Rhinelander Thumper American IPA - Minhas Craft Brewery

brewtaster

Indiana

1.83/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75

Not good. Even the adjuncts used in this conconction are not good. I thought I was finding a bargan based on the price. It ended up ruining my Friday night beer sampling that I so look forward to. No hop presence, the malts that are there are totally unballanced. Mildly funky smell. Very funky taste. About the only positive thing I can say about this brew is that it had good head, lacing, and appearence. I have now learned though that means nothing.

If you value beer for the taste of beer, stay away from this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:45:39 | More by brewtaster

chrisrusu

Wisconsin

1.73/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75

This is not even close to the style it claims to be! No way its an American IPA and 79 I.B.U....

I'm not a fan of shooting down beers this low. But this is just awful.

Pours a medium copper brown/orange.

Taste like almost like a Amber. So much malt... Not much citrus or hop bitterness at all.
Banana and brown sugar with a bit a copper and bubble gum.

Sorry for such a bad review, but GOOD GOD! Please stay far far away.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:53:07 | More by chrisrusu

plaid75

New York

3.25/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured a hazy burnt orange hue with a one and a half finger foamy white head. There good retention and very good lacing.

The smell featured a heavy sweet malt and secondary herbal hop.

The taste was a muddled medley of malt and adjunct sweetness with a trace of hop spice and some tropical fruit.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a strange lingering sweetness.

Overall a subpar IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:35:09 | More by plaid75

iSip

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +69.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up this bomber of Thumper American IPA for three bucks at a Copps store in Wisconsin. The label says "IPA", but my taste buds said Belgian Ale, and a great one at that. Maybe a bottling error. So I bough another. Same result. Beautiful hazy orange color topped by a decent head. The fragrance was spot on Begian yeast. No IPA hoppyness to be found, but instead a glorious Belgian ale with an etherial malt essence on top of that wonderful bready-ness that any Tripel lover will stop mid sip, eyes closed and thank the beer gods. Excellent beer, an must try! But it is not an IPA... the lable should be corrected.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:58:59 | More by iSip

russpowell

Oklahoma

2.45/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours caramel with 2 fingers of cream colored head. Above average lacing & head retention

S: Pears & apple blossoms, zero evidence of hops

T: Pears, butterscotch, brown bread & honey, plus herbal hops up front. Some woody & herbal hops mixes in with pears & white grapes. Finishes fruitty & way too sweet, somewhat grassy

MF: Light/medium bodied, firm carbonation

Not horrible, just not to style, not even close. Honestly, if I knew it was from these guys I would've passed, lesson learned....

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 06:06:25 | More by russpowell

AmitC

Indiana

2.4/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Oh my God.. I got fooled. So i was looking for beers at my usual beer shop. I find this thumper IPA 22oz bottle sitting right next to some other cool IPAs such as Unearthly from southern tier, and hercules IPA from great divide. I thought it must e of same caliber. I asked for the price and i got 3.52 with taxes. I did not think twice. A bargain compared to over 6 dollars for the rest of two.

This is poorer than the reviews suggest. Such beers should not be in he market. I brew better stuff than this at home.

Pours a cloudy, amber colored with little head. A lot of bubbles, and certainly more carbonation than required.

Smell is more of hopped malt extract that is yet not completely fermented or something. Some hints of piney and citrusy hops. Smell is not that bad.

Taste is what is disappointing. Completely unlike other IPAs that i have had. Bitterness is there but not a lot of balance. Very raw and seems under prepared. Seems like some off flavors. Not at all likable

Mouthfeel is not good for an IPA. Very light bodied and carbonation spoils it even further.

Avoid. Complete waste of money. Lesson learnt: good IPAs are costly. They do not come cheap.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 22:51:07 | More by AmitC

jimmah120

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22oz bomber into duvel tulip

Look is a dark brown-amber, cloudy, with a fluffy/sudsy, 2-finger sticky head that fades to a film. Poured out a huge lump of sediment, must've been from the bottom of the barrel. Smell is a lot of sweet malt; baked bread, caramel rolls, sweet ester-y dark fruit, touch of citrus and big artificial perfume notes. Only a small bit of earthy hops in the aroma. Taste is very sweet like in the nose; red-ale like medicinal dry leaves, dark fruit, citrus, dust. Very floral, accompanied by some medicinal bitterness and a prickle of alcohol. Feel is light-medium, with a slight 'slick-ness', and a lot of carbonation.

Really lacking in those powerful pine/citrus hops that make an American IPA what it is. Still, dirt cheap at 2.99 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 03:25:32 | More by jimmah120

kylehay2004

Florida

3.08/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: two finger head with some retention on a slightly hazy copper body with golden hues. minimal lacing.

S: mostly caramel malts with light floral and citrus hop notes.

T: definitly malt forward with floral bitterness, brown sugar and orange citrus sweetness. Hops are mild and more on an APA scale.

M: medium body and very creamy. lighter side of moderate carbonation.

Overall: Not very hoppy. This would be a decent APA. Not really overly flavorful but I have had worst IPAs than this which have higher ratings on BA.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:26:23 | More by kylehay2004

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

2.38/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a crystal clear amber with one finger of cream colored head that forms a solid top barrier. Minor specks of lacing.

S - Light citrus, maderin orange, caramel malt, doughy yeast.

T- Leafy green hops laced with citrus, caramel malt, tea tannins, alcohol is very present. The hops turn earthy and herbal on the finish, mixing with alcohol creating an astringent perfume character.

M - Creamy soft feel, light to medium body.

The aroma reminds me of an American Pale Ale. The hop flavors are there but things seems manufactured. There's a strange artificial flavor going on. No freshness, just the ample amount of caramel malt stands out. The market is so saturated with IPAs that you have to bring your A game when it comes to this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 06:05:16 | More by StaveHooks

bump8628

Oklahoma

2.98/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear amber, well-filtered, thin head of foam that fades. Hmm, definitely not American IPA. English maybe. Lots of caramel with mild earthy, floral, herbal hops. No flaws, just not the advertised style. A balanced pint, drinkable on a summer afternoon with nothing to do.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 18:56:13 | More by bump8628

Florida9

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Clear copper in color. Forms about a half inch of creamy off-white head that reduces down to a thick ring around the edge and nothing else. Some light lacing.

S: Caramel malt, citrus hops and a slight metallic tinge.

T: This beer is sneaky bastard: at first the flavor is just fine, a bit malty, but jut fine. Mild caramel malts and some light citrus and earthy hops. Then the beer turns south in a big way with a huge metallic off-flavor that assaults the tastebuds. Metallic flavor continues over into the aftertaste and never goes away.

M: On the thinner side of medium in body with appropriate carbonation and a mild bitterness. But, somehow, that metallic taste makes the mouthfeel feel tinny and thin and just coats the tongue like I've been sucking on a penny.

O: Simply, not very good at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:09:06 | More by Florida9

morimech

Minnesota

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Rhinelander Brewing? The old swill of yesteryear? Oh, it is Minhas Brewery. Son of a bitch! Felt like I just threw $3 away. Oh well, the damage is done so I will try and give this beer an unbiased review. The label on the bottle is very attractive and caught my eye.

Clear amber color with two fingers of head that had very good retention before settling to a thick cap. Nice amount of lacing is left down the glass.

The label claims "fiercely hopped" but I am not getting that from the aroma. I do detect mild citrus and floral notes. A little bready malt as well.

Not the deepest, most flavorful IPA, but it isn't bad either. Mostly citrus with caramel. Touches of floral as well. Quite bitter considering the flavor. Semi-sweet overall.

The body is a little too light. Carbonation is off a tad as well. Not nicely matched. Not thin or watery, but just lacking.

Overall consider myself suprised by the quality of this IPA. Nothing great but for the price, it is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 19:31:42 | More by morimech

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter this beer exhibits a moderate white head that diminished to a thin, but lasting skim. The color is very deep copper bordering on light amber, a good looking start. The aroma is medium piney hop, a bit of citrus, definitely some dark caramel malt notes as well as a bit of metal? The flavor is quite bitter--very resiny, followed by some caramel-toffee sweetness and a finish that is quite dry and one-dimensional bitterness returns. The beer is overly bitter and could benefit from exchanging some bittering additions for flavor/aroma additions. The malt makes an appearance but it the overly bitter quality of the beer is hard to get by. The carbonation is medium-high and body medium-full. Overall this beer isn't awful, but it's not terribly good either. The $2.75 price was pretty darn good for a bomber--but in this case you get what you pay for--I'd rather spend more on a better beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 01:48:43 | More by uwmgdman

maximum12

Minnesota

1.3/5  rDev -51.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Picked up this inexpensive bomber of Liquor Barrel in St. Louis Park last week. I mean, Rhinelander? Really? I remember buying cases of non-returnable bottles in Wisconsin in the early '90's - 'sconnie swill. Interesting that they've busted a move on the micro-beer boom. Let's get to it. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife.

Pour is clean, filtered orange. Nose is, well, off is being kind. Malty, maybe a hop root or two, with a big turn of must. My wife saw the rabbit on the label & said "maybe it's rabbit poo." I wouldn't be that harsh, but, it's not appealing.

Thumper IPA makes me want to scratch my nads, because, well, that's more fun. The only discernable beer taste is the big dose of caramel malts - huge. No hops, other than a distant whiff of grocery store perfume. Then there's the mustiness, a country twang of metllic nastiness, & well, fuck. I always want to say something nice about a beer, but this is just brutally awful.

I'm sorry, Minhas, but if you're going to try to crowbar into the good beer business, you have a lot of work to do. This is painfully terrible. 20 ounces headed for the bathroom sink. Avoid avoid avoid.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 02:16:52 | More by maximum12

htomsirveaux

Texas

2.38/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22 oz. bottle tried 5 Nov 2011. Courtesy of R&S, thanks! Served in the (512) third anniversary snifter.

Small soapy white head. Minimally carbonated. Clear orange red in color. Aroma is sweet and syrupy, touch of perfume. Starts very syrupy, sweet and boozy. Maltiness predominates throughout, sweet, fairly syrupy. Medium body, medium ethanol. Finish is a faint touch of bitterness, but not much.

Where's the hops?!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 03:18:27 | More by htomsirveaux

pigc

Nebraska

2.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Pours a cloudy orangish color with minimal half finger head. Decent lacing.

S - Bready malts and faint citrus. That's about it.

T - Some lemon zest and very bready malts. Very one dimensional.

M - Medium body with average carbonation.

O - A very forgettable IPA. With so many exceptional examples of this style this one is certainly forgettable. Not sure if I will be able to finish this bomber. Well below average.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 04:05:53 | More by pigc

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

2.23/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A- pours a deep dark golden amber that is almost brown. More of an orange really. Has an off white bubbly foamy head that is thick at first before it dissolves down a bit to become thinner. The beer is murky but not completely opaque. Small white bubbles can be seen mid glass rising to the top.

S- The smell is incredibly sweet and malty for an IPA. Smells strongly of caramel with a faint note of graham cracker. It is slightly hoppy and citrusy but contains the odd grape-like aroma I've found common to every single one of Minhas's beers.

T- Once again, I find that the taste is oddly malty and caramely. It is somewhat fruity with citrus and grape notes which I once again find very odd for the style. Just lightly hoppy. Has a somewhat bitter finish but I would say that it is much more tart rather than bitter. There is somewhat of an alcohol taste as well.

M- Very carbonated with a medium bodied. The high carbonation seems to take away from the already weak flavor. Has a somewhat syrupy feel despite the crisp feel from the carbonation.

O- All of the beers by Minhas have a very similar taste which is beginning to make me wonder if they are all just the same beer with just minor tweaks. If so I really would not be to surprised. This is almost NOTHING like an IPA. I wouldn't even call it an IPA, maybe an American strong ale, or an amber ale. It has almost no hop flavor for an IPA. This is an incredibly sad beer. It doesn't even seem like beer, more like carbonated alcoholic syrup.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 07:30:01 | More by Zachtheporter

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a slightly hazy deep dark orange body with a bubbly light beige head that is soon gone and a sea of bubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The soft green hops have a bright quality to them with a soft pale malt note coming through when it opens up a bit. Some caramel malt finishes the smell.

T- The slightly tangy note leads to light citrus green hops with a lime like quality. There is some caramel and graham sweetness although soft before the bitter green bite in the finish.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a scrubbing fizz that mellows as the beer warms. No real alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer is thin with a soft hop profile except for the full bitterness and a tartness to it that overpowers a bit. The malt sweetness grows sweeter as the beer opens aswell.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 18:20:43 | More by rhoadsrage

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.3/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours out a hazy coppery color with ruddy red highlights and an off-white single finger of foam for a head, medium levels of lacing.
Smells lightly of pine resin but most of all of a general heavy caramel malt with an odd kind of 'wet pennies' sort of coppery aroma. The disturbing 'wet pennies' make an unwelcome return in the finish of the flavor, which is mostly comprised of rather intensely sweet honey bread (or perhaps raised donut batter) with a few sprinkles of generic pine resin and grapefruit peel way off in the background noise. Body is medium, texture is pretty good, but I wouldn't really call this an IPA of any sort at all. At best I would call this an APA and at worst I'd call it a hoppy amber. But because the bottle label explicitly advertises the contents as an IPA, I'm forced to subtract points for raising false expectations.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 21:03:10 | More by WastingFreetime

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.35/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a reddish hue with a big sticky white head.

Smells sweet from caramel malts I'm assuming with some citrus hop notes although not very aromatic overall.

Taste is also way too malt forward for an IPA. I highly doubt the IBU claim on this bottle as I hardly taste any hops. Not completely horrible, but not for a hop lover and there is a slight metallic finish.

A bit too thin, but good carbonation levels.

Well this beer isn't anything great. If they'd dose it with some more hops, it may be better, but it's only $2.99 for a bomber. That gives it a bump in a major way because anything drinkable in that price range is a win.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 19:09:39 | More by jmarsh123

powerss13

Kansas

2.15/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a tulip glass

Appearance: Mid dark level amber color to it. Decent size head on the pour.

Smell: Little hop smell. By smell, would not expect to be a big beer in hops for an IPA.

Taste: Just like the smell, little hop taste to it. For an IPA, they definitely could have done much better. Other than that it was an ok beer.

Mouthfeel: Light notes to hops, but very little. Very clean and light. Not cloudy or heavy at all.

Overall: Worth a try. Give it a good taste and enjoy what you can. Thereare some pros to this beer, but I believe that there are more cons

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 00:54:46 | More by powerss13

DabblinWiscCraft

Wisconsin

2.83/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was poured from a 22 oz. bomber into my trusty Lakefront Brewery pint glass, a clear orange blossom honey amber color with a good deal of visible carbonation. An inch of eggshell head has good legs and leaves some cling down the glass. The aroma of this one consists of muted citrus notes mingling with caramel and sweetbread--it's pleasant, but not memorable. The taste is a bit of a letdown, insofar as it fails to provide the hop character I expect from American IPAs. The first flavor on the palate is a rush of caramel malt, with more subtle tones of pine, citrus, and clear alcohol vying for attention as the sweetness of the malts dissipates. The bitterness of this beer only really asserts itself after all other flavors have gone; at that point, it has a hint of that medicinal, cough-syrup quality. The feel of this beer is pleasant enough. There's a good deal of carbonation and nice smoothness at the fore, with some definite bite at the end.

As others have mentioned, one of the problems with this beer is its apparent improper classification as an American IPA. If anything, it does seem more reminiscent of an English IPA. As an American IPA, it just doesn't bring the liveliness of those floral citrus and pine flavors that should be leading the charge across the palate. Without thought for categories or labels, this is certainly a beer that's worth trying, as it does have a unique flavor profile that I wouldn't have expected from a Minhas subsidiary.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 07:25:00 | More by DabblinWiscCraft

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.8/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
6.8% ABV, 12, 11[unreadable], 14 on the neck. 79 IBUs

A - Deep amber in color, this clear beer has a dense and tall off-white head with thick, sticky lace clinging to the glass.

S - Malt-heavy, Thumper IPA has some resiny, bitter-smelling notes going on with a citrus splash on the back end. Thumper is predominantly caramel malt-filled with a touch of biscuit notes. it's immediately apparent much larger hop additions are necessary.

T - Decisively malt, Thumper seems to fall into an amber category rather than an IPA, especially an American of all. While there are citrus and resin characteristics in the background, it lacks a strong hop forward profile. Metallic finish.

M - Medium-bodied and well-carbonated, this "IPA" has a low touch of bitterness despite it's 79 IBU claims. Rather harsh on the tongue, it's got a metallic finish.

O - I so badly wanted to love this brew. My aunt and uncle live in Rhinelander and it just appeared on the shelves at my local Woodman's. Either this beer is completely un-fresh, or it's got nowhere near the alpha acids in the hop additions it needs. More of an amber than an IPA, this brew is heavy on the malt - a good base for additional hopping. The metallic finish is fairly off-putting too, but it's a decent beer overall (aside from not fitting style).

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:36:03 | More by BeerFMAndy

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.4/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

650ml bottle. My tongue awaits tantalizing from a truly unexpected source...

This beer pours a clear medium brassy amber colour, with two fingers of foamy pale beige head, which leaves some decent branched lace around the glass as it evenly subsides. It smells of sweet and acidic fruit, in a white wine sense, a bit of citrus that slightly evokes hops, and very pale malt. The taste is light caramel malt, counter-top wash lemon citrus, a bit of muddled tropical fruit, some acrid pine needle, and a slight edgy booziness. The carbonation is a bit below average in strength, the body medium weight, and generally IPA-like in its prickly smoothness. It finishes sweet and tangy - neutered caramel malt and hops that seem destined for the dark, skanky side.

Of the new craft-esque bombers from Minhas/Rhinelander, this is the best of the lot thus far - nothing off-putting, but nothing really resembling a prototypical American IPA either. Like a run-of-the-mill IPA with the bitterness surgically extracted - I have no idea where the label-purported '79 I.B.U.' measure actually wound up.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 02:19:43 | More by biboergosum

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

With a balance that's much more indicative of English Pale Ales, but with a caramel backbone and citrusy hops that claim American characteristic this undescriptive ale proves appealing enough even though a bit lackluster.

Pouring a caramel golden color with a bright yet slightly hazed hue, the beer's ample carbonation keeps the white froathy/fizzy head going. Light on lace, the beer seems IPAish except for the terse head character.

Hop aromas are present with a notion of orange peel, citrus acidity, and grasses; but these don't command any prevailence against the moderate caramel malt scents. Balanced for sure, but IPAs aren't supposed to be balanced.

Flavors fare similarly with simple caramel sweetness and medium maltiness holding serve. Grapefruit zest, orange zest, and lemon zest all have a turn at hop flavor mid way throught the drink before turning to a grassy bite in late bitterness. A very simplified flavor spread where no hop notes taking command, yet leaving an abrasive hop bitterness in finish.

Medium rich and lightly sugary, the beer holds onto the sweetness until very late in the finish; not allowing the hop character to develop the bitter dryness that IPAs deserve. Lightly warming in finish, the malty sweetness overshadows the otherwise crisp and clean finish to the beer.

This IPA is too one-dimensional caramelly sweet and the hop aroma, flavor, nor bitterness aren't nearly bold enough to qualify for the style. But still, the beer fares well with few flaws outside of over sweetened, mild graininess, and slightly bitey hops.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 02:52:42 | More by BEERchitect