Elissa IPA
Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Elissa IPAElissa IPA
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From:
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #2,803
ABV:
7.1%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,813
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 12.7%
Reviews:
407
Ratings:
1,075
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 18, 2023
Added:
May 14, 2004
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  250
A traditional India Pale Ale, the Elissa IPA is very hoppy with a properly balanced malty body. Elissa has huge hop additions in the kettle that give it a wonderful bitterness and is then dry-hopped in the fermenter to create the pleasant floral, hoppy nose. Our reverse osmosis water makes the bitter very soft with no harsh notes to it. The maltiness is derived from British Maris Otter malt. Its rich flavor stands up to the hops that would otherwise dominate this beer. The Elissa is an authentic version of an India Pale Ale (IPA) style.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.15 by Amoien from Texas

Dec 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by jvgoor3786 from Arkansas

Jun 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by TakiMan42

Apr 17, 2023
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.87/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden amber color with a one finger head of puffy white foam. The head has a great level of retention, fading slowly over time and leaving a ton of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is quite heavy of a pine and grapefruit hop aroma mixed with some smells of sweet orange citrus and caramel. Along with these smells comes notes of herbal hop and a bit of pear.
Taste – The taste starts out with a crisp bready malt flavor that has notes of caramel and tangerine sweetness. At the start the hops are mainly of a grapefruit nature, with some light herbal and pine hop flavors. As the taste advances the former hop flavors get a bit more intense with the pine, at the end, becoming the strongest of the hop tastes. At the same time, the sweeter flavors upfront seem to dwindle a bit, all while a touch of earth and hay come to the tongue, leaving one with a nice crisp taste to linger.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is quite high. For the crisp nature and the pine/herbal/grapefruit hop mix the moderate body and is lightly higher carbonation level are rather nice and make this an easy sipping brew.
Overall – A rather nice and crisp IPA that is clean and approachable.
Sep 09, 2022
Photo of Stone7Stein
Reviewed by Stone7Stein from Texas

4.51/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Beautiful copper body and off white head. Hoppy nose. Full bodied, lightly carbonated, cascade hops shine through. Crisp finish. Very good example of a traditional IPA.
Aug 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.26 by lonestarshield from Texas

Jun 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.85 by Curt3 from Ohio

May 15, 2022
Photo of Highlonesome1
Reviewed by Highlonesome1 from Texas

4.24/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Congratulations St. Arnold being voted Craft Brewery of the Year and for Elisa IPA, Gold Medal for best English Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival. Cheers!
May 07, 2022
 
Rated: 4.07 by dbean3 from Texas

Feb 01, 2022
Photo of RichardP53
Rated by RichardP53

4.53/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A real “bitter” as in English bitter ales. A proper IPA, not like those nasty citrus IPAs that are barely real beer at all.
Jan 08, 2022
 
Rated: 3.6 by SViterileroux74 from Texas

Jan 31, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Oct 11, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 08, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by GarbageMan10 from Texas

Jan 07, 2020
Photo of puck1225
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas

3.94/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this with a wonderful meal at one of those restaurant that has excellent food but focuses on wine and has a worse beer selection than Applebee’s.

Anyway, this beer is not bad and it went well with the meal. poured into a tall pilsner glass from a bottle. Golden yellow color with good head and lacing. Piney, citrus smella Nd taste. A bit of vanilla. Overall pretty good but doubt I will buy a six pack. Meal was great!
Aug 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by Dillinger from Mississippi

Jul 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by SMH_NWI from Texas

Jun 30, 2019
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.63/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
100% Cascade hops.

I wrote a proper review of this and then it somehow didn't save, so here's the brief version:

It's a wannabe scaled-up version of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with ill enough hop pungency. Suffers from dryness on the finish and a bit of alcohol warmth throughout. Hop profile is okay, but showcases Cascade poorly especially compared to the aforementioned SNPA.

Very pedestrian imitative fare...not a beer I'd buy again.

C- / BELOW AVERAGE
Jun 06, 2019
 
Rated: 3.52 by kbrown from Ohio

May 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Longhorn08 from Texas

May 24, 2019
Elissa IPA from Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 1075 ratings