Elevated IPA - La Cumbre Brewing Co.

beerdedking

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Okay, IPA mavens and hopheads take notice. Elevated IPA is easily one of the best IPAs out there. It's a light copper filtered overly hopped pine, citrus, and onion dreamboat. The nose drifts up your nose, encompasses your sinuses, and grabs hold of your olfactory nerves. Taste from the first sip is hops in all their glory with a very slight malt backbone. I've been drinking IPAs for years, and this is surely one of the hoppiest I've had outside DIPAs. Get it fresh you'll be very pleased. Thanks to Beerjobber.com for this lovely!

Serving type: can

12-25-2012 01:14:39 | More by beerdedking

katan

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz can

A - Clear and bright, orange. Head formation is pearly white, strong, breaks down to a film. Little bit of lacing.

S - Strong citrus hops, bright and sweet. A little hint of resin in there somewhere. Mega-hoppy.

T - Starts off with a super strong citrus flavor, almost sweet -combination of malts and the hops. Mid-stream gets awfully bitter - pretty close to a balance. Resin, oily flavors appear in the finish. A bitter aftertaste.

M - Moderate to strong body, moderate carbonation. Comes off a bit hefty. No alcohol warmth detected. Oily sticky aftertaste.

O/D - Not overly filling, and the abv is workable. THe bitterness does begin to dominate the palette after a while. A very tasty IPA for those who like citrus forward beers.

Serving type: can

12-15-2012 20:12:25 | More by katan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Skuter for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, and citrus zest. Taste is much the same with a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

12-15-2012 07:25:50 | More by UCLABrewN84

TWStandley

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the can into my HF over-sized wine glass.

Beautiful bright orange color with a rather large but quickly fading white head. Very bright - some reddish tinge.

Smells delicious. Definitely dominated by citrus fruits and pine. This is a total hop bomb.

Some piney/grape-fruity characteristics backed by clementine and bitter blood orange tastes. Nice and bitter in the finish. Very refreshing, hides the ABV well. Not overly sweet.

Bubbly and refreshing mouth-feel. A bit thinner than I would have anticipated, but nonetheless, great.

Overall a great American IPA. Very fresh tasting and a lot heavier on the orange tastes than many of its peers. A very nice brew from an interesting brewery.

Serving type: can

12-15-2012 01:03:54 | More by TWStandley

CaptCleveland

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can (no dating) received as an extra from awesome BA trader maximum12.

Honey-yellow elixir poured into SN imperial pint glass. Big, white fluffy head over slightly hazy brew, plenty of spider lacing.

Melon, citrus and dank, earthy hops.

Piney, dank with a touch of pith and melon. Hop bitterness from front to back.

Medium body, well carbonated.

Very nice IPA. Always a pleasure to experience new brew and one of the joys of BA and trading.

Serving type: can

12-14-2012 23:49:16 | More by CaptCleveland

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz can with an apparent can date of 12/3/12? Thanks a lot to GHB for sending this my way. Orange color, great head, sticky lacing. Smells like pine, pungent, dank, stanky good. Flavor is bitter, citrus, lemon, a hint of malt. Overall, very solid hop bomb and is really right up my alley as far as IPA's go. I might even say this is west coast style but I'm not sure, I'm no expert.

Serving type: can

12-14-2012 03:18:32 | More by ArrogantB

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to EgadBananas for the hoppy hookup!

Pours a vibrant orange with a huge off-white head settling down to about a finger's worth. Nice chunky lacing sticks to the edges of the glass.

Wonderful aroma. Lots of citrus especially orange with a solid supporting cast of piney resin and a little bit of spice. A little bit of sticky caramel malt appears for balance.

Lots of citrus and lemon hop character up front rounding into a pine/earthy finish with even more lemon. Caramel malt adds just a touch of bready sweetness and body.

Medium bodied with carbonation on the lower end of the style, but it works with the profile. Just a tinge of alcohol and it finishes very juicy with a load of different flavors.

Overall I enjoyed this a lot. Not the best I've ever had, but there is a good amount of complexity and it's one of the most well balanced IPA's I've had in a while.

Serving type: can

12-13-2012 02:28:51 | More by jmarsh123

05Harley

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Canned on 11/8/12

Purchased through Beerjobber fresh from the brewery for $17.48/sixer of pints.
(216 calories)

Poured aggressively into a Pint glass, this one reveals a one inch soapy white head covering a beautiful orang/amber liquid. Very clear in color and distinct. The suds easily stick to the glassware and add to it's beauty. Head retention is long lasting as well and reappears quickly after a few swirls of the glass.

Aroma is heavy in citrus fruit with tangerine and lemon dominating. A nice dose of pine resin and caramel malt comes next followed by earthy hops!!

The flavor is spot on for what I was expecting. Grapefruit first followed by dense spicey hops with lemon and pineapple in the aftertaste. The caramel malt adds a pleasent sweetness in the finish. The flavor is clean and quite zesty.

The mouthfeel reveals a medium body with a smooth warming sensation and bitter. Not too bitter but enough to make you appreciate the true hop backbone this beer represents. Carbonation is held in check, however a good amount of dryness fills in the holes.

This example is pretty complex and well balanced. I'm really impressed here and look forward to gettting more of it in the future. Overall a real tastey IPA.

Serving type: can

12-08-2012 19:03:42 | More by 05Harley

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz. can into a perfect pint glass.

Pours a dark, clear orange with about two finger of barely off-white head. Decent retention, although foam falls away to leave thin layer with clumps along the edges. I am not particularly thrilled with how this looks, but...

I can smell the awesome pine and citrus and floras notes burst as soon as I crack the can. As the ale sits in the glass for a bit, I get a resinous aroma which blends and mellows the three characteristics mentioned above. It smells bright and crisp.

Taste very bright. Hop forward, with citrus and pine, but slightly sweet at the same time. Again, resinous and dank. Very enjoyable, even at 100 IBU's, but I am not too confident I can taste much else after this. This is worth it though. Mouthfeel is smooth and complex, with the flavors changing I drink. Very sweet flavors give way to citrus/pine hops, combined with floral notes and a slightly bitter aftertaste. This is very very good.

Overall this beer is very good, and I am so glad I grabbed a can when I did. I will have to pick up more of this as soon as possible. However, I should be encouraged by my approaching trip to NM later this month, hoping this stuff is readily available. Cheers.

Serving type: can

12-06-2012 01:57:56 | More by rodlavers

Zorro

California

3.98/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear orange colored ale with a small white colored head.

Smells of herbal hop and citrus, mostly grapefruit. Bright and fresh hop aromas with strong pine resin.

Starts out mildly sweet with a slight onion flavor. Strong hop flavor just slightly bitter. Leaf tobacco and leather in the taste.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall a good IPA.

Serving type: can

12-05-2012 02:14:41 | More by Zorro

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.48/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out a very dark orange, like the kind you see after a night of hard partying. Good pine aromas, replete with funky nelson and citrus smells. Whatever you're looking for smell wise in a good ipa, this one is likely to satisfy those desires.

Taste delivers tropical and citrus fruit, along with those pine needles. Strong, warming, but not tasting above its own abv. Actually pretty easy drinking nonetheless, but it was made for someone like me I guess, so it should be. Has the funky presence of garlic and onions, a possible indicator of some summit hops, I thought it works nicely. Now that I think of it, maybe there's summits instead of nelson. Its somewhere in between those, thats for sure. A beer that will disgust people who don't like hops. There is a substantial malt bill to it, but never comes off overly caramelish. Just gives the hops something to play off of. Really the malt and yeast flavors are pretty neutral and don't get in the way of the hop onslaught.

Its massively bitter, but its not a one trick pony in that department, the hops leave plenty of mouthfeel and taste that go well above and beyond the bitterness.

This beer, and Sante Fe Hoppy Camper pretty much thrust New Mexico into being a top 10 ipa producing state. Meanwhile, Colorado has about 100 times the ipa's, but none of them being better. Sorry Myrcenary, you vill lose.

Serving type: growler

11-30-2012 21:07:44 | More by Beerandraiderfan

parris

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a can shaped Baxter glass, enjoyed some from the can before pouring.

Smell - smells like a bag of Willamette pellets
Appearance - light carbonation, rusty orange, not much carbonation
Taste - dankness, some pepper, ripe peach
Mouthfeel - medium bodied, slightly astringent, good carbonation
Overall - Yep, this beer rules.

Edit: Thanks grandmachine!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:11:27 | More by parris

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.69/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this on 2012-11-18 in Lititz, PA from a 3-week old can, on 2012-11-22 in Pittsburgh, PA and again on 2012-11-30 with a fresh can from a new batch. Had this third one at home from my favorite glass (a more controlled environment) so I made some revisions to my initial review.

A - Fairly-clear orange with a 1-finger white head that leaves moderate ringed-lacing. Looks really good to me.

S - A great start from the can, then the glass. Very tropical with plenty of pineapple and mango. Slight dankness. Sweet and floral. No malt to speak of. Not quite as strong as Heady Topper but leaning that way. In fact, the initial aroma was stronger out of the can than the first sniff after pouring into a goblet.

T - Delicious . . . . really, really delicious. So much emphasis on the fruit flavors, not the malt. Pineapple and mango jump out at first then a bit of cleansing orange citrus. The significant orange/grapefruit zest bitterness makes an initial appearance. There's some piney dankness. There's additional complexity in the finish with another fruit flavor like the tart skin of a ripe apricot (I really enjoyed this flavor). The fruit, hop oil and zesty-pine aftertaste lingers nicely; complimented by the medium-strong lingering bitterness. I had the 16 ozs over about an hour. As it warmed to room temperature, a light malt flavor appeared and the dankness increased a little but neither of these really supplanted the gorgeous fruit/pine/hop-bud flavors.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Juicy feel without too much carbonation to scrub it away. Resinous and prickly. Just right for the style.

O - Top-notch IPA no lie. It took gold at the 2011 GABF. Had it twice side-by-side with a bottle of Fat Head's Head Hunter, which won bronze at the 2011 GABF. They aren't that similar.. Elevated IPA is more like Lawson's Double Sunshine, which is high praise indeed. The Head Hunter continues to please. It's more dank, more citrus, a bit crisper/carbonated and hits a little harder with the IBUs. Picking a favorite IPA in this league is splitting hairs and comes down to one's taste preferences in general, and even what one wants on any given day. I like variety so switching between these and other fine IPAs is reflected in the choices in my fridge. Viva La Cumbre. Viva Head Hunter. Viva Heady Topper. Viva Double Sunshine. Viva La Difference.

On 2012-11-30 I had this from a 3-week old can, side by side with Fat Head's Head Hunter. Both are super-fantastic brews, and this is just splitting hairs, today I liked the crisp, more carbonated feel of the Head Hunter over the Elevated IPA. On 2012-12-07, I again had these two on a fresh palate and preferred the Elevated IPA. I guess I was in the mood for a bit more fruit and less tongue-buckling grapefruit. I've got to rate the Head Hunter and the Elevated IPA the same. Two major thumbs up.

Notes: Special thanks to Matador677 for this taste treat.

Serving type: can

11-19-2012 10:59:24 | More by Tucquan

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had this many many times on tap and in a can

A - Copper red, with thin strings of bubbles throughout. A pour to the middle gives a two-three finger head that retains shortly to a crown. Some lacing with medium retention. Great color, really good looking glass of beer.

S - Huge citrus, grapefruit, orange, lemon, some pine. Tons of citrus with some floral.

T - Pretty darn close to a model hoppy IPA. Hits you with a bunch of nice, layered hop taste. Some bitter grapefruit, lemon fruit, and then moves to a bitter dry finish. Leaves you waiting for the next sip.

M - Medium carbonation, coats the palate with a sticky resin feel but finishes nicely.

O - Won't go as far as saying that this one beats out Pliny and Heady, but I've tried both of those, and this one very much belongs in that group. Its a really great IPA. If this were a California or New England brewed beer, it would be the subject of a heck of a lot more discussion. Word on the street is that La Cumbre is planning expansion to Denver. If and when that happens, I predict that this brew shoots up the ranks. Seek some out and try it. Well worth some effort.

Serving type: can

11-13-2012 02:18:15 | More by Beerandboards

jegross2

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Elevated IPA from the La Cumbre Brewing Company out of New Mexico.
Score: 91

Can is of unknown freshness. Served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 09/27/12.

Appearance: Pours a pumpkin-orange color with a slight dull golden hue that is on the opaque side of translucent. When held to the light, this beer turns to a really gorgeous sunset-orange color. One finger of off-white head at pour settles to a fog atop the glass, leaving patches of head clinging to the glass. Really good lacing and retention. Quite a beautiful IPA! 4.5/5

Smell: Grapefruit, peaches, tangerine and slightly earthy hops. Very smooth and mellow, and not nearly as in-your-face as most IPA. You know how orange peels smell after you cut out the pulp? I get some of that aroma here. Too. Very pleasant nose, very balanced. There is faint barley-malt aroma in the background too. 4/5

Taste: Like the nose, there is a balanced blend of sweet citrus, hops and malt, without any one of the components overwhelming the other. There's peaches and orange on the side of the tongue with an earthy hop flavor and some grapefruit on the center of the tongue. The maltiness is towards the finish, though a mildly bitter orange citrus flavor is what lingers. The earthiness of the hops is a little more pronounced on the palate than in the aroma, but it is not intense at all. There is a slight spiciness on the midpalate too, and a hint of lemon flavor. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Super oily mouthfeel. Medium-light bodied, higher end of light carbonation. Mildly bitter on the palate. 4.5/5

Overall: Nothing earth shattering or over-the-top here, but Elevated IPA is an incredibly smooth, balanced and easy-drinking IPA. If this were local to me, I would certainly buy this one regularly.

Recommendation: If you are local to the beer, nab some. If you are trading with someone local to this beer, ask them to get you some. Given it's mellow, balanced flavor profile, I have to imagine this would be a good starter IPA for casual beer drinkers.

Pairings: Cream-cheese jalapeno poppers.

Cost: $8.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Serving type: can

10-16-2012 03:05:56 | More by jegross2

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The man, woodychandler, provides the hook up with this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has an orange/brownish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of hops, tropical fruits. Taste is also very hoppy, bitter, lots of fruits, a touch of malts, tasty. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a quality beer worth seeking out.

Serving type: can

10-10-2012 02:46:31 | More by tone77

kevanb

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tall pint can poured into a snifter.

Elevated IPA pours a nice light honey, orange color, fairly clear with a bit of cloudiness. A thin, quarter finger of soapy white head appears and recedes somewhat quickly, leaving behind a small layer of film. The head is easily re-summoned with a flick of the glass, not much lacing is left behind. The aroma is nice and clean albeit a bit muted and not very explosive. Ample piney hops, floral and citrusy esters, a bit of simple malt on the back end, but this really highlights and emphasizes the great hop profile. The flavors are much more impactful, great citrus forward flavors with really nice floral undertones. Resinous, earthy piney hops round out a really wonderful hop spectrum. Just enough light malt to keep the hop bitterness in check and to add in some nice sweetness that plays very well with the floral and citrus notes. The body is great, perfectly carbonated, a bit soapy, but spot on for an IPA, smooth, not too full, not too thin, great dry finish.

Verdict: Great IPA from La Cumbre, worthy of all the accolades. Perfectly bitter, great spectrum of flavors, I wish the nose was a bit more pungent, but this is great, great stuff. So glad to have gotten my hands on a 4 pack.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 04:39:27 | More by kevanb

foss69lh

4.23/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IPA, due to its hops, is one of the most distinctive I have tasted, with a prominent grapefruity nose and taste that on first sip promised to be off-putting, but proved to be most appealing upon further tasting. Its full flavor -- not too dry -- and medium-full body balanced the dominant hops, resulting in a rich and satisfying, yet thirst-quenching brew, that was very pleasurable in all respects. However, do not drink this directly from the can; instead pour into a glass, to avoid the metallic taste of this ale's inappropriately chosen container.

I had the pleasure of drinking a fresh case of this IPA over a month, which allows me to make the following observation: This brew is best at its freshest, when the hop content is at its most prominent, and continues to be good over the next two or three weeks. Some might even prefer it a couple weeks after canning, as the hops prominence diminishes. However, after a month, I found the beer, which was refrigerated the entire time, to be loosing freshness and taste, as well as growing flat. Thus, this is not a beverage to enjoy very long after production.

I also tasted this on draft, though not at the brewery, and did not note any marked difference from the canned version, other than a slight smoothness. Finally, I knocked off a half point from the overall rating due to the choice of presentation in cans over bottles for retail sales. The brew really deserves glass, not metal.

Serving type: can

09-28-2012 17:02:32 | More by foss69lh

maximum12

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The lovely & talented GHB first sent me a growler of this brew, which was downright divine. Hearing my praise, he then proceeded to box up & send me a short month's worth of Elevated. 16 oz. tallboy cans - I hope this is as good out of metal as it was out of glass.

The pour fills up my imperial pint glass properly, gold leaning to orange. Pungent floral hops fence with grapefruit for the upper hand in the nose. No wimpy aromas here...IPA as it was meant to be, smeared with aggression.

Elevated IPA from the can just isn't the same beautiful beast that came unexpectedly from the growler. The floral notes remain, with more orange peel than in the nose. Citrus, lemon are faint but grow as the beer warms. There's a cut of onion in the background that detracts; I'm not a fan of leekish things in either solid or liquid formats. Bitterness builds with each sip & what seems polite at first ends up brutish & bruising after repeated exposure. Nice. Which only makes me want to drink faster.

I shared the growler in a line with tons of friends; I feel like that would have scored an easy "A" on the Richter scale. The canned version is very good, but doesn't quite hit that home run. If you can get this in the growler, do it.

Serving type: can

09-27-2012 02:00:10 | More by maximum12

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.93/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big light tan head takes it's time to settle into a nice lacing with a small bisquity mound in the middle of the glass above a slight cloudy copper honey colored beer.

Citrus fruits with some light sappy pine aroma with a hint of malts coming through.

Almost a bitter bite on a citrus and piney hops taste with a slight almost soapy yeast coming along for the ride.

A dry light pine sap aftertaste on this medium bodied drink.

I've had this IPA at La Cumbre's brewery and I don't remember it having this soapy to soapy yeast in the otherwise well balanced citrus and piney hops. I think I'd have to recommend stopping in there and drinking or buying a growler from the guys, the light added soapiness seems to be a distraction for me.

Serving type: can

09-17-2012 22:41:54 | More by LXIXME

HopHead84

California

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

9/15/2012

Thanks! Can poured into a snifter. I'm looking forward to this. The label art has a decided New Mexican flair to it.

A: Burnished yellow gold with a finger of peaceful white froth. Lacing is scattered and retention is pretty good. Good clarity as well.

S: The nose strikes me as a blend of mandarin orange and onion, with lesser notes of tropical fruit. There's a little melon in there. Malt is bready and not insubstantial, though it doesn't impart much sweetness.

T: The flavor has some mandarin orange, grapefruit, and a little onion. There's a light malt backbone that lends a touch of sweetness, increasing the drinkability. It's not a bone dry IPA, but it's not exactly malty either. The bitterness is smooth and at a moderate level, and there's no alcohol to speak of. Smooth, hoppy, clean, and dry finish.

M: Medium body with upper medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is dry and sticky.

Overall: A bit heavy on the onion for my taste, but still a nice IPA.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 01:22:55 | More by HopHead84

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for sending this extra to me! Thanks Hollis!

poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: straw yellow bodied beer with 1 finger of white head that drops to a ring. Spotty lacing.

Smell: Tropical fruits, pine cones, and citrus. The malts are evident in the nose and add a touch of sweetness and fresh baked bread notes.

Taste: This is a tasty IPA. Decent balance between malt and hops! Its not brutally bitter; I would say the low end of moderately bitter. Pine and grapefruit rind are the prominent hop notes; supporting cast include herbal notes, orange zest, and a touch of green onions. The malts are bready and have a touch of sweetness in the form of caramel. The hops taste dank, wet, and fresh. It has a nice mild lingering bitterness that is very citrusy. It just goes on forever!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Really easy drinking IPA that drink below its listed 7.3% ABV. Its drink more like its 5%. The finish on this beer is fairly dry which helps make the hops really pop out without destroying your palate!

Overall: This is a really fantastic IPA. Its probably the next Heady Topper. I cant beleive this beer is 100 IBU's. Its just doesn't seem that bitter. This beer is well balanced, has a great hop profile, and is really drinkable. Its coming at you from all angles!

Serving type: can

09-05-2012 03:46:45 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

deckstar

New Mexico

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A1 - Light yellow/orange, not too pale, not too dark. Great color for an IPA. Creamy head, dense.

A2 - tropical fruits, citrus, pine, resiney & sappy. freash grain, hay. picking up a lot more malt in the aroma than most IPA's.

T - a balance of malt and hops, then bitterness builds and spreads out, takes hold with dryness.

M - really creamy, low carbonation.

O - Amazing. This IPA is really easy to drink considering its high abv. very enjoyable. full flavor, and its not just the hops. could become highly addictive.

Serving type: can

08-23-2012 06:14:22 | More by deckstar

MasterSki

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Can generously shared by Chris (largadeer). This has been on my wants since it was growler-only. Served in a taster glass.

A - White foam settles to a thick collar and wisps, leaving behind splotchy lacework. Transparent golden body.

S - A nice mixture of tropical fruit, pine, and dank hops. Minimal malt presence.

T - The taste features some citrus zest, a bit of chive and onion, and perhaps a touch of the aforementioned tropical fruits. Malt comes out a bit more mid-palate, lending an icing sugar flavor. Fairly intense bitterness, but reasonably well-hidden alcohol.

M - Dry, crisp, medium body, with moderate carbonation. Quite easy to drink, even with the palate bruising hops.

D - It's a very well-crafted and well-executed IPA that I would happily purchase if it were available locally. The 16oz cans are a good serving size and I'd be proud to call this my local beer if I lived in New Mexico.

Serving type: can

08-20-2012 13:24:44 | More by MasterSki

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can courtesy of DonFrap for giving me one of his extras. Thanks man! Poured into Founders snifter.

A- Pours a hazy dark orange slighty brown, about a finger of white thick foamy head that recedes fairly fast to leave just a thin layer of white bubbly head, slightly below average carbonation. Leaves spotty lacing.

S- Lots of slightly dank grapefruit hops also some oranges, papaya, and mango. Definitely well above average aroma strength for a IPA, could smell the hops right away when pouring it, definitely reminded me exactly like Heady Topper. Loses a little bit of it's aroma after pouring.

T- Nice dank hops, grapefruit, oranges, papaya mangoes, finishes a little bit bitter with an excellent citrusy aftertaste. Lots of nice great tasting hops, nice level of bitterness, definitely one of the best tasting IPAs I've had.

M- Nice juicy mouthfeel, medium bodied, not too much carbonation but just enough, extremely easy to drink.

O- This was definitely an excellent IPA that is a must try for all hop heads. Comparable to Heady Topper and some of the other top IPAs. Very nice aroma especially when coming out of the can, nice hoppy citrusy taste, everything very well balanced, and a nice easy to drink mouthfeel. I wish this was more accessible, definitely a nice offering out of New Mexico!

Serving type: can

08-08-2012 23:11:51 | More by jaasen64