Evil Cousin - Heretic Brewing Company

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22 oz. bottle purchased at Ales Unlimited in San Francisco, CA, bottled on 3/11/13, poured into a hotel style glass and drank over ~30 minutes.

A: 4.5 - amber-brown coloration, could read blurrily through, white full-finger head subdues into subtle glass lacing, moderate alcohol legs for a 8% beer

S: 4.5 - pretty dank notes all around, lots of pine and cat piss from Simcoe, I'm sure; big time DIPA

T: 4 - the taste is pretty appropriate for the aroma; on the front of the tongue, there is a slap of bitterness that has an impressive lingering quality; in the middle of the tongue, the hop-forward qualities predominate - lots of pine, drank bittnerness, which continues to linger through the entire aftertaste

M: 4.25 - big, chewy qualities c/w a DIPA; nice alcohol notes

O: 4.25 - as much as I love Zamil, this beer is only a moderate imperial IPA that doesn't live up to some of the best imperial IPAs; I was unfortunately expecting more; Avery's Maharaja and Sierra Nevada's Hoptimum have similar notes but this falls short in comparison to those beers

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 06:15:57 | More by MNishCT77

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

22oz non-dated bottle from Bev Mo.

Pours hazy, dark copper with a thin, whitish head that dissipated to a few whisps on the surface. A few dots of lacing if you look for it.

Aromatics lead off with stale malt, wet cardboard, and faded, piney hops. Plenty of old caramel and dusty paper.

Medium bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel. Tacky, chewy, and slickish.

Malt-forward on the palate for the style, with more cardboard and stale pine bark. Medium bitterness and alcohol barely noticeable.

Finishes with lingering cardboard, wet paper, and faded hops.

This is the reason I rarely purchase a $8.00 bottle of IPA/IIPA without a bottle date. Shame on me. This beer is old, beat, and syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:44:10 | More by brewandbbq

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark amber with a fading head.
Massively hoppy aroma, smells like a freshly opened bag of hops. Some pine and resinous notes too, alongside sweet clean malt.
Very hoppy flavours too, but there's a fair bit of clean malt to balance things. Very resinous, with spicy hops too. Pretty tasty stuff.
Spot on moderately high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 08:57:52 | More by CrazyDavros

Beerandboards

New Mexico

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, no bottled date

A - darker orange. Smaller amount of white head.

S - dank pine, some rich citrus, orange, some alcohol.

T - thick bitterness kind of takes everything over. There is a piney hop note, sappy almost. Bitter orange. Aftertaste is dominated by bitter citrus.

M - under carbonated. Oily.

O - gotta say, not great. Certainly not bad, but I the world of plentiful top notch IPAs, this one is not quite up to a snuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:11:14 | More by Beerandboards

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - pours a hazy orange with a short white head. No lace. A few bubbles.

S - weak intensity for the style. Citrus, floral and mild onion/pine hops. Relatively strong malt note.

T - orange and grapefruit with some malty sweetness. Nice citrus forward flavor.

M - medium body with low-medium carbonation. Slightly oily. Low-medium citric bitter finish with a medium sustain. Tangy.

O - this is a fairly conservative DIPA that won't impress people looking for extreme examples of the style. Not dank. Not very bitter. On the sweet and malty side. However, it does have a nice flavor and it didn't have any fermentation flaws. Smooth 8% abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 22:48:55 | More by GuzzLah

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.96/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a DFH IPA glass. Brewed 11 February 2013.

A: Light head fades quickly. The beer is a hazy amber.

S: Massive amounts of Simcoe-ish hops hit first, full of onion and sharp citrus. Underneath, there are more pleasantly fruity notes, but the main element is still earthy and bright.

T/M: Much maltier than anticipated. Sweet oranges and subtle pine don't quite prepare for the aggressively bitter endtaste and dry aftertaste. A mostly sweet/fruity taste with a hopbomb right at the end.

O: I liked this beer, but it wasn't necessarily well-constructed, and I doubt it would find wide appeal. Would have again if I didn't see anything else around.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 07:30:30 | More by AgentMunky

MacHeadBeer

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was a gift, so unsure as to the price paid or value for the price.

Overall a good IPA, but a little weak for a DIPA. I was expecting something stronger in ABV and flavor with a name like Evil Cousin. But overall, a good beer that I would gladly drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 19:51:07 | More by MacHeadBeer

Arbitrator

California

2.85/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. From notes.

A: Pours a hazy orange body. Modest head, poor retention, some tendrils of lace.

S: Spicy with mild tropical citrus -- I specify 'mild' because I expected a billowing, pungent aroma. The bottle is only 2 months old.

T: Spicy onions with some citrus and pronounced, but not overwhelming, bitterness. It's not my favorite flavor profile in the DIPA category, but it's not awful.

M: It's a little boozy, and the spicy onion makes it more noticeable. Could use improvement.

O: Sad to say it, but at this point, there's enough local competition in the DIPA segment that an $8 bomber of just-all-right beer isn't going to cut it for me. I drank half, threw the rest out, and switched to something else. I'm pretty unlikely to pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:21:44 | More by Arbitrator

BucannonXC5

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22-oz. bomber into a pint glass at my house on Nov. 13, 2012 (purchased at Mission Trails Market for $7.99 on Nov. 13, 2012). Caramel amber with three fingers of thick frothy white head.
Decent wet foamy retention on the top and the sides.

Smelled a nice dose of citrus hops. Got grapefruit, tangerine, lime, skunky pine and caramel (light). The skunk lingered on.

Tasted very hoppy right from the get-go. Got tangerine and grapefruit bitter hops up front with a strong bite of orange peels and alcohol lingering after. I kept waiting for the aftertaste to be good, but it never really came. Definitely missing something.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Lively (above average) carbonation. Skunky, bitter finish.

Was a bit disappointed overall, especially for the $7.99 price tag. It was missing something, came up just a tad short.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:25:09 | More by BucannonXC5

BryanCarey

Texas

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

Heretic Evil Cousin Ale pours to an orange/tan color and even a moderate to soft pour offers up a good deal of foam. The nose on this beer is citrus and pine all the way with a touch of floral, but it is surprisingly less pronounced than I expected, given the style.

Tasting this hop bomb in a bottle delivers the type of taste one expects. It is mostly bitter with an oily mouthfeel and the flavors that dominate include grapefruit, pine, and other citrus with some caramelized malt trying to poke its head through but getting squashed by the hops.

Heretic makes some big beers and this one certainly ranks as typical of this brewery and its style. The bold taste of hops just keeps coming at you and the citrus and pine elements are joined with some floral and earthy notes for a taste that is as balanced as a DIPA can be expected. It’s a big, flavorful brew and while not my all time favorite DIPA, it is certainly good enough to recommend and to purchase again when the opportunity presents itself.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:53:44 | More by BryanCarey

dansmcd

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Huge rocky head, sticky and chunky globules adorn the glass and dont fade. Body is a murky apricot.

S - Grapefruit and pine hops, not overly strong on the nose.

T - Bitter citrus peel, mandarin, orange, apricot and lime. All hops.

M - Slick and oily, resinous, full and punchy. Good stuff.

O - Probably at the tamer end of DIPAs but that's alright with me. Very enjoyable, hoppy beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 08:54:45 | More by dansmcd

kaseydad

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wife picked up this bomber after I have passed over it many...many times.

Pours a light amber/peach colored ale with a billowing frothy lump of cream..er...foam in the glass. Really nice pour and good sticky lacing.

Smells of almost ripe mango, pungent, light orange, more citrus....and a whiff of rubber.

Pretty hoppy taste here though it is drinkable with a white grapefruit finish. It actually works pretty darn well. Mouthwatering between sips. A touch of sweet malt is also present which tries to work its way through...but barely shows. A lot of rind on the finish as well. Long lasting aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is pretty full. Not overly bubbly as some DIPA can be.

Overall I liked this presentation but wasn't blown away by it. It a very drinkable double and friendly for first time DIPA drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 00:58:01 | More by kaseydad

FosterJM

California

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1433rd Review on BA
Bottle to Spiegelau small tulip
22oz

No bottle date (At least I didnt see one)

App- When this poured out, it was that creamy orangey, off wheat color with a good density behind it. 1st pour wasnt much, but the 2nd pour was a nice, 1-1/2 finger off white head with a great cling and sticky lace. Good looking beer, albeit a bit dark.

Smell- Its a hoppy beer. Full, rich and creamy hops with a thicker nose of a pine tree and some damp citrus peels and zest. I get the full intention of the booze and even trace amounts of sweetness (simple syrup, honey aromas)

Taste- Its a bit thicker and boozier than I would anticipate. The flavors are nice but a bit upfront and dominate and a little unbalanced. The pine takes over and the booze comes next with a good amount of force. Creamy hops and the citrus from the nose are the last flavors that come together.

Mouth- A very rich and full medium body with a matched medium creamy carbonation level. Lots of fullness all around with residual pine and hoppy goodness. A bit boozy but the feel works better than the taste.

Drink- Its not my wheelhouse. Its a good beer, but not one I would seek out again. I think the $ can come down a little as well. A more pricey bomber for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 15:35:03 | More by FosterJM

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle from Beer Deluxe. From notes.

A - Poured a hazy dark golden colour. mild carbonation, one finger of white head. Good rings of lace and a film of retention.

S - Sweet fruit, boozy pineapple. Honey. Nice.

T - Boozy pineapple, orange, fairly boozy. Candy sweetness up front.

M - Good carbonation, medium to full body and a dry bitterness.

O/D - Not too bad but nothing worth raving about. A bit boozy, not complex and following too closely to all the other mediocre examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 02:46:56 | More by tbeckett

BennyL1

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to schwartzoid - Bottled on 5/28/12. Poured into a NB globe.

Good looking beer, pours a nice deep amber color with a good fingers worth of fluffy white head. Some lacing, but not much left along the glass.

Nose is heavy on the citrus notes. Good amount of pine can be noticed as well.

Lots of bitterness as one would expect in the taste. Grapefruit and pine above all, with a hint of malt background that adds a bit of sweetness.

Medium in body and carbonation. Dry and bitter finish.

Pretty decent DIPA, I've had better ones but this is enjoyable for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:38:57 | More by BennyL1

Drinkerofales

California

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy gold, with amber hints, topped by a huge light ecru head that retains well and leaves plenty of thick lacing.

Smell is pungent and "dank"(as the bottle says), but smells malty, and boozy.

Taste is very hoppy however. Starts earthy, moves to citrus and floral with a mellow bitter finish.

The body leans towards medium, with some viscosity. Still remains pretty drinkable, and though the booze is present in the texture, it's not detracting.

Enjoyable, and complex hop flavors. The wife and I like this one pretty good.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 22:52:46 | More by Drinkerofales

whatthehull

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tulip (bottled end of feb. so, take this review with a grain of salt. Need something a lot more fresh or on tap)

A - very nice translucent copper, one and a half finger auper creamy of white head and some sticky lacing

S - Sugar. Tons of hops (fruity, pine, flowers and earthy), very citrusy, Very sweet malts, funky yeast and very tropical

T - nice hop up front, very fruity, pine, nice citrus, tons of malt (sweet and earthy), pineapple, tropical flowers, pungent almost funky yeast, sugar, no booze at all and a bit of clay (soil)

M - full body, nice balance, decent complexity, medium acidity and nice like bittersweet finish

D/O - nice and refreshing, good flavor and an all around good ipa. Has what all of your ipa heads are looking for, has more malts than a super hop head would like. Could crack this. East open on the reg if I could afford it

Final thought - $7 a pop and a nice 8% abv. This ale is worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 23:53:37 | More by whatthehull

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bomber purchased from Van Ness BevMo in San Francisco.

Pours a clear standard golden hue, with a fine enough and solid enough head of white, that leaves some patchy lacing. Body is firm and weighty while remaining fluid. Carbonation is fine, but standard. Yeah, it looks the part, but it also looks just like any other.

Nose follows a similar trajectory: it's big, hoppy, west coast, blah. Yep, but we've seen it all before. There's a sharpness to it that is slightly grassy, and adds a touch of interest, but otherwise, it's a stylistically good but straight down the line IPA.

Taste is similar. Clear, clean and direct. Hoppy without being overpowering. The classic characters: orange peel, grapefruit with a touch of grass and clean malt. But it's been done before. And it's not all that special an example of the classic.

I mean: yes, it's ok. Woo, IPA and whatnot. It's solidly made, not unpleasant, no noticeable flaws. But, I mean, why? It's almost completely unimaginative, and just toes the line of every other IPA made on the West Coast. Try something new.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 00:32:38 | More by lacqueredmouse

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-dark gold with a thick stable cream colored head

S-fairly hoppy with a soapy herbal resin. Somewhat stale. Strong scent. 

T-comes in with a strong taste of hops and high quality herbal grains. It's has a bitterness that slowly develops but becomes
Strong and lingers for awhile, a long while. It's actually a very awesome taste. I imagine this would even be decent aged, as the flavor I feel relies more on the grains than the hops. 

M-medium creamy carbonation with a crisp finish

O-this is a very well rounded IPA. This will please any hophead. The flavor is subtly complex, yet the bitterness isn't so subtle. 

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:42:23 | More by AdamBear

Intrinsic

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Well, they`re not kidding when they say this is a `massively hoppy imperial IPA`. This is of the same calibre as Ruination. It looks very nice - a nice thick head, golden orange colour, lots of carbonation. The lacing is great too. Smell is ok - pine and citrus hops are the things that stick out. But it doesn`t even comapre to the taste - holy shit. Intensely hoppy. Pine and citrus. Almost no balance at all, but that isn`t the point for this one. Average mouthfeel, but just a little too oily.

I would definitely buy this again if it wasn`t so expensive. At 8.99 for 650mL bottle, this`ll be the last one I buy until it comes down in price (and when we`re finally allowed to import good beer into Quebec).

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 22:15:32 | More by Intrinsic

dgilks

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Slightly hazy moderate gold colour with a big, creamy, white head. Good head retention and lots of lacing. Nice.

Intense, grassy aroma. Lots of hop aroma here and almost harsh. A little dank. Hot alcohol and bits of malt. Really big but not all that well integrated.

Again, lots of sharp, grassy hops. Quite harsh. Massive bitterness. Alcohol and malt. Not all that well integrated.

Medium to medium full body with moderately-high carbonation. Astringent and a bit harsh.

This lacks some finesse. While I do what my IIPAs to whack my in the mouth, the lack of clarity here makes it difficult to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 10:33:32 | More by dgilks

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Predominately grassy nose with some hints of citrus hanging around the back end of the aroma.

Golden and honey in color with a nice frothy whipped cream like head. Interesting lacing, it's a tad spotty, but overall not too bad. Slightly hazy, but more clear than you would expect. It's a pretty good looking beer.

The flavor bases are lightly toasted biscuits and grassiness. I really like the flavors, but I am having a hard time describing them besides "grass" It's not dank, it's just like a freshly mowed lawn.

Overall this is interesting. Great appearance and aroma, followed by better than average flavor. Its lightly to medium carbonated and has a moderate to full body. It drinks really smooth, but packs a bit of a punch.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 19:21:52 | More by tlazaroff

ADZA

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a orange honey hazy hue which leaves a one finger head and lacing all over the place,the smell is abit subdued with aromas of grapefruit,piney hops,citrus and marzipan,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated with tastes of fruit salad,pineapple juice,caramel candy,blood oranges,bubblegum and finished with a pine hop bitterness and overall its nice without being anything stand outish and i honestly prefer the Evil Twin cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 08:36:24 | More by ADZA

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out with a ton of carbonation. The body is honey colored with a pretty intense off-white head. The lacing left behind is mediocre.

The smell starts with pine and some caramel. Yeast comes in next, which is a slight turn off.

The taste is nice and hoppy, without being offensive. Pine hits hard at both the start and finish. Slight caramel and light malts come in the middle, but this is a hop monster of a brew. The mouth could use less carbonation.

Overall, I could drink this on occasion and be satisfied, but it isn't balanced enough to hit the top of my list.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 04:20:21 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

jbowers56

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite pale for the style and somewhat cloudy. A white head that laces well.

Very impressive aroma. Hugely dank - big notes of pine, lime and tropical fruits suggested by the combination of hops and malt.

Followed up very well in the taste. All those elements work in harmony with a subtle malt base underpinning it all. Very firm, but smooth bitterness which works very well in the context of the flavours and cleans the sweetness up very well.

Viscous enough to feel substantial, but still relatively light bodied. High bitterness helps to give this feeling, I think, but i'd hazard a guess that this is reasonably well attenuated.

I really, really enjoy this IPA. It's not a 'wow' factor beer, but it's exceptionally well made and is a benchmark of all major characters that should be embodied by this style.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 14:53:42 | More by jbowers56