Bhagwan's Best IPA - Big Time Brewery & Alehouse

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz: Thanks to Herftydrf for that one. Nicely cloudy orange hue. Unfortunately not much head at all, just a shy ring. Superb IPA aroma we’re dealing with here. Upfront citrus (orange, grapefruit) blended with a very solid malt base (mango, wood chunks, pineapple). There’s even a yeast hint. Unfortunately, all those salivating flavours are not quite transmitted to the taste where it appears so dry that flavours are quite hard to investigate. I found the bitterness to be just intense enough, yet besides that fruity dryness, I didn’t pick much else and the mouthfeel appeared a good bit undercarbonated, almost flat medium body.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2004 01:30:08 | More by Rastacouere

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle acquire in trade with bvc - thanks for going out of your way to find me an IPA I haven't had!

Poured a medium and hazy golden color with a larger sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, piney, and a little toasty. Tastes of citrus, lighter floralness, and caramel.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 01:06:16 | More by hopdog

dirtylou

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber from the brewery; split

appearance: served in my big time shaker pint, a pale amber body with a light layer of beige bubbles and no retention

smell: subtle - citrus, a touch floral

taste: big time cranks out a lot of IPA's of varying quality and consistency - while this may be the most accessible, its not my favorite. A subtle hop profile, with enough caramel and toasted malt to confuse it with an american amber, light floral notes

mouthfeel: light and slick

overall: refreshing, but not exceptional

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 20:38:02 | More by dirtylou

JTahoe

California

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on tap, poured into a Hale's pint glass at Hopevine Pub.

A - Copper color with barely a whisp of head, just a beige ring and nearly no lace.

S - Mellow herbs and flower petals over a fairly roasty malt aroma.

T - Steeped wild flower petals and pine infused mandarin. Rich bready body.

M - Medium body with excellent prickly carbonation.

D - Smooth and somewhat understated at first for aPNW IPA, but the flavor develops nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2010 02:40:09 | More by JTahoe

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: 1/4" cream coloured head that left a nice lacing over cloudy yellowish amber liquid.

S: Floral hops and citrus hops.

T: Citrus hops up front with a bitter and malty finish.

M: Medium viscosity with a high level of medium carbonation.

O: A decent IPA that isn't quite as good as some of the others that are brewed at Big Time.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 06:05:42 | More by DaftCaskBC

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on the randall tonight at Parkway Tavern

A.Poured a lightly cloudy light copper with a nice white head

S: Citrus and caramel mainly

T: Mix of citrus and floral notes, light caramel

M: Well carbonated, lighter hop bite

D: Pretty good, but even on the randal I was looking for more

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 02:38:38 | More by barleywinefiend

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz Bottle Purchased from Brewery April 2007; Sampled August 2007
Pours with an almost clear, amber tinged, copper color and is topped by a frothy, initially three-finger thick, light tan colored head. The aroma is nicely hoppy with just about an even mix between citrus fruit and sharper herbal / pine aromas. Aromas of grapefruit and lychee mix with pine and a touch of menthol. There is also a solid malt character here in the aroma reminiscent of biscuit-like malt and soda crackers. After the initial aromatics, the citrus hop notes start to become the most noticeable component of the aroma.

The taste is sharp up front, it is especially accentuated by how light bodied this beer is (at least for an IPA). Sharp herbal hops and a menthol-like pine character distinctly grip and then lingering on the tongue through the long finish. Wrapped up in this is a persistent bitterness, that while not overwhelming, plays a very big role here. These hop notes give this beer a perceived dryness that is only lightly offset by a subtle malt sweetness and hoppy citrus flavors. Flavors of grapefruit, some notes of lychee and tangelo mix with the sharper, perhaps more dominant green, herbaceous, almost menthol like, pine flavors. As the beer warms a bit and loses some of the initial medium carbonation it starts to pick up some flavors reminiscent of an orange-vanilla cream soda. Malt, while not prominent, play a supporting role here with notes of caramelized malts, biscuit-like malt and a crushed malt flour flavor.

I like how light the body is; it definitely is a bit chewy as it is an IPA after all, but it is quite quaffable. While this is not an earth shattering example of an IPA based on its individual flavors and aromas, it is quite well integrated; bracingly bitter, sharp-leaning with the bitterness / herbal notes / pine character, but softened nicely by malt and citrus notes. This is definitely scratching the hop-fiend side of my psychoses right now.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 23:41:57 | More by Gueuzedude

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Remember the Bhagwan? He seemed to embody everything fraudulent about cult spiritualism. He bought a new Rolls Royce every time his "old" one needed an oil change. So why not name a beer after him? Sure, why not?

Mr. Bhagwan's beer is a lightly clouded orange-gold ale with modest carbonation and frugal suds. Its aroma is a brief but tempting mix of lush fruitiness and breezy green hops with good pine. The beer is full-bodied and somewhat sullen and is at times intruded upon by a slight tannic bite. But the herbaceous, leafy bittering is exemplary and the airs that linger upon the palate breathe well. Available at the bar in 22-oz. bottles.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2008 04:45:14 | More by RedDiamond

unHipHopHead

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice deep orange, a little cloudy with a nice fluffy off white head. A nice sticky lace left most of the way down.

S: Very floral and citrus with a tiny bit of malt.

T: Nice soft and sweet floral and citrus balance of hops of front with a good lingering biting hop finish. wow, quite good. There is also a subtle malt backbone to this that balances the brew nicely, it doesn't get in the way of the hops but instead rounds them out with the sweetness.

M: Feels kind of creamy and syrupy with minimal carbonation.

D: Drinks very well. At 5% ABV this is super flavorful and certainly sessionable.

Overall I have to say for whatever reason I wasn't expecting too much from this beer, perhaps it was its location in the heart of the University that impacted my judgement initially but I have to say I was quite impressed by this beer. I asked about the 3 different IPAs they had on tap (they also had 1 belgian IPA) and what the differences were. He said the Bhagwan's was the least hoppy of the 3. As a hop head I cannot wait to try their more hoppy IPAs. I'll be back for more indeed.

Serving type: growler

04-19-2010 21:10:15 | More by unHipHopHead

flagmantho

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this beer on tap in the alehouse.

Appearance: hazy copper-amber hue with a finger of white foam. Standard but solid IPA.

Smell: nice citrusy hop aroma, but a bit light. Perhaps they are serving a bit cold tonight?

Taste: good malt backbone with a good collection of hop flavors. Floral and citrus with a bombing bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation for the style. I like it.

Overall: a solid and nicely drinkable IPA. Good stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2011 02:44:48 | More by flagmantho

GClarkage

California

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mid September 2005. Had at the Big Time Brewery in Seattle, WA.

Presentation- via samplers from the tap.

Appearance- Lightly cloudy golden pour, 3/4 inch head with great lacing.

Smell- Very lighly scented. Maybe a touch of sugary and fruity hops.

Taste- Very bitter flavor. Lots of hops...mostly fruity, but some piney ones as well. Some decent malt flavoring as well.

Mouthfeel- Medium carbonation level.

Drinkability- Well rounded brew. A very well done IPA. This brewery continues to impress.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2005 21:30:06 | More by GClarkage

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Way above average IPA thanks to dnichols. refreshing Citrus and fruit and understated but present hoppiness is well malted and drinkable. Cross between British and American styles, clearly leaning towards the latter in bitterness, the earlier in understated carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2008 04:02:30 | More by northyorksammy

ralree

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tried in Seattle at the People's Pub Aug. 2008.

A: Reddish orange, pretty transparent. Good lacing. Not much head.

S: Sweet malt, lots of hops, apricot.

T: Heavy grapefruit and apricot - very juicy and sweet. Pretty alcoholic. Hops taste good, and are flowering, but they're subdued. Leaves an alcoholic and slightly bready aftertaste.

M: Non-astringent, medium-light bodied. Not oily, pretty dry.

D: A little too sweet, but not bad. A good transition beer into the IPA world for those with a sweet tooth. Drinks alright, but wouldn't be my first choice for an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2008 23:28:28 | More by ralree

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a clear coppery orange amber. Half finger off-white head that dissipates quickly to a ring around the glass and patchy foam. Slippery lacing. Aroma is mild herbal and citrus hops. Flavor starts with light to medium citrus hops with sweet caramel malt developing into a citrus and piney hop and malt finish. I'm getting used to a bit more assertive aromatic hops in my IPAs now, so this one is somewhat subdued. The taste and flavor progression is pleasant. Light to medium bodied. Good for a low ABV IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:33:46 | More by LiquidAmber

draheim

Washington

3.99/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap into an American pint glass @ the Wedgwood Alehouse, Seattle. Pours a slightly hazy copper color, no lacing.

Aroma is hoppy and floral, clean and fresh.

Taste is neutral pale malt balanced by floral and citrusy hops, just a touch of something a little more tropical.

Mouthfeel is crisp and sharp with a hoppy bitter finish.

Overall a pretty typical NW style IPA. Perfect with a bowl of French onion soup, Buffalo wings, and a cheeseburger.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 03:15:12 | More by draheim

shivtim

Georgia

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Big Time. It's a hazy yellow orangish beer with great lacing and a slim but foamy head. Nose is syrupy hops and slight citrus. Taste is heavy on hops with just a bit of malts, and slight sour citrus. The finish is nice and hoppy without being ridiculous. Drinkability and mouthfeel are both above average. Not a bad IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2007 16:09:43 | More by shivtim

IgotsHops

Washington

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Overall, a good beer. Nothing incredibly special when it comes to an IPA.

Appearance: This was not poured very aggressively, and I would have liked to see what the head could do on this beer. Pale and golden, somewhat cloudy, apricot color.

Smell: Strong Hops. Well balanced selection. No overwhelming pine or floral aromas, but you could almost smell the alpha acids.

Taste: Nothing too surprising here. Good balance of hops, a basic base malt. I would have liked to experience more of the malt flavor in addition to the bitterness that was pretty prominent, but it followed the pretty standard IPA formula.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel was clean, crisp, but there was a little residual bitterness which every IPA has.

Drinkability: A good sipping IPA, not a session beer. It would be great with a meal, like a creamy Alfredo dish. I only needed a 12 oz serving and I didn't need to taste it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2008 17:54:26 | More by IgotsHops

scootny

New York

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into my tulip tumbler. A tightly carbonated two finger head that has some staying power. Good lacing on the glass. Faintly cloudy amber wit minimal carbonation evident.

Smell is of citrus, piney hops, some caramel, and toasted malt. Bits of bread and yeast as well

Taste is well balanced. A strong hop presence, piney and lightly spicy is followed buy a big sweet malt body. There is a caramel component and the hop bittering in the finish that is quick and dry. A bready yeasty taste is left on the palate.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and smooth. With just enough carbonation to invigorate the drinking experience.

Drinkability is excellent. A satisfying and quenching beer to session

Thanks to dnichols on this one. A real yummy IPA

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2008 07:23:43 | More by scootny

beertunes

Washington

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into bubble pint glass. Poured after the growler sat in the fridge for 4 days. There was plenty of carbonation but no head or lacing. A hazy orange color. A subtle hop aroma. The flavor matches the aroma closely, without a strong hop blast. Wonderfully balanced body. The lower alcohol makes this easy to have several of and the flavor makes you want to. I've had this beer before and was more impressed with it and suspect the transfer to growler cost this beer some of its character. A beer I think highly of and recommend going out of your way to go to the brewery. I will update my review after giving it another chance on-tap.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2009 23:20:18 | More by beertunes

ccrida

Oregon

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draught at the brewpub, Bhagwan's best is dull, dark gold/brown/orange, with a white head that leaves nice lace.

Smell is fairly hoppy, a nice citrus nose, limes, although there's a softness to it overall.

Taste is less hoppy, still all citrus, with moderately sweet bready malt and modest bitterness. A solid, sessionable IPA that is in the west coast style but approachable for noobs.

Mouthfeel is very soft, almost cask like, with a bit of a dry finish.

Drinkability is pretty good, a nice little IPA. While I appreciate the smoothness, I'm sure they could bump the ABV up closer to 6 and still retain the balance (which is more in-line with what I look for in an IPA).

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2010 00:36:07 | More by ccrida

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at the brewpub in Seattle.

Pours a cloudy pale golden orange color with tangerine edges and a 1.5 finger white head that very slowly fades into a thick lasting ring.  Glass is left coated with streaks of soapy lacing.

Fuller bodied than expected with earthy, resinous hop aroma.  Strong grass/soil character with sticky pine needle countered by sweet malt and tropical fruit notes.  Hints of pineapple, mango, grapefruit and orange peel along with biscuit, caramel malt and graham cracker.  Hops linger throughout with a decent amount of dry bitterness that's nicely countered by the sweeter notes.  Well balanced and easy to drink with a well masked abv.  Nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 01:41:26 | More by corby112

henrysunset

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

i'm enjoying this side by side w/ the non-casked beer.

---

big bubbles and lots of them on this cask conditioned sampler sized beer. sorta hazy yellowish orange. not terribly impressive. clearer than the regular tapped version.

smell is a mild floral bitternees. none of the citrusy tone in the regular beer. Taste is similar to the regular beer. hoppy and floral though not as sharply fresh. the feel in the mouth is smoother though. good beer in this form too, though not really better than the original. The casked one has a slightly gunky flavor, less clean than the real beer though i can't quite pin down why.

Serving type: cask

02-24-2006 00:57:38 | More by henrysunset

TheBungyo

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours dark brown and orange. Nice inch thick head tops off this taste treat. Nose is an exquistite mix of pine and grapefruit yet balanced with caramel and subtle sweetness. Neither the grapefruit nor the pine dominate here both struggle for equal footing. This really is a beer for us West Coasters. The hops are out of control and so wild that you east coasters will likely NOT like this. Mouth is thick and rich. I love every bit of it. I will buy a bottle of this with every visit to the Big Time brewery. Rock on!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2006 08:19:43 | More by TheBungyo

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle.

Pours hazy copper with an orange hue. An inch-plus of white froth settled to a partial skim coat with lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with a blend of pine and grapefruit, with toasted biscuit ends and a hint of drizzeled honey. Not screamingly pungent or floral, but nice and fresh.

Medium bodied with a mouthfeel thats split down the middle creamy and crisp. Quenching.

Citrus fruit, pine, and a drying bitterness start the palate. Shades of orange pulp, spruce resin, grapefruit oil, and husky malt.

Finishes with a lingering but light bitterness, grapefruit, orange, and pine.

Nice combo going on here. Fairly light duty with the bitterness, but the beer is dry and very quaffable. Quite fresh with a nice hopping profile. Too bad the nose is lacking.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 01:29:02 | More by brewandbbq

garthwaite

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bomber a cloudy light copper with a head that disappeared quickly. Big citrusy hops aroma, but with hints of sweet fruit & caramel malt. Somewhat acidic in the mouth with very nice citrus & floral hop flavors. Serious notes of sweet fruit (mango & apricot) are evident initially & continue through the finish which is consistent & dry. A unique & enjoyable IPA. Thank you, Kim for hooking me up with this!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 13:14:36 | More by garthwaite