Islander IPA - Coronado Brewing Company

kojevergas

California

2.58/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Acquired at a local Ralph's market. My bottle displays the ABV is 7.0%. Expectations are below average. Reviewed live.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of fair cream and thickness, and good retention. Hardly any lacing at all as it recedes. Colour is a semitransparent pale yellow - more dull than vibrant. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. The plethora of carbonation bubbles suggests potential overcarbonation.

Sm: Piney oily hops with light floral character. Maybe this'll be a balanced IPA after all. Somewhat buttery. Clean malts. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Oily and a bit piney but way too bitter and oily in the third act and climax. The climax is just buttery oily artificial garbage. It almost feels like some kind of crude hop extract was used. Bleh. Clean malts are present underneath as the foundation. Whatever they used to try to balance the bitterness was an abysmal choice. It's a simple crappy IPA. Not at all subtle or complex. No layering.

Mf: Oily, buttery, smooth, and wet. It's disconcerting and doesn't feel clean. Disharmonious relative to the flavour profile. Adequately (if not over) carbonated. Too thick for the lack of flavour.

Dr: A poorly constructed IPA that tries to venture into pine territory but gets caught up in its own oily nature. Fans of the style might enjoy it, but it borders on movie theatre popcorn buttery, turning me off to it. Decently priced for what it is, but it's low quality. I certainly wouldn't get it again.

A poor candidate for aging.

Might pair well with popcorn (I'm trying to stay on the bright side here).

C-

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 05:33:51 | More by kojevergas

Murrhey

Montana

2.58/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured on-tap at Coronado Brewing. Reviewed from notes.

A- Half finger white head, orange-brown color.

S- Light smell, hoppy, unbalanced.

T- Not great hoppy and bitter finish.

M- Heavier for an IPA. Chewy.

O- Not Coronado's best beer. Not terribly good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 00:06:34 | More by Murrhey

prdstmnky

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I couldn't find any dating on this bottle despite some info stating there should / might be. Poured into a pint glass, light golden amber body with 2 fingers of creamy white head on top...decent retention and some nice lacing.

Pine and citrus hops, as well as some pale malts in the nose. Malts seem to be upfront in the taste, with an astringent bitterness in the finish - very odd. Light to medium bodied with adequate carbonation, and quite dry.

I got a feeling that I didn't get the freshest bottle. This is my first time trying this beer, but my pour seemed to be quite different than many others - very little citrus except on the first few whiffs, and the bitterness was more oxidation / astringency than hoppiness. Maybe I'll give it another go if i can somehow find a fresh bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 02:55:29 | More by prdstmnky

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz into pint.

A - Pours a nice deep yellow/orange with small to medium white head. Very little lacing.

S - Oranges, grapefruit, some grass. A bit of caramel and bready malt.

T - Decent taste. You get the piney grass hops as well as some kick from the tropical hops (oranges, lemon, grapefruits). There is a strong showing of caramel malt with a bit of toffee.

M - Tacky, medium-light, slightly dry

O - A decently tasty IPA, but nothing that makes it stand out among other IPAs. Pretty average and was rated as such.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 18:30:30 | More by OakedCanuck

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a 13 oz tulip, not sure of the age, thinking it is passed its prime. Pours a orange yellow, with lots of floaties, attractive lace. Smell is stale citrus, grass, mango, and some grapefruit. Taste is that, fairly balanced, but citrus is the flavors. Body not is less than medium for ABV, nice amount carbonation, a dry finish, and fairly easy drinking. I have a strong hunch by all the floaties on the bottom that it was passed its prime, but my mother picked up in Florida for me, so I can't complain.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 21:57:37 | More by SawDog505

Zorro

California

3.06/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear light amber color this is almost gold instead of light amber. Small white colored head.

Baking soda biscuit malt aroma it doesn't smell very sweet. Light pine and grapefruit aromas it is quite tame for a west coast IPA.

Starts out tasting very dry and fairly bitter. This is very dry with a mineral water flavor and a sharp hop bite. And that is about all, very dry and sharply bitter.

Mouthfeel is light.

Overall a disappointment. I expected more from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:41:00 | More by Zorro

andyinsdca

California

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A pretty good IPA.
Appearance (in a mug) was cloudy amber, good head.
Taste & mouthfeel: A hoppy and slightly bitter IPA. I liked it but I can see why it might turn other people off.

Overall: It's not something I'll drink all the time, there are better IPAs out there, but this is a decent one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2008 21:36:55 | More by andyinsdca

HopHead84

California

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

7/9/2011

On tap at Mother Earth.

A: Hazy orange with a yellow tinge and a small white head.

S: More aromatic than I expected, redolent of orange flesh, tangerine, and grapefruit. Malt is faint and lightly grainy.

T: Onion blends with orange and tangerine flesh as well as a little orange pith. I'm not digging the onion. Grainy and caramely malt with a light sweetness that balances the moderate hop bitterness.

M: Lower medium body with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Not bad but subpar for San Diego. I wouldn't order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 12:19:11 | More by HopHead84

deereless

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: A deep golden color with a tinge of copper, soft cottony head, some lacing down the sides of the glass - 4.50, S: Quintessential American IPA - lots of citrus and pine aromas, a slightly sweet graininess - 3.50, T: Tons of grapefruit pith, sharp hop bite that borderlines on harsh - I seldom cry foul when hops are involved but this one just misses the mark in my opinion, there is also a dry graininess to the beer - 3.00, M: 3.00, D: I've heard lots of good things about Coronado but this particular beer just didn't click with me, a little too harsh and lacking much in balance, too many other stellar IPAs out there - 2.75

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 00:32:17 | More by deereless

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Huge head like the Idiot IPA. Almost the same honey amber color too. Same malty sweetness in the nose. Grassy citrusy hops. Candied oranges and stone fruits. Is this the same beer?

Hops have a little more piney/grassy bite in the taste than the Idiot IPA. Tastes like a load of simcoe hops. Bitterness doesn't stick to your tongue. Sweet malty aftertaste.

This beer is very similar to the Idiot as I already said just a little less sweeter and the hops come out to play. Neither seem like they're worth revisiting. My score seems high for these two beers because they look and feel good.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 20:25:02 | More by BearsOnAcid

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Coronado Islander IPA

Appearance: Poured on tap, a bright copper colored brew with plenty of lacing going down the side of the glass.

Smell: Floral and citrus hops make up most of the aroma in this beer.

Taste: Earthy rind-like hops, a bit aggressive in the Grapefruit department. Hint of dog breath. Light caramel malt but this beer is very bitter indeed.

M/D. Ok beer here from Coronado. Not sure what kind of hops are used but they are very bitter and don't provide the best of flavors. It needs alittle more balance to take it to the next level.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2010 12:28:42 | More by Stinkypuss

FrothyBeverage

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Has a rich golden color that reminds me of a cali sunset. Average head but mucho waterfall lacing. Smells very citrusy and hoppy. Very pleasant aroma. Not as prevalant of a taste compared to the smell. Somewhat weak in flavor for an ipa but a very refreshing taste none the less. West coast hops are the dominating flavor. Very smooth for a 7%. The mouthfeel is very smooth and crisp. Not much of a bite and an excellent summer beer. I find this beer very drinkable, its smooth and goes down fast.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 05:25:24 | More by FrothyBeverage

ryno09

California

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - Unfiltered, orange-ish copper. Finger and half beige head

Aroma - Tropical fruits, maybe some peach. Lacks the pineyness. There's a sweetness to aroma with a hint of alcohol.

Taste - The bitterness hits you first, but there is not a lot of it although it does linger somewhat. The malt has a slight breadiness that comes in to smooth it out. It's real easy to drink, has a nice crispness that you typically get with regular pale ales but something lacking for many IPAs. It's lacking the defining characteristics of the great IPAs. I was hoping more of the citrus notes I get on the nose would shine through in the taste but I'm not getting much.

It's a smooth and easy drinking beer, perfect for those beach days on the island. At 7%, you wouldn't know it while soaking in the sunshine.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 02:52:10 | More by ryno09

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured with a nice, foamy, frothy, very light tan head that lasted a while and good lacing. Color is a clear amber with bubble trails. Aroma is major grapefruit with lots of pine and a little other fruit along with malt. Flavor is like nose with the grapefruit/pine characteristics dominating all else. Body is good and so is carbonation. Finish is like flavor and fairly long. The grapefruit is not personally for me. Glad I tried it but I don't want any more.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 00:24:13 | More by drpimento

darklordlager

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange-amber colour with a rocky 1/2" with some nice retention and great lacing as it goes down the glass.

Smell: Big grapefruit notes and orange zest dominate this. A light caramel lingering in the background.

Taste: Much like the smell. Nice big smack of a combination of bitter grapefruit and sweet orange. Sugary sweetness helps keep it from becoming overwhelming, but a bit more caramel/malt flavour would be nice. Too sweet.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is kept in check, making it go down easy. Bitterness lingers, keeping the palette quenched.

Drinkability: A bit too "sugary" sweet in trying to balance out the alcohol, but still a pleasant experience none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 06:28:23 | More by darklordlager

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into tulip thanks to Arbitrator.

A- ... WTF! Gusher! Thankfully I was able to suck down the head (I can't believe I just typed that) and had a glass ready. Strange- bottle settled for a few days before opening. Pour is a dull orange with minimal head or lacing.

S- Kind of muted at first. Opens up with a bit of a floral note and some urinal cake.

T- Nice bitter hop blast. No urinal cake in the taste. Good caramel malt, stronger in presence than I expected.

M- Good lingering bitterness, nice body.

D- Good. Tasty, but not top-tier, or even a starter on the second string. Still, I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 04:26:09 | More by ShogoKawada

Docer

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Received a couple in a trade from my bro jgap..

- Nice light copper yellow, clear.. finger of white foam... bubble and a thin layer sticks around.

- Some citrus, fruit, grain... some diacetyl.. lightly buttery... don't know what it is w/ these Coronado brews I got to try..

- Taste isn't too loaded with diacetyl... but it is present. Buttery biscuit bready grain, bitterness, fruit salad... touch nutty.. waldorph salad...

- Light to medium bodied, little creamy, well carbonated...

- I am wondering if the location or Coronado is f'ing up their bottling line and beers. Diacetyl is no Coronados worst enemy whether is be their fault, or the shops carrying it. I guess that is the way it goes when distribution suffers.

I know Coronado brews stellar and great beers. But they really need to buckle down on their bottling issues. Dating, and rotation I think is key.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 08:21:44 | More by Docer

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy brownish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is very hoppy, a touch of citrus. Taste is very hop forward, considerable bitterness, a slight hint of citrus, no real malt balance. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 22:07:54 | More by tone77

claspada

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark orange color with a white frothy head that recedes at an average pace leaving some lacing.

Aromas begin with big citrus fruits, pineapple and orange. There is some light caramel and toasted biscuit maltiness that comes out as well.

The tastes follow the nose with with more citrus and orange and the bitterness is much more sharp than I expected from the nose. There is a peppery, vegetal bitterness follows as the fruitiness subsides, which is probably from excess dry-hopping.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is fairly resiny, vegetal and bitter, even more an IPA.

Overall this is just another overly bitter, unbalanced West Coast style IPA lost in a sea of well made truely balanced (or more desireable) aroma forward IPAs that exist in today's IPA saturated market. Nothing to see here, move on...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 16:25:10 | More by claspada

Seanibus

California

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was a decent beer, but nothing stood out for me on it.

Pours golden clear with a decent white head and a lazy carbonation from the bottom. Smell is surprisingly earthy, opening to a light floral hoppiness. The flavor is delicate, with a little honey and clover and a strong citrus bitterness. Mouthfeel is slick and thin.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 21:28:04 | More by Seanibus

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Hazy orange with a decent amount of head. Head does dissipate pretty quickly

Aroma- Does not stack up to other SoCal IPAs. A bit of citrus and a few floral notes.

Taste- More malty than hoppy. A little bitterness but not much going on here. This is a huge disappointment because I really liked the Idiot DIPA.

Mouth/Drink- Average IPA, not to thick or sticky.

Overall this is not a beer I would go out of my way for in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 06:35:31 | More by cadaugherty

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Bought at that bottle shop in Surf City NC.

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange with a thin head and some decent, spotty lacing.

Smell: Very fruity hops nose with sweet orange and mango. A slight hint of cat pee (slight). Touch of grainy aroma. Overall aromatic hops win out and it smells quite good.

Taste: Very sharply bitter, so much that it overpowers what I assumed would be some really nice flavor. More graininess in the flavor, and I don't like a grainy IPA.

Mouthfeel: Medium feel with a nice resiny feel in the finish. Good carbonation.

Overall: Started strong, but its too bitter and grainy for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 18:07:02 | More by rapidsequence

DannyHartman

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, an average-to-below average head that dicipates quickly forms atop a golden/orangish brew.... During drinking, just a bit of lacing is left behind.... The best part about the appearance of this beer is the sediment that is constantly rising throughout the drink.

I take a whiff, and I'm blown away at first.... This is a very balanced smell of hops, pine, and citrus (mostly grapefruit).... However, it's not too overwhelming of a scent in any of the above.... This brew actually has a very subtle and pleasant smell to it.

The taste is that of citrus and pine, but very bitter.... There's definitely a malt taste to it, but it's certainly not what I was expecting from what I got out of the nose, and most definitely not what I expected out of an I.P.A..

All I can say about the mouthfeel is that it's very oily with an average body.... It's overly carbonated for the amount of flavor in this beer.

Overall, it's not the worst beer I've had, but not what I'm looking for in an I.P.A... It's a very misleading beer upfront.... Wonderful smell and appearance, but then you're let down by the taste and mouthfeel.... Still, pretty interesting.... However, I'll never buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 19:51:29 | More by DannyHartman

andyfrancis

California

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Nice looking golden IPA with a lingering white foamy head.

Smells a bit like the outside of a brewery. Extracty.

Tastes ok. Piney IPA that finishes clean.

A little syrupy pine in your cheeks, but it doesn't linger offensively.

Overall, ok but nothing special for a california IPA. If I was in Coronado for some reason, a visit would not be a must based on this experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 21:42:35 | More by andyfrancis

cosmicevan

New York

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to trappistlover for hooking this up via trade as an extra. Popped the big bottle and poured into a duvel tasting tulip. Extremely transparent yellow with a very generous head of a fingers. White & frothy leaving nice lacing. Color was a bit lighter than expected, bit otherwise a real looker. Smelled of sweet and soft hops. Sweetness is dominant, but not cloying. Flavor is soft, but way more hop forward than the nose lends.the hops are more in the bitterness than anything else. This is a somewhat watery offering all around exceot fir bitterness where it slams you in the face. Overall, a bit too biter for me. The smell lead me to believe I was in for a real treat, but the flavor is a bit over the top bittery. Once I got over the bitterness there is a decent ipa underneath.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 03:01:42 | More by cosmicevan