Illumination Double IPA - Central Waters Brewing Company

Lordquackingstic

New York

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

Received as an extra from Chefbergo. Thanks buddy!

A: Deep coppery pumpkin color with a fingers head. Solid lacing.

S: Oranges, sweet malts, citrusy hops.

T: Follows nose, very bold flavors with a nice citrus kick.

M: Clean finish with just the right amount of carbonation for a DIPA.

O: Very enjoyable, would love to pick these up around here if they came to NY. Don't let the less than mediocre bottle artwork fool you, this is top notch stuff!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 20:49:04 | More by Lordquackingstic

IronLover

Pennsylvania

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

Deep pumpkin orange in color with a deep haze. Poured with a huge rocky white foam that slowly reduced to a soapy cap that left sheets of sticky lacings on the glass. Big citus grapefruit and orange aroma with floral hop and caramel malt notes. Smooth even feel with perfect rich but subdued carbonation. Pungent citrus hops up front with grapefruit and orange flavors. The hop bitterness creates a tangy sensation in the middle as the citrus hops taper and pine hop bitterness grows from the middle to the end. Finishes with a lingering pine hop bitterness and boozy notes as it warms. This DIPA totally overwhelms the taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 20:34:22 | More by IronLover

mikul93

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A Pours a beautiful hazy orange/gold color with a small head that dissipates quickly. Nice lacing.

S Citrus, Pine and malt. It's not bold and in-your-face, but it's a nice smelling beer.

T Lots of citrus. Grapefruit and orange. Malt hits the middle of the tongue. Bitterness hits at the end and lingers. It's a nice linger.

M Very crisp beer. I thought it was nicely carbonated. Medium viscosity. A dry finish.

O This is a solid DIPA. So well hopped that my burps are delicious. (ha gross but true) Definitely should seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 02:48:09 | More by mikul93

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Central Waters tulip.
9% ABV, Bottled On MAR notched on the label. (2012)

A - The sexy sound of the beer pouring into the glass is music to my ears. A densely packed cream head rises quietly and sticks around for a while. Thick, chunky lace coats the glass above a hazy goldenrod yellow-orange-colored beer.

S - Mounds of pine needle and sticky, sappy resin overthrow the inevitable grapefruit citrus nose which is nice for a change. Usually it's the other way around with the American hops, though this beer is certainly not without plenty of tropical fruit aroma. A hearty malty sweetness full of dense bread and caramel cube balances the hops well.

T - The taste reflects the nose quite well. A more powerful pine resin flavor opens up leading into a sweet malty backbone that immediately gives way to a tongue-bruising, teeth-hurting citrus bitter kick. Other nuances pull through after the initial shock of the hop-roundhouse kick to the face wears off. Notes of honey-drizzled toast and a slight spicy yeast component share a low-level spot-light with a very subtle alcohol sensation.

M - The alcohol is almost non-existent in this beer save for the miniscule warming finish and light solvent aroma passed through the olfactory upon retronasal breathing! The medium-full body and light, lively carbonation don't do much to mask the severe bitterness that carries through the finish but the balanced sweetness helps tone down the well-deserved hop-smack. I can't think of a thing I'd change here.

O - Illumination is a great beer from home-boys Central Waters. In sticking with their mantra of "balance, even with big hops" as it were, Illumination serves up plenty for the huge hop head but remains different enough to stand out in a sea of hop monsters. Delicious and drinkable, especially for the high alcohol content, Illumination is a double IPA from Wisconsin that makes me proud.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 22:29:20 | More by BeerFMAndy

Etan

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Brooklyn tulip.

A: Pours a brassy orange with a soft white head. Head recedes quickly, but leaves some nice lacing.

S: Weak aroma of orange, marshmallow, with a hint of bitterness behind.

T: Oh boy, this is a grapefruit bomb. Big juicy grapefruit hits the palate, intermingling with a nice dose of bitterness, malty sweetness, and a bit of peppery alcohol. Malt is quite vanilla-like. Notes of vanilla, peppercorn, raw hop leaf, grapefruit, some orange, flowers, tobacco.

M: Finely carbonated with a good body.

O: A little weak in the aroma, but the taste delivers.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 01:18:12 | More by Etan

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

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

A-golden amber color with a nice thick off-white head and good lacing

S-lots of grapefruit with tropical fruit and pine

T-grapefruit, pine, and some tropical fruit with a nice bitter hop finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth silky feel

O-a very nice DIPA with great aroma and taste

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 22:48:52 | More by MDDMD

Nachojon

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Nice hazy golden color. One finger white head, give off some nice lacing. Great looking IIPA with nice color complexity in light.

S- Not the most fragrant Double IPA, it smells good, it just doesn't hit your nose the way you would hope it would. Some nice warm hops here and a citrusy malt background.

T- Dry hop forward. There is some nice citrus in this one but really not a whole lot going on. It has a pleasant flavor but not a lot of wow factor. I'd say a balanced IIPA if there ever was one.

M- Crisp and dry. The mouthfeel is nice. Obviously wish there were some tongue burn but not bad.

O- I really like this beer. However, for a IIPA this one doesn't stand out the way I would like it to. I could drink a ton of it and it's delicious, just not the best.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 06:55:35 | More by Nachojon

SortaAmbivalent

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a couple more 4 packs at Tournament. Poured from a glass into a Sierra Nevada Hop Tulip Imperial Pint Glass

The pour produced an impressive THICK one inch or so head. The beer is a hazy golden orange with plenty of carbonation and alot of lacing.

Upon opening the bottle I could smell fresh citrus, mango, grapefruit and pine. Just awesome.

The taste pretty much follows the smell, which is right up my alley. A little malty sweetness and then the bitter taste of the hops hangs on till the bitter end.

The mouthfeel is nice. The oily hops and carbonation combine to make just an incredible beer.

Does knowing that this is only around 6 or 8 weeks a year, if that, make me love it more? I'm not sure. But as far as the season DIPA parade, this beer gets a front float ride with Hopslam.
If it was available year round that would be cool. But it's probably best it isn't.
Golf clap for Central Waters.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 07:49:23 | More by SortaAmbivalent

Steasy66

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz into Duvel tulip, bottle marked 'March'

A Cloudy amber with lacy white two finger head.
S Floral hops, some malt, hint of citrus
T Sweet, floral and herbal hops, very bitter finish.
M Thick, a bit lacking in carbonation.
O This is a very nice beer, but in a world stacked with amazing DIPAs this beer doesn't stack up. 2nd tier DIPA with a 1st tier price.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 01:41:58 | More by Steasy66

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle dated March 2012 from my most recent trade with laymansbeerfan (thanks man!), poured into a New Belgium Globe.

A: Beautiful soft hazy sunset orange with a fingers worth of brilliant white head, good retention and decent lace.

S: Citrus dominates, mango, orange, peach, sweeter hops and a floral bouquet, minor pine herbal notes, and not a trace of malt.

T: First sip overwhelms with bitterness but as your palette adjusts its obvious that this beer is more about hop flavor in the form of juicy, citrus-type hops...tropical fruits, mango, orange, hints of grapefruit dryness, fresh floral hops, with a good amount of sweetness.

MF: Light to medium mouthfeel, refreshing, soft carbonation, moderate-to-high bitterness levels, with some dryness.

O: No real malt presence at this age...this beer is indicative of middle-of-the-country IPA's, and it reminds me of a less-boozy Hopslam with its hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 14:43:16 | More by Scotchboy

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

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

Poured from 12 oz bottle into CBS snifter.

A) Hazy amber with maybe a finger of white wispy head. This settled to a swirling dusting. Not much lacing.

S) Nice sweet malt, oranges, peaches, a little pineapple. There was some booze.

T) Starts out sweet, orange pineapple, tropical fruits. Nice balance. The hop bitterness follows with pine and grass. The finish is orange rind and alcohol. Aftertaste has some tingle.

M) Pretty thick, a solid medium body, with light carbonation. It's really quite smooth, even with the alcohol.

O) A really enjoyable DIPA. I found it more enjoyable at room temp. The alcohol could have been a little better hidden, even at 9% ABV, but that's a minor concern. I would gladly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 02:33:02 | More by RoamingGnome

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lightly hazed orange color with a quarter inch of white head. Clusters of spotty lace.

The nose is tropical with aromas of pineapple, mango and light pine hops. Sweet malts lie behind the prominent hoppiness.

Clean tropical fruits begin the flavor voyage. Pineapple and mango are seet and juicy. Bitterness rolls off my palate after a short while, allowing some nutty malts to poke through.

The mouthfeel is crisp and dry, but only after the bitter juciness fades. Medium-bodied.

Overall, I really liked the fresh crispness of this brew. Awesome hop forwardness.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 07:26:36 | More by ChugginOil

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From the bottle, the beer pours a copper color that is typical of a DIPA. Only a slight head was present, which was a nice white color. The aroma screams of a sweat maltiness. It reminded me of the smell of a chocolate malt from the local ice cream shop. The initial taste was a strong peach note, accented with citrus tang on the edges. One can almost taste the fuzziness of peaches in the first sip of the beer. There is a greater degree of malt in this beer than most DIPAs, which gives this beer a great sense of balance. In the aftertaste, the citrus tang of the hops becomes more potent and resembles grapefruit. The texture of the beer allows this beer to linger on the back of the tongue for a while.

I believe this beer would be excellent with spicy food, though one can certainly enjoy it without food. It is among the better DIPAs available in the Great Lakes region.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:07:14 | More by JohnnyHopps

Beerlover

Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Has a cloudy golden color. smells of sweet hops and tastes very similar to another double ipa I have had, couldn't put my finger on it at first but then figured out it was Bell's "hopslam". for about 4 bucks cheaper (taking into consideration the four pack this came in over the 6 pack the bells comes in)a good deal. if you see this one and like hopslam you gotta try it!

(had again this year {2013} and liked it just as much if not more than i remember liking it last year, awesome double ipa, better than hopslam was this year in my opinion!)

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 03:45:59 | More by Beerlover

yamar68

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dull, hazy tangerine with a dense white head. No real beading yet. The aroma hops in this are intense: huge citrus like grapefruit, clementine, pineapple, plus some very floral, sprucey bits. You can’t really dissect the flavor without mentioning a perfect milky consistency that forces you to pace yourself. It has a bit of bite, maybe more so than you’d expect at 9% ABV... the flavors at work though are well incorporated - big hot hops and an understated malty backbone.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 03:29:36 | More by yamar68

mdaschaf

Washington

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

Thanks to mnbearsfan for the opportunity!

A: Pours a hazy golden/orange with a white head on top, moderate retention, leaving a solid cap on top. Thin lacing forms all around the glass.

S: Lots of juicy citrus, grapefruit, orange, orange zest, and a little bit of grass. There is a little bit of bready/caramel malt on the back end.

T: More citrus fruits, similar to the aroma with orange zest and grapefruit. Very faint bready malt undertones reel this one in a bit. There is a little bit of grass on the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Drinks smooth and easy for 9%.

O: A pretty good DIPA. Not as exciting as I was hoping, but still very good, nothing wrong with it Would be happy to drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 00:54:57 | More by mdaschaf

jdhende

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled on March/April served in a Bruery Tulip

A: Pours nice burnt orange with a finger white head and decent lacing on top.

S: Very fresh hop aroma's filled the air right away when I opened it. Also lots of sweet caramel notes.

T: Very sweet Malt opening followed by tangerine and orange. Finishes extremely bitter. Was an overkill in my book

M: Medium mouthful with medium carbonation. Finishes pretty dry.

O: Just an average DIPA and at $12 a 4 pack I will not be seeking this out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 00:44:51 | More by jdhende

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Served in a snifter, a bright, somewhat hazy, golden orange color with a thin white head, minimal lacing. I really loved the aroma on this one: lots of fresh, citrusy hops, pineapple sweetness, orange, biscuity malts in the background. Another nice blast of juicy hops in the taste, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, honeysuckle, subdued bready malts. Some grassy and piney bitterness in the finish with a good drying effect. Smooth, medium mouthfeel, and quite drinkable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2012 11:43:16 | More by Rifugium

derkfromwi

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Half-inch white frothy head that thins to a thin layer with awesome retention (whole glass), slightly hazy golden orange color, lots of carbonation, very appealing lacing

S: Awesome smells, fresh hops, sweetness, grapefruit, orange peel, earthy, lemon

T: Bitterness (to be expected as it's 108 IBU's), grapefruit, earthiness, sweet orange, bitter palate wrecker is right

M: Smooth, medium-bodied, good carbonation, oily

O: Very good Double IPA, I look forward to this every year, I think it was a touch tastier on tap last week, but I'll have to do a review on that soon to be sure

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 04:24:56 | More by derkfromwi

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter

Pours a hazy light golden amber with a bright white two finger head with abundant lacing. The aroma is slightly citrus and floral accented with grassy hops. Mild grapefruit and citrus upfront, transitioning to grassy notes and a bit of very slightly sweet malt, and finally finishing with a very dry piney hop bitterness. A good deal of carbonation, lighter bodied when compared to many other DIPA's. Very enjoyable drier DIPA. A DIPA that is perfect for those that prefer dry to fruity.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 05:22:34 | More by chanokokoro

B33R501

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

We'll have to call this "Tale of two beers".

Very disappointment considering this is on my favorites list from last year. But that was me drinking it from 6 - 10 months of age, when this beer had mellowed into a beautiful vanilla malted bright hoppy beer with a very nice bitterness. But that's a review for another day. Sometimes a hoppy beer needs time, at least for me.

The previous reviewer nailed it. Pretty gold to orange pour, great smelling citrus hops, but what happened to the taste. Way too bitter with a horrible, metallic finish.

Sometimes it's such a fine line between a great beer and a lousy one. The Port Mongo I enjoyed today is damn close to the perfect West Coast IPA. This needs alot of work. Then again I've said before when it comes to this double west coast ipa style you have the Plinys, Stone Ruination, Racer X, and Port Brewing.

So this remains a favorite from last year, this year I'll pass, at least until July or August.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 19:34:46 | More by B33R501

jegross2

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing the Illumination Double IPA from Central Waters Brewing Company.
Score: 86

Bottled February/March 2012 (can't tell; the tick mark is dead center between the two months). Served in a Half Acre tulip glass and enjoyed on 03/03/12.

Appearance: Pours an orange color that falls between opaque and translucent with a slight brownish hue. Held up to light, an orange center is surrounded by a layer of yellow-orange glow. Three fingers of foamy off-white head at pour gradually settles into a foggy cap and clump of head floating in the center. Average lacing, average retention. 3.5/5

Smell: Fresh orange and grapefruit citrus. Orange peel, lemon zest, pine and fresh grass clippings. Some pineapple juice, some oily resin. There's a bit of red bell pepper in the aroma too. 4/5

Taste: Where's did all the citrus from the aroma go? There's really not a whole lot of any flavor going on here. Just an intensely earthy, slightly grassy, hoppy bitterness and bitter orange peel flavor throughout. There's some mellow grain malt too. This beer is decently refreshing and loaded with plenty of bitter, earthy hops, but there's no real midpalate flavor at all. Dare I say this is the Daisy Cutter of imperial IPA's? A little bit of juicy orange citrus comes out halfway through the glass. Lingering bitter finish. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a low amount of carbonation that really lets the bitterness of the beer sit heavy on the palate. Oily mouthfeel with a huge cotton-mouthing effect. Dry, bitter finish. 4/5

Overall: A hop heavy imperial IPA without too much flavor. Smells great, but virtually all of the citrus aroma is totally absent from the flavor. Would not buy this one again.

Recommendation: Hop haters beware! At $11.99 per four pack, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this beer. Certainly worth trying once if you can find a fresh $3.99 single bottle, but this is not one that needs to be consumed by any stretch of the imagination.

Pairings: Creamy pepper jack cheese.

Cost: $11.99 for a four pack.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 02:38:45 | More by jegross2

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this afternoon into a pint, I really like the way this one looks in the glass it is a beautiful orange with a good cloudy haze with no sediment.

It smells of orange, mango, pinapple, citrus all way it is a citrus bomb in the nose.

It tastes just like it smells oranges, mangos, pinapples an other citrus fruits all the way through to the end where a malt backbone and a good bitter bite really come through.

mouthfeel is very creamy and smooth. Very nice.

I really like this DIPA, this is the first year I have tried it but it will not be the last. I wish this was year round.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 21:15:01 | More by nickapalooza86

cosmicevan

New York

3.2/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2012-02-22 tasting notes when reviewing was disabled...

on a hunt in chicago found these...bottled Feb/March of this year and couldn't resist such freshness (that plus a helpful tip on the deliciousness from a Binny's employee - thanks mystery guy for the tip!)

a - popped the bottle and filled a plastic cup in my hotel room (classy, i know). has the classic ipa orange witha finger of white frothy ipa head.

s - as soon as i opened the bottle, fresh ipa smell filled the room. upon closer inspection, yep...maximum freshness. there is a strong hop presence, but i'm surprised to say that the malts are equally represented very caramel and almost even barleywine like. candy.

t - much like the nose suggests, this one is a very malt forward IIPA. some fruitiness and then a wash of bitterness. all-in-all, not really what i look for in a uber fresh IIPA. i'd say perhaps this is a year old, but i was told it *just* came in so must be fresh.

m - medium bodied, not as thick as i'd expect and the bitterness at the end is interesting, but not offputting.

o - overall, a double ipa...perhaps, but not along the lines of double ipas that are all the rage these days. too malt forward. i'd swear it was miscategorized, but the label says double ipa. not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to what's out there for the style, this is average at best. i'll happily drink the rest of my 4 pack, but not when i'm looking for an ipa. i am rather surprised by the high ratings on this one (mmm...unexplained high ratings from the locals - D'oh).

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 05:27:31 | More by cosmicevan

SpdKilz

Illinois

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

My mother was up in Wisconsin and but of course I asked her to do a beer run for me (New Glarus mainly). She read this off to me on the phone and it sounded good so I told her to pick it up. Sadly, it was bottled on March 2011 so this is a solid 8+ month old DIPA.

Appearance – Pours a dark orange color into a tulip with about a finger of head that dissipates somewhat rapidly but leaves nice lacing.

Smell – Lots of citrus notes, pine, slight hops, caramel and toffee.

Taste – Similar to the nose though it does have a bit more tropical citrus than I was expecting (which I’m happy about). Still a slight nice hop bitterness despite the beer being so old, along with some pine. A heavy caramel malt backbone takes over at the end.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, creamy, a nice prickly carbonation.

Overall – Actually a very tasty DIPA. I feel that the citrus came through more because the hops faded a bit. However, I would like to re-visit this when it is fresh. I was afraid I’d have to drain pour the rest of the four pack but I actually will finish it up.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 01:08:21 | More by SpdKilz