Illumination Double IPA - Central Waters Brewing Company

gatornation

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

pours a beautiful amber/orange color with a perfect 1 finger head with clingy sticky lacing..the smell is mango.peach,pineapple,grapefruit..its a tropical feast for the nose..it follows with juicy hops/malty smells..the taste is exceptional it starts with a tropical barrage of fruit then some grapefruit infused hops..all balanced out with some sweet malts..a perfectly balanced dipa of supreme creamy taste..CW has hit this style out of the park.the mouthfeel is medium/full for a 9% and finishes in the end with a bitter hop taste in the back of the mouth that tells you that you want more..the drink ability is off the chart you just want another sip or another serving..so easy to down 2 of these very fast.exceptionally smooth ,creamy and very hoppy/ flavorful..very very recommended

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 00:02:11 | More by gatornation

jera1350

Minnesota

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

Dark burnt orange in color with a nice layer of creamy tan foam on top. Nice gobs of lacing on the glass.

Fresh citrusy goodness fills the nostrils. Pineapple, orange and grapefruit with a malty sweetness as well.

What a hop profile! Picking up some pineapple and citrus and then a wave of pine sweeps in. A nice sweetness that seems to be more fruity than caramel. Strong pine resin and grapefruit bitterness lasts until the next sip.

More than medium bodied, smooth with some very soft carbonation. Finishes tongue suckingly dry.

Drinks well for the style and abv. This is a DIPA that should be on everyone's radar. Top notch and sure to satisfy all hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 23:55:55 | More by jera1350

dirtylou

Washington

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

12oz single - probably my 4th sampling of this new DIPA

appearance: tacky label featuring a bright green hop - bright orange-copper body with a nice foamy white cap and strong retention

smell: bright citrus hops - tangerine, ruby red grapefruit, pine, bready

taste: impressive DIPA from a brewery that has never really offered up a great hop-centric brew. Very fresh waves of citrus flavor - tangerine, grapefruit, orange, lemon peel, pineapple. What makes this one a little different is the spicy rye kick and rustic bready notes. I dig this one - keep the special releases coming CW

mouthfeel: big, moderate bitterness, smoothness from the abv, spicy

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 00:54:49 | More by dirtylou

bound4er

Wisconsin

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

A. Hazy golden amber to light orange with tons of carbonation bubbles. Nice puffy two finger white head. Gobs of lacing seem to hang forever.

S. Just what I like in a DIPA - lots of citrus, mango, pineapple - damn, this is making my mouth water. No sign of booze either. Perfection.

T. Balance is what I find - plenty of hop fruitiness and bitterness but not in an off-putting way - citrus and pine seem to dominate. Nice breadiness from the malt for balance without any sweetness to distract.

M. Good creaminess with plenty of backing carbonation.

D. Off the charts - really goes down smoothly with no alcohol to be found. Finally a DIPA from a Wisconsin brewer to get excited about. This is an excellent offering from Central Waters - kudos. Add this to their great line of stouts and CW is right there with NG for best brewer in state honors IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 00:49:22 | More by bound4er

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The local store finally got this in. 12 oz brown bottle. Says it was bottled this month, nice.

It pours a hazy cidre/orange color. The head is white and foamy and leaves very nice lacing behind.

This one smells pretty damn awesome. I'm glad I got it super fresh. It is bursting with hop scents. It has a nice candied orange peel, some mild mango, and some grapefruit. I love smelling the tropical fruit bombs, tasting them is hit or miss, we shall see.

This one tastes pretty damn awesome too. The ample amount of bitterness accents the fruitiness nicely. There is a lot more pine and grapefruit peel in the flavor which I like. I love mangoes and citrus and pretty much all tropical fruits, there is only one that irks me and it is pineapple, there doesn't seem to be much of it here luckily. It has a nice mineral water flavor to it as well. It is a very finely crafted DIPA. It isn't an out of control hop bomb, and isn't too sweet. It definitely is leaning towards bitter but it isn't the most bitter DIPA you will find. The resinous hops seem to stick in your mouth forever with a lasting bitterness.

The mouthfeel is decent but not perfect for this one. All that bitterness leaves a bit of dryness.

Much like say a hopslam, this one is a dangerously drinkable brew, especially with a hearty abv. It is immensely quaffable.

Central Waters had me with their stouts, now they have me with their DIPA. This brewery is really starting to make more and more quality beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 23:57:23 | More by crossovert

Soneast

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear, gold/amber color, growing a thick and creamy, 1/2 inch, white colored head that deposits just a butt load of lace on the glass.

Aroma is fruity, pineapple, grapefruit sugared lemon. Very citrusy with a touch of malt character in the form of light sugary pale malt, sweet and honey-like. Very hop-forward and absolutely mouth-watering!

The flavor follows suit...a delicious hop punch, pineapple, grapefruit to my palate with a touch of lemon and maybe even a hint of spice after the swallow. The malt characteristics are evident in a sugary light pale malt presence. That said, the hops absolutely dominate but there is just enough malt character to balance the finish from being a pure bitter bomb into more of a clean, crisp hop flavor.

Illumination is one delicious DIPA. I hesitate to say the best in the Midwest...but the best in Wisconsin? No doubt!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 22:48:17 | More by Soneast

pmccallum86

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a brilliant cloudy amber color with a terrific looking bubbly head that dissipates very slowly leaving lacing along the glass. This is the definition of what a DIPA should look like.

As soon as a pop the top on the bottle wonderful citrus notes bombard my nose. The aromatics here are stunning, tons of citrus and grapefruit, simply amazing.

Here is where the beer really shines with big bold citrus and grapefruit hoppy flavors up front followed by a nice big wave of bitterness. I love how this beer finishes bitter, but balanced. The malt is present, slight caramel, but takes a backseat to the massive hops, the way a DIPA should taste.

Mouthfeel is full and also slightly creamy. Medium carbonation compliments this beer excellently.

Very drinkable beer, the booze is no where to be found. I am blown away by this beer and recommend it to all hop heads, truly a thing of beauty.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 05:23:26 | More by pmccallum86

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Orange-yellow with a thin white head that fades gradually. Little bit of lacing.
Smell is malty with some hops that have some spicy, piney, and tropical fruity aspects. Pineapple and citrus.
Taste is again malty up front, with hops that have faint spicey tomato and very slight fruity aspects (pineapple, citrus fruits). Some bitterness on the back end.
Mouthfeel is fairly thick and sticky. Moderate-to-low level of carbonation.
Drinkability is good. Alcohol is fairly well-concealed, but it catches up towards the end of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 04:00:03 | More by Parrotbeak

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Pours a beautiful glowing copper/amber color with a finger and a half of fluffy head that leaves webby lacing down the glass.

The aroma is extremely tropical....lots of mango and pineapple. Not enormous or sinus cleansing or any other adjective such as that, but still absolutely fantastic.

The flavor is not quite the blast of hops I anticipated, but it is still nicely bitter and flavorful. The malt profile is light and bready and brings a balance to the bitter, piney hops. In the finish, quite a bit of alcohol heat (acetone-like) takes over. This brings down the overall flavor profile and drinkability quite a bit.

The mouthfeel is medium and the carbonation is perhaps a bit too prickly.

Overall this one had some promise, but that booziness sticks out like a sore thumb and makes this a beer that I won't be seeking out again. A good attempt I suppose.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 01:58:23 | More by alcstradamus

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

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

A - Nearly clear orangish red body with a frothy eggshell head at an inch or more with a nice hummocky surface. Very appealing brew!

S - Tangerines and bread make for a nice ballanced aroma with a hint of yeast.

T - Tangerine and citrus is right! This is a great tasting DIPA. I'm very impressed with the great flavor of this IPA. The flavor is worth the price.

M - The feel is warm, slightly watery but it maintains a decent stickiness that I think really makes an IPA solid.

~ This is not a one and done DIPA. This is your sit down and enjoy two or three before calling it a night. By no means a session brew but it has all the character of a beer that goes all the way.

Once again, nice job CW!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 00:41:22 | More by cdkrenz

svondollen

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

4-pack bottles purchased June 2010, according to label bottled in May.

A: Golden, slightly hazy, white head (<1/2"), decent lacing on tapered pint glass.
S: Perceptible, of citrus, but not overwhelming (perhaps a bit underwhelming for a DIPA)
T: Dominant peach note, with pungent grapefruit finish. Unique; a wholly satisfying experience.
M: Stands-up to the robust character of the hops
D: 9%, 'nuff said; I enjoyed every sip. Really excellent with spicy fare.

Love Central Waters, I'll be drinking a lot more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 00:21:58 | More by svondollen

klikger

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- The color is medium-amber with a hint of redness when looking through the glass into the sun. A normal pour produces a 3/4 inch white head which dissipates within minutes but leaves behind modestly sticky lacing as the glass is consumed.

S - Honey, grapefruit, and a bit of pine. More distinctive nose than the majority of the (mostly very good) DIPAs which I've had recently.

T - Loads of maltiness up front and a nice combination of flavors. Although none of these stand out, at times, I taste oak, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Caramel is noted as it warms. Citrus helps to offset some of the sweetness after a few seconds in the mouth, but the malts continue to dominate until the very end. The finish is nicely bitter, and I can taste the hops for minutes afterward. The impact of the hops increased slightly as the glass was consumed, which was much appreciated. I can't in good faith call this a hop bomb, but it has enough to keep me interested.

M - Significantly heavy for the style. There's a lot of carbonation here, which helps with the overall feel.

D - In spite of the thick mouthfeel and malt-heavy front end of this brew, it's relatively easy to drink. Two bottles down, and if it weren't for my liver waving a red flag (in anticipation of a tasting tomorrow night), a third would be enjoyed.

I'm a big fan of Central Waters, and I probably had unreasonable expectations for this beer. It's well-crafted and nicely balanced, but this keeps it from being amazing for me. I crave the bitter, and this isn't the ultra-hopped masterpiece which I hoped it would be. That said, this is a very good beer.

Edit: After having a few more bottles of this and a pint or two on tap, I'm enjoying it more and more. This truly is a great DIPA, and I can't pinpoint a single thing that detracts. I'm sincerely giddy about the prospect of drinking Illumination for the next XX years.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 22:30:25 | More by klikger

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Served on-tap at Central Waters Brewing Company's Tap House on 5-29-10 and presented in an 8 oz. snifter.

Pours a light copper color with a billowy white head. Spotty lacing sticks to the glass.

Aromas of pineapple, pine needles and mango. Opens sweet with blasts of tropical fruits, primarily pineapple and mango. Citrus hops move in and provide a moderate bittering effect. Taste shifts to pine sharpness, before cycling back to citrus hops and pineapple.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel with adequate carbonation.

Although I appreciated the fact that this wasn't a typical palate-numbing hop bomb, I expect more bitterness from an American DIPA. That said, the well-balanced nature of this offering made it remarkably refreshing and exceptionally drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2010 03:09:58 | More by CaptainIPA