Exit 4 - Flying Fish Brewing Company

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Willie McBride's in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a slightly hazy medium golden yellow in color with some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy off white head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of bananas and pale malts upfront but the smell is really dominated by the citrus hops - both grapefruit and orange.

T: The overall taste of this beer is slightly sweet with pale malts and banana, bubble gum, and honey upfront. Again, like the smell, the taste is dominated by the citrus hops - orange and grapefruit. Very light hints of bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with moderate amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: A very enjoyable beer, I like the combination of the IPA hoppiness with a traditional Belgian tripel and the citrus hops really pop for me. The beer is pretty easy to drink considering the strength but there are some light hints of the alcohol. I think I need to limit myself with this beer as it can really sneak up on you.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 02:29:01 | More by dbrauneis

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Union Jack's on the Manatawny.

Brew is a slightly hazy, golden color. Boasting a creamy white head with some nice lacing.

Smells of candied malts, citrus hops. Tastes of big candied malts, citrus hops, spicey yeasts, banana, clove, oily hops. Very complex flavor.

Medium bodied, creamy with good carbonation.

A unique take on a Belgian Tripel - good stuff from Flying Fish. Not suprising - they have quite a bit of relly good Belgian style brews.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 01:11:50 | More by ujsplace

magine

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Union Jacks.

Pours a clear slightly hazed golden yellow. Nice tight white head with good bubbles. Creamy lace head with some good patchy lace remains. Good looking triple.

Yeasts, cloves candied malts, banana and some hops. Good nose.

Sweet and spicy, cloves, yeasts and a very good hop presence as well. Grapefruit hops and a slightly dry finish. Very unique blend of hops in this triple.

Different then most triples, this is an American triple for sure. great brew, and probably their best work.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2011 15:12:22 | More by magine

cbarrett4

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted from tap at Oregon Brewers Festival. Tasted 4 times with consistent notes:

A - Gorgeous golden hue with good carbonation, decent clarity and a nice level of persistent head.

S - Great clove, citrus, spice, and funky yeast thing going on.

T - Wowie! This is why I kept coming back and tasting this gem; COMPLEX; lots of spice, coriander, clove, ginger, some of the funky yeast coming through, then some refreshing citrus (orange and melon it seems).

M - It has a high ABV, but the texture, body, and balance is such that it doesn't seem to be overly alcoholic; good balance between acid and tannins.

D - Imminently rewarding to sip on. The flavors expand and change as the temperature changes.

One of the best Trippel style ales I have had outside of Belgium or Canada.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 19:22:35 | More by cbarrett4

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Flying Fish's entry at Oregon Brewers Fest 2010 ~ it's rare that we get to try a New jersey brewery so better take advantage of the opportunity. Tried this beer FOUR different time over the course of four days, all 4 oz. pours to a plastic mug, once (Friday) as the day's first pour. An amalgamation of note-taking...

A: From what can be discerned from pitcher glimpses and pours to a ghostly translucent mug; golden and vaguely clear, plenty of small bubbles dancing about. Creamy white topping, maybe 1/2- finger. A beauty even in improper glassware...

S: LOVE the aroma. Clove-spice malt and minty hops. Large and lasting, albeit a bit on the soapy/flowery side with later sniffs.

T: Sweet and floral upfront, a somewhat talcum-like chalkiness. Peppery spice follows, tempered by some citrus zest. Apples, honey, cloves ~ a study in complexity! Among the most intricate tripels I've tried outside of those birthed in Belgium.

M: Seductively velveteen, creamy. Medium body with a buoyant carbonation. A sharpened finish follows each sip.

D: Perhaps my favorite pour of the festival, no notable flaws. Has a distinctly 'un-Belgian' hoppiness, seeming closer to the 'Belgian IPA' rather than the 'Tripel'. No worries, though; this is a special beer and one I'd love to have again...well done, Flying Fish!

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 01:06:23 | More by msubulldog25

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

On tap at the OBF yesterday. Seems a bit odd that I ended up going all the way to Portland to try this beer.

Exit 4 pours a solid gold color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is impressive, showing honey, white pepper, orange citrus and vanilla. Flavors replicate the nose pretty closely, though I found there to be considerably more bitterness in the finish based on what I smelled. The hoppy bitterness counters and balances the moderate sweetness in this beer quite well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly long, sweet and bitter finish. Drinkability is pretty good with the alcohol well integrated into the flavor profile and not at all obtrusive. Was really surprised to learn the abv. was 9.7%.

A nice beer and one of the hilights of the OBF for me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 15:36:09 | More by johnmichaelsen

psulovesbeer

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at capones
Nice clear looking ipa with draped lacing
Citrus clove and hops come through in the nose
Nice hops tingle and flavor balanced by a decent malt body a very good beer to drink
I'd sip on this a solid brew not to big and full of flavor

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2009 20:24:49 | More by psulovesbeer

Yetiman420

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draft at The Standard Tap in Philly.

Served in a flute glass. Peach color with a very thin white head. Bubbles around rim on the thin head.

Tastes like a standard Belgian Golden/Strong ale whcih would be consistent with the tripel style (I didn't know the official style during consumption.

Nothing happening on the aroma for this beer on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2009 23:13:30 | More by Yetiman420

silverking

Florida

4.31/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- It pours a clear golden amber with a nice thick white head. head retention is very nice. Lacing is excellent.

S- Aromas of lemon and grains entice the nose along with subtle hints of hops.

T- The taste it malty, with strong, sweet notes of molasses. A slight bitterness is present throughout the entire taste. towards the finish, the molasses gives way to a more nectar-like honey sweetness, and then eventually fades into floral hops for a slightly bitter finish.

M- medium/full bodied. the carbonation is moderate and gentle.

O- This is my first beer from flying fish, but it won't be my last.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:13:18 | More by silverking

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.1/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip glass. Almost a finger of head on a clear, golden colored body.
The aroma is mild; only a little grain and lemon.
The taste is barnyardish and alcohol with a little lemon thrown in.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
An average beer in a tough category.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:01:09 | More by Fatehunter

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A: Pours a golden amber color that's not particularly cloudy, but has plenty of yeast particles suspended in the body. However, it doesn't look particularly carbonated. The head is a two finger white color. The texture is quite good, the retention is solid, and the lacing left down the glass is attractive if sparse.

S: Wow, I'm finding myself enjoying the subtle grapefruity hop qualities here. They really blend well with the pale malts and candied sugar expected from a tripel. Even better, the aroma is evidently strong, emanating from far beyond the glass.

T: Light grapefruit hops open things up very nicely, before the stone fruit esters and candied sugar finish the flavor profile - even though the sweetness is a bit much, it conceals the alcohol fantastically. There is a modicum of complexity here, but it lacks elite depth. I also wish this had just a bit more in the way of hops, but hey, it's an older bottle.

M: This doesn't feature the zealous carbonation I'd expect from the style. As such, it comes off a bit too syrupy (combined with its sweetness and thick texture). Still, it lightens/dries up on the finish and aftertaste some.

O: Quite the pleasant surprise for me. I'm enjoying the hell out of the American bent to this (read: citrusy hops) otherwise standard-issue tripel. Ramp up the carbonation slightly and we could be really looking at something spectacular here. Having said that, it does more than enough to make it a worthy alternative to La Fin Du Monde.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 21:01:07 | More by ThisWangsChung

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.89/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

L - hazy straw yellow with a white head that thinned to a ring.

S - sweet tangerine with a whiff of yeast.

T - the sweet tangerine flavor is upfront with some tart citrus comes into play before taking things back to a sticky sweet finish.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - fine enough example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 23:59:28 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

MrCee

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light in color. It almost looks like a lager. Good frothy head. Nice strong odor, almost tangerine-like. It puts you in the mind of clementines.A tad hoppier than I would have liked but that may appeal to some. One of its most interesting aspects is that it rather high in alcohol but doesn't taste like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 15:54:20 | More by MrCee

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours golden with a short lived white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is of citrusy hops, lemongrass, pale malt, pears, apples and yeast. Body is full and crisp. Taste is citrusy hops, lemon zest, spices, biscuit malt, ripe fruit and alcohol. Finish is long, bitter and spicy. Nice take on tripel.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 15:26:01 | More by mikeg67

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear pale yellow with two-finger, white, foamy head that lasted several minutes. Pretty good lacing.

S: Hops, spice, and fruit.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Sweet malt and pine hops.

M: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. Slightly warm going down.

O: Not my favorite Tripel, but definitely a good one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:07:53 | More by SolipsismalCat

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured an hazy amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of fruity ester with light peppery yeast and sweet malt is quite nice. Taste is a nice balanced mix between some sweet malt with notes of peppery yeast and fruity ester and a dry finish. Body is full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very good interpretation of the style and nice level of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 18:54:40 | More by Phyl21ca

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Im sampling a 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter at cellar temperature. The beer pours a bright clear golden hue with minimal bleached white head foaming up and quickly fading to a minimal edge layer.
Aroma is white grapes and some grain, with a decent hit of booze mixed in to boot. Not a very complex or robust nose, and the more sniffs I take the more the booze is evident.
First sip reveals a light body with almost no carbonation. Texture is smooth with just a little stickiness on my lips after each sip.
Flavor is similar to nose advertising and is typical tripel notes.
Light grainy malt, some white grape notes and other light fruitiness, followed by some peppery booze that is slightly bitter at the end of each sip.
The booze is a little warm on each swallow which makes this a sipping beer,
I find the beer enjoyable and tasty, not overly complex but good. It isnt an outstanding tripel, but it certainly isnt flawed either. Worth a purchase if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 03:09:42 | More by sulldaddy

ckollias

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a slightly cloudy golden hue with a very thin white head that quickly dissipates leaving no trail down the glass and ends in a trace of a lace.

S: Great hoppy aroma with a Belgian malt background and hints of bananas.

T: Alcoholic hoppy flavor with a smooth Beligan Tripel malt backbone.

M: Very strong and boozy. Thick chewy body and minimal carbonation.

O: Wow – a Belgian Tripel with a hop twist – yes please. I love these American brews.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:45:57 | More by ckollias

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass

A) Slow pour leads to big foamy head, slowly recedes but leaves a cap of foam with some lacing. Beer is the cloudy golden amber you'd expect.

S) Needs to warm a bit to get full effect, but you get sweet scents, almost banana, first, followed by the piney citrus you might expect.

T) Sweeter than you might expect, some fruity flavors, some malt. Definite alcohol heat on finish. Moderate carbonation. Finish only a tiny bit bitter, low IBU.

M) Pretty full, moderate carbonation, dry on finish from high ABV.

O) Still giddy The Garden State is producing decent beer; sad I missed some of their earlier Exit offerings. This is a solid Tripel - drink while it's still available.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 20:35:41 | More by IvoryFoxhole

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

While in northern NJ for the Greenwood Lake Airshow (18-19Aug12) I snagged a sixer of this at a local beer shop (~$13 ?).

Poured one into a small tulip... Was a bit of a flattish golden hue, with a little haze. Carbo was of the fine, minuscule variety, and lots of it was ascending within. Topside was a stark white layer of foam, sitting at a steady 1/4", with A-1 lacing left behind. Nose was restrained but I did pick up some crockery malt and light fruitiness. Body was medium, and some bubbly, prickliness did not lessen the enjoyment.

Upon tasting I got some doughy, bready malt action to start, with a touch of sweetness. Had some green fruitiness present, akin to pear, apple and honeydew. A little candy-sugar character was there, and it had a Belgian IPA type of rindyness. The dryish finish also offered up a bit of yeasty spiciness.

Pretty good, for an American version. Prosit!!

3.93/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1491

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 22:36:12 | More by Bierman9

HalfFull

California

2.98/5  rDev -22%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another review I guess I wasn't fast enough with. Gone....

This 'American Trippel' I pour into a Belgian globe glass. Pours a clear golden with a minimal cap of foam and light retention.

Aroma of pils malt and candi sugar. Warms to offer some nice yeast components but the lack of carbonation keeps things at bay.

Taste follows with some neutral pils malt and some piney hops. With warming this beer offers some hope as for the American Trippel but it is still lacking. Feel starts off quite light and warms up to moderate.

Overall a decent stab but let it warm up to 50 or more before you open the bottle. Quite undercarbonated below that temp.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 05:57:32 | More by HalfFull

Dennycurr

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Didn't know what I was getting into when I ordered this beer. I was at a place that had all these diff beers and grabbed a bunch. This one was in the mix.
I poured it into a 22 oz Duval Tulip glass so I can got a good head and,,,after a vigorous pour...there was a small white head.
Didn't look too impressive.
Didn't know what to expect when I tasted it...

BUT....

I was blown away by all the flavors this beer had to offer. Incredibly lively and very pleasent. Every sip of this beer reminded me of a great Belgian Beer I ran across in Paris...but, I'll be damned if I remember the name. I'll come across that beer again sometime----and I'll edit this review to tell you the Belg Beer I'm thinking of.
That will make an observer, (reader), get an idea of what this beer tastes like.

It is definitely a beer I would drink again.

Den

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:11:32 | More by Dennycurr

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: Super light with a little bit of haze. Head stays around for a long time.
S: Very fruity. Orange, cherry, strawberry come through a lot. some spice notes as well.
T: Very fruity and spicy. Notes of banana and clove. I appreciate the spice notes as well: a little different than other tripels I've had.
M: Sits perfect. Very creamy with a good body. Lots of dynamic flavors that develop.

Overall a very nice beer. It pour rather unintimating but the tastes that came through really were nice. It almost reminds me of an IPA in some ways with the spice notes and I do love me a good IPA. A highly recommended beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 17:56:28 | More by Jamesthebrit

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into short-stemmed tulip.

A: definitely hazed, but bright blonde hued brew. head isnt nearly as frothy as most belgian tripels, nor is the lacing.

S: pears, white pepper. sugar. green melon. brown-sugar quaker oatmeal. floral. lilacs and lillies. dandelions.

T: melon, citrus, cactus. banana, yogurt. linger reminds me of old bay seasoning/whatever they use for Popeyes fried chicken. crazy i know, but im just popping off whatever comes to mind! similar to the nose, pears. the body is there without being cloying or overly sweet.

M: low/average carbonation. full bodied for sure.

D: one of the most easy drinking tripel's ive consumed. great diversity of fruity flavors makes this very enjoyable. very glad they put this in 12oz bottles and definitely worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 02:33:07 | More by Jimmys

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy gold color with a skim head and thick edging. This gives way to finger lace. The aroma is of banana's and clove with a citrus hop aroma and a hint of yeastiness. The taste follows suit with banana and clove starting you off. Mid beer a candied yeast flavor takes hold before a floral and citrus hop bite finishes the beer off. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated. Overall it was not what I was expecting, it was a good beer, but it seemed to blur the lines of a tripel and an ipa.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 19:27:36 | More by goblue3509