Illumination Double IPA - Central Waters Brewing Company

kawilliams81

Illinois

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

Served in a 16 oz. snifter.

A- Cloudy dark orange with 1 finger white head with excellent lacing.

S- Sweet malts and lots of citrus (mostly orange and grapefruit).

T- Citrus is apparent from that start. Sweet malts mixed with citrus hops. Very good balance of sweet malts to bitter citrus hops.

M- Medium bodied. Somewhat creamy texture with low carbonation.

O- Very, very good DIPA! One of the few only beers worth purchasing from CW. And this one is worth purchasing whenever you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 02:16:24 | More by kawilliams81

GbVDave

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into two pint glasses. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist.

Bottled On: MAR 2011

This was two months old when we took notes on this.

A: Pours a nice and hazy glowing orange color. Off white head reached about three fingers before settling down to 1 1/2. Good retention and decent lacing.

S: Interesting blend of grapefruit, pine, and mint. Pretty leafy and with a touch of orange creamsicle for balance.

T: As above, with a 'slight' touch of onion or garlic. Pretty earthy.

M: Pretty slick and sticky with hardly any alcohol presence. Our cheeks felt warm by the end of our glasses.

O: Pretty enjoyable, but this was a one and done for us. We just don't buy much in the way of IPA's that are north of 7% anymore.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 23:59:44 | More by GbVDave

BigPlay1824

New York

4.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed in a tulip glass

A: pours a very nice thick golden color with a slight amber color and two fingers of pure white head that is nice and foamy and lingers beautifully,
S: has a great grapefruit scent that is very gentle and not as harsh as im accustomed to with this style, also has a nice crisp scent of leaves or tree sap, not quite sure what it is
T: great taste, perfect amount of grapefruit and sweetness, perfect bitterness and a nice tartness, just awesome taste, so highly drinkable it is bordering on dangerous, only lacking in complexity and depth ever so slightly
M: medium carbonation, thick at first but moves its way over to being smooth and light, leaves a slight dryness
O: as i was pouring this brew, i could already tell i was going to love it, i could smell it as it hit the glass and the colors, just perfect for what i look for in DIPA's. truly reminds me of DFH 60 Minute but with 9% ABV, my god its awesome

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 00:18:10 | More by BigPlay1824

augustgarage

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to northyorksammy for the box of Wisconsin goodies. Poured fro a 12oz bottle into my Dogfish Head oversized snifter.

Cloudy amber-tinged Princeton Orange liquid topped by an offwhite pearling head and lasting thin collar. The bottle conditioning is evident, as the lees remain visible though dissolve easily. Nice sandy lacing and glimmering broken panes of tears. Decent retention.

Dank, minty, pine-laden aromatics with a touch of orange peel and vanilla as well.

Malty dry palate entry with light peppery phenols from yeast - these give way rapidly to a moderate faintly abrasive bitterness. Hop flavors are dusty and herbaceous with a low aftertaste of scallion and a punch of orange or grapefruit. Dry earthy finish with hints of wet wood as well.

Medium-full bodied, creamy, but somewhat chalky. Well carbonated.

A different take on the style, with a well integrated ABV and unusual hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 08:07:51 | More by augustgarage

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Riley's. Pours a golden cloudy body with abundant creamy head and creamy lace. Some hop and malt aromas. Above average delivery of a DIPA. The alpha bitterness is right there in a malt sandawich. Very balanced and drinkable. Good craftmanship.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 01:09:42 | More by northyorksammy

LiquidBread219

Indiana

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

A= Poured like a dark orange color, nice foamy white head retained rather well nice lacing on this one.

S= The nose was good mainly got citrus notes with some pine notes and a caramel backbone in the nose.

T= Taste is just like the nose basically but the caramel backbone comes out a bit more in the taste.

M= Medium in body, I thought it would have a little more depth being that it was a Dipa but it was a good beer.

O= Overall, decent Dipa I've had better and I've had worse glad I had the chance to try this one decent Dipa

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 18:00:34 | More by LiquidBread219

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured frpm 12oz bottle into plastic hotel cup

A- nice 2 finger head that has very nice retention. The body is a hazy, warm orange. About a minute after pouring he heads only half way gone, very good retention and lacing is starting to form all around the glass. This looks VERY good

S- big bready malt and toffee like scents with the citrus taking a back seat. Smells like a sweet malty barleywine to me, which i like but not totally what i expect out of a DIPA.

T- Very well balanced brew. Maybe too much malt but either way, it tastes good. Sweet toffee and citrus bitterness take over up front while the middle is pretty much citrus bitterness and sweetness. The finish simmers down a little bit and is slightly bitter and sweet. Definatley alot like a barleywine.

M- meedium feel with a smaller carbonation feel. Smooth and drinkable.

O- i am definately surprised tbis isnt an American Barleywine but these two styles are so closely blurred. Nice beer that i like alot, DIPA or BW, its good.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 01:21:15 | More by Gushue3

warnerry

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled March 2011; consumed 8/17/11

A - pours clear orange with one finger of quickly dissipating off-white head. Head leaves some lacing.

S - Mostly grapefruit and caramel malts.

T - Strong bitter grapefruit and a bit of pine up front. Large caramel malt presence in the middle. Finish is very bitter. Good, but not very balanced. I like bitter DIPAs but this may be too much for me.

M - Medium mouthfeel, somewhat juicy before the very dry finish.

O - A pretty good DIPA but doesn't really stand above the crowd.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:43:47 | More by warnerry

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

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

Reviewed on 7-3-11
Reviewed cold from a bottle to a glass

A – Poured one finger of thick foam, light orange color. Cloudy brew with carbonation present

S – Roasted malt, citrus notes and orange peel

T/M – Medium bodied, sweet citrus notes with a slight hop piney bite at the finish

D – Nice refreshing DIPA, another good brew from central waters. I would for sure have this again. I recommend it

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 17:29:56 | More by FreshmanPour77

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Updated 5/9/13

A - Pours a medium orange/honey color, a little bit hazy, and a massive rocky, creamy foam head. The head is quite sticky and the carbonation is light.

S - Moderate resiny peaches, mango's, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, and no malt aroma whatsoever, a HUGE improvement over my last bottle over a year ago. So this is how it's supposed to smell, very nice.

T - Toasty caramel malt underneath and a substantial dose of pine and citrus over the top. The taste is even throughout until the very end where the back of your mouth is left with thick coating of very bitter pine and grapefruit. The bitter aftertaste is very long and lingering with alot of rind and resin on the backside.

M - Medium body and dry finish.

O - This is a solid Double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 20:30:46 | More by jzeilinger

crewfan16

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from a bottle. Label says it was bottled in March.

a-beer pours a hazy orange/yellow, nothing overly spectacular for a DIPA. The head on the other hand is awesome. huge 2" frothy white head. I mean this stuff is thick, looks like slightly melted vanilla ice cream sitting on top of my DIPA. fades pretty slowly and leaves some awesome lacing. pretty sweet stuff.

s-sweet caramely malt. slight resin hops. nose isnt as huge as I had hoped, but still pretty good.

t-piney resin hops followed quickly by sweet malt. finishes with more floral hops. a nice bitter end. a nice balance in flavors, which lately seems like a rare thing.

m-nice body and carbonation. a bit oily texture. for 9% abv, its very drinkable and the booze is not noticeable. a very drinkable beer

overall, I think this is another great seasonal from Central Waters. This is one of the better DIPA's I have tasted, and I love it that its made about 40 minutes from my hometown. I will definitely seek it out whenever possible.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 04:50:55 | More by crewfan16

mynie

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"Central Waters ain't never fucked up/ but nothing" -William Shakespeare

A thick, cloudy honey colored x2IPA that kind of hits you right off, visually, so just by looking at it you know it's gonna be something.

And that something is... intense, well-balanced, but not all that exceptional.

Starts with thick, green hops. Piney and Citrusy. The middle is mostly piney with some more or less regular pale malt nodes kinda sorta balancing things out, and the end is just about the same as the start. There's absolutely nothing off about this beer, and in the world of double IPAs that's a feat worth rewarding. But it's missing any kind of zing--like an adventurous hop profile, or some crazy yeastmanship in the back end. That zing separates the great double IPAs from the good ones. This one is just good.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 02:49:25 | More by mynie

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours out as a murky orange color. The head is thin and leaves a light lacing down the glass. The smell of the beer to me is hoppy but is also had some minor aromas going on that were that appealing to me. The taste of the beer is hoppy for sure, it's got quite the bitter taste. Not much in way of citrus really it's more of an earthy hop flavor. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth and has a medium body. Overall it's not a terrible IIPA but it doesn't compete with others out there that are much better in my opinion.

Revisit On Tap: 7-27-11.
The aroma has a ton of citrus, the flavor has a lot of pine and grapefruit, the who beer overall I feel is much better on tap. Leaves a wonderful lacing and just a lot more impressive all around.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 22:26:13 | More by Knapp85

jsulko

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours a bright orangish color with a foamy white head.

Smell is very grapefruity, citrusy with a slight hint of pine.

Taste is smooth with the citrus flavors dominating over the pine. A sweet maltyness at the end a slightly heavy alcohol finish

My first Central Waters beer as it is not available in Illinois. A good effort but not enough to shine over the major DIPAS

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 03:29:51 | More by jsulko

bashiba

Iowa

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a bright orange color with a big and fluffy white head, tons of carbonation running throughout.

The nose is very mild for a double IPA, a bit of citrus hops and a touch of honey malt, surprisingly balanced.

The flavors are a bit bland for a beer this big, the hops are full of juniper with some floral qualities and not much else, the malt is a light slightly sweet mix of bread and honey flavors. There is a bit of peppery spice and mint in the finish.

The mouthfeel is fairly thick and oily with a fair amount of resin.

A pretty average double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 00:20:47 | More by bashiba

draheim

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (bottled Feb/Mar) poured into a tulip - thanks MammothBrew!

Hazy bright orange color with a sudsy 2-finger head. Some fine wisps of sediment suspended in the brew.

Aroma is tropical fruit, citrus, pine, and a little alcohol. Another dry-hopped delicacy with that great DIPA smell.

Taste is more boozy than expected, but at 9% ABV maybe not such a surprise.

As it warms, more caramel flavor shows through and the overall sweetness gets stronger. Because this beer is 4-5 months old, I suspect that the hops may have faded enough that they no longer mask the high ABV as the brewer intended.

The flavor is good but not great and the balance seems off.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 03:53:53 | More by draheim

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at TJ's the other day.

The beer pours a copper orange color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is also fairly attractive, showcasing orange citrus and considerable tropical fruit. Given the aroma profile with this beer, I was sort of expecting a sweeter style DIPA, and that's pretty much what I got. There is a lot of tropical fruit flavor in this beer, and it tended to overwhelm the hoppy bitterness. There was some bitterness on the finish, and I appreciate the fact that this beer isn't too boozy (a frequent problem with sweeter style DIPA's), but still.... I really felt the sweet malt in this beer dominated the flavor profile, to the point it was a bit difficult to drink. Mouthfeel was medium bodied to full, with a fairly long, malty, slightly bitter finish.

A decent DIPA, but just not made in the style that I appreciate.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2011 13:29:33 | More by johnmichaelsen

chocosushi

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Corey for this one!
I asked for a Hop-Bomb of a IIPA and he delivered.

12oz -> Young's Pint

A ~ Very rich orange with medium retention on an 1" of oily head.

S ~ Powerful Pine/General Tree resins with a twinge of lime zest. An Acidic uric acid-like smell. Reminds one of Maharaja. Stoked.

T ~ Very STRONG tree & grass resins following through, fading into Orange Marmalade, Grapefruit zest, Citrus peel, & appleskins. Malt backbone prevalent with a spicy, peppery character throughout. Picked up some hints of Melon & Pomegranate near the end.

M ~ This is hop wine with quite the kick (9%) as indicated on the label, but very smooth carbonation that carries the ale very well. Boozy & resinous, it is indeed a sipper, but an enjoyable one at that.

D ~ I'm a IIPA nut, always searching for one better the last, & I am so glad that this was included the trade. Certainly not a session, but that is the beauty of it. A sixer would last in ones fridge that's for sure.

Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 03:51:57 | More by chocosushi

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at TJs during "The Scraps" this weekend.

The pour gives me a hazy copper beer with a 1-finger creamy head. Sticky and resinous lacing does stick to the glass, leaving a nice pattern.

The aroma when the beer comes to me is full of grapefruit and pine along with a good dose of clean and sticky bitterness. The flavor is similar as long as the beer stays cold, but as it warms, I get an almost overwhelming caramel malt flavor as well as garlic/onion summit hop-like flavors. It's a bit of a turnoff. As the beer warms, the aroma suffers similarly. Quite a shame, as a bit more balance and aroma hops would have really improved this.

The mouthfeel is pretty standard, with the sticky and full texture on with a pretty reasonable level of carbonation. The balance of the beer was just off for me, with not enough hop flavor coming through to temper the flavors from the malt backbone. Also, the summit-like hop flavors just seem off in this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2011 01:59:39 | More by NittanyBeerFan

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Deuane

A - Poured a glowing, hazy copper-orange body with a two finger, white head...the head showed some rocky formations and nice retention...good lacing was left

S - A huge hop nose being lead by big doses of tropical fruits and floral notes...a minor malt bill is lingering

T - The malt actually comes through a little more on the palate and plays well with the sweetness from the juicy hops...the hops are all around though...from start to finish...they are fruity in flavor with some bitter piney hops to finish the beer

M - Medium bodied...bitter and resinous

O - This was bottled in March and it held up really well for four months...it still packed a hop punch with the malts being subdued for now...a very nice IIPA

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 18:49:14 | More by thain709

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a weyerbacher tulip glass on the late late.

A slight hiss when the cap is popped CWIDIPA pours a bright orange color with a golden glaze within. Some sediment towards the end of the bottle makes it a shade darker. A small cap leading to a small island, no stick.

Smelling the hops from the bottle, in the tulip this just screams HOPS and lots of them. Citrus over malt, in fact I cant really detect any malt in the nose. Some grapefruit and a bail of pine. A splash of alcohol. Pretty one demensional.

This is a hop bomb in every sense of the word. Hop juice with citrus including alot of grapefruit. That's about it for the citrus, not a melange of tropics like the west coast runners. Pine is big and there is some alcohol in the back end. I cant make out any malt.

The hop juice sticks to the mouth and does not quit, long after taste of astringent grapefruit and pine needles. Swish this around a bit in the mouth and watch lupulus take hold. Barely any relief in the end with no bisquit malt or the like to even things out. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, just different. Body is medium and is carbed up nice like. Bitter as all hell.

At 109 IBU's I expected this to scorch the mouth and boy did it. All in all it's a double I that could use a layer or two more of different flavor. One sided, astringent, alcohol on the tounge. Some malt might help. Even though it's a bit unbalanced, I appriciate the biggness of it and I say to myself 'it is what it is'. Two steps away from being a total palate wrecker.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 01:35:19 | More by onix1agr

beagle75

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, light amber color with two fingers of diminishing off-white foam head that collapses to a lofty half-dollar-sized pad. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Sticky sweet and resinous, with interesting dark citrus that is more intense than the toffee, butterscotch, and carbon dioxide that are also present. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with piney hops and substantial caramel malt that features a woody flavor. Carbonic acid is unruly here, causing other flavors to seem diluted when they should be rich. The middle is faintly plant-like--reedy--entirely too thin compared to the smell and the early taste. Bitterness in the finish is bracing, tasting of resinous pine with lesser umami. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium viscosity, acidity is felt fairly strongly on the palate--even in the teeth--with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This is a fair attempt at a DIPA, fairly malty but still balanced, that is undermined by the unappreciated effort of the acidity that is more tasted than felt. It redeems itself late, reminding the drinker that this is a DIPA with some appropriate and appealing qualities to showcase.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 17:23:41 | More by beagle75

bld81

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks for the bottle, kort27!
No date, bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: dusty honey yellow appearance, nice sticky head
S: fruity with peach fights alongside pine and grass, nice and fresh hop aroma
T: Amazing, mouth puckering citrus, grapefruit, lemon and hay, malt follows long behind to prove its there
M: medium dry finish, alcohol hidden by carbonation and lingering bitter notes
O: Really tasty, wish I could get this in my area, can't wait to try again.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 21:41:15 | More by bld81

DeschutesNut

North Dakota

4.8/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Pour yielded a golden amber color with an off white, two to three finger head that leaves thick lacing.

S-Smells of pineapple and mango and some light malt noted with a bit of pine.

T-Bitter and pine in the forfront with some very ripe pineapple and a slight hint of alcohol.

M-Refreashing mouth with light body and a medium to high amount of prickly carbonation.

D-Love this beer. Im gonna go out and say this. My favorite DIPA out there. Well that I have tasted. Cant wait till next year.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 15:18:15 | More by DeschutesNut

Vonerichs

Illinois

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

Clear amber body with a generous amount of head. There's spotty lacing down to the finish.

The smell is juicy citrus hops, mostly orange with a dash of mango.

Fresh and vibrant flavors of citrus and tropical fruits are supported by a pronounced yet submissive caramel sweetness. It has a very good balance of bitter and sweet.

Mouthfeel is sticky and bitter, finishing slightly dry.

Overall, a very good DIPA that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 02:29:32 | More by Vonerichs