Tap It IPA - Tap It Brewing Co.

kevanb

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a clear golden copper color, touches of light amber with a finger and a half of taught white head that has moderate retention and leaves behind no lacing. The aroma is of lightly bitter pine with lots of sweet tropical fruit, citrus and caramel malt. It's inviting, but hardly the dank, dry and bitter hop bomb that west coast IPAs can be. The flavors are also quite sweet, a touch of bitter pine, but again, lots of sweet fruit, citrus and rich malt with a touch of alcohol. The body is nice, moderate carbonation but with just enough to tickle the tongue, coats the mouth nicely but finishes rather sweetly and lacks any dry kick.

Verdict: A decent IPA from Tap It, quite sweet and not nearly as dank as I'd like it to be. It's hard to see this beer winning a Gold Medal above many of the stellar west coast IPAs that come from the same part of California, but kudos to Tap It for the accolades, this one just isn't up my alley.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:57:08 | More by kevanb

ehammond1

California

3.34/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle (2013)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, SubpoenaDeuces!

Mildly hazed dark orange. Large off-white head. Stripes of thick lacing left down the glass--a sticky IPA. Pretty and appropriate.

Sweet, candied oranges in the aroma. Caramel complements and just a hint of alcohol. Fairly average, I suppose, at least when compared to Southern California's usually upper echelon of hop bombs.

Sweet candied orange flesh, caramel and bready malts, moderate bitterness, and incredible drinkability.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Good, but a sweeter IPA compared to other SoCal gems.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 00:11:51 | More by ehammond1

Halcyondays

California

2.81/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours amber with a medium white head, average head retention, some lace.

S: Fairly light, has some earthy hop and grass, but I'm really not getting much.

T: Grapefruit and grass, light hop character for the style. Some mild biscuity malt. Undercurrent of earthy hops.

M: Light-bodied, clean, fairly crisp, a bit flabby.

O: An OK starter IPA, it didn't really have more of a hop character than most pales I've had, a bit on the high side price wise as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:20:05 | More by Halcyondays

Beerandboards

New Mexico

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12oz to a pint glass

A - pours a semi-pale gold. Loose white head.

S - some fruity hops, kind of a little flat, nice but seems very thin. Not sure on freshness, but perhaps it's a little old?

T - malty sweetness on the front. Some pine and citrus on the hops, finishes with more caramel type malt on the end.

M - nothing great nothing bad.

O - didn't wow me. Not bad, but would be unlikely to order it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 02:59:50 | More by Beerandboards

McStagger

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Aggressive pour leads to two fingers fairly quickly diminishing off white head. Translucent copper color. Bright carbonation. Moderate lacing. Head is very bubbly.

S: Bright, immediate citrus. Grapefruit, orange, orange juice, orange pulp. Background of caramel malt, with a touch of woody/herbaceous pine.

T: Good intro of malt sweetness. Caramel, bit of toffee. Juicy, citric hops take over. Again, lot of orange and grapefruit pulp, touch of the rind astringency, but not much. Soapiness in the back end with an herbal, drying finish.

M: Creamy, softer mouthfeel. Very lush and full bodied, but the carbonation saves it from being flabby or overdone.

O: I think the GABF gold is excessive, but this is a very good, "basic" IPA. Would not kick out of bed.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 08:05:12 | More by McStagger

MasterSki

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to SubpoenaDeuces for this one. Served in my Jack's Abby pint glass. No obvious freshness date, but I'm pretty sure this was bottled recently.

A - Big white foam settles to a thick cap, splotchy lacework. Transparent dark golden body.

S - Big mix of tropical fruits and citrus, with ripe grapefruit most preeminent. Toasted biscuit and light caramel malt backdrop. Fairly balanced for the West Coast, but still decidedly hop-forward.

T - The taste is similar, with tropical fruits, juicy citrus, and lightly sugary malts at the forefront. Perhaps a touch of earthy and zesty hops. Bitterness is moderate but sufficiently restrained.

M - Upper moderate carbonation supports a creamy medium body. Some residual oily hops linger on the palate following the dry finish.

D - It's a solid IPA. I can think of many better ones, but I can think of a lot more inferior ones. I'm a tad surprised this won a Gold Medal, but I suppose if you're looking for a textbook example of the style this would be a good choice. I crushed the 12oz bottle pretty quickly.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:53:00 | More by MasterSki

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap It IPA

Appearance: Two fingers of bone white head sit atop a very vigorously carbonated, crystal clear golden orange color. The head is pillowy and sudsy but leaves little lacing behind and minimal alcohol legs; thankfully, the retention is amazing. This is a pretty average looking IPA, with nothing that one will not find in any other quality offering from any other brewery.

Aroma: Pungent citus hop aromas in the form of grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, and pineapple. There is lots of rind bitterness as well, and fantastic piney bitterness. There is a very clean malt bill backing up the hoppy star of the show, but it really is not very strong. More complexity would be great, but what is here is good.

Taste: Fantastic fruitiness in the vein of the aroma, and with a surprisingly sweet, mango-like edge, likely from the superb blending of the bready and caramel malts with the in-your-face tropical hoppiness. There is a bit of a yeastiness in the aftertaste, along with clear, pleasant astringency. This is a superb example of an IPA’s idea taste profile, and is a bit more complex with the malts than the smell would lead one to believe.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel starts off a bit thin, but it works relatively well with the plentiful carbonation to create a refreshing drink. The hops create astringency, as mentioned previously, and the whole beverage is quite dry in all senses of the word. It is nothing special, and a bit more thickness and stickiness would be preferable, but it works well with the taste.

Overall: This is a pretty basic IPA that succeeds through execution rather than flashiness, over-hopping, or imbalanced malty sweetness. I am not sure Tap It deserved to win any awards at the GABF, but it is definitely a solid beverage through and through. I would drink it again, but I would not actively seek it out. It would be nice to have on a hot sunny day rather than mid-winter in Wisconsin. If you are local to San Luis Obispo, support these guys; they probably have a great beer in them somewhere. 16/20

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 03:04:29 | More by THANAT0PSIS

match1112

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a: nice copper colored body. an inch of off white head settles to a thin ring leaving some spotty lacing.

s: caramel malts are the first thing that i notice. some hops in the background.

t: reminds me of a hopped up cream ale, thinkin davey jones locker from heavy seas. very malt forward yet balanced. some caramel and hops again.

m: seems kinda thin up front and turns creamy before the bitter finish. slight oil presence to it. finishes clean leaving a lively/ prickly feeling on the tongue.

o: happy to of had the opportunity to try this beer, but when it comes to west coast ipa's, this one falls a little short, not saying it's not enjoyable, cause it is. it's just when you rate it against the others this is just average at best.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 21:43:03 | More by match1112

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1627th Review on BA
Bottle to Spieglau tulip
22oz

Purchased from The grog shop for $4.99
Paired with Thanksgiving lunch, Lamb, asparagus and couscous

App- A very deep orange. A bit syrupy looking with a top fading dark to lighter orange color in the glass. A nice big and puffy 2 finger slow receding white head was there and faded to a great amount of cling and lace that held up great.

Smell- A lot of heavy cream behind this one. A good hop profile with tinges of bitter and candy caramel. Fairly sweet and citrusy with a medium booze note from the 7%.

Taste- This was a nice IPA. I still am not sure how this was so highly ranked in the world of DIPAs from CA. However, it was drinking bigger than its 7% and it held onto the creamy profile, with deep creams, orange and bitter hops. Very layered.

Mouth- A solid medium body with a medium creamy carbonation. A good amount of the candy like orange/caramel remains on the finish.

Drink- It was good and flavorful and actually had another bottle later in the weekend. Not sure how again how it was higher rated, but still flavorful and creamy. Id have it again. Like to see it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 17:19:17 | More by FosterJM

Luddy37

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I grabbed a single bottle of this in my build your own 6 pack here in the Phoenix area at my local Total Wine. I was pleasantly surprised by the simple, yet complex beer. The color was a true gold for this beer. The smell was definitely more citrus for my senses. For a 7.0 Abv IPA, the taste of this was probably one of the best I have ever had. The beer isnt that bitter but feels smooth and finishes somewhat lightly for an IPA. Overall, good brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:05:41 | More by Luddy37

DovaliHops

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a sixer of this at the gas station in Cambria right before the fireworks show. Pours a clear, golden amber color with a large, frothy, off-white head that takes some time to go down. Scent is quite fresh, with citrus hops and sweet caramel malt (not too much though). Nice pine aroma to this one...fresh hops. Taste is just as fresh as it smells. Citrus and tropical fruits mesh well with a tiny caramel malt backbone. A little bit of sweet honey as well. Piney, bittering hops with a sweet finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly chewy. Drinkability is high. Overall, I was really surprised by this one. Definitely the best IPA to come out of Cambria/Cayucos/Morro Bay/San Luis/Pismo thus far (from what I've tried). When you head inland toward Paso is when you get the good stuff (FW) that make those neighboring beach towns not even be able to hold a candle to it. This one is solid though for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 06:27:10 | More by DovaliHops

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed a sixer of these at some corner market in Paso Robles. Poured out a dark copper color, auburn, that kind of thing. Aroma, depends on which bottle I had. The first, the usual citrus aroma and a little malty heaviness. Subsequent bottles were a mixed bag, some of the bittersweet hop transformation, malt soggy woodness.

Taste, plenty bitter, a substantial beer, every bit of 2 row used to give the beer a hefty mouthfeel. Abundant caramel. Depending on which bottle, sometimes a little sweeter. Being that I got this at a corner market, and no apparent bottle dating, who knows why the bottles were a mixed bag. Overall, the hopping seems to be of the desireable kind, cascade, citra, simcoe probably.

Good beers in a style and geographical glut. Worth trying, I dunno about going back, just would depend on what else is around, some stores, this will be the best thing on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 14:59:41 | More by Beerandraiderfan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color with a 1 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, malted milk, and citrus zest. Taste is of citrus zest and herbal hops up front with a malt finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness after each sip. This beer has a light level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer and much better than their APA I tried before.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:47:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

amart79

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type bottle

A - Good sized head on a nice light golden color

S - great smell, tons of hops and citrusy notes hit you right in the grill. 

T - bitter hops right up front and almost a smoky after taste 

M - just what you'd expect from an IPA. Lots of carbonation and you can feel it on your palate 

O - picked it up at a pizza joint just because it was the only non generic beer and it was great. Really good local IPA, I was impressed. 

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 21:51:14 | More by amart79

peacebone116

California

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Let me start by saying that this beer may be a little past its prime--I picked it up in September while visiting SLO and have had it in my chiller until today, when I have poured the 12-oz bottle into my Delirium snifter.

A: Bright amber (think the stone, not the actually auburn "amber beer" color. Nice clarity of the body with a lick of head that quickly fizzes out to form wisps in the center of the glass and fine lace at the sides.

N: Sweet caramel malt (yeah, I waited to long on this one!) and pine. I remember it having more of a floral nose when I first enjoyed this sixer on the strand fronting Morro Bay.

T/M: Not too bad for an "over the hill" IPA. The palette is mostly dominated by pine with a touch of citrus flavor, that balances well of the sweet caramel malt backing. There is a subtle bitterness on the finish that befits a good IPA, but over all it ends with a crisp and clean flavor.

Not too bad of a beer. I think that if this were around when I was at Poly, it may have been my go to sixer (instead of the never disappointing Double Barrel....when I actually had money, that is). I look forward to trying other styles from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:43:41 | More by peacebone116

Nugganooch

California

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

First enjoyed this brew several times at the 2011 SLO County Brews & Bites Fest. Stoked to pick up a sixer now.

*Notes from Christmas Day consumption
12oz with pint glass

A: Tap It IPA pours a clear deep rich caramel color with a choppy one finger khaki tan head. Each sip leaves tracks of lacing upon the glass.

S: Smell is very floral and hoppy with some nice pine accents and a sweet pale malt aroma.

T: Taste has a caramel malt sweetness overall but with a great hoppy spicing. Citrus and pine notes. Definite dry hop presence creates a nice hempy and herbal component. Taste is very similar to Green Flash West Coast IPA. Just as enjoyable. Slightly sweet but rich and tasty with some nice balance.

M: Med body with good carbonation that lends to a lighter crisp finish. Slight sleek mouth coating of hop residues and malted sugars.

D: Rich caramel malt base with a decent dose of hops makes this one for a very enjoyable drinking IPA. I will definitely be seeking this one out again.

Would recommend especially if you are a fan of GF West Coast IPA. Very similar here. Slightly diff hop usage it seems but very easy going down. A bit steep on the price point at $12.99/sixer albeit still delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 18:22:38 | More by Nugganooch

RonJohnson

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

The haziness was a little disappointing but not terrible. The smell suggested a bitterness that we're come to expect with California IPAs - good pine and grass suggestions. The big surprise came in the taste. The beer was smooth and quite well balanced favoring the hops rather than the malt. Mouth feel was a little thin, but there was little, if any, astringency.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer. I could see drinking several at my local pizza parlor or barbeque.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 01:15:58 | More by RonJohnson

MrTopher

California

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared a 6 pack with some friends (peacebone116 and his wife and my wife), sadly didn’t have the option to get an appearance since we drank them from the bottles on a picnic.

A – N/A Since it wasn’t poured into a glass, so I’ll go middle of the road with a 3.

S – A good citrus scent that seems to over power the malt smell all together.

T – This is a good IPA, has a nice hop character with a little malt undertone. The hops are very citrus similar to the nose, the malt is a very mild sweet flavor, but adds some good character.

M – Just like I like them, a good carbonation but not too chewy.

O – Was really impressed with this SLO brew, never had seen it before and I would buy it again. Great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 19:07:11 | More by MrTopher

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle received completely unexpectedly from a generous Californian. Well played Rich!

Pours an opaque deep orange with a massive cloud of sticky off whites: oodles of stickiness here.

Smells of subdued orange juice and a splash on tangerines. C-hops all up in my grill, though some additional dry hopping might help this to pop.

Moderate bitterness and citrus fruits rule the show. Malt takes a backseat to the hops here.

Highly carbonated and medium bodied and sticky. The carbonation makes this fluffy and very easy to drink. I slammed this glass.

Not the most diverse or over the top IPA, but that can be overblown and overdone. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:20:45 | More by BarrytheBear

Zorro

California

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slightly chill hazed orange amber colored beer. This fits the color spectrum I refer to as IPA Orange. Tall light tan colored head.

Smell is strong C type hops biggest scents are grapefruit. Malt exists here as only a vague sweet scent.

Starts out slightly sweet and bitter with a woody aftertaste. Good basic IPA flavor with a woody aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is good.

Good drinkability. Not a bad beer but not outstanding either. Essentially an IPA that any good brewer is making a version of.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 02:40:59 | More by Zorro

soughtbygod

California

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Slightly hazy caramel amber with a nice thick cap of off-white head. Good retention and lacing. Citric and catty nose, exceedingly potent. It’s rather full-bodied for the style, but the matching full carbonation lends a certain fluffiness to the mouthfeel. Rather than swimming in caramel (my #1 pet peeve about east coast IPAs), it’s very bready with a dry, toasty, and sticky finish. I’ll admit I was pleasantly surprised by the hop character of this beer; there’s a mean, almost angry bitter streak running through it and the hop flavor is an explosive combo of pungent, earthy and grapefruit goodness. The touch of heat is a minor complaint (make that very minor; I killed the growler with alarming ease). A great choice for local hop junkies.

Overall impression: Trifecta joins Sweetwater as the second representative in my top-tier of east-coast IPAs. Well done, guys.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 23:20:40 | More by soughtbygod

dwilson01

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a firestone brewing pint glass. An off-white yellowish head tops the brew, about a finger in width with a fluffly texture that leaves thick lacing as it dissipates in moderate time. The body is a dense unfiltered coppery golden haze.

The scents are pretty muted, I think the floral hops and the rich malt blend well together which masks them both. I think some dry-hopping could make this much better.

The flavor is pretty solid, has a nice honey malt backbone and slightly biscuity flavor to it. The hops are pretty mellow, there is a slight bitterness all throughout the taste with a hint of pineapple and citrus undertones.

The mouthfeel is great, it's a rich creamy malty one that goes down smooth. Overall I think it's a solid basic IPA recipe but I feel like there is so much more you could do to this beer to make it awesome.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 02:42:12 | More by dwilson01

largadeer

California

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Fresh keg on tap at Harry's Hofbrau. Brilliantly clear golden amber with a clingy white head. Big bright citrus hop nose with some bready malt buried beneath. Floral aromas meet pineapple and grapefruit. Gentle bready malts hit the tongue first, followed by floral hop notes, grapefruit, pineapple. Nice medium-light body with gentle bitterness in the finish. This is quite good. Maybe not quite world class, but very well balanced and drinkable with some great flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 06:29:17 | More by largadeer

beagle75

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft service into a shaker pint glass at Famous Pizza in Sedona.

A: Clear, light amber color with one finger of persistent off-white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Hops are assertive, composed of well-defined grapefruit citrus and tropical fruit attributes. Otherwise clean with little evidence of malt in the smell.

T: Begins almost dry, with mild herbaceous and grapefruit citrus hop aromatics, as well as restrained pale malt. Carbonic acidity is moderate into the middle where flavors become more dry, finding balance between hops, malt, and a honey quality. Malt becomes very toasty in the finish, alongside accumulating moderate bitterness.

M: Medium viscosity, sticky/rubbery on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This is a well-crafted IPA that puts balance and drinkability ahead of a relatable gimmick. The smell exceeds the flavor in terms of hops intensity, while the texture has a tactile grip to it that is hard to describe--but not off-putting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 17:09:47 | More by beagle75

dlbrockmiller

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I tried this at an event during a recent trip to SLO. It poured a rich amber color with lots of carbonation and a thick head. The smell was a strong citrusy/fruity/hoppy aroma with just a light malt and caramel smell. The mouth feel was rich and full with a malty caramel start and a citrusy hop finish with just a light bitterness. This is a nice crisp refreshing IPA. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to get my hands on some more!

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 19:50:41 | More by dlbrockmiller