Indie Pale Ale - Cisco Brewers Inc.

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours an effervescent amber with 2+ fingers of cream colored head. Fantastic lacing & head retention

S: Bready & fruitty

T: Woody hops, pears, leafy & grassy hops, seems more English to me... Faint figs, woodyness, pears as this warms. Finishes fruitty, woody, dry & restrained

MF: Medium bodied & creamy, nice balance all things considered

Mediocre AIPA, slightly better EIPA, Cisco, you are underwhelming me so far, although decently drinkable

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:40:45 | More by russpowell

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Orangy copper color, nice off white head with pretty good retention. Slightly hazy. Sticky lacing. When you put the glass to your nose there is no doubt that it is an IPA. The hops are certainly there. Fruity and floral. Nice apricot smell in the nose is pretty dominant. Some citrus aromas also. I love the smell of the fruit but not much more besides that. The taste follows the lead of the aroma. Only real difference is that you get some of the malt up front. Very little bitterness in the finish. Light medium body not a ton of carbination. I gotta say I like this brew alot. Good balance, really smooth. Not the most flavorful complex IPA in the world for sure, but this is certainly a drinking beer, i could put a lot of these down.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:15:10 | More by Burkbom23

jera1350

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Lovely look to this one. Bright orange color with a rocky head of foam that has terrific staying power. Some nice gobs of lacing.

Floral, dank and soapy hop nose. A bit light overall.

Very light on the sweetness and quite strong on the bitterness. Apricot, grapefruit, flowers, earthiness. Plenty of bitterness at the end and into the aftertaste. Lingering grapefruit and floral notes at the end.

Quite dry feeling, about medium bodied.

Very high on the bitterness scale if you are into that. Takes the drinkability down a notch for me. A good IPA that has some interesting flavor characteristics. Glad to have tried it, but could live without it again also.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:27:57 | More by jera1350

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a deep amber color, very dark for an IPA or an American IPA as the can says…nice tan colored head forms about a finger width thick and lingers long enough for me to enjoy on the first sip…(4/5)

Smell: Nice citrus and piney hops…easy on the malt, but it’s there…real non-descript smell, it’s basically what I would expect from an “American” pale ale…light, crisp, hoppy, with a touch of malt…(3.25/5)

Taste: Surprising amount of malt balance in this one…the citrus and piney hops are wonderful and there is a significant amount of malt that smoothes everything out…a touch of citrus zest in there does bring a bit of crispness…very refreshing…a bit of bitterness in the after taste…(3.75/5)

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp with little carbonation…nothing heavy about this brew, it leaves little resonation on the palate…even the after taste is mild and not long lasting…(3.25/5)

Overall: A nice beer…very drinkable, very tasty…I’d re-up on a sixer of this if I was about to watch our local sports franchise face off against a rival franchise from a nearby city…it’s not a mind blowing concoction, but it does do what it set out to well…not as light as some AIPA’s that I’ve seen, which is nice, the citrus is most definitely tamed down and plays a nice supporting role in the whole flavor…(3.5/5)

Serving type: can

01-11-2013 02:12:32 | More by SerialHiker

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Poured out a clear copper color with a one finger off-white head of foam. Sticky rings of lace.

S - Smelled of piney/resiney notes. Some fruit aromas.

T - Pine, citrus and burnt toast maltiness. Sweet caramel, too.

M - Crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied IPA.

O - Another good brew from Cisco. Glad they showed up in MN.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 18:12:12 | More by zeff80

KickbacksSteve

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. The label says "best before date printed on bottle" but I can't seem to find the date just some codes. Anyway, the bottle tastes and smells fresh. Taste is crisp and bitter with a slight malt sweetness in the background, but certainly dominated by the bitterness of the hops. My only complaint about the beer is that the aftertaste is just a bit chalky. Not the most hop forward beer in the world but a tasty interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 06:48:35 | More by KickbacksSteve

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Into a nonic:

A: light golden yellow giving a white foamy head that dies to a half-finger. The body is too hazy for any carbonation to be seen rising. Nice foamy lacing clings and coats the nonic.

S: muted hops with some nice citrus notes, malts come through more so as the beer warms.

T: takes those flavors and gives a decent dry bitterness grasping at some breadiness a bit here and there.

M: medium with nice normal American IPA-ness harshness on the tongue, and a bit clingy (even after I didn't have a sip for a minute or two, the harshness was still there). I'd say this was mostly drinkable.

O: hey, I like this one. The mouthfeel really stands out, perhaps more so than a fair amount of AIPA's from what I've had, different, but not bad. I'd come back to this.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 01:08:27 | More by kangarooAdam59

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Grabbed a single can to tick...
No freshness date on here...
Served in a nonic.

Dark, rusty, coppery colored body with a big fluff of head rising nearly 3 fingers but settling rather abruptly into a thin film. Some spotty chunks of lace were left behind. Too dark for my taste, though not bad looking in its own right.

So this is an American IPA? I would have guessed English...

Caramel and toffee with some toasty bready malt. Very mild hoppiness.
Very mild bitterness too.
Quite dry finish. Roasty malts dry.

Feels medium bodied and decently carbonated.

Overall-- I don't know if this is a mediocre beer or I got an old can... Sadly, the lack of any kind of freshness dating means that this review will stand until I try this beer again.

Serving type: can

11-04-2012 02:39:47 | More by AleWatcher

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark amber with a big, foamy, off white head that has good retention

S - bread, candy sugar, sweet, caramel, citrusy

T - caramel, sugar, dark bread, citrus, alcohol

M - warm, almost boozy, medium to full bodied, well carbonated

This is an intense IPA. It definitely comes close to DIPA if not Barleywine Jr. It's intensely malty and sugary, but very hoppy and citrusy. The balance is nice. My only complaint is that the alcohol is a little over done. Other than that this was a nicely done IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 22:36:21 | More by tdm168

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into a Founders Pint Glass. Huge, frothy, off-white head, literally looks like foam from the ocean, which I think is pretty cool. Tons of lacing on the glass. Head does not go away, rather, it recedes from about 3-4 fingers down to maybe one finger, but stays around. I suppose the head is more of a light tan color. Beer is a super hazy dark orange color with hints of brown and red, almost like an apple cider, but brighter. I have to say it looks very interesting overall. Smell is bready with light citrus hops present as well, with a bit malt. Taste is decent, similar to smell, with the citrus lingering for a bit, not as "bitter" as rind, but that's the idea. Mouthfeel is average, nothing special but not too bad. I think I kind of like this beer, but not enough to go out and purchase in quantities. Decent beer to have around for guests, or maybe a starter one night.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 03:29:49 | More by rodlavers

emerge077

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle code 1152, guessing a Julian code of April 2012. Odd that the Bailey's Blonde from the same shop had a clear printed bottling date.

Dark amber color with orange red highlights, good clarity, and a fluffy head of foam that rises in a convex dome above the rim of the glass. Tons of lacing, flecks all arounf the glass, all the way down. Looks great.

Nondescript aroma, muted and faded, sadly very little to go on. A few swirls pulls out vague specialty malt and something vaguely citric. No hint of Summit dry hopping that the label mentions, but aroma is usually the first to go over time.

Mellow and flat in flavor. Nothing much to go on here too, though some bitterness and astringency are present. Light alcohol presence too, seems out of place... Feel is smooth though, in general, though the astringency gets unpleasant after awhile. Dumped the last half, will try another fresher sample if Lush puts out fresh stock on these... Sucks they're pushing old beer though.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:16:32 | More by emerge077

alexgash

Connecticut

2.1/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz. bottle. No bottle date.

Dark copper body with bronze edges. Finger of thick, creamy, light khaki head. A darker IPA. Butterscotch and soapy hops on the nose. Smells off and/or old. Just bought this from a very reputable beer store though...

Toasted malt and slightly tart citrus up front. Tartish fruit and butterscotch malt fill in. Slightly resinous, citrusy hop bitterness picks up. Finish is drier. Light-medium body with a thin, watery feel. Meh to bad. Can't really tell if this is infected (might be slightly), but it's definitely not good.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 21:58:35 | More by alexgash

Billolick

New York

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce can

Pours murky darker amber with a dark copper hue. Large tan head, stays and stays, and leaves some thick sheeting and webs of thick lace.

Malty nose, noticeably lacking in hops.

On the palate, hops are present but mostly with a resinous quality. Lacking in aromatic interest. Seems at the same time to be lacking in body, stale and over carbonated. Diactyle comes to mind. Not my favorite take on the style Just seems to be off and not all that enjoyable.

Serving type: can

08-29-2012 03:26:06 | More by Billolick

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.03/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. can poured into a Starr Hill pint glass. No freshness date, so it's a bit of a gamble.

A - Pours a very cloudy auburn color with a solid two fingers of off-white head. As the foam dies, it leaves behind a sticky lacing. A thin layer remains for the duration.

S - Smells of grapefruit peel, dank hops, and bready malt. The malt reminds me more of a British IPA than an American one. Still, it maintains great spicy hop character.

T - Lemon on the front, followed by a bitter citrus hop bite. Malts are constantly kept in check by the hops, grapefruit, and tropicals. Slightly dry finish with a little bit of white pepper and pine on the aftertaste.

M - Lively carbonation and a medium body. Smooth with a dry finish.

O - A very good beer by one of my favorite brewers. Just as good as I remember it being on tap at the brewery. Very good citrus and hop presence without too much malt. I took a gamble with no freshness date, but I am very pleased with the results.

Serving type: can

08-29-2012 01:20:40 | More by NoLeafClover44

flagmantho

Washington

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: medium amber-brown hue with plenty of haze. Head is a thick finger of frothy ivory foam with a bit of an orange cast. Looks somewhere between an IPA and an amber ale. Actually, pretty attractive.

Smell: big caramel malt nose with plenty of hops. Hop character is earthy, citrusy and a little bit floral. Reminds me more of a heavily hopped amber than an IPA, but that's no problem for me. I like it.

Taste: sweetish malty backbone with a mess of citrusy and earthy hops. Not bad, but the flavor is a miss, especially considering that these disparate elements blended so well in the aroma.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and a pretty big creaminess, especially for the style. I like it!

Overall: this is a pretty good beer, but the flavor just doesn't mesh well for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 20:21:27 | More by flagmantho

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is an auburn-copper color with a thick, dense, off-white head. Nose of caramel and fresh, oregano spiced hops. FLavors are caramel rich and slightly boozey, with a spicy hops presence. Grapefruit flavors and tang all over the palate. The aftertaste is tangy, as well, and hoppy, with a rich, slightly drying finish. Very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 18:13:11 | More by GarthDanielson

Bendurgin

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. This pours a light brown with two fingers of beige head. Lots of sticky lace.

Resinous aroma with some hints of candied fruit and some pine bitterness in the background. A touch of sweet malt lingers. Citrus on the pallet with grassy hops in the background. Lots of great citrus here with a slightly lackluster hop bittering.

The body is light with rough carbonation. Overall this one is serviceable. Enjoyable enough; I'm sure I'll grab this again for some outdoor occasions.

Serving type: can

08-11-2012 15:20:18 | More by Bendurgin

Arithmeticus

Maryland

2.95/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured semicool in small glass.

A: dark copper, medium carbonation, buoyant head, very head with good lacing
S: aggressive hop aroma, long-lasting
T: stale, cloying; hops are overbalanced against malt
M: thin

Not that great an ipa; perhaps it had to be chilled more, maybe not

Serving type: can

07-30-2012 23:17:31 | More by Arithmeticus

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This beer pours a Hazy Dark Orange color, starts out with a solid two finger head, which fizzes down to a 1 finger, but leaves some nice lacing.

S: Bitter hop aroma hits off the first smell, which is followed by a grapefruit type citrus. Pine and a slight hint of honey are also present.

T: Tangy grapefruit bite right off the bat, moderate hop bitterness follows with hints of apricot and pine through the end. Finishes with a dry bread-type yeast taste.

M: Smooth for the style, light bodied with subtle carbonation.

O: Exactly what I expected from an IPA, not as strong as a Whitewater, but very drinkable for a hot summer day. Good quality and ABV for the price!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 00:01:39 | More by SouljaSaia17

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. The beer pours a cloudy orangish copper hue with creamy off white head of 5 cm foaming up even with a gentle pour. head recedes gradually to a sturdy thick head leaving some tightly packed lattice on the sides of the glass. Very foaming remaining .5 surface layer of head.
Aroma is pine sap and citrusy hops, I also get a bit of caramel malt buried in the hops.
First sip reveals a light to average body with very fine and slightly spacious carbonation. Flavor is briefly caramel and biscuity malt which rolls to pine sap and bitey hops that finish very dry and leave a fairly astringent taste on my palate.
Overall the beer is very drinkable and I dont get any hit of ABV and the light crisp body goes well with the heat this evening.

A solid IPA that doesnt just punch you in the face with hops. A hit for the appearance due to heavy overfoaming on pour.
Worth a purchase.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 03:38:41 | More by sulldaddy

turnerk3

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark orange, it actually resembles the color of new motor oil. A nice white, finger width head that clings nicely to the side of the glass.

S: The aroma is resiny and citrusy, but very subtle compared to most other IPAs.

T: This has a very surprising taste. It first has a lack luster taste, but develops a nice complexity that I was not expecting. It still does not quite have the hop kick I was expecting for an American IPA, but definitely does well to surprise with a nice balance mix of hop dominance and a noticeable malt back bone.

M: A very smooth feel with a good deal of carbonation. Quite sticky with the hop after taste, as well as a malt touch in the front of the mouth.

O: This is a very nice brew that gives a unique twist to the style. It came across very subtle, but ends in a nice hoppy explosion. Unfortunately, I found that this lacked the true hop taste of an American IPA, but still a decent version of the style.

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 23:32:27 | More by turnerk3

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - this IPA pours a hazy ruddy red with a finger of frothy off white/tan head fed by moderate carbonation

S - mellowed or balanced hops in the nose, the citrine, pine, floral hops aromas are pitted against some sugary sweetness. This hop profile leans toward the pine side

T - the taste mirrors the aroms, strong hop profile that tends towards the pine side, the hops don't fade even though some sweetness comes out

M&D - hop bombs away, a fine brewed puckering brew that appeased the hop head in you with out costing an arm and a leg.
long live canned IPA's!

Serving type: can

06-15-2012 21:25:59 | More by sinstaineddemon

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a pint glass.

pours a translucent dark amber shade with frothy 1" or so of beige colored head that goes absolutely nowhere; excellent lacing. great looking IPA. nose is likewise outstanding. a lot of citric hoppiness (grapefruit, apricot) with the suggestion of a malt backbone evident.

taste is very good, though for me doesn't quite live up to the expectations built by the aroma. i think the malt bill is a bit overdone - i like a little balance in my IPAs, but the toasted maltiness is infringing with the hops a bit. still, a tasty brew. bitter hoppiness persist through the finish. medium bodied moutfeel with average carbonation.

hands down a solid brew but could use some tweaking: a few small adjustments and i think it has the potential to be an upper eschelon IPA.

(originally reviewed: 05-16-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 04:39:16 | More by BostonHops

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tap: Poured a brown color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention. Aroma of floral hops notes with limited notes of bitterness with light caramelized malt notes. Taste is also a mix between some caramelized malt with some floral hoppy notes with a light bitter finish. Body was a bit thin for the style with average carbonation. Lacking a bit of character for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 19:42:07 | More by Phyl21ca

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden orange to copper in color with some very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that reduces but leaves a thick layer covering the entire surface of the beer. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Strong aromas of grapefruit hops dominate the smell of this beer. There is a slight hint of bitterness in the smell.

T: The beer starts with a light caramel malt sweetness which is quickly replaced by the hop flavor. There is a great flavor of grapefruit hop with a slight hint of apricot. This beer is moderately bitter with a lingering bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with a light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: This is a good beer and an enjoyable beer. Thus far I have been impressed with everything that I have tried from this brewery and glad that I was able to find the bottle of this in NYC (prior to this I had pretty much only drank these beers at Boston Logan Airport where there is a Cisco pub). I like this beer and would likely get it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 00:08:19 | More by dbrauneis