Inversion IPA - Deschutes Brewery

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours a beautifully clear amber coppery colour with a full 3 finger khaki head that remains as a full ring around the glass and covers the beer. The lacing pattern left on the glass is sticky and looks like polka dots.

The aroma is not as hoppy as you would think that a beer with 80 IBUs (International Bittering Units, 80 is pretty high) would have. It's definitely floral smelling from the hops, but I am taken aback by the upfront caramel malt sweetness that I smell along with honey and citrus fruits! The honey aroma is AWESOME!

The way that this tastes is more akin to a double IPA I would think because there is a really full amount of caramel malt to balance the floral hops. It's really balanced well! The caramel malts are pretty much up front and as the beer moves towards the middle of the tongue honey does come out all the while some floral hop notes are in on this ride. When the trip finishes, hop bitterness appears and the beer ends dry and in need of tipping into your mouth once again.

The mouthfeel of the beer is smooth, sweet, moderately full (as compared to something watery like Boar's Lite) with medium carbonation.

Overall I find this beer exceedingly attractive and would recommend it to anyone who likes hops. I personally have not liked hops in my craft beer adventure until this past 6 months or so. I am not a hop head and do not like extreme beers that are over the top hoppy. In saying that, I think if you only mildly like hops you may even like this beer! I am going to give this a solid 4 or better out of 5!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 02:02:26 | More by WissBrauSean

Kastler

Washington

4.04/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle poured in a chilled glass.

A - Dark amber color with a reddish tint. Very beautiful color. Minimal, about half a cm, head.

S - Strong bitter yet sweet, hoppy smell

T - At first, very strong hoppy taste. But after a sip or two, it becomes an excellent mix of hops and pine. Aftertaste is quite nice and sweet.

M - Good mouthfeel, medium to low carbonation. A low consistency.

O - Loved this beer. Any fans of IPA should try this at one point. Deschutes never fails to deliver.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:20:50 | More by Kastler

TTAmod

Michigan

3.71/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with a best by date of August 7th poured into pint glass.

A: Pretty dark for an IPA; dark amber with a one finger fluffy tan head. Retention is pretty good.

S: Smell is quite malty with some citrus-y hops. Smells like caramel, flowers, orange, and grapefruit.

T: This is a pretty malty IPA...tastes a little like what a hop-faded IPA would taste like (but the hops aren't faded considering this was probably brewed about a week ago.) Nonetheless, the main culprit for this taste is probably the overabundance of roasted caramel malts, which definitely make their presence known. Don't get me wrong, there is a nice floral, citrusy hop taste, but it's being pushed around by the big malt. Becomes more bitter and hoppy on the hind end with some raw leafy hops and a lingering bitterness.

M: Deschutes usually nails the mouthfeel, and this beer is no exception. Slightly light medium body, decent carbonation, and really good smoothness makes this beer go down extremely easy.

O: An above average, but not amazing, IPA. They should have calmed down on the roasted malts and gone with something a bit more pale. I'm sure they wanted to try something a little different, but a less overpowering malt base would let the great hops in this brew come forward a lot more. Still, quite a deal at $8 for a sixer. I would definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:11:23 | More by TTAmod

lighthabit

Oregon

4.21/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

pours a clear orange amber with a thick, gorgeous head.
beautiful lacing - i love how this looks; so inviting!
citrus/hop/malt smell, a tiny bit of yeast it seems.
citrus and hops almost explode in my mouth, hops keeping sweetness under control.
carbonation dies down a bit earlier than i'd like. nice hint of oiliness at the end, done well!
a solid beer to bring to a gathering if you know your friends are ready to move from the bmc drinks. inversion was one of my first micro tastes, and it's always nice to come back to.

update - i noticed i scored red chair a bit lower than inversion. i actually like red chair more, but i think inversion does a great job of hitting the nail on the head, so-to-speak, as an ipa.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 06:51:04 | More by lighthabit

jschwanke84

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Live review.

A: Pours a beautiful clear dark amber color with a one finger creamy head. Nice lacing. Amazing looking IPA.

S: Sweet malts with herbal and floral hops. Slightly earthy with a bit of lemon. Nice balance.

T: Sweet and toasty malts with a nice hoppy finish. Floral aftertaste with a nice bitterness that lingers. Lemon citrus note that really completes the flavor. Great balance! 

M: Medium body. Very creamy texture but not sticky or chewy. A little light on the carbonation but that is a very minor defect for such a great IPA.

O: Overall this is an amazing brew. Great American IPA by Deschutes. Easy to drink and very enjoyable. Perfectly balanced sweet malts and floral hops. This is easily a go-to IPA whether on tap or in 6 packs at the store.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 03:27:01 | More by jschwanke84

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into tulip.

A - Bright and clear, deep amber, just beautiful. Two fingers of creamy, off-white head.

S - Light citrus, lemon, toasted malt, and floral hops.

T - Sweet toasty malts, earthy pine hops, caramel, and fresh citrus. Moderately bitter finish, with soft grains and fruity yeast notes lingering.

M - Very creamy and smooth, medium bodied. Mild carbonation.

O - There is a great balance to this beer. I love the earthy, pleasant hop profile. And it's insanely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:31:50 | More by mooseo

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-amber color with a nice white head and decent lacing

S-malt, pine, citrus/grapefruit, earthy notes

T-malt with slight caramel sweetness, citrusy hops, pine, earthiness, moderately bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp

O-a decent IPA with a little more caramel malt presence than I prefer

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 18:52:15 | More by MDDMD

InlandTaipan

California

3.59/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in Santa Barbara California.

A: Beer pours with a luscious frothy head. Color is deep burnt orange/cherrywood color. Appears pretty dark for an IPA.

S: Caramelized malts are in the foreground, earthy hop aroma, subtle citrus/resinous notes.

T: Balanced bitterness with an assertive caramelized malt flavor.

M: Great texture, good carb level. just thick enough.

O: This beer was good but not up there on my list as far as IPAs go. I feel there was too much caramelized malt presence that overshadowed what hop aroma/flavor there was.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:01:51 | More by InlandTaipan

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.58/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a terrific IPA. Pours a nice copper with a thick, frothy head. Smells of citrus and floral hops. It initially tastes rich and smooth with a very malty front and a tasty array of citrusy hops. It leaves a more bitter aftertaste. Perfect amount of carbonation. The beer drinks easily but leaves a great taste in your mouth.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:20:35 | More by JesseMurdock

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.31/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a dark copper/amber with a finger width of foamy head.

Smell - Earthy and piney hops, caramalts, tropical fruits.

Taste - Nice hit of earthy/piney hops followed along with a balance of the malts and fruit. Good bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A well-executed American IPA by Deschutes. Ranks up among the top of the American IPAs that I have sampled.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:02:13 | More by leaddog

leokbelo

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich copper poured into a pint glass with a 2 inch head that slowly fades into an inch lacing.
Pine scent, from the hops, citrus and some sweetness too.
Hop bitterness at its best! Some malt sweetness again in the background. Very fresh, very tasty.
A nice example of what an American IPA should be!
Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:06:37 | More by leokbelo

FlyingBull

California

4.14/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Purchased in a 6-pack 12 oz bottles at a local grocery store. Having one right now as I review it. Poured into a 12 oz Pilsner glass a clear amber color, with a small 1/2" head of white foam that dissipated within 5 minutes. Lacing noted on sides of glass.

There's a nice sweet malt aroma combined with very mild floral notes coupled with a mild or medium citrus aroma - grapefruit mostly to me.

There's a nice medium mouth feel with good carbonation. The taste is started by carmel malts followed by a moderate hop bitterness that lingers with a citrus note at the back end. Someone compared it to Stone Levitation. Close...similar in some respects; I agree with that comparison.

Overall, I think this is a very good, sound and mild west coast IPA. It's very drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 04:35:29 | More by FlyingBull

Sark

Montana

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance- bright copper with a tan 2 finger head bursting with aroma, wonderful swirling carbonation, head laces and craters on the way down

Smell- Sweet pale malt balanced with big citrus hops spicing it around the edges inviting you to take a sip, apples too

Taste- the sweet malts hit on the front while hops balance mid palate, a touch of booziness aftertaste

Mouthfeel- malty feel for an IPA helps it smooth a bit, medium-bodied, carbonation tickle

Overall- Easy drinking IPA that doesn't try to be extreme, quite enjoyable and at a great price

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 23:32:20 | More by Sark

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a clean deep amber with 2 fingers of frothy head creating ridiculous amounts of lacing. mellow smells of pine, soap, grapefruit. the flavor is pretty mellow as well, fruity/citrusy hops create a strawberry/grapefruit flavor, caramel, earthy bitter/tree sap. medium body with moderate carbonation.

not bad, but it's getting to the point where it's getting pretty hard to become impressed with this style. it's a pretty standard ipa with some nice gestures, but really doesn't stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:17:56 | More by facundoCNB

TheSixthRing

California

4.14/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-review. Enjoy by date of 5/14/13

Appearance - Pours a deep, semi-clear reddish amber with an off-white, 2 finger head. Good retention. Strong lace all around the glass, with excellent stick.

Smell - Strong caramel presence, with hints of red apple. Somewhat earthy, slightly citric hop character takes a back seat in the aroma.

Taste - Plenty of caramel malt flavors to start and through the finish, but is met halfway with a moderate, floral and citrus hop which takes the lead and blasts through into the finish. Hints of earth. Mild orange pith bitterness in the aftertaste. An intriguing, tasty combination.

Mouthfeel - Medium in body with moderate, soft carbonation. Near creamy. Semi-dry finish.

Overall - A unique take on the style, where balance is more key than IBU's. Reminds me a bit of the Stone Levitation, but with considerable more hop aggressiveness... or the Red Chair, with less hop aggressiveness. One beer I could drink all night and not get tired of.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 05:07:03 | More by TheSixthRing

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is clear with a copper / amber body and an inch of sticky, off white head. The aroma offers caramel malt, honey, toast, biscuits, pine. The flavor is sweet. Honey and pine flavors. A tasty brew, but atypical of an American IPA in that it is balanced rather than hop forward. Prominent malt and bread character throughout with pine and minimal bitterness. Hop presence is muted, especially when compared to its contemporaries. Medium bodied with a hint of alcohol. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:10:07 | More by Huhzubendah

pkalix

California

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

creamy tan topper, thicker lacing on the sides and slightly hazy peach-orange color.
smell is indescribable, but sweet, candy-like pine-sol, if pine -sol were to be made into a confection. but it's a good aroma.
taste is very nice. very strong malt up front, completely unexpected. ibu of 80, which seems very slight in my experience with ipa, but this is incredibly tasty. sweet malts balanced with some bitterness at the end.
it has a very creamy feel to it and feels a little thick.
overall, this is a great brew. i was very surprised at the slight bitterness and sweet flavors. i cannot, however, determine if the lingering bitterness is an after-effect of this beer or the last one i drank (arrogant bastard) but it definitely lingers. makes me want to grab another quenching drink to wash away the bitterness. i really like it; gave it 4.5 across the board.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:57:30 | More by pkalix

Jellopants356

Montana

4.6/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber. Minimal lacing. Thin cream head. Smells of alcohol and some pine notes with a slight citrus. Tastes really good. Ha ha more objectively, tastes of grapefruit, pine, lemon, and something else...ends bitter and alcoholic, but not so hoppy. Overall, a really good brew, unique too. Something i would recommend although slightly boozey.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 05:04:42 | More by Jellopants356

Justin_Neff

Ohio

3.54/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into an oversized snifter - almost a mix between a snifter and a tulip glass. Best by: 5/02/13

A: Pours a ruby, light reddish color. Aggressive pour resulted in beige colored three finger head. Good retention and settles into a nice small ring. Great lacing on glass. Not fully translucent.

S: Citrus. Very floral. Some hop character, some malts.

T: Very bitter. Floral character matches the nose well. Very sweet malt tastes that minimize the hoppiness.

M: Creamy, sticky, low carbonation. Medium body

O: Meh. Not great, not bad. Glad I tried, but I probably wouldn't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 21:08:22 | More by Justin_Neff

vickersspitfire

Texas

3.99/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass, this beer is a beautiful dark burnt orange color with deep copper hues emanating from its sides. Its topped off with w thick dense head and slowly turns into a billowy cloud of bubbles surrounded by a thick wall of lacing. Hops, spiced apples along with some orange and apricot dominate the aroma. Bitter overtones are accompanied by a strong, but good tasting hop presence. Plenty of spices and lemon zest are also detectable. The aftertaste it bitter at first but then warms up and a slight grapefruit flavors takes over.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 05:17:51 | More by vickersspitfire

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A finger and half of head on a clear, amber colored body.
The aroma is a nice pine and lemon smell.
The taste is high lemon bitterness with a decent malt backbone. Solid bitterness.
The texture is quite soft with moderate carbonation.
A wonderful IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 06:09:47 | More by Fatehunter

mevett89

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: pours with a nice, lumpy white head; opaque dark amber-orange in color.

Smell: hop forward.

Taste: deliciously hoppy. Quite bitter, with lots of pine and some citrus notes, balanced by some nice maltiness.

Mouth Feel: a bit chewy; medium bodied and decently carbonated.

Overall: an excellent IPA, one of my favorites so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 23:55:52 | More by mevett89

Moose90

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Best By – 04/17/13
12oz bottle into tulip glass

A – Dark copper, light amber edges. Notably dark for an IPA. Foamy head starts strong but settles and leaves adequate lacing.

S – Hop notes are floral and bitter. Citrus here, but more of a dried orange/apricot note. Nose has a subtle sweetness to it.

T – Malt forward, hops come as a strong lingering after effect. The hops are fresh enough, but this is fairly strong on the bitter hop big malt composition.

M – Carbonation is adequate, perhaps a bit light, comes across as flat almost. A little more bubble might help rid of the strong malts.

O – Not hoppy like some other big West Coast IPA's. The NW nature comes through in the form of unique malt characteristics. Bitter hops try to balance but still is more malt dominant than others from the west coast.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 06:02:07 | More by Moose90

MacHeadBeer

California

4.41/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Exceptionally pleasant IPA, I'm a big fan of DIPA and this would give a DIPA a run for its money. Very smooth, plenty of hop flavor and finishes real smooth. If was a little less expensive this would definitely be my regular beer (Lagunitas holds that spot).

Edit: A 12oz bottle went WAY too fast. :-)

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 00:15:03 | More by MacHeadBeer

magictacosinus

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Freshness date is "02/26/13."

Color is a darkened amber, which came as a bit of surprise at first, filled with a giant burst of carbonation with a head about 3 fingers high. Sediment seems to float back and forth in the glass, and as the head settles down, so does the carbonation. About a half hour later, there are very small amounts of bubbles rising to the top. The head, however, never goes away no matter what, and lots of lacing sticks to the walls of the glass. It's a very jubilant IPA for sure - reminds me very much of SN's Celebration in some ways, except with less carbonation and sediment.

Not sure how long this has been sitting around, but this IPA is already showing signs of becoming fortified and sweeter in texture. Right at the front, there's a nice orange peel zest, followed by strong notes of honey, caramel, toffee, and woodiness. The hops are most definitely there, yet even a fresh batch would still have this large of a malt backbone. Indeed, they hold a nice aroma reminiscent of biscuits and roasted shortbread, yet what's surprising is how this is far less hoppy than their non-hop focused beers (at least to my corrupted Bay Area/San Diego hoppified soul). Despite retaining a balanced aroma, don't think that non-hop fans will enjoy this right away!

The flavor is crisp and slightly diverse in the realm of West Coast IPAs, consisting of a combination of citrus (no floral here) zest of lemons and blood oranges combined with a sharp, caramel malt aftertaste and faded yeasty notes. The aftertaste is pretty astringent and hoppy, though more in a flavorful way that ranges from citrus fruits to pine needle notes. Not too much woodiness here in the flavor after all. The finish is very dry, and bittered units really last on the tongue for a while. Alcohol perseveres at the back of the throat, combined with a syrupy aftertaste and texture.

In a way, this may be the long lost cousin of SN's Celebration IPA, although it's far less strong, a little maltier, and easier to drink in a row than that one. If this is meant to be one of the first groundbreaking IPAs in American craft brewing, I can see that for sure. The malts are pretty delicious, but the hop oil does get pervasive, so at that point I would not necessarily introduce this to newbies with hops. Still a great pick, and up to par with Deschutes' standards for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 05:41:45 | More by magictacosinus