Exit 16 - Flying Fish Brewing Company

apf

Utah

4.59/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The aroma of this beer is almost perfect very citrusy and floral. The flavor isn't quite as robust but it is great. It is a bit under carbonated for me. It has a nice bitter finish but starts out kind of mellow. Overall this is an excellent beer. Never seen it in bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2013 20:05:16 | More by apf

57md

Pennsylvania

3.64/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a light golden with a thin layer of head. The nose is piney and a touch hoppy. The flavor is light, super light... too light for a DIPA. There is a hop-forward finish; again, nothing close to what I might expect in a solid DIPA.

There is still some tastiness to this offering. It drinks like a session beer, but packs an 8.2% ABV wallop! It is definitely light enough to drink all night, but you'll risk falling off the stool when you're done and needing a designated driver to get home.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2013 05:49:43 | More by 57md

StonyB

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Recently had Flying Fish Exit 16 on tap at Barcade in Jersey City. Because that's how Barcade rolls.

Exit 16 off the NJ Turnpike is how you get to the famous(?) Meadowlands sports complex. So let's take a road trip, overpay for parking, find our seats, and enjoy the game...

Our beer pours on to the field in an attractive, hazy, almost luminescent orange-gold uniform. Not much foam on that helmet, though some modest lacing hangs on to the chin strap.

We can smell that beer from the upper tier, and that beer smells first and foremost like hops. In your face, spike the ball at your opponent's feet hops. After the initial hit, we get some spicy, almost peppery fruit. Hope you're wearing your protective equipment.

The aroma sets us up for a line plunge, but this beer's taste is surprisingly complex. Some bitterness from the hops for sure, but the roster includes banana, tangerine, grapefruit, bready malt, vanilla and a hint of rice. This play is worth analyzing over repeated sips.

We also see that Exit 16 tries to trick the defense with its mouthfeel. It starts out fairly thick and tongue-coating for a DIPA, then counters towards a clean, somewhat dry finish. The alcohol is no more noticeable than an assistant offensive line coach.

The crowd cheers as the final gun goes off, and our beer is fully consumed. As we head out to the parking lot, we recognize that Flying Fish Exit 16 may not be a Super Bowl MVP. However, it is an effective, interesting and tasty trick play, the wild rice adding a unique element to what otherwise might be a middle of the pack DIPA. Try to pick this beer up off the waiver wire.

Exit 16, FTW!

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2011 01:58:48 | More by StonyB

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at TDR the other day. Was told this was a fresh batch made just for the upcoming GABF, and man does that freshness show!

The beer pours a solid gold color with OK head retention and lacing. The beer looks pretty good, but it smells and tastes terrific. The nose is all DIPA goodness, with dank earth, a skunky mariguana aroma, light citrus and honey. While the bottle version was impressive, the nose on the fresh tap version is wonderfully perfumy and bitter. Flavors replicate the nose pretty closely, and while there's some sweetness in this beer, it's more than balanced by the hoppy bitterenss in the finish. The finish is very long and bitter, and I have to say this is one of the drier east coast DIPA's I've sampled. Just lovely! Also, maybe it's the wild rice in this beer, but I don't get any of the typical boozy sweet malt flavor I see in so many East Coast DIPA's. The beer actually has a fairly light mouthfeel for such a big beer, and drinkability is very good, with the alcohol well disguised.

The bottle version was good, but the fresh stuff I had at the TDR event was just killer. Yummy!

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 02:12:26 | More by johnmichaelsen

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer looks great. Pours a slightly hazy yellowish orange with a thick white head with good retention and lacing.

S - Citrus hops and sweet malts.

T - Big sweet malts up front. Hops don't become apparent until about mid palate and continue through the finish, but not nearly as strong as expected for a double IPA.

M - Medium body, perfect medium to low carbonation level creates a creamy mouthfeel with some oily hop resin coating the mouth.

D - Good drinkability overall. Alcohol is well hidden, well balanced malt and hop content, but it just doesn't seem like enough hops for a double IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2010 00:49:29 | More by garuda

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Capone's. This Exit series from FF has been solid to say the least hope this one is no exception.

A-Hazy pale golden yellow with a medium bright, white head that reduced a bit and left spotty lace.

S-Strong blast of bright, bitter lemon rind and a touch of grapefruit and orange. Lightly backed by biscuit malt sweetness.

T-Sharp and bright lemon and grapefruit up front with subtle notes of orange, pineapple, mango and tangerine in the background. Hop assertive for sure but never too bitter. Sweet biscuit malt does sneak in in the finish to attempt to moderate.

M-Light bodied super sharp and crisp with a long lingering bitterness profile.

D-This is a very well done brew with a ton of fruity hops and a light sweetness. This has all of the hop flavour you could want without crushing your palate! Another winner in the Exit series!

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2010 12:59:48 | More by Deuane

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sipping this on draft at Capones in Norristown, PA on 3/29/2010. Poured into a 16 oz pint glass. Pours a crystal clear yellow golden color with a ridiculously billowly head.

The nose is lots of amazingly citriusy hops. Lots of ruby grapefruit. Slight malt backbone but overall an intoxicatingly sweet, hoppy aroma.

The taste is absolutely suburb. Looks lighter than it drinks. Great floral hops, not overwhelming and very balanced. The malt holds up the middle of the beer with another great hop blast at the end of the sip.

Drinkability on this is on the higher end but it does clock in a some higher ABV and the general viscosity of the beer led me to check it as a sipper. The ABV is completely masked by the awesome flavor to it's credit.

I'm so happy to have been able to try this. Immediatly bought a bottle of it after trying it on draft. I think Flying Fish nailed it with this one. Wouldn't be surprised if it didn't reach celeb status. If you can find it, order it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 19:28:52 | More by hippityhops85

donniecuffs

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Tried this at the Exit 16 Release Party, at The Coppermine Pub on monday March 8th, in North Arlington, NJ...conveniently located off of Exit 16.

A - Poured a hazy, golden hue, with about a finger of white head. Retention and lacing were ok; nothing stellar.

S - Wow..a veritable potpourri of every citrus fruit you could possibly think of: mango, pineapple, yellow grapefruit, lemon, and orange peel all come to the fore. It's always nice to detect something else as prominently as pink grapefruit in the nose of a double ipa, and this beer certainly fit the bill.

T - The taste was an excellent mix of all of the aforementioned citrus flavors, beginning with the sweeter sensations of mango and pineapple, and then blending into the more bitter grapefruit tones mid-palate. More malt balance was evident mid-palate as well. The finish was a decidedly excellent bitter orange/grapefruit peel. Well done. Oh, and by the way, there was no evidence whatsoever of the alcohol content in the flavor. Very dangerous.

M - The appearance will fool you, as this is not a thin beer. The feel was thick, yet velvet smooth.

D - I had three of these in 30min, and I probably would have had many more, had I not had to meet my family for dinner. A deceptively drinkable strong beer; be very careful when sessioning it. The bar chalkboard said 9.5%abv, but the website says 8.2%abv, so I'll assume the latter is correct.

In summary, a truly outstanding double ipa; another great entry in the Exit Series. I might like this one even better than Exit 4.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2010 22:37:36 | More by donniecuffs

yamar68

Minnesota

4.14/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I've loved every Exit series beer I've had, and I'm a hop head and a Minnesotan. This is like my dream beer. Thanks TravisR!

Sort of strange looking... bright yellow gold with a slim but very persistent white head. Plenty of lace.

This sort of creamed corn sweetness is layered of tropical fruits and jam.

What a great mix of flavors - orange juice and conifer with nutty malt and honey. The wild rice contribution makes for a great twist on what is obviously a tasty beer to begin with.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 22:29:12 | More by yamar68

Moose90

Colorado

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle best by 09/16/13, tasted 06/10/13

A – Pours a very pale light straw yellow. Somewhat hazy as well. Head is bright white, and quite frothy, albeit thin. Lacing left behind is nice, but spotty.

S – Nice melon notes, some crisp citrus as well. Dominated by a unique bouquet of papaya and mango as well, nicely dry as well, while it remains fruity. Hop profile here is great.

T – Similar to the nose, though the papaya and mango notes do make quite a statement, some dried apricot notes as well. This is not overly sweet, which is great, and whatever malt backbone there is only comes across on the nice and long finish.

M – Carbonation is on the low side, but overall this is nice and crisp for the style, the rice adds a surprisingly nice touch to this one.

O – Nicely drinkable and very refreshing. The hop notes are very tropical and the malt backbone is nicely subdued. ABV is hidden well.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 02:27:20 | More by Moose90

CoachC

Florida

4.39/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - golden, straw colored beer with a 1/2 inch head

S - smells of delicious grapefruit hoppiness

T - this is a tasty brew, awesome grapefruit hop bomb with no evidence of alcohol

M - this is a light beer, really refreshing on a warm day

O - I am a fan of this brew, it is light, hoppy, and yet super tasty

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 04:46:21 | More by CoachC

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 o bottle into tulip. best by 09/06/13.

A: very pale body. paler than your typical DIPA. bright white head, frothy. good retention. thick spotted lacing.

S: a lot of melon and cantaloupe. a glimpse of sweet, unfermented sugar. a unique blend of hops.

T: similar to the nose, a bit of sweetness. citrus and melon. subtle and a little bit of pepper in there with the fruity hops.

M: carb is mellow, but not too much so. works well. medium body.

D: very drinkable for a double ipa. dangerous even. super smooth, lightly floral, decent citrus.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 01:12:04 | More by Jimmys

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Exit 16 pours a slightly hazy golden color with a small lacing head. There is a pine like floral aroma, with hints of citrus. The taste has a very nice floral piney taste. Very nice full flavor, great dryness, also very drinkable, leaves a nice bitter pine flavor aftertaste. Overall bold hoppy flavors, but not a bomb, a full IPA with lots of flavors that is drinkable, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 02:35:24 | More by vette2006c5r

silverking

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

A- Bright, clear gold with lots of active carbonation. two fingers of head, which receds at a moderate rate. Not too much lacing.

S- orange, tropical fruits, and a touch of pine.

T- it comes across a bit creamy, the rice that they used makes for a really light body, with a lot of hop flavor. The nose transfers well to the palate. Orange peel, some hints of tropical fruit, nice hop biterenes in the finish.

M- Fresh, light bodied. refreshing. creamy. wonderful.

O- Very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 18:10:29 | More by silverking

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a single of this in Totowa last week, having never tried this before. I liked the other beers from the Exit Series and didn't know what to expect with this, given the Wild Rice bend that this beer had. Amazingly, this as NOT as strong as other Doubles and Imperial IPAs and this did not go the "arms race" route that so many other beers of this style have taken. It was strong but the balance is so strong here that the alcohol took a back seat, much to my delight.

The pour to this was lighter than I expected, with a crisp, golden hue that would have seemed more in line with a Pilsener. Not a lot of head here and the lacing was nearly nowhere to be seen but that was about the only drawback to this. The bottle said that this had notes of papaya, pine, tangerine, and mango and even though all of these were present, the wild rice gave this a very grassy and dry bent that hid these flavors for the most part. The tropical flavors were more easily discernible in the nose while the wild rice came out in the taste, giving this a dual nature that reminded me of the Southern Tier Hop Sun. The brightness and crisp aspects of a Lager were certainly present but the wet, tropical flavors that subtly re-emerged in the aftertaste helped remind me what style of beer this was.

To be sure, this was strong but I didn't even notice it until I finished the bottle off. Big-time props to Flying Fish to making the Turnpike cool again and not the punch line of a bunch of jokes told by out-of-staters. This was an IPA in every sense but unlike the offerings from Troegs, Lagunitas, or Green Flash, had enough body, lack of carbonation, and overt booziness to show me that a more earthy take on this style was possible. I rip my state enough but if I were to praise it, this would be one of the reasons why. Flying Fish really impressed me with this one, even if my Devils no longer call 16W home.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 08:16:09 | More by JerzDevl2000

gr0g

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Light amber in color with a nice, sticky head. A ring of patchy lace curtains adorn the glass. The aroma is big and beautiful, among the best smelling IPAs I've yet had. Pineapple and other tropical fruit notes explode out of the glass. Underlying fresh pine note.

Tastes quite dry for a DIPA, the rice helping with that. This really puts the focus squarely on the hops. I know those are the talking points from the brewery, but it certainly holds true. Bitterness is high but not really intense. Bright, grassy and citrusy flavors really pop. It's a very clean flavor profile, with no intrusion at all from the alcohol. Carbonation, soft but not "creamy" soft, is almost perfect - could maybe be slightly more carbonated.

Flying Fish did hopheads a service by making this a regular offering, available in six packs. A top notch DIPA that stays out of the high ABV stratosphere. Crisp, clean, hoppy goodness.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 02:36:01 | More by gr0g

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle opened on 5.14.13

A - Pours a hazy dark yellow with a 1/2 inch off-white head with good retention.

S - Pine, citrus, mostly lemons with some sweetness.

T - Light lemon zest, some sweetness from the rice. Unique.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Sweeter, light citrus and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 04:51:15 | More by HuskyinPDX

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-clear golden color with a nice white head and good lacing

S-tropical fruit, pine, earthy, grapefruit, very fragrant

T-pine, bread, tropical fruit, grapefruit, slightly grassy, moderately bitter finish

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and dry, alcohol not that noticeable

O-good flavor, easy drinking and refreshing

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:53:18 | More by MDDMD

jhartley

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Poco Grande glass. Label stamped with a best by date of 09-07-13.

Crystal clear golden color with a fluffy white head, dissipated fairly quickly, but left some real nice lacing. Head returned easily with a little swirling of the glass.
Boom! The aroma is a beautiful! Tangerines, pineapples, pine, a little earthiness.
A great amount of hops in this beer. Bottle says the brewed this with 5 different types and dry hopped with Chinook and Citra, defiitely picking up on those. Simcoe is majorly prevalent in the taste, love it!
Love the dry finish and a nice amount of malts to round out the hop assault. Left me salivating for more and more! Very nice lingering hop presence well after the swallow. No sign of the 8.2% ABV.
Overall I think is another quality brew from Flying Fish! A very easy drinking DIPA that can surely get you in trouble quick if you aren't careful!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 22:06:33 | More by jhartley

ssteiner13

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The rice description makes you think this beer might not taste so good. Is it going to taste like Saki? No, it is not. It is a very carbonated beer - I agree with another reviewer - it looks a lot like Coors Light after it is poured. Lots of bubbles.
What a surprise that this beer which costs less than $10 for a six pack taste this awesome. I didn't want to stop drinking it! Excellent taste. I will leave the description to more eloquent reviewers, but I love this beer. It's great beer if you want a light IPA. I guess it's light...what do I know.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:32:59 | More by ssteiner13

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rice? An adjunct iipa?? What is the world coming to.

I do feel like the overall body of this is dryer, though I think some people might feel it is thin. The hop character is nice. It carries good citrus tones with some earthyness too, but just a wee bit. Overall it's pine and the citrus really. Carbonation is somewhat biting. This is a good iipa. I like it. Big ups to Flying Fish for getting their shit together. Haha!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:31:06 | More by RblWthACoz

Ego

New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I don't know if I would trust anything growing off exit 16... not my usual haunt but man I drive by it every day on the way to hackensack... I thought the ole "what exit are ya" thing was a parkway thing...

eyes...
audible pop when opening the rubber seal on my ole german style glass growldog, on first glance the color really stands out, I mean this looks like coors light or some such, golden hue with a hint of amber, decent carbonation rises up but the head fades rather quickly, lacing and legs is decent, definitely would not have guessed DIPA here...

nose...
beautifully citric, grapefruit sour patch kids, disgustingly awesome hop freshness that smells like fresh herbs (and herb if you get my not at all subtle drift), very clean and dry.. it smells light in a way, you get just a real full zone of hop... not varied, very much one note but damn that note is fine as pie (hey, that's my pie!)

taste etc...
drinks crisp like a pils but with hop-atude (c) me, spicy and floral.. yet way approachable, the bitterness is subtle and fades quickly but the flavor makes you feel as if you are waiting for a IBU slap upside the head, carbonation wise this is great, it has a good amount of fizz that really makes this refreshing, you can't help but get caught up in the ease of this beer, smooth ? hell yes, this is one easy drinker... and the ABV >? where is it ? nicely done.
Every sip is a great experience start to finish, you get the carbonation, the hop, the coating on the tongue, the bitters on the back quadrants and then the clean finish... really just spot on.

verdict?
sure, I want to support local brews, but only if they are worth it. well damn it, this beer is great, it delivers a really nice hop character but is super clean and refined. I suppose some might say it is tame, but I maintain this is done right. Sure, a friggin hop hammer of absolute nuclear hoppage in your mouth is fun and tasty... but this is a really nicely crafted beer that hits on all the notes I love about beer without having to be the biggest cock on the block

Serving type: growler

03-24-2013 05:16:10 | More by Ego

ONUMello

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter
A: Light golden color with a one-finger head that quickly settles
S: Herbs, straw, tropical fruit and a hint of citrus
T: Mango, citrus, caramel, lengthy finish that starts with smooth malts and finishes with dry hops
M: Medium-bodied, smooth initially but with a crisp finish
O: Well made and enjoyable to drink; unique flavors and I enjoy the balance of smooth/crisp

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 22:59:53 | More by ONUMello

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-pale gold with a nice thick white head

S-herbal hops. Hint of vanilla. Somewhat citrusy. Has a fresh scent to it. Good strength

T-comes in with a really crisp flavor of mellow hops and sweet citrus. It's a good flavor. It has a subtle complexity to it like there's a bouquet of citrus and other tropical fruits in the background. The fluid form and make a decent lasting after-taste.

M-medium creamy carbonation with a creamy finish

O-I don't know many Double IPAs that are so completely drinkable and refreshing. I love the style but as far as drinkability goes, this rivals the Lagunitas All Day IPA. It's not too hoppy or too bitter, but it's definitely an IPA and it's one I recommend for anyone, fans of they style or not.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:43:42 | More by AdamBear

kevanb

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a very clear golden color, hues of orange and straw, a touch of sediment in the glass, but generally very clear with a soapy white head, not much there with poor retention and light lacing. The aroma is of a citrusy hops, touches of bitter and earthy pine with lots of pale grain, rice, and alcohol. The flavors are right in line, tangerine and grapefruit, piney hops with lighter grain, the hops are a bit more in control here. Rice is there again, reminds me of a musky asian lager, alcohol heavy finish. The body is thin and heavily carbonated, almost abrasive on the tongue, the finish is juicy rather than dry, prickly bubbles as it goes down.

Verdict: A mediocre Double IPA from Flying Fish, there is a lot of potential here for a pungent, fruit forward IPA that could be really great, but I'm not convinced rice is the right adjunct for this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:34:53 | More by kevanb