Idiot IPA - Coronado Brewing Company

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer was being pumped from a cask at the Tap & Table on 4-8-2010. The golden color of the IPA was very nice looking with a creamy looking white head on top that laced very well. The Smell of the beer was very hoppy and it really got me excited for the first sip. The taste of the beer was very hoppy and bitter with a nice citrus flavor in the mix. The mouthfeel was very smooth from the cask and was very drinkable. Overall this beer was very good in my opinion. I suggested it to a friend who had it from a bottle who wasn't thrilled about it. I can't imagine it was that much different. I thought it was damn good though.

Serving type: cask

06-12-2011 22:36:40 | More by Knapp85

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.72/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A truly beautiful cask treat for anyone with a hefty need of pungent hops.

Presentation: 16 oz cask offering. Menu notes style, temperature, Alc. by Vol. (8.0%). Served on a pint glass.

A - Medium amber pour with a lightly hazy settling top cloud. Rich and fairly long frothy head crowning it all, medium retention with a fair surface memory ring and some strokes of lace. Despite the unfortunate pint shaker glass, for a cask serving this is actually pretty gorgeous.

S - Hops with open arms. Not strangling one yet, but with a decisive warning salute... Softly assertive pine, dash of citrus, earthy insinuation...

T - Give that resin to me! Grapefruit and citrus are also there but the pine and resin shine on their own beautiful bitterness. My palate is probably broken already so it does not bother much but it still caresses the mouth with a long profound taste that lingers with a touch of grass and even a hint of a nice musty feel, fresh, yet with a very intense and profound punch. Loving it.

M - Medium/full body with a logical small cask carbonation, and yet there is a tiny tingle to it, rather nice, and a nice sticky hoppy sense to it too.

D - Hmmm, I so needed a dose of hops like this... Beautiful.

Notes: One of the best DIPAs had on cask, or in any other form, what a treat for someone feeling like a shot of hops.

Serving type: cask

11-27-2010 04:51:21 | More by Daniellobo

delta490

Virginia

3.91/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A-medium clear gold with nice head retention.
S-piney with just a hint of malt sweetness.
T- similar to smell, with big pine hops taste with just a hint of the malt hanging out in the back.
M- a hint of carbonation with a thinner mouthfeel.
O- a solid well-built IPA

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2013 11:44:51 | More by delta490

danieelol

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm feeling a little sadistic/masochistic so I'm reviewing this after Heady Topper.

Pours yellow with a coppery tinge. Think lemon/orange rind.

Smells a toffeed, confit citrus. Some grainy alcohol but not unpleasant. Does have a slightly almost macro, ricey quality to it.

Taste is a lot more citrus and its rind. Bitter like seville orange and alcohol.

Mouthfeel has a lifting bitterness and ethereal ethanol.

Simple workman's DIPA. Doesn't blow your mind but delivers. Personally I don't mind the dry, bitter, boozy finish (which reminds me somewhat of Hoptimum), but others may feel differently. Would drink this again if I saw it on tap, not from the bottle at its price. Hops and general flavour profile do remind me of Sierra Nevada actually, and in that regard I agree with SmashPants' below assessment that this beer is overpriced for what it is (at least in Australia).

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 14:12:19 | More by danieelol

SmashPants

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle: solid brown tallie with a pretty standard translucent label. Pretty boring actually.

Appearance: strong yellow in colour with a one-finger white head that drops quickly. Some lacing and moderate retention.

Aroma: typical American IPA pine and citrus hops on the nose - and plenty of them. A good-quality one too, none of that 'hop overload with no flavour' that one often sees from AIPAs.

Taste: very strong grapefruit and pine hops up front, with the tiniest hint of malt backing up - both sweet biscuit and savoury breads. Pretty standard AIPA stuff for 8.5%, but rather nicely done.

Aftertaste: biting hop bitterness with a hint of sweet grains again. Nice.

Mouth feel: light to mid body with a sharp, biting carbonation. Clean and crisp.

Overall: a good example of the American IPA style, but the price is completely unreasonable. Over AU$175 a case of 24 355mL bottles? Far too much. Good for one every now and then though.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 04:42:52 | More by SmashPants

ADZA

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Love the name and pours a golden yellow hue with a creamy two finger head and lacing everywhere,the smell is torn orange leaves,sherbet,eucalyptus,mandarins and a touch of lavender,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and moderately carbonated with tastes of strong citrus,pineapple,fruit salad,paw paw and finished with a hit of piney bitterness and overall it's a nice IIPA and easy to knock back but nothing out of this world cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:39:09 | More by ADZA

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours amber with a fading head.
Nose shows fresh hops, piny notes, tropical fruit and some clean sweet malt.
Incredibly hoppy flavours. Pure pine and grapefruit with very little malt to support it.
Carbonation seems a bit high. Body could be thicker.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 02:24:31 | More by CrazyDavros

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Don't think I'd heard of this brewery before getting this in a recent trade. Thanks to BeerThirty for the bottle. Tasted 7 April 2013.

Pours a faintly hazy medium orange. One finger of dense white head, slowly relaxes to a cap and some thick bulging lacing. Nice.

Smell is fruit all the way, and mostly tropical. Mango, peaches, and a bunch of citrus. Pine needles back there in the background. Lovely.

Taste is quite good as well, with a lot of those fruity hops showing through in the flavor. Sweet, then fruity, then sweet again, before turning to a moderate clean bitterness. I'm really enjoying the sweet pulpy fruit (peaches again) in the taste. Yum.

Mouthfeel is quite interesting. Carbonation starts out buzzy, tingling on my lips. And it stays at that level, just a bit less than too much. Otherwise medium-bodied, a little sticky, and moderately persistent. But that carbonation makes it a much more interesting beer.

I really liked this beer. Great hop presence in both the smell and the taste, and a fantastic mouthfeel. Drinks like much less of a bruiser than its ABV would suggest.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 06:40:09 | More by zeledonia

Burkbom23

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper with a finger thick white head that fades some, leaving thin bubbles of lacingon the glass. Light Fruit hoppy aroma. Getting pear and peach in the nose. Caramel malt up front. Some fresh bread yeastiness. Orange peel from the hops. Very nice balance. Some subtle bitterness and a mild dry finish. Aftertaste lingers for awhile. Medium body, velvety mouth feel. Good crispeness. A very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 00:49:02 | More by Burkbom23

kaseydad

California

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Definitely like the silk screen label much better. +1

Another wife pick-up. Wonder what the meaning is...things that make you go hmmmm.

Pours a clear straw yellow with a white foamy head and lots of lacing.

The aroma contains lots of pungent hops in the aroma. Malty. Rubber. Tangerine and other assorted citrus delights.

The taste heavy on the bitters. Hops abound in the taste and on the tongue. Blast of citrus with just a touch of malt on the swallow. Big salivation after the sip. White grapefruit and plenty of grapefruit rind.

Overall I thought this was pretty good. Definitely on the bitter side with the many hop varities used. Finished the bomber no problem. The 8.5% was almost non-existent. A good DIPA though palate fatigue is almost guaranteed.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:22:51 | More by kaseydad

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle from SeaOfShells (great extra, thanks man!). No bottling date. Served in a Burnt Hickory snifter.

Pours hazy amber gold with a half finger of pale head that fades almost completely, leaving large sheets of lace.

Smells of tangerines, apricots, wet grass and mango. A tad muted but nice overall.

The hop flavor is a bit faded as if this were past it's prime (which there's no way of knowing without bottle dating). There is still alot of good stuff going on. Over ripe oranges, grass, grapefruit peel, sour mango, pepper, biscuit and a healthy dose of booze.

Medium body, oily slick with moderate carbonation. Long, bitter, carmelized orange peel aftertaste.

A decent imperial IPA. I'd like to try it fresh in tap sometime to see if my experience is really what was intended. This hints at greatness without quite delivering at any front.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 04:25:04 | More by ThickNStout

ALBuff

Hawaii

4.44/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A beautiful looking IIPA, this beer pours a transparent gold with a thick, foamy white head and ample carbonation. It drinks easier than it should; not very sticky, moderately viscous, lighter bodied than most. Sweet tropical fruit and subtle pine notes on the nose; tastes of papaya, sweet caramel malt, with elements of bitter grapefruit coating the tongue on the finish. Fairly complex and very delicious. One of Coronado' s best.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 03:43:14 | More by ALBuff

smakawhat

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head Ale glass. No obvious bottle dating.

A real nice bronze amber body, and very clear with hints of ruby edges. Head blows up nicely four fingers, with an off yellow and white color. Clumps with lacing and peaks and valleys in the head. A real nice looking beer.

Mellow hop front, kind of airy, with a hint of tropical notes, but very indistinct to determine from the smell. Lost of ripping dense grain on this, a little caramel sweetness too. It really fills the room, but not with hops as much.

Juicy and sweet hop mouthfeel on first sip, complimenting the caramel like malts. Light biscuit tastes and cookies with soft hop tropical fruit. Hints of floral garden like finish in the swallow that goes on forever. A real soft bitterness complimented with a great solid malt sweetness. Palate quenches with a good depth, but a little fleeting in the mid palate. Moderate carbonation, with a nice pleasant alcohol faint warmth to this in the back also which gets into menthol territory.

Overall a real good solid brew, very nice, the nose really doesn't give this beer justice.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:57:46 | More by smakawhat

Zorro

California

3.36/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Clear amber-gold colored ale with a good sized white head.

Smells floral and hoppy with a strong citrus aroma. Honeysuckle and orange blossoms with a slight hint of pine. Smells slightly woody with a cedar chest aroma.

Starts out sweet and savory with a woody after taste. Citrus and pine flavors. Medium bitterness with some grass in the after taste.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall just an OK beer. Maybe I got an old bottle I will try this again some other time.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 23:04:55 | More by Zorro

lynchmob9

California

2.93/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A: copper, nice initial head but then went flat quick.
S: initial tangelo peel then couldn't get it again. Cataloupe. Asian pear. Hops dominant.
T: avg, just about hops w/ no balance. Burnt brown sugar & bitterness.
M: heavy, long finish, bitter.
O: not for me. Reminds me of dozens of other forgettable beers. 12oz bottle, 4oz tasting pour, 8oz down the drain. Next.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:24:01 | More by lynchmob9

AmitC

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 ox bottle into a snifter.

Nice Pale golden color with decent clarity and some haze. Less than a finger thick head that fades off rather quickly. Decent lacing on the sides. No bubbles seen rising up. translucent.

Aroma is a lot of sweet grass. Very grassy and little citrus flavor. Grapefruits and nice hint of other hops. Somewhat piney. A good mix of caramel.

Taste is excellent. A good amount of bitter punch by the grassy and earthy hops. Some flowery notes. Bitterness is really very likable. Malt presence is totally subdued and overpowered. No apparent alcohol. No warmth. Finish is bitter.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. Somewhat oily and piney touch. Moderate carbonation. No astringency except for wild grass attack.

A nicely surprising brew that is punching and well above the average IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:55:11 | More by AmitC

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Generally I'm kind of tired of the west coast hop bombs, but this one is very good. Poured at a good temperature with a giant, foamy, frothy, off-white head that soon settles down and a bit of lace. Color is a clear, yellow gold with lots of bubble trails. Aroma is a fresh, pleasing hop, fruit, and a bit of malt. Flavor's of course dominated by hop, but done with a sense of aesthetics - nicely contrasted with the malt and carbonic tang. Body/carbonation are perfect. Finish is like flavor, long, with no off qualities, and only a hint of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:30:59 | More by drpimento

ChugMan

Washington

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Food Pairing - Medium cheddar cheese with some cayenne & black pepper. This is a bold beer and I'm putting it through its paces! Not only could it stand up to the strong and spicy flavors of the food, it nearly scrubbed the palate clean, complimenting all the way. Very impressive.
A - Clear golden yellow. Nice, thin head which left some very fine lacing.
S - For better or worse, you know you're in for a memorable time when you smell it seconds after popping the cap. Fortunately in this case it's a good thing! Strong fruity presence: grapefruit and mango / papaya most especially. Sugary, and a bit peppery.
T - Immediate sensation of biting right into a fresh, juicy grapefruit! This rapidly settles to allow the lovely floral flavors to come forward. Balanced and refreshing.
M - Crisp, spicy carbonation and hops keep the taste buds awake. This beer isn't thick, but it has an interesting *chewy* characteristic, a kind of fullness in the mouth that feels satisfying.
O - Superb IPA here, plenty for fans of the style to enjoy & appreciate. Very easy to drink, but you feel quenched and satisfied by the time you finish. I look forward to enjoying this in the warmer months of the summer ahead!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 09:42:43 | More by ChugMan

popery

California

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From notes, 11/7/10. Transparent, medium amber with a smallish off-white cap. The aroma is fresh and hoppy. Tangerines, pineapples, grass and a bit of caramel. The beer has a smooth caramel backbone with a fairly dry finish and quite a bit of bitterness. Very nice. Mouthfeel is smooth and hop-oily. This is a good to very good DIPA. The tropical notes make it somewhat memorable, but it’s not really enough of a hook to differentiate it entirely from the pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:34:29 | More by popery

rringler

California

4.39/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Clear, dark straw. About a half a finger of white head with fine bubbles. Very nice lacing.

S: Very clean and malty.

T: Nice, thick malty start (despite the lighter color) finishing with hops that are not too dry or floral. The 8.5% abv is very well hidden. Exactly what you'd expect from an IPA.

M: Slightly thicker and more oily, but still very much in style and with good carbonation.

O: Textbook IPA/IIPA. Good smell, taste and balance. Only thing I'd change is a slightly deeper color.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:48:39 | More by rringler

Beerswag

California

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A- On tap less than 1finger head, quickly gone. Nice golden to copper tones and slightly hazey. Mountains of lacing on the glass and legs that look like waterfalls.

S-strawberry and citrus noted very heavy. Nice fruity and balanced smell. Medium hop character to the nose.

T- balanced fruity bitterness:
Pine, Strawberry, grapefruit, and and tangerine finish.

M-medium carbonation on the front of the tongue and a bite from enough hops in the back of the palate. Smooth finish with a slightly dry mouthfeel.

O- a nice DIPA that packs enough punch at 8.5, this one I consider a solid choice.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2013 06:49:16 | More by Beerswag

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured a beautiful clear orange color with a nice soapy white cap. After a few sips the heads fades leaving a few subtle white bubbles and spotty lacing

S: A nice melon presence paired with some orange zest and pine needles. Tropical and passion fruits galore.

T: Initial citrus and pine resin but this develops into a juicy melon/ mango show and continues with this theme and I dig it. Bittering is moderate, light alcohol some caramel covered bread crust for the base. Finishes moderately dry with a smidge of hop oils

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation. Loads of flavor on the palate.

O: A very good IIPA and just how I like it!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 13:54:03 | More by barleywinefiend

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

650ml bottle poured into tulip 6/2/13

A clear golden amber with just a few visible bubbles slowly moving towards the tight thumbs width of foam, not a big head but it sticks around long enough to leave several rings of lace, looks sexy

S big tropical nose, pineapple, tangerine, guava, grapefruit, lemon and lime, floral perfume and juicy fruit gum, there's a little pine and spruce with just a little hard caramel

T the tropical blast is toned down a little, more rind then the flesh on the nose, some tang powder and a little booze I didn't smell

M a nice bitter bite but not enamel stripping, a little slick after the bubbles calm down and just some faint heat going down but the booze is fairly well hidden, lemon and lime rind on the finish

O very well put together, a nice tropical DIPA that's a little to easy to drink. I loved the nose and really can't complain about anything, just a solid brew

I'm not happy with the 11$ price tag but I'm happy with the liquid inside the bottle, pretty solid beer and I might drink it again depending how wealthy I'm feeling

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:25:33 | More by wordemupg

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a quarter finger white head with good retention and lacing. Nice IPA aroma of herbal and piney hops, citrus and light malt. Great flavor of citrus and pine hops, caramel malt, citrus and sweet light fruit juice. Finishes with good citrus hops. Creamy medium body adds a lot to the overall pleasantness of this IPA. With a lot of excellent IPAs to choose from, this one really came through. Coronado is new to the northwest, but I will definitely seek out their other beers after this one. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 04:04:48 | More by LiquidAmber

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Came across a few offering from this brewer for this first time in Alberta recently, this is my first go-round
A - clear bright golden with plenty of visible rising carbonation, solid two finger of white head retained fantastic as a result
S - BIG aromas of floral and bubble gum, subtle raw grain background, I must admit I am intrigued
T - immediate flavours are a mix of bubble gum and mild caramel, florals are much lighter than the nose, a bit of a grape medicine note, some grains .... it is tasty, odd, and generally tough to nail down
M - light with creamy carbonation, some mineral mouth coating feel with bit of a woody thing going on, not much in terms of typical DIPA dry or bitterness but the alcohol masking and drinkability is off the charts
O - the flavours are very tasty yet definitely unique for a DIPA, the drinkability is oustanding to the point where you might guess it was a 5.5% brew at most, and to a point it makes it a bit paradoxical but I would gladly have this as a session beer on the regular were it available here and I had some self control

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 03:45:57 | More by joemcgrath27