El Toro IPA - El Toro Brewing Co.

flagmantho

Washington

3.76/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: medium orange hue with a fair bit of haze and a moderate effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy ivory foam. A good looking beer!

Smell: sweet malt with a bready, very slightly biscuity character and a funky, resinous hop component. Not exactly my bag, but pretty good nonetheless.

Taste: bitterness right up front, unusually, with sweetness developing later and finishing with a hoppy, caramelly melange. Hops are quite citrusy and smooth, and there's a little bit of a dusty character here as well. Not bad.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation. Not super creamy, but engagingly fizzy.

Overall: this is a pretty decent middle-of-the-road IPA. I would like to try it on tap sometime.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 19:49:03 | More by flagmantho

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear copper color with a pillowy, off-white head that leaves little bits of lacing.

Smells of pine and citrus hops.

Tastes of the bright hops with a solid malt backbone. Hops lead off with grapefruit, pine, and a touch of tropical notes on the backend. Moderately bitter. Malts add some caramel sweetness on the end to cut a bit of the bitterness, but this is definitely all about the hops. Ends with a lingering pine note.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly assertive amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is a good fruity IPA, but I knocked it down a bit due to price, $2.30 for 12 oz.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:28:42 | More by ocelot2500

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

This is a pretty thorough IPA. Lots of malts and hops coming together nicely. Consistent and thick, but not really trying to blow me away with any kind of showy character. A bit heavy to be drinking in this pleasant and warm California weather, but it's good.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 16:39:17 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.3/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Poured a burnt orange color with good carbonation, nice white cap and some soapy like bubbles and lacing remains

S: Toasty, grapefruit, some spicy notes witha whiff of toasty smoke

T: Oh boy. I'm not exactly how fresh this IPA is but it needs help. First sip is bittering orange peel, grapefruit, spicey, biscuity, toasted with a faded hop presence. The back end is a slick, grapefruit hop bite with a annoying buttery bite blended with hop bitterness, some astringency and booze.

M: Heavy, unplesasnt and disturbing

O: Wave the white flag.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:53:46 | More by barleywinefiend

djbreezy

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - transparent, nice fluffy head, amazing retention

Smell - pine hops and sweet malts

Taste - very balanced, malts are strong, followed by pine hops

Mouthfeel - medium, dry finish, sticky

Overall - not a great example of a west coast IPA, expected it to be more hop forward

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 05:20:23 | More by djbreezy

SnacksMcBillings

Oregon

2.88/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass.

Aroma: Flowery and perfume like hop aroma. Light presence of pale malts, slight fruity ester aroma.

Appearance: Rocky white head, thick lacing as the beer went down. Light golden color. Good clarity.

Flavor: Initial taste was puckering. Extremely bitter trending towards astringency. The strong floral hop flavor tastes almost soapy. Very unbalanced, no malt backbone to support this level of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, light body.

Overall: Disappointed. Was told by one of the local bottle shop clerks that this was the best IPA out there. Totally unbalanced. Either tone down the bitterness or build the grain bill up to even this out.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 05:07:34 | More by SnacksMcBillings

Reidrover

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from "Lifesource" Salem. $2.25 Burnt orange hazy body to this beer with a lovely creamy,thick off white head. Handsome. Floral,spicy, fruity hop aromas abound..invigorating. An intensly hoppy taste..yet not harsh at all but smooth..i think this is because it HAS a substantial malt back bone..even if its not obvious under the hop attack.Semi dry finish some marmalade flavours aslo. Good. Great thick,luscious palate..smooth..very nice. I really liked this IPA..very smooth and easy.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 19:31:46 | More by Reidrover

thudstaffer

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased at LifeSource Natural Foods in Salem, OR. Brew batch 1512.

Poured into Oregon pinot wine glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy, dark for an IPA, true amber and copper tones. Head is lingering and thin.

Nose: Yeasty, floral (honeysuckle), good complexity.

Palate: Rich, pungent, lingering. Weighty, complex. Notes of caramel, w/ a bitter finish.

Overall: Solid, well-made brew. Stands out among other IPAs. Richness can be overwhelming, which is good or bad depending on personal preference. Body and complexity accurately reflect the price point of this beer; worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 05:28:24 | More by thudstaffer

olmatty

Oregon

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

Pours an orange amber with a huge pillowy off white head. The beer is crystalline and clean.

Light spice of hop aroma, grainy and a hint of honey sweetness.

Flavors of solid cereal grain body well balanced against a spicy, piney hop.

Moderate body, palate flooding flavors.

Very pleasant and delicious IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 04:53:10 | More by olmatty

kscaldef

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a pint glass, 2-finger dense off-white head over a clear copper color with streams of bubbles.

S: citrus, marmalade, a little bready

T: More in the English style than I was expecting, this has a rich, bready body. A hint of butter, but in a pleasing way. Hops are definitely there, but don't dominate, rather clean the palate with a mild bitterness that leaves you ready for another sip.

M: Smooth, maybe a little oily, with a slight astringent finish. Low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 00:19:16 | More by kscaldef

DousedInStout

Washington

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brew #1486, picked up at Belmont Station in Portland (it was recommended by the clerk, otherwise I would've never looked twice at it!)

One of the most pleasantly surprising bottles I've purchased in years! Nice bright white head, pretty clear orange in color, and spot on carbonation. Aroma is of tangerine, lemongrass, and grapefruit. The taste is similar - a solid, pleasant, citrus forward IPA. Nice and attenuated finish, with quenching bitterness. When fresh, this is one of the most drinkable, impressive, and unassuming west coast IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 03:18:31 | More by DousedInStout

DoubleJ

California

1.68/5  rDev -57.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

12 ounce bottle picked up in the Bay Area on a recent trip. I'm looking forward to this offering which I can't get in Orange County. On to the beer:

Little is wrong with the appearance. The head is thick and sports plenty of its original self, peach colored body has the "glowing" illusion at some spots. The nose could be better. There seems to be a phenol problem that pushes juicy grapefruit and white wine notes aside. Dry, husky malt and the everlasting band-aid are buzzkills to its potential.

I'm getting depressed. The bitterness is there, but the hop juice walked away. There's a tiny hint of grapefruit that the palate can sense, and from there hell breaks loose. It's just one bitter mess with some soap and soft waves of phenols (more specifically, pllastic) that don't belong and the beer becomes even more unpleasant. The aftertaste lingers of some phenols and lots of pure bitterness. The liquid on its own is fine, nice and smooth, but the rough aftertaste ruins the mouthfeel.

Second major egg lay in a row. It's time to dump the remaining 10 ounces in the toilet, because my sink doesn't deserve this kind of torment. Now where's my Ovila?

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 05:13:33 | More by DoubleJ

chumba526

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears hazy orange/yellow with a small off white head.

It smells very citrus and pine like. I get a grassy and fruity hop smell. There is also a mild malt sweet smell as well.

It tastes initially of sweet citrus hops. I get a strong orange flavor. I also get a pine like hop flavor to the beer. There is a very mild hint of malt sweetness but hops are king in this beer. The beer ends with a strong, brutal bitter flavor. This is a great tasting beer. It is pine like, citrus and bitter as fuck.

There is a crisp mouthfeel to this beer. It also has ample carbonation.

The drinkability is very good. It is bitter but multi-dimensional. The beer goes down very smoothly.

Overall this is a great IPA if it was a little less expencive I could see myself buying this beer often.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 02:36:01 | More by chumba526

johnnyboy76

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Surprisingly delicious.

Looks like a bottle you would take a look at and pass by in the cooler, but this beer does not disapoint.

Totally worth a try,and not too expensive either.

Good smell, with a robust taste. Typical IPA flavor, has a smooth finish, and the hops don't sit on the back of your throat too long like some lower grade IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 05:55:02 | More by johnnyboy76

Lukafer

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to MilwaukeeCrusher for this one!

Pours a hazy orange with off white head of about a finger that doesn't stick around. Smells like citrus, oranges and some bitter hops. Taste is caramel malts, slight grapefruit and some bitter pine. First time I've had this beer and it's pretty good, I imagine it'd be even better if I could get an extremely fresh one.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 00:51:30 | More by Lukafer

Arbitrator

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Chilled 12oz bottle into a glass. Purchased from Whole Foods in Los Altos.

A: Pours a very cloudy orange-amber color with an inch of fluffy, off-white head. It takes a few minutes to vanish, and it falls back into a light collar on the brew, but it leaves substantial lacing with register marks down the glass. Very nice.

S: Citrus (orange, tangerine) and pine hops, with a small floral component. Have trouble smelling anything else. Seems like a hop bomb.

T: The taste is more balanced, though. Again, lots of citrus in orange and tangerine flavors, with a lighter pine component. But there is a very balanced caramel malt and maybe some bread in there. I get a little floral taste before the finish. Very clean flavor. Has a slightly dry finish that leaves some grass in the aftertaste.

M: Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation. No oiliness, but a slight aftertaste and some light stickiness. Well-masked ABV.

D: This was a go-to beer for me for a while, although my initial infatuation faded as I tried more IPAs. I like it, but its latest pricing, from $8 to a sixer jumping to $16 a sixer, has pretty much prevented me from getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 00:59:10 | More by Arbitrator

NorCalYeti

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

taste- same as the smell...warm caramel and loads of bitter hops

color- tangerine

clarity- cloudy

smell- caramel, fresh hops

body- full, rich, balanced, front focused

appearance- nice color, light white head, suspended sediment, slight carbonation

overall impression- stellar ipa

notes- brew 1272, should always have this beer on hand, serious ipa with lots of character. this review is for a 2008 vintage tasted in 2008

glassware: pint

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 22:04:07 | More by NorCalYeti

Overlord

California

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

Thanks arbitrator and friend!

Pours a slightly hazy orange-y/amber. Pretty dark hue. Large off-white head that quickly dies down.

Smells like grapefruit ... and a bit of interesting bitter ... orange rind-iness. Yeah. That's the name I'd put to it.

Taste is actually quite nice. Very pleasant. Some grapefruit, a bit of caramel malt sweetness, and an interesting, almost astringently bitter citrus rind or maybe charry/earthiness to it. Not sure what that is.

Quite drinkable and very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 09:44:18 | More by Overlord

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Solid IPA that doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Admittedly, this is fairly lightly distributed, but still. If you see it, give it a try. Pours a dark amber with a thick grainy head that sticks around for a while. The smell has surprising amounts of sweet, cookie-like malt, and finishes with some citrus and pine from the hops. Tastes delicious- long bitter pine flavor wityh the sweet malt creeping up on the back end, but the long bitter note cuts right through it and is sustained until the end. Much hoppier than it smells. Fairly full bodied in the mouth and the long bitterness keeps things lively. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 21:39:55 | More by Georgiabeer

mjl21

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a SA Perfect Pint glass. Comes in at 6.5%. The code Brew 1321 is on the front of the bottle.

A-Pours a semi-clear orangish amber with a fluffy one and a half finger light tan head that has some great retention. Lots of bubbles and lace are left. It is a really nice looking beer.

S-The initial smell is almost dominated 50/50 by piney/citrusy hops and caramel malt. As it warms I get a little bit of dank. It smells a little sugary. It really should be a 3.75 as it is not bad, but too malty for me to score any higher.

T-The caramel malt comes on quickly followed by some citrus and pine notes. The caramel malt comes back again on the finish. There is some bitterness left. The alcohol does dry out the tongue a little. As it warms it becomes more herbal/grassy tasting.

M-Medium bodied and has great carbonation.

D-A little too malty for my taste. I'm not sure if that is due to age or the way the brewer intended.

Another not bad, not great IPA. I would like to try a guaranteed fresh version before I cast my final judgment.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 18:01:36 | More by mjl21

Buebie

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz bottle into a pub glass. Color on this is a pale orange with a bit of haze to it. Head is a generous 1'' of froth, slow to recede, leaving a nice colar and sticky thick lace along the glass.
The look on this is textbook, good lace cling, head retention and color.

Aroma is grassy with pine and orange peel and a touch of sweeter fruit. Caramel, malt and a bit of cotton candy/ bubble gum in the distance.

Taste is malty upfront with plenty of explosive fruity semi-sweet hops, grapefruit, mango's, very bitter pine, grapefruit bite and just a little bit of grain flavors. Becoming increasingly earthy, with a touch of spicie onions, Mild burnt caramel in there as well.
Mouthfeel contains medium carbonation and a bit of a stickyness to it. Carbonation does provide a fuller feel.

This is very well balanced between malt and hops, although the hops do dominate into the finish, obliterating the taste buts and lingering for a long time.
Taste is similar to Hopslam, although a little less fruity with more pine bitterness. The alcohol seems low, as there is just a touch of warming. This probably could have gone a bit higher in abv, while still hiding the boozyness amongst hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2009 00:44:46 | More by Buebie

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Extra recieved in a trade poured into a regular kitchen glass. Never even heard of this brewery.

A- El Toro pours out a even mix of faint red with burnt orange with a small haze to it, cant 100% see through the glass. A 1/2 inch of off white foam comes up than exits quick leaving small spots of lace, not coating the glass.

S- A nice scent coming from this IPA, Im getting hops giving of citrus/Tropical fruit with some grapefruit and mango. The hops also give off grassy scents. A good amount of malt to even things out.

T- This is fresh for sure, Im impressed with the taste. The hops are up front giving off a slight bitterness but nothing tounge buckeling. The grassy scents come out a bit more in taste, but the citrus is up front. The malts are somewhat bready and give off a sweet aftertaste. After warming up the taste dwindles a bit

M- El Toro feel is weird because the hop flavors go to the top of my mouth while the smooth malts & slight sweetness ride towards the bottom near the tounge. The bitterness is very light. This one is bordering on medium bodied with some carb built in. Grassy taste afterwards with warming.

D- This is easy drinking with a slightly above sessionable ABV but who cares, the taste makes this one a winner. We get a bunch of California beers here in PA and I would not mind if this brewery happened to stop by in the future, hopefully they will, fingers crossed.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 03:31:40 | More by onix1agr

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a nonic pint glass. The ale appears a hazed rich amber color with about two fingers of lingering, bone white foam. A thin lace is left on my glass with each sip. Nose and flavor are dominated by citrus (oranges and grapefruits), pine, medium toasted bread, sweet malts. A notch better than medium bodied and amply carbonated. An impressive IPA from a "new to me" brewery. Hope to try more of their offerings in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2009 15:22:02 | More by ClockworkOrange

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Cloudskipper for providing this in trade.

Says "Brew 1334" on the label.. is this a production code?

I've been excited to try this IPA and now see why so many people enjoy it. Quite nice.

First off, rather good looking beer. (poured into my Sam Adams glass) 2 fingers of beige creamy head that show excellent retention. The beer itself is very clear and orange/amber colored. Rings of lacing everywhere.

Aroma is fresh, citrus, floral and wonderful.

Flavor is so well balanced. Nice hop presence but in no way is this a hop bomb. The bitterness really sets in later in the back of your mouth. Just wonderful. The more it warms the more you can detect the sweetness of the malt and a light caramel character. More fruit comes out as well.

Almost creamy mouth feel. Subtle but present carbonation. Medium bodied and this is accentuated by the big hop finish.

Nicely drinkable... Good IPA. Very glad I had the opportunity to try this.

One to enjoy as you let the hops cling in your throat.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 00:25:27 | More by Reagan1984

Opethsprite

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

(From notes)
Pours a musty orange with a modest head, leaving lots of lacing. It smells largely of citrus--grapefruit, primarily, but with some orange. Yeast evident as well. To taste, lots of grapefruit with hints of pine. This harshness was juxtaposed nicely with the sweetness of raisins and just the slightest caramel element. Very nice! Sprightly yet hearty mouthfeel, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 19:03:16 | More by Opethsprite