealing hop aroma. It's a strange mix of spicy, sweet, and bitter. There is an effervescence that reminds me of ginger. The hops don't come across as oily; I'd classify the aroma as earthy.

The flavor is full of sharp bitterness. It's grassy and pepper. The finish is full of whole peppercorns! Big bitter flavors linger on for a long time.

The beer isn't sticky, but does leave a good amount of coating. It has a touch of sugar, but mostly bitter hops.

This is another fine beer from Rising Tide. I think I enjoyed it more while I was at the brewery earlier today, but from the growler, it is still a good example of the style and another great local beer. If you are in the Portland area, you should seek this one out.

Serving type: growler

08-12-2012 00:15:16 | More by ToasterChef

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