Myrcenary Double IPA - Odell Brewing Company

TWHartman

Minnesota

3.64/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- golden orange, slightly cloudy, white head dicipates into thin white lines, leaves nice lace

S- surprisingly less aroma than I would have thought, citrus and sweet tropical hop aroma

T- tropical fruit, like passionfruit, very interesting fruity and citrus. Dry malty backbone. There is a slight hot finish, but for being 9.whatever the ABV is I can't tell it has as much alcohol as it does

M- very thick without being cloying, very nice

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2013 01:38:16 | More by TWHartman

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

Look: Hazy copper with a thick foamy off white head. Nice webby lines of lacing.

Aroma: Perfect balance of caramel malt sweetness and bitter citrus hops.

Taste: Rich and malty up front, a nice pure caramel touch. Then gets bitter right away with piny hops and grapefruit rind bitterness. Well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy, a tad sticky.

Overall: The balance is key here, and everything else falls into place nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 00:44:25 | More by JuicesFlowing

jtierney89

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer was fantastic. Orange glow sticky head. Pineapple bomb on the nose. A little sticky mouthfeel but nice and full. Flavo ris a giant pinepapple bomb as well with lots of other tropical fruit flavors. Malt leaves a nice sticky sweetness in the mouth. Bitterness is absent, purely balance, and alcohol is non-existent. An excellent beer and wish I could get my hands on more of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 15:52:32 | More by jtierney89

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.41/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a great beer, a great Double IPA, however it doesn't stand out much from the regular IPA that Odell produces and I believe a DIPA should. Mercenary is really solid, with a superb smell from the bottle or glass. For the price I would much rather go with Odell's IPA, which is a "go to beer" for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 19:29:13 | More by DenverHopHead

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Let me start by saying, I really really really wish Odell distro'ed in WI.

Pours clear amber with about 2 fingers of frootthhhyy khaki head. The foam just sits there. It's very sticky and very inviting. Exceptional looking IIPA.

Smells honey and caramel sweet. Bright citrus hops abound (mostly tangerine and a bit of mango). Very clean and big nose. Some floral hops on the backend, but citrus sweetness overwhelms the scent.

How drinkable can a 9.3% IIPA be? The answer is THIS. This beer is so sweet, and citrusy, and rounded. The taste is very deliberate and well-exicuted. There is some resin on the finish, but it's highly enjoyable. I'm getting mostly the meat of the orange in the flavor. It's a juicy beer.

Mouthfeel is medium with medium-low carb. I like the feel a lot, but it's a tad syrupy for my taste. I was hoping for a crisp resiny finish. Regardless, this is a small deduction.

This IIPA is fantastic. It dances with the big boys in almost every conceivable way. An excellent Odell-ian offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 14:46:01 | More by lunarbrew

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Poured on 4/22/13 from a 12 oz bottle with a best by date of 7/6/2013 into an IPA Spiegelau glass. Pours a hazy copper with a solid 1.5 finger white head. Suds have a fantastic hold on the glass. Good retention with a thin layer that sticks around the whole time.

S- Intense floral and citrus notes. Tropical fruits as the label indicates. Tangerine, grapefruit, melon, and lots of mango. Some nice flowery aroma. Hop oils and lemon grass also add to the nice hop profile. Just a slight amount of a malt base comes through

T- Big hop flavor as the nose indicates. Maybe not as intense as the smell, but nothing to complain about. Hop forward, resinous, juicy hops. Just enough bready backbone to give it some balance and mellow it out from the hop rush before the bitterness sets in again.

M- Really like the feel of this beer. Mid body, creamy and velvety. Nicely carbonated with a dry finish and alcohol that is well hidden at this abv.

O- Wonderfully done IPA that does a terrific job of paying tribute to the hop complexity. Not sure that the flavor of this brew stands head and shoulders above the rest of its style, but a delicious beer no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 05:09:32 | More by Bosoxfan20

AndyP612

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served on tap in chalice at St. Paul Pizza Luce reviewed from notes.

A- Very pale orange with a thin white this ale is almost glowing in the glass.

S- Hops, hops, hops forward. Very floral and glorious on the nose.

T- Hop bomb and follows nose very nicely. Grapefruit bomb with huge hop sweetness but balanced nicely with a slightly dry finish.

M- Medium full bodied and lingering with hops yet not syrupy like Hopslam.

O- I am so glad this is still available on tap and possible to find. I much prefer the mouthfeel and finish on this ale over Hopslam as it is definitely comparable and preferable to the Bell's hop grenade. My girl friend said it best when she said, "It tastes purfumey."

Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 05:32:59 | More by AndyP612

SlothB77

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce into bottle

A: Semi-transparent light gold with almost no white head. limited, very pleasant small bubbles.

S: Walloped with pineapple, hops, melon, peach, tropical fruit and lemon. Douglas fir and spruce are secondary.

T: Pine and melon, some orange/ clementine. The pine flavor actually hits first. Usually i notice the citrus flavor first. Smooth, slightly charred finish.

M: Medium-bodied, low carbonation, caramel slick, hoppy and medium-low bitterness.

O: Very smooth, very drinkable 9.3%.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-19-2013 02:15:17 | More by SlothB77

argock

Virginia

4.09/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into an oversized wineglass. Best by 06/15/13 on label. Single purchased at a Minneapolis area bottle shop by my brother for $2.99.

A: Amber-honey with a light copper tinge topped with 1-finger of off-white foamy small-bubbled head which left minimal to no lacing.

S: Explosive resin and pine aromas are followed by peach, mango, and passionfruit. Grapefruit plays a role but I get this a much more piney and resiney. The maltiness is bready without much sweetness. Yeast character is nil.

T: The flavor is not quite as intense or complex as the nose but there is nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't really keep up with the big boys, as the resin is the most prominent hop flavor followed by pine and grapefruit/lemon. The mango and more tropical flavors fade into the secondary role but add layers. The maltiness is bready with just a mild amount of light-medium caramel character. The yeast character is also none. The bitterness is high, higher than I expected, probably owing to the overly resiney quality of the hops flavor.

M: Smooth and well-carbonated, medium body, medium dry but I think could be a little drier.

O: A nice beer but not on a level that I would put with the likes of other available DIPAs like Hop Wallop, Ruination, or Sculpin. Definitely worth a try though -- a nice beer with a great name.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 02:16:03 | More by argock

MCain04

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4 pack obtained from a friend driving back from Denver, much appreciated. No bottling date on the 12 oz bottle, poured into a FFF Teku.

A: Clear, deep red-amber color with an eggshell-white 2 finger head, nice lacing and retention.

S: Tropical fruits and sweet malts are abundant but not overwhelming, but probably the most tropical-smelling DIPA I've come across.

T: Follows the nose well, but a touch subdued, with a readily-apparent malt presence. Bitter but not overwhelmingly so. Hides the ABV well.

M: Full-bodied and definitely on the smooth side, Carbonation is moderate and pretty much spot on, not as dry as it should be though for a DIPA.

O: Pleased to have a 4-pack of this brew, definitely enjoyed it and would drink it again. Probably would not trade an arm and a leg for it, but if I was in the area I'd seek it out. Not quite world class, but certainly excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:08:56 | More by MCain04

PaleZombie

Arizona

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A - Tangerine like color with a quickly dissipating finger of head leaving little lacing, medium carbonation bubbles.

S - Piney floral hops, followed by the grapefruit hops then the tropical fruit hops (mango and pineapple). Slight bit of alcohol smell as the beer warms. Mild spice hints.

T - Taste is very hop forward, similar to the nose lots of pine, and some nice tropical tastes. Can taste a little of the alcohol but its still hidden very well.

M - Medium body and somewhat syrupy towards the end. Medium carbonation. Dry finish.

O - This is a solid Double IPA, and moderately priced at about 10 bucks for a 4 pack, but still a bit to overpriced IMO. Would drink this on special occasions or something, but still a little over my budget.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 06:53:49 | More by PaleZombie

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.44/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy deep gold with a soapy ring of head, good lacing.

S: Big floral, tropical fruit notes, some resiny citrus rind and slight catty character. Little to not malt detectable on the nose. Some fruity esters may be mixed in as well, but the yeast remains pretty neutral.

T/M: Upfront there is a big, smooth bitterness followed by huge fruity, citrus rind hops. The mouthfeel is slick and oily toward the middle, and the bitterness lingers throughout. The finish is dry and hoppy, but some malt comes through to provide a sweet breadiness that binds with some warming alcohol spice.

Overall: A great DIPA, certainly of the dry west-coast variety, but does have some sweetness that is accentuated by the fruity hops. It is more a homage to hop character, with a restrained bitterness and minimal malt character that lead to a blank canvas for the hops to display their subtle nuances throughout the sip and into the dry finish. Very interesting and very well executed, I would absolutely get it again given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 19:13:35 | More by Siriusfisherman

JGuzzle

Arizona

4.6/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

This is one of the best IPAs in the world. There is a certain fruitiness to the smell and taste which do well to mask the surprising 9.3% ABV. This beer is extremely dangerously drinkable with a crisp finish. Odell has a real winner here. I've had both on tap and from the bottle and they are equally as impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 04:19:24 | More by JGuzzle

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks Penguin3200

Crystal clear golden color with a frothy white head resting on top. Patchy lacing streaks the glass as the head retains with a collar of bubbly film.

Juicy, fruity nose with plenty of tropical tones and a dash of sweetness. Pineapple and mango with citrus peel and grapefruit. Soft warmth and toasted malty grains.

A one-two combo punch of juicy hops and tropical fruitiness. Sweet and bitter with pineapples, white grapes and an assortment of tropical fruits with a hint of burnt sugar. Medium malt backbone, touches of toasted grain, caramel and honey. Finishes bitter and juicy withing lingering alcohol warmth and fruit.

Medium body, well carbonated, sticky and juicy on the tongue. This wasn't what I was expecting, and the intense tropical flavors were a welcome breath of fresh air with all the citrus/pine bombs that're out there these days.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 16:53:19 | More by xnicknj

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a lovely, hazy rich gold with nearly three fingers of dense, bubbly off-white foam.

Smell: Lemon curd, pineapple, soft mango, and a whiff of white grape. There's also some earthy and oaky aromas with a light funkiness that seems to show up as the beer warms a bit. Very complex and enjoyable.

Taste: Tropical fruit, resiny pine and a little white grape with a nutty finish. Dank and just a touch musty. There's a lot of flavor going on here but it's surprisingly balanced. Didn't really pick up on any of the alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a bit sticky. Very smooth bitterness that doesn't overstay its welcome. Refreshing with just the right amount of carbonation.

Overall, this was an exemplary double IPA. Odell has itself a real winner here and I'm glad they brew this year-round. Myrcenary (named after Myrcene, one of four essential oils found in the hops cone) is a bold and robust beer with a wonderfully complex aroma and flavor, an incredible balance, and a smooth finish. This is one I would return to often if it was available in Illinois.
Dangerously drinkable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 17:07:59 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

homebrew311

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appears a very pale gold with heavy lacing. Nose is heavy with aromatic hops, pine oil, grapefruit, weed, and resin come through strong. Taste is hop forward with earthy hops, piney hops, and more hops. Not much malt to back things up, but tasty either way. The taste is hop forward too but with a nice balance of bitterness. Grapefruit and pine are the strongest. Mouthfeel is light and heavily carbonated. Very tasty dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 23:53:05 | More by homebrew311

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle, dated 4/16/13, poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a slightly hazy golden color, topped with a finger of white head, leaves a bit of lacing, recedes to a thin layer.

S- Big fruity hops aroma, lots of tropical fruit and citrus. There's also a bit of garlicy hop aroma and caramel.

T- A bit subdued compared to the aroma, the hops still have a nice amount of juicy tropical fruit, the caramel sweetness is a bit more noticeable in the flavor. Dry and resinous finish.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth feel, a bit thinner than you'd expect for the ABV. A bit of warmth in the finish.

O- A very solid DIPA, easy-drinking with a great aroma. Definitely give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 04:15:58 | More by WillCarrera

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.48/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Waldos KC served in a snifter

A - 2 fingers of thick white head, average lacing with incredible lacing.

S - Peppery and grassy upfront, pineapple, herbal, floral, sweet citrus, very faint malt in the background.

T - Sweet citrus, candied lemons and tangerines, pineapple, kiwi, stone fruit, sweet honey pale malt underneath. The grassy peppery hops start creeping in midway and grow with bitterness leaving the finish dry and firmly bitter with resinous oils left on the tongue.

M - Full bodied, low fine carbonation.

Wow! This is by far the best beer I've had from Odell. Actually one of the best DIPA's I've had as well. Very complex mix of hops and yeast, it's like sweet hop nectar.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 18:20:04 | More by StaveHooks

Moose90

Colorado

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Dated 5/29/13

A – Bright clear orange/yellow. Thin head that leaves nice lacing.

S – Pineapple, mango, and melon; great tropical fruit notes. Some citrus as well, but this is dominated by sweet pineapple and mango notes.

T – Peach, pineapple and crisp lime. Very unique profile on this one, malts are sweet, but balanced by a tremendous hop character. Some mango comes through on the finish. Very juicy overall.

M – Near perfect carbonation leads to a nice, clean, and refreshing mouthfeel. Finish lingers, and this goes down smooth. High ABV is undetected.

O – A truly unique beer and another killer beer from Odell's. They truly excel with the hoppy stuff, and this one is one of their best examples.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 06:48:45 | More by Moose90

GoldHorde

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

And THIS...is ODELL???

Mercynary Double India Pale Ale - 12oz bottle.

WOW! It poured a very uninteresting hazy pale yellow, BUT what an interesting beer! I would include THIS BEER in every IPA tasting just to show what beers RULE the fringe of this beloved hophead style. The bouquet was IMMEDIATELY enticing; a fresh herbal slap with a decidedly citrus edge that instantly made me think of golf balls and lemonade & gin high balls…momentarily forgetting that Spring is STILL four months out and I'm STILL in 2 feet of February permafrost here!

*sigh*

The beautifully refreshing aroma was SO NICE that I kept relishing in it for quite a few minutes before actually partaking a sip. The flavor hit was just a hatch mark under the predicted aromatic (as expected) but I was astonished by the long lemony, ginny aftertaste. I have never had a beer like this. KUDOS to the brewers for giving me an unexpected fast curve ball inside and up…leaving me looking…in AWE.

The head was thin (within category) with some lacing. The only other drink I've had reminiscent of this was something that was a malty hard lemonade concoction several years ago which straddled the category of hard fruit drink vs. beer. The brand name, place and event escape me – but a police report is probably in there somewhere…

I may LOVE IPA's, Stouts and Bourbon Porters, BUT I bend the knee to American Double IPA's, the Lord and the SR-71 Blackbird!

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:21:33 | More by GoldHorde

drrone

Arizona

3.74/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A - Nice clear golden, straw hue. Finger and a half of off white head. Nice lacing.

S- Hoppy, but not a much as you would expect for an DIPA. Good amount of malt. Maybe a hint of pineapple. Hopefully it will improve as it warms.

T- Hoppy, but not overwhelming. I can pick up more of the citrus highlights, but not very much of a tropical fruit hit. Solid malt backbone.

M - Drinks nicely, goes down smoothly without being too heavy. Good amount of carbonation.

O - Not a bad DIPA. It drinks quite smoothly for having 9.3% ABV. It gives you a good hop hit, but expected a slightly more pronounced impact on my senses.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:26:04 | More by drrone

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle, best by April 16, 2013. About 2 months old. Served at around 45F.

Pours semi-hazy amber with a two finger off-white head that leaves rings of bubbly and drippy lacing

Aroma is big time pineapple, mango, tropical fruit, floral hops, some apricot, caramel, hint of pine and orange rind. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is fruity hops, tropical fruit, mango, melon, pineapple, resinous hops, some citrus, apricot, decent bit of caramel malt, mild to moderate sweetness, good bitterness, some alcohol on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, oily and a bit sticky, good carbonation.

Excellent Double IPA and a real treat to get to try this. Big thanks to Mark for this one. Every hoppy beer I’ve had from Odell has been excellent...they sure know there way around some hops!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:06:57 | More by elgiacomo

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Re-Reviewing because I have a fresh bottle and I've recently gotten much more appreciation for this style.

Appearance: A golden liquid with great clarity and a thin off-white head that looks like it will leave nice lacing. Micro size effervescent bubbles slowly ascending. Real nice looking DIPA.

Aroma: A healthy mix of hops and malts. Pine and pineapple right away with lots of crystal malt. Some citrus but a mostly a mix of tropical and piney hops. Not as aromatic as I had hoped.

Taste: Starts with a light zap of bitterness on the tongue accompanied by pine and tangerine hop flavors. The crystal and caramel malts are not far behind and strike a near perfect balance in this heavily hopped brew. The hops that are implemented are not specified on Odell's website but I would venture a guess that Simcoe (pine) and Cascade (citrus/grapefruit) are on the list. Don't taste any of the 9.3% ABV besides a very slight heat in the back of the throat. It's listed as 70 IBUs which is a walk in the park for most hop heads. Perhaps because of the hop/malt balance the bitterness is not as extreme as a typical DIPA. Finish is dry with lingering pine and hints of tropical fruits.

Mouthfeel: Just a tad above medium which is on the lighter side for something this potent but makes it all the more drinkable. Smooth carbonation and a great drinking experience.

Final Thoughts: I'm glad I took the time to re-review this one so as to really enjoy the flavors. If you are in search of a superbly balanced DIPA then look no further. I'm shocked this beer doesn't get more hype, maybe because it's available year round at a steal ($10/4-pack). Would I drink it again? You betcha, three left in the fridge that will be calling my name all week.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 04:58:42 | More by JamesMN

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a clear golden yellow color with a white foamy hea on top. The retention and lacing are good. The smell is a little weaker than I expected. Subtle floral an fruity notes on the nose. The taste is pretty strong, lots of lemony citrus flavors. Nice malt back bone. The mouthfeel is smooth and oily, nice easy going carbonation. Overall very good. Really really good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 23:05:57 | More by Knapp85

GPHarris

Alabama

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

a - poured a one finger thick creamy, off-white head into a snifter that left great lacing throughout. the body was a bright golden-amber color.
s - very floral hops with some citrus hop aromas too.
t - very fruity with some citrus and spicy hops coming through too. nice balance here though with bready malt flavors.
m - thick, coating and chewy.
o - great DIPA and dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 16:19:43 | More by GPHarris