Half Cycle IPA - Flat 12 Bierwerks

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

(Served in a bowtie glass)
A- This beer pours a touch of haze to a orange body with a thin ring of white foam supported by a few big bubbles working to the surface.

S- The notes of light toasted malt have a mineral quality to them with some caramel sweetness growing in the finish. A faint hint of green hops come through as it warms.

T- The dandelion greens hop flavor is all bitterness from start to finish for the first few sips. The dandelion milk bitterness stains the tongue as it lingers after each sip. There are some British hop qualities that come through as it opens and some watery malt notes try to fight its way in but the bitterness just dominates.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a gentle carbonation in the finish.

O- The full bitterness dominates and stains the tongue with really no other hop character standing a chance. There are faint malt hints but they remain buried. This beer was all one sided with no other character and it was tough to get through the glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 21:23:51 | More by rhoadsrage

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.34/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

On tap @ Flying Saucer in Nashville

A - Light orange/yellow with a ring of white head.

S - Grapefruit, orange and some caramel malt sweetness.

T - Moderate bitterness with a huge caramel malt sweetness. Some pine and floral flavours with a touch of citrus. Low bitterness for the style.

M - Light to medium body. Light carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 12:08:13 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Roman5150

Michigan

4.26/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

bottle purchased from Beer Depot in Murfreesboro, TN, poured into tulip glass

appearance: light orange amber, small one finger white head that doesn't last

smell: grapefruit, earthy piney hops, citrus, applejuice, popcorn, and a slight hint of some cannabis sativa (seriously, this beer smells like bag of some dank buds, I can't explain it. other reviews have noted this as well)

taste: whoa, what did i just drink. quite possibly the most unique IPA i've had, its sort of like someone took a fist full of simcoe (not sure if used, but sure smells like it) hops and a small amount of english malt and punched you in the face. Very upfront, intense flavor. The malt is blended so well with the hoppiness that it tastes almost like one, i'm not sure if that made sense but that's the only way I can describe this beer. This is the definition of a hop bomb, yet it is so well crafted and balanced that the intensity is second to it's drinkability. The finish is very hoppy and bitter, and leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth.

mouthfeel: average amount of carbonation, very smooth and refreshing; not too heavy

overall: I will be buying this upon seeing it. It's a very good underrated hop bomb of an IPA, I was pleasantly surprised. This beer reeks and tastes like earthy piney hops, if that's your thing, you will love it. While it's no Stone or Two-Hearted, this beer can hold it's one with the great IPAs of this country. This is a well crafted beer that I had no idea what I was buying when I found a single bottle at my local store, and I'm fucking glad I did.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 04:43:25 | More by Roman5150

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had this on 2013-04-06 in Warsaw, IN

A - Mostly clear gold with a 3-finger pillowy white head with good lacing.

S - Naval orange flesh, white bread, hop floral.

T - Sharp simultaneous bites of tart citrus and bitter pine, dank, mild citrus flesh, little caramel malt. Taste is quite different than the subtler and sweeter aroma. Finishes very bitter; clearly unbalanced toward the bitter side.

M - Light-medium body and medium carbonation. Extremely prickly, resinous, tongue-numbing.

O - This is one of the bitterest ~6% ABV brew I've had. A bit too out of balance for me go give it a top rating but it sure gets your attention.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:49:42 | More by Tucquan

rlee1390

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-cloudy orange two finger head with lacing some carbonation

S-hops grass dirt, not much malt but lots of hops

T-very hoppy, grass dirt and pine, mild citrus. Ends with a sharp hop bite and slight bitterness

M-medium bodied, slight carbonation mild hop resins

O- A nice all round IPA, but with so many good ones out there it is difficult to revisit it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 21:29:36 | More by rlee1390

--Dom--

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I believe this beer deserves a full review as it is rated terribly low in my opinion. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a golden-amber with 1 1/2 finger head, decent lacing. Smells of danky delicious piney goodness.

This beer is prettty darn good. Opens with danky resiny hops, not terribly complex but it works very well. Just straight up piney, doesn't mess around. Definitely more bitter than malty. Mouthfeel is crisp with medium body.

Overall, pretty outstanding IPA. In my opinion it's a great representation of a single IPA. Stays bitter throughout and still well balanced. Good work Flat 12.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 02:16:15 | More by --Dom--

sommersb

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Tasted On: 03-20-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Shaker pint
Purchased: Single from Frugal MacDoogal, Nashville

A: A big whoosh when I pop the cap and a huge glass of foam tell me right away we have an over-carbonated beer. The massive white head, while annoying, does leave a super amount of lacing and head retention. The beer's color is a hazy yellow.

S: Aromas are mostly of hops, both piney and citrus, with a bit of yeast spiciness as well.

T: Big hoppy, West-coast style IPA bitterness, with the tartness of grapefruit. Not really any hint of malt.

M: Crisp mouthfeel and very much over-carbonated, the body is medium. Finishes with the same big hoppy bitterness as noted in the taste.

O: Overall a highly bitter IPA; not very balanced so not a very interesting take on the style in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 20:54:25 | More by sommersb

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.09/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from zrab11 (sweet extra!). No bottling info. Served in a Burnt Hickory snifter.

Pours a clear orange hued gold with a quarter finger of off white head.

Smells of fresh citrus and pine and a sweet inviting almost birthday cake aroma. Nice.

Taste is bold and bitter with grapefruit, papaya, pine and citrus rinds. A hint of sweet cake is the only concession made to malt balance and I'm just fine with that.

An oily medium light body with a nice light carbonation. Long, dry, bitter grapefruity aftertaste.

This little guy packs a huge bitter hoppy punch considering that it's only 6% abv. It is a tasty gem that I'll happily enjoy anytime it's offered and specifically request in future trades.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 23:59:24 | More by ThickNStout

Swik

Indiana

4.06/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Hop head, so again take with a grain of salt

Appearance, usual ipa golden

Smell, hop hop hop

Taste, wonderful although they don't list hops used if I had to take a guess I'd say galaxy/citra and along with the citra taste comes the zombie dust comparisons and I gotta say in my own opinion it's damn close with a lil more hop complexity, where the dust has a very sweet tropical fruit punch to your tongue this one leaves it straight scorched,.great job flat 12 this one will be on regular rotation in my fridge!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 17:19:49 | More by Swik

Jayman931

Mississippi

4.01/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Nice Golden brown color. Nice big head that lingers and nice carbonation
A:Great Hop Smell....
T:Citrus and Grassy....Creeps up on ya! And keeps coming! 100+ IBUs Very nice
M: Good...what you would expect from a 6%

Think I am gonna have another :) Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:42:27 | More by Jayman931

TheSSG

Illinois

3.31/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a huge, dense, white head that has a bit of lacing. Huge, bright grapefruit aroma with a faint sweet malt in the background. Radiant gold color. Starts with a very bitter (and surprisingly) intense pine flavor that almost reminds me of gasoline. It subsides briefly to have a medium-high pine citrus, with mostly bitterness in the finish. If you let it sit a bit, the malt does come through, and the pine sap bitterness subsides into a really pleasant hoppiness.

Holy hell was this unexpected. 104.1 IBU's at 6% ABV. This is an absolute kick in the tongue, which isn't my thing, but maybe it's your thing. I like my hops floral and intensely aromatic, but without such bitterness. Maybe a little bit of pine, and citrus is always nice, but I just don't dig such an aggressive pine profile. If you like to lick sticky pine sap, and you crave bitterness, head over to this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 02:17:39 | More by TheSSG

CheeseheadNation

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Nice looking amberish orange, poured into my FFF Teku glass. Very little head and lacing.

S - A good amount of citrus and pine. Little bit of tropical fruit with some earthyness to it.

T - Pretty much tastes like it smells, which is a good thing.

M - Light-Medium bodied with slight carbonation. Very drinkable.

Flat 12 makes some solid beers and I expect for them to get better with time. This is solid IPA and is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 04:39:45 | More by CheeseheadNation

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from CWBlues, thanks Cy! 12oz bottle into a tulip.

Unfiltered orange, voluminous and dense white head - tremendous lace and chunks of retention. Nose of orange, tangerine and lighter citrus, some piney/herbal that's peripheral. Light sweet malt character. Taste has more bitter citrus along the same lines as the nose, finishing grassy and herbal. Slight dank qualities. Bitterness is medium high, carbonation is fairly low. A serviceable, quite bitter IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:22:24 | More by liamt07

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Many thanks to jisom123 for sending a few bottles of this stuff!

A - Pours a medium amber color with a very dense, creamy head. mild but steady carbonation and a thick lacing ring.

S - Toasted caramel malt with pine and citrus hops, not much in the nose.

T - Some toasted caramel malt up up front that quickly gets knocked down with a healthy amount of spicy, piney, citrus hops. The spice portion of the hop flavor comes with some onion character and the bitterness is long and lingering. It's "just about" balanced but not so much to stifle the hops. Leaves a small coating of orange/mango at the very end.

M - Medium body and coats the mouth with some onion, pine, and grapefruit. Lots of carbonation on the tongue and slick on the end.

O - This is a solid IPA and I'm looking forward to cracking another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 21:23:47 | More by jzeilinger

Casedogg43

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just had a bottle, had a pint yesterday!
This IPA is terrific!

A: Hazy orange that is cloudy with a nice off white head.

S: Citus, hops, piney. Smells large

T: way hoppy. Smooth and balanced with a hint of sweet and malts. Like it

M: Mouthfeel big for IPA. Hops linger just right!

O: big fan. Now that's it in bottles, will keep some in the fridge!

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 00:46:08 | More by Casedogg43

AmitC

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance : Golden brown color.

Pours with a huge head. Big for an IPA i think.

A lot of carbonation bubbles. Quite bubbly for an IPA.

Smell : Huge hops. A bit of citrus.

Taste: Well the bitterness grows on you with every sip. First sip - does not feel that bitter going in, after taste is a bit bitter. And then it just keeps on getting hoppier.

Loved it just for this.

Decent alcohol content. Would have been a 'killer' of a beer for me if it had the strength too of a DIPA. A bit oily, a bit herby.

Serves my purpose.

Loved it just for the bitterness 104 wow.. My palette and my neck felt it real well.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:32:23 | More by AmitC

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a golden straw color with 1 finger of white head that dissipates pretty quick. Vertical streaks of lacing left on the glass.

S - Dank concentrated herbal hops, some floral. Smells like cannabis. Not getting much else.

T - Follows up the nose with crunchy herbal hops, dried pine needles, floral purfume, dry cereal malt barely shows up but doesn't stand a chance against the hops. Finishes bitter and very dry.

M - Slick and oily feel, medium carbonation that drops off.

It's good for 1 pint. The dry herbal hops just wreck your palate. Good if you're in the mood for an herbal hop bomb.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 17:15:19 | More by StaveHooks

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Here’s yet another beer bottled by the local guys at Flat 12 – hopefully this is a sign of more to come from this brewery.

A: Short tan head – light tan in color and fizzy in texture – with a slightly hazy, golden-amber body. Only a small film of rough retention and a few big strings of retention remain after a brief moment.

S: Dank, resiny hops engage the senses with ferocious intensity – hops, hops, hops. Huge pine and grapefruit make this beer reek of oily astringency, with a small amount of caramel malt peeking through.

T: These bitters are as tight, spicy, and piney as they are in the nose; it’s a resin powerhouse. IBUs are in full form – loads of juicy hop oils at every turn – with an earthy groundwork of biscuity malts and grains. The balance is skewed to the hop front, but it isn’t so aggressive that it makes it tough to drink. There’s only a tiny shred of alcohol to it, and even that only ends up augmenting the spicy intensity of the hops, pushing them into a dry, resiny aftertaste. Bordering on DIPA boldness, even with some moments of oniony ultra-hops.

M: Slickness and oily fullness abounds, but with noticeable carb that keeps it from being overly drinkable. Rounded on the edges, though it would be better even smoother.

O: This is one big beer, almost too big for its own good. I remember having this on-tap and not liking it that much, but this time, this hop-bomb hit the spot – and even though it has the same fundamental big-hop balance as their Amber, I liked it. I don't think I'll ever stop enjoying that type of palate.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 20:43:17 | More by BarryMFBurton

secondtooth

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy amber, with a thick 3-finger head. Attractive wall of lace.

Nose is pungent pine hops, with some tropical citrus. Very nice!

Taste is strong and bitter with assertive hopping and deep pine and citrus notes. With a big, bold, and sticky mouthfeel, this West coast style IPA finishes dry. Quite a surprise and an excellent IPA!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 14:40:16 | More by secondtooth

JDizzle

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have had this beer on multiple occasions and it keeps me craving for more.

A: Pours bronze orange that is cloudy with an off white head that is impressive.

S: Huge HOPS upfront with little malt on the nose. Really piney and citrusy. Great smelling IPA. Smells heavier than it drinks.

T: WOW, really comes off like a DIPA. Not sure why, but I feel like I am drinking a 10% hop bomb without the high ABV. Super hoppy with bitter pine and sweet malt on the finish. I really love this beer!!

M: Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy. Good carbs and great finish with a nice lingering bitterness that is not too harsh on the enamel.

One of my favorite IPA's ever!!

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 03:08:27 | More by JDizzle

dougdecinces

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Copying all my ratings over from ratebeer.com. I feel I should be represented on both sites. This is #1 of 83.

On tap at twenty tap. Hop aroma was nonexistent, but very good hop flavor. Grapefruit and mango flavors. Complex malt flavors. Sweet, bready, and biscuity all at once. Very well balanced. Good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 01:48:18 | More by dougdecinces

aasher

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was enjoyed at the Ale Emporium in Indianapolis.

It arrived a rich, unpolished gold in color with a soapy one finger head. The nose is soft, fresh, soapy with no bitterness and some spice. I dig it. The flavors too are fresh and spicy. It has some fresh hop esque soap to it as well as a moderate amount of onion. I didn't get the onion from previous experiences. The spicyness is its best characteristic and makes it somewhat unique. It drinks light and has plenty of carbonation. The alcohol isn't present at all. It isn't sticky either. Overall this is a decent local IPA and pretty enjoyable. I'd recommend trying it if you haven't already.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 18:53:13 | More by aasher

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend over the Christmas holiday. Served in a pint glass. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice orange color with a good white head and plenty of lacing. Thin cap throughout. The nose carries some good notes of pine plus some orange and other citrus. Flavor has the hops, but not quite in the same bouquet as the aroma. Light-medium body with good carbonation and a dry finish. Good brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 15:18:38 | More by Thorpe429

cnally

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have been stopping by this place more and more, and this is one of the reasons why.

The body of the beer is a greatly vibrant orange color, and even coming from the growler it has a fluffy, sticky white head.

The aroma certainly attracts the piney hop one--aggressive from what I am guessing would be Magnum/Nugget families of hops. Low malt profile on this, barely a sniff of the base malt or any specialty.

The flavor more or less explains why they can get a beer up to 104 IBU while still selling it for $8 a growler. There is little backing malt profile, not to say that is a bad thing, but such a small part of the flavor comes from the lightly toasted base grain. This comes off like a hop juice, aggressive but not attacking--enough to make your tongue shrivel a little bit. In spite of the massive hop quality, it is drinkable due to the small semblance of a malt backbone.

The frothy, awesomely carbonated mouthfeel counteract the dryness from the hops. Feels a lot lighter than other hop laden IPAs.

You can tell they did their homework on this beer. It has so much hop profile it comes dangerously close to being overhopped. However, there is enough of a malt addition to make it pretty drinkable.

Serving type: growler

11-20-2011 00:01:28 | More by cnally

LiquidBread219

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A= Pours Golden Yellow a little cloudy, Nice foamy white head with good retention some lacing.

S= Earthy and pine are the main part of the nose a little citrus hops. The beer really smell hop and it does kind of smell a little bit like pot.

T= The pine really comes through in the taste you have some nice bitterness but the pine does take center stage in this one.

M=Medium bodied, Medium Carbonation.

O= Overall, I really enjoyed this beer A nice Ipa from a smaller brewery would try again.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 20:17:51 | More by LiquidBread219