Maharaja - Avery Brewing Company

merlin48

Kentucky

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've been looking unsuccesfully for the Raj for months. Thanks to mntlover for coming to the rescue with this attractively labeled bomber. Pours into an imperial pint glass a chill hazed apricot body with a creamy beige head that stabilizes at an inch in height. Retention is excellent and a plentiful amount of sticky patch lace is left on the sides of the glass.

Lovely aroma is pungent with oily citrus. Pink grapefruit, tangerine, and spruce pine notes provide an enticing opening. Roasted caramel is apparent underneath all the citrusy hoppiness. Lovely bouquet!

Mouthfeel is thick, coating, and sticky. Hop resins meld with the moderate carbonation and big maltiness to produce a chewiness and nearly full body that defines what I expect out of an excellent double IPA.

Taste mirrors the aroma, with big citrusy hops and malts. Pink grapefruit, orange, and tangerine tart sweetness mingle well with the underlying caramel malt base. Bitterness is not ashamed to be assertive, with notes of pine resin adding to a tasty balance. I did not notice any distracting alcohol as have many reviewers. This one is full flavored, thick and rich, and awash in a pleasant field of bittersweet citrusy and tropical hops that meld very well with the chewy caramel maltiness. Finishes with a long aftertaste that is slightly bitter with spruce resin and grapefruit rind. Very yummy.

This one is what I expect out of a Double IPA. Very similar to Avery 10 and 11 in taste and character, but this has a better balance and more pronounced flavor and aroma profile. This is the best product I've sampled from the folks at Avery. This is the kind of beer that the BA website has led me to fall in love with. Nirvana in a bottle, this one. Supremely drinkable! This is one that I would take to a deserted island. Very highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2005 12:02:18 | More by merlin48

Gagnonsux

Texas

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is a bright, mid-range shade of copper with a high level of carbonation. The off-white head is thick and has great retention. The aroma begins with a strong whiff of oily hops, but soon a strong, rich, and somewhat fruity malt smell takes over. The flavor has an interesting combination of hop and malt flavors; and is a little bit different from the few other 2XIPAs I've had. The malt flavor is strong, almost like a weak barleywine, with a distinct fruitiness. The hop flavor is strong, resinous, but not quite distinctly piney or citrissy. More than just a touch of alcohol flavor is noted towards the finish. This is great stuff, different from what I was expecting, but always interesting.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2005 16:32:42 | More by Gagnonsux

budsboy

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber dated 2005.

The first thing you notice on the pour is the aroma. You could smell it from ten feet. More on that later. Somewhat cloudy, reddish, with a big sticky rich head and lots of lacing.

Warm, piney hop aroma, very pungent. Woody malt aromas mix to a mouth-watering climax. I do love that hoppy aroma.

Taste is a burnt pine flavor atop a mellow malty sweetness, a hoppy punch toward the swallow and a lasting, palate busting bitterness in the end. There is no way to tell this is nearly ABV 10. Dangerous stuff.

Creamy, full mouthfeel. Not smooth, SMOOVE, almost jelatinous in its fullness. A little oily afterwards.

A big beer, one I will seek out again, if not again and again. A treat and a nice change from latest infatuation with dark, rich, alcoholic stouts (weather is getting colder). Good stuff again from Avery, who has yet to dissappoint me. Try some.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2005 23:00:13 | More by budsboy

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured into the glass murky amber brown with a golden hue. The head was off-white and frothy, yet low and lasting to lace the glass.

The aroma was malty and full of caramel coupled with a light citrusy hop presence and a grassy and resinous aroma that lingers and melds with the malt in the nose. Some alcohol was present in the aroma.

The flavor was malty with a strong hop flavor and bittering. The hop flavor was piney and slightly resinous, but the bittering was never overdone and the hops were not over the top either. The balance was well achieved between malt and hops and thus created a very drinkable brew. Some alcohol played into the flavor, but it added without taking away from the flavor. The malt flavor was caramel and nicely achieved.

The finish was dry with a lasting resinous and piney hop flavor that gradually fades into the final aftertaste with a pleasant malt flavor. The body was medium full and the mouthfeel was just almost creamy though not highly carbonated. The only real gripe with the Marharaja is he is one cloudy dude...

22 ounce bottle. Purchased at Vintage Cellar in Radford, VA.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2005 20:55:09 | More by GCBrewingCo

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bomber

Pours a hazy orange amber. Nice creamy eggshell head that fades, but not completely. Nice lacing on the glass.

Smells very citrusy an piney. Beautiful aroma. Extremely inviting.

Lots of upfront hops followed by a somewhat buttery aftertaste. I can't decide if that effect is from the hops or if it's more diacetyl. Whatever it is, it's delicious! Ringing in at 9.7%, I get no sense of the alcohol in the flavor.

Big, full body. Perfect for the style, very satisfying.

Consumed this bomber with ease. My wife has been circling me like a vulture and stealing gulps at every chance, so it's a true winner in this house.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2005 00:25:08 | More by MaltyGoodness

quasimoto

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- It started with a nice off white head covering a clear amber body.

S- It has very strong hops on the nose of grassy pine, and some sweet ness. Almost wheat grassish.

T- There are nice background hints of a woody taste to the creamy heavy mouthfeel.

M- The beer coated my mouth but left it crisp and dry.

D -I particulary like this beer simply because its a basic well flavored Double IPA,

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2005 17:21:47 | More by quasimoto

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Burnished orange-copper with golden butterscotch accents. Even though the pour wasn't overly aggressive, the head filled most of the pint glass. It's somewhere between palest caramel and ivory in color, with an upper surface that is occupied by thousands of fragile, glassy bubbles. A thick blanket of lace is currently visible.

The nose is the hop monster that was anticipated. However, two things keep me from being wildly enthusiastic. The citrus and spruce of Centennial and Simcoe aren't helped by what I assume is the contribution from Magnum. The second thing is that the almost double digit alcohol is incompletely buried.

The same faults apply to the flavor profile, although I hesitate to use that word in what is still a delicious beer. The bulwark-like maltiness practically oozes sweet, sticky caramel. I'm not sure about an 'insane quantity of malted barley', as the label claims, but it's at least mentally unbalanced. Maharaja is sweeter than most DIPAs. Probably too much so.

What would a DIPA be without hops? Relax, that's strictly a rhetorical question. While this DIPA has a massive amount of them, it doesn't have the 'deranged amount' that the label would have us believe. What is it with Avery and mental illness? (rhetorical again). Like the aroma, the flavor is dominated by candied citrus peel and pine sap, but the less desirable flavor qualities of the Magnum hops keep getting in the way.

Any beer with this much malt is bound to have a killer mouthfeel. It's expansive, smooth as heavy silk and some kinda likeable. It promotes sipping rather than gulping, which is a good thing since the beer tastes like a 12%'er and drinks like one too. Time and warming have smoothed some of the initial rough edges.

Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale is the antithesis of a well-mannered DIPA. It's big, bold and bombastic. Avery has a penchant for brewing Big Beer, but they tend to forget that refinement is a necessary quality in even the biggest beer. The relatively high scores that I've granted are a testament to my love of all things hoppy. I'm guessing that those of you who don't belong to 'Hopheads For Life' won't feel so generous.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2005 21:45:31 | More by BuckeyeNation

rowew

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 22 oz bomber with foil over the cap. OG, ABV, and brewed date clearly printed on the label.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy orange with a decent sized head that fades to leave nice lacing.

Smell: Strong, fresh hops. Citrusy with just a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Here the hops dominate as well. Citrus with a bit of pine, and the alcohol shows through as well. Mouthfeel is creamy with just a hint of hop oiliness.

Overall impression: Very nice Double IPA. A great addition to Avery's offerings.

Overall impression:

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2005 23:59:49 | More by rowew

unclederby

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I really like this beer. Poured from a 22oz. bomber into a chalice which resulted in a solid one inch head which didn't hang around for long. Like a newly minted liquified penny, appearance was a golden, shiny copper with sparse tiny bubbles rising to the top. The head didn't stay around long but left a solid bit of lacing. Strong scents of grapefruit, orange peel and fresh hops also lent itself a faint trace of spiciness (black pepper?) The taste is solid, with bitter piney hops dominating and a tart, citrus follow through. I expected a bit more complexity based on the appearance and nose but nonetheless this is one tasty brew. Mouthful is oily and resiny if not a bit thin. This is my second experience with the maharaja and i'll definately come back to it.

Edit: Fast forward 2 1/2 years later and I had my upmteenth Maharaja just last night. This baby was super fresh (I caught a contact buzz off of the hop aroma); bottled on 02/21/08 and consumed om 03/02/08. Man, i'd forgotten just how great a beer the Maharaja is... possibly the best 2IPA i've tasted in my four years of drinking serious brew. I have edited my scores to reflect this sentiment.

Props go out to Adam Avery for delivering to us a little slice of heavenly nectar.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2005 01:15:37 | More by unclederby

frazbri

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Maharaja from Avery Brewing Company poured a clear, glowing copper topped by an off-white head. Lacing was impressive, and the a whisp of foam reincarnates through the whole glass. The aroma is bold and bright. Grapefruit and lemonzest were prominent. The initial taste was bitter, but sweet malt flavors became prominent before the bitterness reasserted itself in the finish. The body was medium/full, and the carbonation moderate, but present enough to reinvigorate the head.

Big. Bold. Flavorful. but...
the Maharaja is one dimensional. It is like a Ramone's song in liquid form. It's hard, fast, and fun, but...

Beat up the brat, beat up the brat, beat up the brat with a baseball bat...

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2005 01:15:57 | More by frazbri

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

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

Maharja pours a clear copper color with a frothy white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a thick ring around the surface of the beer leaving a fair amount of lace on the sides of the glass.

A strong hoppy aroma of citrus and pine floats above the beer. Each sip of this medium bodied beer is somewhat chewy on the palate. Strong hop flavors dominate each sip with their citrus and pine notes. A dry malt taste in the background balances out all the hops. I think I can detect a bit of bubblegum in there too. It finishes bitter with grapefruit notes.

For hop lovers you've got to put this beer on your list.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2005 23:41:52 | More by WanderingFool

jakester

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. It came in a snifter glass.

Arrives a pretty orange/amber with a one finger head of off-white foam. The head is sticky, and there is great lacing on the glass. Carbonation is evident.

The aroma is strong grapefruit/citrus, wonderful toffee/caramel malt, and not a hint of alcohol. I can't wait!

The first flavor is huge hop bitterness, then grapefruits, lemons, and tangerines, delicious. Maybe some pine needles thrown in there also. The alcohol is hidden very well. Caramel candy malt is just enough to balance this, sort of. Aftertaste is citrus-y and bitter.

The mouthfeel is smooth as silk, a big hop bitterness at your throat, and a nice carbonation zing. The finish is sweet and bitter. Lip-smackingly sweet.

This is a wonderful DIPA, full of hops in every way. Gotta be one of the best. Big malt, big hops, big alcohol, everything you could ask for in a DIPA. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2005 20:14:59 | More by jakester

tjthresh

Indiana

3.3/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pretty let down by the aroma. Mostly sweet malt and alcohol. The beer looks great. Deep red and oranges with a sticky off white head. After a couple of drinks my mustache is very sticky. Very sweet with a lot of burn. And it doesn’t hang around long enough. Don’t get me wrong. I’d never turn down the Maharaja, but there are a few that I’d pick before.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2005 12:39:56 | More by tjthresh

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange caramel color with about a half-inch head at first pour. The head fell in less than a minute. There are a few bubbles rising, but they don't stick at the top. I am assuming that this is an indication of the beers strength.

Aroma: Plenty of citrusy hops that Avery is famous for. There is also a noticeable helping of caramel malts to balance out the aroma profile. The alcohol isn't noticeable at first pour.

Taste: It is a pretty heavy tasting beer for having such a light color and fresh aroma. It does taste like there is a wallop waiting in this bottle for me. The profile starts out with the citrus from the hops being the predominant part of the profile, but this is slowly replaced by the assertive malt laying in wait. The finish is balanced toward the bitter, and leaves you with a warm feeling on the back of the throat.

Opinion: This is a really assertive beer, and it wears the IIPA label well. There is so much hops in this beer that it distracts you from the hefty alcohol producing malt. It somehow ends up almost balanced...but after the fact your head is spinning, and your palate wondering when it got hit by a truck. Nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2005 22:42:35 | More by SkeeterHawk

Ego

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

typical cool lookin Avery bomber bottle, no freshness date, but it does say "brewed in 2005"

eyes...
looking at it under up it is like clouds blocking a sunny sky, not much head but the head that is there lingers quite a bit, lacing is better white wall than my old apartment, amber/brown hue, clear with some occassional bubbles making the sojourn up from the bottom of the glass, good looking

nose...
paging mr hops, mr hops you have a phone call...
steroid hops dipped in chocolate, this smells like a hop candy bar you want to chomp.. think hops nuggat (wtf id nugat is anyway?)
did I say this smells delicious ? if not.. I just did. maybe not the most complex smell but damn I love it.

mouth...
hop bitter and floral..yum. Medium mouthfeel with prickly hops going wild on the pallate, I thought I felt something.. but yeah, that's the ABV.. 9.7? jeesh ! you dont really taste it and there is only some minor warming, there is lace at the top of my glass still after downing half a glass ! this has a great bitter kick with a note to sweet for balance, surely not for everyone but anyone who likes something like say FFF Alpha King should try this, it has as strong a hop profile as the Alpha imo (different hop but you get the idea)... this is tasty and big for hop heads.. I think I see the Taj Mahal in front of me.. ooops, that's just an Atlantic City commercial...

verdict...
call me a slur monster after finishing this monster. utterly drinkable, the hops make me salivate with expectation between sips, but drink to much and Mr Abv slaps you upside the head (Mr ABV dont play that). This is VERY worth getting. not a session beer unless you want to session yourself into a coma...

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2005 04:08:37 | More by Ego

bditty187

Nebraska

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy, coppery-bronze in hue with a strong peachy influence; when backlit there is an amber sunshine vibe as well. Overall the fluid looks as expected for a DIPA… and that is always a good thing. Off-white head, thick and sticky bubbles compacted to over two fingers in height. Head retention was awesome. The foamy mass was concrete-like, impressive, most impressive. A tight cap lasted the entire consumption. I love when that happens. The lacing started before I started to sip away the beer. I love when that happens too! Then once the lacing really started it was nearly completely covering the side of the glass. I can’t really say anything bad about the appearance. It is perfect.

Maharaja? Hell, I smell marijuana! Dank bud. The chronic. Don’t act like you don’t know. It is sticky and pungent. Resiny. I detect pine needles and sap. Flowery. Honeysuckle. There are some citrusy hops; they are not very loud which isn’t a bad thing. The nose is very hoppy but it doesn’t blast me in the face and rip it off. I really like the aromas. The malt is very secondary but that is to be expected, I could find a smattering of toasty caramel. It is clearly alcoholic. While the nose is not profound it is articulate, it is a shame the potency wasn’t louder. Inviting nevertheless.

At first I thought the palate needed to be turned up. Where are the hops? For a DIPA, this is sweet and alcoholic. Sure those qualities are expected in such a beer but the hops are not strong enough to balance this beer let alone shine on their own. By no means is the palate not enjoyable, it is tasty but I really would like more bite. Flavorwise the hops do supply some marijuana-like tastes, pungent, earthy-dank, grassy sweet, and some piney notes. There is some citrus in play but it lacks direction. The earthy qualities of the hops shine in this DIPA, if nothing else that is different. Alcohol warmth is strong and is the secondary sensation. It is gut warming. My brain is numbing. Malty sweetness is found around, oh, “Z” in the dictionary. Caramel. Toasty. Random honey. Oranges. Fruity… but I can’t pinpoint anything specifically. That matters not; the palate is very well rounded. This is a good beer; it is not what I was expecting. There is restraint and depth. Based solely on taste and not comparison or want of an atomic “hop bomb” the palate is very tasty. I really like it. This is a great sipping brew. Based on the subtleness of flavors and their depth, I’m left with a very favorable impression of this beer.

Medium/medium full in body, moderately low carbonation but it fits this beer well. The low carbonation is not sluggish or lazy… it is relaxing. I like it, pleasant mouthfeel.

This is a very good and very different view of a DIPA. I am not overwhelmed by any aspect of this beer but I am not underwhelmed either. That impresses me; I mean this beer is from Avery. There is power but there is grace. There is thunder but there is a light mist. It is making me hungry; I want earthy cheese. I want tangy fruit. I want another bomber, maybe because I split my bottle with Tara. Damn that hophead fiend! I thought the range of DIPAs was limited, well, it is still is but this beer does increase my perspective. Oh, if you haven’t gathered this beer is very drinkable. I purchased it in Boulder, CO. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2005 12:55:02 | More by bditty187

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Good medium copper apearance, a stiff but overall short head of about 1/4 of an inch. Nice laces, spread evenly about the glass. Aroma has a good hop oil scent, a bit on the lemon side, not so pithy or juicy. Good mouthfeel, heavy but with OK carbonation. Flavor is well-balanced and that's a good thing, I say. A brown sugar thickness, some molasses but a big hop counterpoint that does the beer in good standing. There is no way I could mark this beer down, now that I am drinking a bottle by myself (it was fun pouring it with Adam Avery at the last BA fest)...the "Raja" has a balance I don't get in many Double IPAs...maybe its still the memory of Russian River face-to-face with this that makes it good but not world-class in what that style CAN be...

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2005 02:18:46 | More by ADR

Beervis

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours from the bomber a deep orange with a thick, lacy white head.

Smell is of slightly sweet malt, and extreme amounts of flowery hops.

Taste is very brightly bitter up front, followed by a great balance of malt. Medium bodied and warming, this beer is awesome. The hop bitterness spreads over the tongue, and totally cleans out the tastebuds. The finish is snappy and drying with a lingering spicy alcohol warmth.

I really liked this beer. It's a great DIPA, and it's very balanced compared to many that I've tried.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 18:01:08 | More by Beervis

arizcards

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bomber at AJ's for 6.99 back in May.

Poured a nice deep orange with good head retention and nice lacing. Nose is bready and sweet. Taste is more malty than hoppy. Starts off with a sweet blast of malts finishing with a nice subtle hop which is not what I expected. It is more like a supercharged ESB. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth and very full. Overall drinkability is good. The high ABV is pretty well masked. This is a very well crafted brew!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2005 00:51:04 | More by arizcards

Maestro

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Awesom brew! I picked up a bomber while visiting Chicago. You see, I didn't feel like paying a lot of money for a guiness at my overpriced hotel, so I walked around the "neighborhood" and found a great store that had this and many other great beers for sale.

This IPA was great in that it was extreme but not overwhelming. I look for that in an/a Imperial/Double IPA. This beer had the textbook pale ale look, but the nose was great--more malty than hoppy. This beer tasted very balanced and the hops didn't kill my tastebuds. The pale malt was plentiful and balanced out the high abv, leaving a smooth feeling in my mouth.

Drinkablity...watch out for this guy is so smooth you may end up with a mess on your hands.

Nice job, Avery!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2005 02:06:12 | More by Maestro

SupaCelt

Michigan

2.45/5  rDev -42.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

Beauteous honey-copper-orange pour. Buoyant pillow head of one finger stature. Superb cap retention that locks the aromas beneath with steadfast resolve. Multidimensional lacings are cast forth, creating a topographical masterpiece of peaks and valleys. Isolated squadrons of carbonation bubbles move en mass into their future. Diffusely gaseous, and quite alright in appearance.

Hop scents emanate from the glass. Resinous. Extract? At any rate, hopped for certain. There is also a malty, thick aroma that disturbs the sappy, pine influences. Slight alcoholic vapors tingle the turbinates. This one smells crusty and too sugared out or something. This crushes the appeal of the hops. It is not all that pleasant to smell.

Toasted caramel throws the first punch. Pine afterburners kick in and dry out the flavourscape for a nice finish that is actually not overly dry. There is perhaps too much malt presence here. More than I had expected. There is just something sickening about the flavour. A dirty, gritty sweetness hangs on like a pit bull. Nearly impeccable body for the style though. I was expecting an overly hoppy and novel taste when in fact, The Maharaja is laying down a huge cloying maltiness in his flavour kingdom. I am going to need my turban rewrapped after this splash. Overall, a bit nauseating.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2005 14:38:43 | More by SupaCelt

meathookjones

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At almost 10% I was worried this one would be a little hot given my experience with some of Avery’s stronger beers. This was a deep orange color body with reddish highlights topped with a light tan small head. Light webbings of lace were left around the glass. Sweet hop juicy citric aroma with plenty of malt to be had. This could use a bit more hops and bitterness. The flavor retains the citric juice hops that were gong on in the nose but with more bitterness to help it along. Nice maltiness here with a light sweetness than the nose. Finishes with a nice hop juiciness and a light bitter bite. Pretty big mouthfeel here but none of the prickly hop feel on your tongue I expect form Double IPAs. Good drinkability as well, the taste is hoppy yet balanced. Good overall effort but a boost in the nose and bitterness would do this one a world of good. Also the alcohol was no where to be found.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2005 14:08:55 | More by meathookjones

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at La Cave Du Vin in Cleveland.

Pours orangey copper and hazy with a huge rocky snow white head. Tons of lacing, some thick and some fine works it's way down the glass. Smell is very citrusy, strong bitter hops.

No doubt about it, this beer is a little hot. Alcohol up front that quickly smooths into a sweet tangerine flavor that even more quickly slips into hoppy flavors that become much spicier. Eventually the hops build to an tooth enamel ripping level. They are everywhere and dominate the body of this beer. After the first couple of sips that is about all you taste. Long lingering bitterness, numbing the toungue. Haven't had an experience quite like this since I first tried Ruination. All in all though it's tasty and I would have it again. It's quite unbalanced and that doesn't work well with this beer. Probably the only thing keeping it from being truly great would be a weak (relatively speaking) malt profile.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2005 02:17:01 | More by ViveLaChouffe

oberon

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice to try another big bad double IPA,pours a slightly hazy deep orange with a tight one finger head that leaves a sheet of lace behind on the way down,well what would you expect from a double IPA aroma wise HOPS and more hops in the aroma pine and definent grapefruit coming thru srong not much malt profile but it wasnt expected.This beer coats the tongue somewhat thick in the mouthfeel dept the alcohol flavor doesnt overpower though by any means,big resiny and citrusy can make the tongue curl.Not quite as good in my opinion as its Colorado cousin Great Divid Hercules double IPA but this is no chump damn fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 02:35:40 | More by oberon

ejquin

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

App: Amber with a nice white head. Great lacing.

Smell: Citrusy hops, bready yeast with some maly mixed in.

Taste: Very malty and carmely. Some citrus but not as much as you would think from the aroma, and less than most DIPA's. Balanced pretty well with a bitter semi-dry finish.

Mouth: Thick and heavy but smooth. Good carb level,

Drink: Good

Overall: This is a very good brew. I felt it was a bit light in the flavor department for a DIPA or else it would have been great.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 00:47:46 | More by ejquin