Evil Twin Before, During And After Christmas Beer - Evil Twin Brewing

womencantsail

California

3.15/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

A: The beer pours a clear, golden-orange with a finger of white head and a little bit of lacing.

S: Starts off better than the Katz Pis. Actually has some citrus to it with some wood, herbal hops, and pine. There is a mild grapefruit note to go along with the intense sweetness of caramel and toffee.

T: Overall, the flavor of this beer is quite sweet. Toffee, caramel, and brown sugar really dominate the flavor. There is a bit of herbal and woody hops with a light touch of citrus.

M: Medium in body with a medium carbonation.

O: Not horrible, but just way too sweet without anywhere near enough hop character.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2011 19:04:34 | More by womencantsail

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle split at Pikkulintu in Helsinki. From notes.

A - Hazy dark copper pour with a mild eggshell head and a little visible carbonation.

S - Rich and malty with deep rich, juicy hops that tingle the nose quite well. Bready and fruity. Nice.

T - Underwhelming. Both malty and hoppy but seems mild in a sense. Juicy hops are there but not at all a hop bomb. Mostly the same as the aroma but a little bit more tame.

M - Tongue ripping bitterness. Medium to full body and tingly carbonation to go with it. Good.

O/D - Not bad at all. Standard for the style I think. Nothing to write home about and probably not worth seeking out. Just too tame IMO.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 17:41:52 | More by tbeckett

dodgerrigo

California

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ the Trappist in Oakland.

Appeared to be a nice IPA but didnt live up to appearance.
Tha aroma was minimal and unfortunately so was the taste.
I wasnt expectin a west coast IPA but I do expect a little more hop flavor in an Imperial from any country. It wasnt difficult to drink but not worth 45 minute commute from SF on BART and walk.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 02:46:16 | More by dodgerrigo

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a cloudy honey amber with a massive, rocky white head and spots of lacing everywhere.

S-Lots of malt in the nose with some resiny hops.

T-Sweet malt, minimal hops in the front, some bitter resinous notes in the finish.

M-Medium bodied, oily.

O-Fair enough, nothing special. Expensive for what it delivers.

HV

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 00:29:45 | More by sholland119

popery

California

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a rich golden shade of orange with a frothy, off-white head head. It's quite cloudy and lacing clings to the glass walls. The aroma is quite hoppy, though it could be punched up a notch or two. The hops tend toward tangerines, pineapples, strawberries, pine and marijuana. There's some sugary caramel underneath, but it's not too strong. The malt sweetness picks up on the palate, and the beer is fairly sweet. The hops don't quite reign things in enough, but they do their level best and the finish is fairly bitter. Unfortunately, the flavor also washes out a bit somehow towards the end. Mouthfeel starts full but thins a bit. Carbonation is relatively low. There's a touch of booze, not bad nor good for an 8% abv beer. This is tasty stuff, but it doesn't blow me away, and I'm a bit disappointed, given the high price tag.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 04:28:53 | More by popery

jsanford

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Distillery in Savannah, Ga.

Poured a hazy orange with a creamy white head that fades to a soapy haze. Nice aromas and flavors of pine resin, grapefruit, and moderately sweet caramel malt. Mouthfeel is crisp and smooth, with a medium body and good carbonation. Overall a very nice, West Coast-style DIPA that does everything well, but isn't too memorable or outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 23:29:48 | More by jsanford

ferrari29

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into Pilsener shaped glass

A - Light gold colored body, cloudy; yeast sediment is visible, floats around and makes that body look viscous; 1 finger foam formed with a white/creme colored frothy head; some sticky lacing formed on the sides of the glass

S - Pine comb; citrus; hop rinse aromas; crispy and clean nose caramel malt backbone

T - Crisp and clean caramel malt taste starts in the middle and moves to the back of the palate; tip of the tongue starts with a pine and hop bite; some biscuit

M - Thin and slightly effervescent; retro-olfaction is in major effect here - heavy pine mucus flavor

D - Good and enjoyable; I expected more bite and better appearance from this beer; I've heard a lot of good things abut Evil Twin brewing so I'm willing to try more if it becomes available; slightly thin for such a thick and heavy body

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 18:40:27 | More by ferrari29

brewski09

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

an all around drinkable beer with NO SPICES

A - This was a little darker than the other two IPA's by evil twin, but pretty nice to look at. moderate head that stayed for a while.

S - nothing too special for a double ipa here. just a solid, pleasant aroma of hops.

T - again, nothing special here. the taste was even and balanced. not too aggressive, not to mellow.

M - light in mouthfeel, but pleasant.

D - drinkable anytime, but expensive again. this was my least favorite of the 5 offerings from evil twin, and still better than a lot of beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 01:09:24 | More by brewski09

RickS95

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Comes out looking like the color of a peach. It's a light, orangey brown color. Enough stuff in it that it's opaque. The head is what held the score down a little. It's very fleeting. If you blink, all you see is a thing ring of white around the edge and a tiny bit of lace.

The smell is a bit strange. You'd guess it to be extremely hoppy with citrus, and that's there, but there's also an overwhelming malt flavor that I can't quite put my finger on.

The taste is similar in that there's a hoppy citrus presence, but a very malty backbone as well, maybe too malty. Despite this, the flavors are all a bit thin.

While the taste and smell were a bit unique, the mouthfeel was about what you'd expect. Slight fruity sweetness up front, followed by a gradual building of the hoppy bitter. There's still a subtleness to it all, kind of a watery, loose feel. Medium bodied, it's got a lingering bitterness that coats your tongue and lasts well into the swallow. It's not a palate-wrecker, so it's fairly easy to drink.

Overall, it's kind of a strange beer. Reminds me of a black IPA, where things just don't quite agree with me. This isn't a bad beer, just something I need more than one of to develop a liking for. I've got another 500 ml in the cellar, so maybe the next one will be better.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:42:34 | More by RickS95

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A HuGe thanks to rtepiak for bring this up from NYC for me! 500mL brown glass pry-top bottle. 8% ABV, brewed at Fano Bryghus. No freshness date.

Pours a hazy orange amber with 2 inches of thick, fluffy white head that has good retention and leaves some spotting.

Nose smells like hop oils, lemon and lime essences, orange pulp and a suggestion of cereal grains.

Palate is pretty aggressively bitter, with huge hop extraction going on here! Lots of silky, juicy hop resin, leafy "bud" flavors, bitter lime zest, lemon balm and other earthy, leafy flavors. Palate is dry and the finish dries it out further with astringent hops. There is also an evergreen, pine-needle-like, juniper-like note way out on the finish.

Notes: Perhaps one of the best *imported* Double IPAs I've had. These guys understand the American IIPA category and I suspect that if this were 5 months younger, I would be giving it more "5's" (assuming of course that this was released in December/January).

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 05:38:24 | More by SFLpunk

GRG1313

California

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear medium dark orange amber with a fast fading white head.

Nose is elegant with assertive esters but not overwhelming, refined and unlike some other Eviltwin brews where they are overwhelming. Stone fruit, pears and honey in the nose in a nice integrated floral blend.

Mouthfeel is medium to full with a thick, creamy and bold character. Some of the alcohol comes through but adds to the character of this one; does not distract.

Flavors are complex and sophisticated. Cooked oranges, cooked citrus, light honeyed carmel, all very well integrated, bold and appealing.

Finish is big bitter lemon/grapefruit skin oil but pleasant. A nice complex beer that's well integrated and appealing.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 00:30:09 | More by GRG1313

oline73

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap at Max's during Baltimore Beer Week. Served in a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours mostly clear amber color with a layer of fluffy off white head. Good retention and lacing.

Smell: Malty background with citrus and pine hops up front.

Taste: Citrus peel hops dominate the middle and finish of each sip. Bready malt up front with mild pine and a mild butter taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this was easy to drink given the abv and the style. My only complaint it that the buttery flavor could go away.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 21:44:45 | More by oline73

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at POPE, Philly, PA

I'm not sure what, if anything, this beer has to do with Christmas, but either way, what I got was a solid IPA. Don't expect anything spicy or winter-warmer-y here.

Poured into a stem glass a slightly hazy golden-orange color with a small but solid white head that lingered right to the end. Woody aroma, resin and piney hops, and not much else. Pretty standard. Hoppy qualities carry over into the taste, overlaid on a solid caramel male base. Well-balanced. Typical American-style IPA profile. Nothing special, but certainly nothing bad. Medium-bodied and quite drinkable for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2011 18:36:35 | More by Rifugium

jono311

Louisiana

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-slightly orange straw color with a thin but solid head

S-grapefruit upfront with some faint pine resin in the background.

T-no doubt its an IPA, nice combination of citrus hop with pine like hops and a good does of caramel maltiness to retain balance.

M-a good rich mouthfeel with good balance especially for an IPA, solid drying from the hop bitterness and a lingering aftertaste that is downright awesome.

O-A great IPA, not over the top hops but definitely not lacking a quality representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 19:45:46 | More by jono311

baggio

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle@Home

A: Golden orange with a hugh, white, head and some lacing.

S: Caramel, Citrus, Peach, Flowers.

T: Caramel, Hint of alcohol, Tropical fruits, Grapefruit.

M: Quite thick and resiny with lots of bittering hops. Easy drink with lots of carbonation.

A good DIPA that could use a bit less alcohol and more hops at the end of the boil and some additional dryhopping. A solid effort!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 22:55:28 | More by baggio

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice take on a US DIPA, nothing that memorable but hitting all the right notes.

Presentation: 10 oz draft serving. The menu notes the main characteristic of the brew and 8% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Slightly hazy pale to medium amber pour with thin layer of froth… This thing is served to the rim… moderate retention, fair surface memory and lacing.

S - Citrus and resin, again nice although not too assertive, too cold a serving probably…

T - Taste follows nicely and expands with a rich resin and citric sense, sweet caramel malt holding it up nicely.

M - Medium body with fair carbonation, slightly oily with a nice lingering bitter finish.

O - Nice take on a DIPA, pleasing and quality if a bit perfunctory.

Notes: I was simply eager to try something from Evil Twin on tap and this fitted the bill…. Rather nice, but all things considered, available choices etc, and while nice, I would probably not choose it again, at least not while in the US.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2011 01:23:02 | More by Daniellobo

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased from K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA.

Pours an extremely cloudy orange colour with a full and vibrant head of just yellowish white. Lacing is patchy, but clumping, and pretty persistent. Moderately light bodied considering the strength and style, but it's not bad. Looks pretty good.

Nose is bright and fruity, in a pretty standard IPA way. It's slightly more round than most, without the sharp citric tone that marks a lot of IPAs. Here, there's a softer stewed oranges character to it, and a touch of something earthier, with some tea and crushed vegetation. Not bad.

Taste is similar. Quite bright but rather light, and very rounded, without a sharp bitterness. Indeed, the ending comes across with a strong orange peel character that gives plenty of flavour but little bitterness or crispness. Otherwise, hints of musk and pine break through, but they're subtle.

Good, but it never really breaks any new ground, and while it's a solid IPA, it's not an astonishing one.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 00:04:20 | More by lacqueredmouse

McNealc31

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Don't let the name fool you, Evil Twin Before, During and After Christmas is not a winter warmer full of cinnamon and nutmeg, it's a monster Double IPA.

You'll know before the first sip from the hazy orange color, creamy white head, and huge hops aromas. Hops dominate the flavor, too. Lots of pine and citrus. A hint of caramel and bread. Outstanding lacing. Fantastically bitter, too. I wasn't able to find an IBU rating, but it would not surprise me if this is 100+.

If you like bruising IPAs, seek this one out!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 03:14:52 | More by McNealc31

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy yellowish orange in color. It poured with a half finger high dense off white head that hardly died down.
S: There are aromas of citrusy hops in the nose—grapefruit seems to stand out in particular with some notes of orange.
T: Like the smell, the taste is dominated by flavors of citrusy hops but also has a noticeable presence of underlying caramel malts, especially given its high alcohol content. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has nice hop aromas and flavors but is easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden and it isn’t overly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 22:15:25 | More by metter98

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a tulip, a hazy orange with a tall, sturdy head.

S - ALot of citrus and bitter hops in the aroma. Sweet and floral hop notes as well. Refreshing scents as most ipa's contain.

T - Alot of bitter hops up front with a sweet side to boot. Citrus flowing through but mostly the bitter green hops are prominent. Didnt detect the spice profile that this beer was explained to have. Seemed like a pretty straight forward imperial IPA.

M - Very crisp bodied, refreshing and clean like most IPAs. Semi dry finish.

O - Seems like the hop character could have been modified some, seemed mostly green and bitter to me. Maybe this wasnt supposed to have seasonal spices, unless they couldn't be detcted from the bottle I got.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 22:50:21 | More by BeerForMuscle

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyable DIPA.
Bottle at Ginger Man NYC shared with George. Big hops, lts of orange flabour, above average carbonation. Big in face hops. A nice sweetness that made it dangerously drinkable, some cardomon perhaps contributed to sweetness as well. Above average mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 02:57:17 | More by northyorksammy

nimrod979

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into a tulip glass. There was a bottled on date perhaps but it was mostly rubbed off.

Appearance: Poured a slighty hazy and glowing orange with a big two finger white foamy head. Excellent retention and lacing all the way down.

Aroma: Grapefruit citrusy hops. Some piney resin. Mostly dominated by the tropical fruit aromas.

Taste: Grapefruit-y and tropical hops bitterness. Slight sweetness. A touch of pine resin. Some biscuit malts for a little balance. Pretty good.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation. Lingering grapefruit citrus bitterness. Easy and tasty. Would be enjoyed by any hop head.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 18:25:39 | More by nimrod979

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, orange citrus rind hops and a note of gingerbread like maltiness. In the taste, orange citrus rind hops, gingerbread like malt, and a small alcohol presence. A mellow hop bite, and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a lightly dry orange juice citrus, small gingerbread malt and a touch of alcohol. Big hops, somewhat malty, and a note of alcohol all the way through.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 14:46:32 | More by OWSLEY069

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a cloudy orange/amber color with an inch and a half frothy off-white head. Head retention is good, and there is a lot of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is citrusy (grapefruit, orange peel), pine and a bit of floral hops, along with some sweet malt. It tastes mostly like citrusy (grapefruit, lemon and orange peel) and pine hops, and a bit of malt. There's also a nice lingering bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's somewhat sticky and slick with good carbonation. I think this is a good brew, now I'm looking forward to trying their other beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 23:18:20 | More by bluejacket74

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good beer for the "Before" and I let it warm some before pouring a healthy sized, foamy, frothy, fluffy, thick, off-white head that lasts a while and plenty of lace. Color is a slightly hazy amber apricot with a number of bubble trails. Aroma is classic, heavy duty American IPA - lots of grapfruit, pineapple, citrus, resin, malt, caramel. yeast. Flavor's like nose with just more of everything, although there's a slight muting of carbonic tang and corresponds to likewise slightly soft carbonation. Body is good and full. Finish is like flavor, very long and has only an indication of alcohol. Nice beer if you're in need of a hop fix.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 23:57:39 | More by drpimento