The Immortal IPA - Elysian Brewing Company

RoyalT

Ohio

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

Appearance – Nice, thick, darkish orange color to the ale. I was careful on the pour but the head still rose high, lingering for a few minutes before going down slowly.

Smell – A hint of pine complimented the citrus-hop aroma. There also seems to be a tinge of malt.

Taste – This one’s got a bitter bite. It starts off easy with the prefaced malt and light citrus, then comes on sharp with a beautiful hop experience. The orange and lime peel finish this one out. Nicely done.

Mouthfeel – Lightly carbonated with a dry smoothness that pleases the mouth. The bitter aspect keeps you awake.

Drinkability – This goes down well, and the personalized style makes this one to come back to. Besides, it’s cool to say to your friends who like hoppy ales, “Sure, that macro is good, but have you ever tried The Immortal?”

Update – Well, two years have past since my last review of this ale. The label is now ultra-cool thanks to Kevin at Bottleworks. Gotta love Odin in flip-flops.

Anyway, the beer has shown amazing consistency. It’s funny, because I enjoy drinking it and stand behind the solid 4.0 rating, but admittedly it seems to lag whenever I include it in a blind taste test. Taste tests be damned, I like it.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2003 03:38:44 | More by RoyalT

Reidrover

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought in the ubiquitous 22 oz brown bomber!
This is an excellent looking beer as poiured into my British style dimpled pint mug,pretty dark orange for a typical IPA..with a great frothy white head that billows then recedes but leaves a good lace film on top and on the side of the glass..
Very fresh spicy, zingy IPA hop aroma..well done.
This is a well balanced IPA i can taste a wee bit of malt before the hops come crashing through..sherbety grapfruit after taste.
Pretty good on the palate..refreshing
A good PNW IPA..not as hopped up as some but well drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2003 22:44:52 | More by Reidrover

dwarbi

New York

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks a little better than average. Pours a light, filmy head. Smells lightly of hops. Odd thing about this beer's aroma: the first whiff I had was pretty blank. The same with the second. Then I got a huge blast. Smelled robust and wonderful. Some whiffs were like that, others were light. It was a coing toss. Very good taste, a little butttery. Smooth, not bitter. It was very tasty, but not light a traditional IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2003 16:55:03 | More by dwarbi

marc77

California

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Light copper hue with excellent clarity. Fluffy, billowy ivory white head leaves respectable lace. Grapefruit and lemon zest upfront in nose, with understated light caramel and dryish grain. Squeaky clean, and functional aromawise. Slightly sharp, citrus pith laced bitterness upfront in flavor is ensued by a ripe, acidic citrus hop flavor. Subdued light caramel malt sweetness emerges mid palate and couples with the citric hop flavor lending a sugar dusted pink grapefruit impression. Mellow bready malt presence. Lightly bodied, with token dextrins facilitating a passably smooth mouthfeel. Finishes with a snap of astringency yielding to fleeting biscuity sweetness. The Immortal is quite a balanced and drinkable IPA, but is timid in overall character. Tasty, but merely par for a northwest example. Akin to a tame Liberty Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2003 19:01:19 | More by marc77

Hobbz

Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bartender poured this beer into standard pint glass. Appearance was good with rather firm head. Smell was also robust. Pretty unflawed taste in itself and very fresh indeed. Nice frontal hop taste and finishing strong with hint of maltiness. I must say that on its own, I might have rated even higher (were it not for so many other outstanding IPA's brewed in the area). Elysian is a top brewery and great place to sample home-crafted beers.
(from tasting notes, May 24, 2002 ... may update after my next trip out to Seattle)

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2003 16:50:52 | More by Hobbz

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This hazy copper brew pours a healthy looking, creamy off-white head. It's retention is remarkable. Intricate lace designs are left on the glass walls as I drink. A deep rooted pungency and some citric tones make an appearance on the nose. Grapefruit pulp and pine sap play some major roles on the palate. The bitterness is there and effective, but by no means "over the top." Hops also impart a bit of a resiny character. The malt backbone is sufficient to support the hop onslaught. Bready tones seem go surface ever so lightly here and there. Mouthfeel is creamy and low on carbonation. Makes for an easy drinking IPA. Hop burps are very nice as well. Yet another in a long line of great West Coast IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 21:10:25 | More by Bighuge

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy, golden-tan with orange highlights, topped by a densely creamy off-white head that has excellent retention and leaves a ring of lace at every sip throughout the glass. Outstanding appearance! The aroma offers a bright, nicely sweet caramel malt with some fruity notes (some apricot) and a light pine and citrus hoppiness. Very clean - very impressive. The body is medium-full with a limited carbonation that gives a luxurious, almost chewy, creaminess! 3 for 3! The flavor offers some bright hops up front, coat-tailed by a boldly sweet malt. As it crosses the palate caramel notes emerge from the malt and the hop flavors show a more citrus character. Extremely well balanced! A superbly finesse show of malt & hops! 4 for 4! The finish is quite smooth; with flavors of hop and malt wrestling at the front, falling quickly into a gentle, crystal tinged maltiness. Very nice. Quite exceptionally done. Possibly more APA than IPA because of the malty balance, but easily one of the premier American pale ales regardless. Well worth seeking out!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2002 15:24:18 | More by NeroFiddled

sinistersteve

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice head off the poor and laced the glass nicely as I drank it's wonderful contents. Nice tan color and very cloudy, the way I feel an IPA should look. Hints of apricot in the aroma and a noticable citrus taste in the mouth. The flavor hugs the mouth and tounge very nicely, but not too overpowering. A great beer and a must have for any beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2002 19:15:53 | More by sinistersteve

Todd

Massachusetts

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

Had this at Redbones in Sommerville, MA. A damn good IPA. Right on balance too with a fruity malt character and a kickin' NW hop character to match ... and then some.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2001 17:25:20 | More by Todd

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good white lace around the glass. Nice hop aroma with a puckering hop bitterness and flavour. Fruity malt character. A kicker of an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2001 01:43:36 | More by Jason