21st Amendment IPA - 21st Amendment Brewery

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Labelled as 'Brew Free or Die IPA' on the huge beer board in the brewery bar on 5 Feb 2013 when I had my on-tap beer.

Light golden body with a slight haze, on top a thin white covering.

Hops rule the brew, mini-citrus front to that hoppiness, some malt content in the brew also, just to prevent it becoming a hop bomb sort of beer. The beer was taken during 'Strong Beer Month' and at 7.0% was one of the weakest on offer, it therefore lacked the 'umph' of many others that day and hence my rather average thoughts on this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 21:02:39 | More by BlackHaddock

DoubleJ

California

2.45/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

On-tap at Cannery Row Brewing, on to the beer:

The color is a cross between orange and yellow. The body is clean, the head on top retaining fine, and good splashes of lace clinging to the glass. The aroma is strange, bringing to mind the aroma of cider. There's some resiny stuff detected, but to my nose, it smells more like a cider with hops than an IPA.

Much sweeter than I though. Malt forward at first, though to be fair, the hops don't provide much details at this point. That cidery aroma I detected has made itself present in the beer's taste. There's also notes of white grapes. The second half of the taste is where the hops make some kind of a push. At this point, the hop levels can be described as moderate, and they provide a little bitterness and resin. It's medium bodied, with gentle carbonation.

This is either the case of a poor IPA or an unlucky sample. I'm hoping it's the latter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 19:09:25 | More by DoubleJ

ccrida

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draught at 21st ammendment, Brew Free or Die is burnt gold with a small white head leaving modest, sticky lace.

Smell is sweet and hops, loads of orange.

Taste is sharpy hoppy. A strong citrus note, tangerine, tuscan cantelop.

Mouthfeel is sharply crisp, dry, medium bodied.

Drinkability is pretty good, a fiercely hoppy west coast ipa, but I'd like a little less citrus though, the marmelade us a bit much.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2012 02:36:11 | More by ccrida

magictacosinus

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass at Bistro SF Grill, one my favorite places in the city that serves burgers with meat such as ostrich, wild boar, and buffalo. I tried the alligator burger with this!

Looks orange-yellow, yet not as thick as other California IPAs. Holds a substantially foamy head for a while, although this does decrease over time. There's enough carbonation, and while it looks good, I would have never noticed how much alcohol was in this based on appearance alone.

Incidentally, the aroma doesn't give away too much alcohol as well. Instead, there are nice, strong hop aromas, resembling citrus fruits and floral smells. There's a crisp, grainy scent throughout, but it's the hop oil that really shines here. I can tell that this going to be a clean beer based on the aroma, too.

Flavor is in fact surprisingly more yeasty than I expected, yet not too overpowering overall. The hop oil, along with a good malt backbone, makes this a think and satisfying drinking experience. The hops are fully fruity, and definitely are on the orange peel side without being too overpowering. Due to its sweetness and lack of alcohol presence except towards the end, I had no idea this was 7% ABV - but the consequences were worth it! Very balanced, and a very good IPA overall.

Could do without the excess yeast, but all the other factors are good enough to make this an all-around nice little IPA. I'm yet to try it in the can and see how it differs, but this could potentially become an IPA I buy more often in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2012 05:53:40 | More by magictacosinus

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass

Appearance – A golden yellow color with a moderate head of white. The head fades leaving a bit of lacing on the sides of the glass

Smell - A nice citrus hop aroma. Grapefruit and lemon are present up front and the most pronounced throughout the smell. There is a bit of caramel sweetness that works its way in toward the middle and end of the aroma with an ever so slight amount of floral and pine hop detected at the very end rounding out the aroma nicely.

Taste- The taste very much matches the smell. Citrus hops dominate the taste profile, but to my surprise, while only a subtle caramel malt smell, the taste was of much more sweet malt then I would have expected. It was actually quite a pleasant surprise. Toward the end there is a bit of spicy hop which seem to cool the sweetness ever so slightly, leaving a rather soothing aftertaste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – While at 7 % abv, this IPA has a very moderate body level. Not watery, but not chewy either. It’is very moderate thickness allows it glides over the tongue while still having a feel. The carbonation level of the brew seemed a bit higher then average, but due to its more moderate body rather fitting.

Overall – This is a nice taste IPA. If you are looking for a hop blast it may not be your choice, but if looking for an easy drinking sweeter IPA, this is it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2012 13:58:57 | More by Darkmagus82

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

21st Amendment brew free or die IPA ...pint glass

Appearnce: Clear amber, 1/8" white head...settles to nothing after a sip.

Smell: piney slight flowers, not too strong.

Taste: Floral, little on the bitter side but very tasty.

Medium: Medium to heavy, but super smooth.

Overall: great everyday IPA, I haven't had this in the can or bottle. Don't know of I would I have had bad experiences from 21st Amendment beer canned. Regardless pretty good brew, Salud!

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 03:16:28 | More by BlurryVisi0n

taylocd

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed on tap 01/18 at a Taco Mac restaurant; reviewed from notes

A - nearly perfect clear medium-amber hue, but very little head and lacing (perhaps a result of a sloppy pour?)

S - Lemon and caramel aroma with ever so slight a whiff of alcohol

T - citrus bitterness is present and noticeable, but not potently bitter; lemony presence in flavor as well as aroma

M - almost unbelievably smooth and creamy, but finishes with a nice zip from carbonation

O - outstanding spin on IPA, bitterness is present, but subtle; beer is smooth (almost too much so)

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 20:18:33 | More by taylocd

cosmo4u

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA
on tap at yardhouse yonkers ny 11/12/11

A nice rich amber with a big inch and a half off white head. This beer had some of the best lacing I had ever seen; it was from the top to the bottom and you could tell the size of each and every sip just by the lacing. I came into this one with little to no real expectations and the first thing that popped into my mind upon smelling this one is Wow. A very surprising spicy, floral, piney hop nose and a crushed grain, caramel malt smell to balance it out. Really pleasant. The taste is more of the smell. Nice hop character (spice, pine, floral) with caramel, fresh crushed grain taste. A crisp, dry finish and a medium mouthfeel. Very pleasant IPA and really fresh!

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 21:12:04 | More by cosmo4u

nataku00

California

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into a shaker pint glass. Still referred to as Brew Free or Die on the beer menu. Beer pours a dark clear orange with a thin skim of off white bubbles. A few bubbles here and there, with some decent lacing as I drank from the glass.

Nose is pretty tame, some hints of orange and grapefruit citrus and dank pine hops that is overshadowed by strong caramel malt backbone.

Taste is some light grapefruit peel and pith with some feint dank pine needles as the beer sits on the tongue. Middle of the tongue, mainly sweet caramel malt through to a medium sweet finish of malt and light citrus.

Medium body with some prickly carbonation here and there, though not too aggressive. Easy drinker and I finished my glass fairly quickly as it paired well with some of the appetizers from dinner. Not an IPA that wows you, but I don't mind having one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 18:15:51 | More by nataku00

emerge077

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled a pint on tap, and the canned version subsequently.

Pint is a bright saturated orange, Thin skim of white foam layered on the surface. Bright clarity with the occasional stream of upward moving carbonation.

Sweet orange and caramel malt aroma. Tap version seemed a bit fresher, more distinctive citrus.

Medium bodied, llight hop bitterness with some candied orange and caramel malt sweetness. Low carbonation suits the beer well, allowing the flavors to take center stage. Though very similar, the tap version had the edge due to freshness. Aroma and taste popped a little bit more than the can.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 02:34:37 | More by emerge077

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: deep yellow, 1 finger head, ok lacing

S: big pine, hint of lemon grass, firm malt

T: lemon grass/citrus front, malt, big pine, slow
bitter slightly sticky finish

M: med body, slightly sticky mouth

O: Solid IPA, but not world class.
Enjoyed having and would get it again.
The ABV is well hidden, could have a few.

GOOD, NOT A MUST HAVE!

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2011 16:26:16 | More by BeerLover99

hophopandaway

United Kingdom (England)

2.53/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A -A strawish colour but not quite as pale, maybe a hint of aamber in there, the head was gone in three minutes and the lack of lacing was a little surprising.

S - Grapefruit and hops. That's it.

T - The hops are there but not particularly strong, the grapfruit flavour is mild and I felt that there was no depth or balance to this crude brew.

M - Thin, thin, thin. How is that even possible with 7%?

D - Slips down easy because it's so thin and doesn't offer the big flavours that should be expected from a beer with a high ABV like this one. Drinkable in the same way that a Bud Light is, although obviously it's far better than that, even though it's not a good example of a west coast IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2011 04:02:26 | More by hophopandaway

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy bright orange with a nice fluffy sticky white head. Aroma is very piney, sappy, sticky resinous dank hops, with lots of citrus oil and grapefruit- modest malt backbone. Flavor is orange zest, pine resin and tar, white pine sap, mint and lots of fresh citrus fruits- decent malt backbone- lightly sweet, and a resinous bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2011 15:26:17 | More by CuriousMonk

david18

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My review of the beer in a can:

I thought this was an imperial India Pale Ale. At 7% alcohol by volume this is close. I've had this once before but not when I've been in a real critical role. This is actually a very good strongish IPA. The only thing is that the aroma is not as good as I expected. Color is very good gold but a little cloudy. Flavor is excellent. Mouthfeel is also excellent and drinkability is outstanding. I bought a sixpack of this and am glad to have five more.

---

I also enjoy this on draft and agree that it teeters somewhat between a single and double IPA. Very great hop aroma on the draft version. Not sure what I was talking about in my review above. I think the aroma stands out with this beer and the flavor is classic IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 16:59:46 | More by david18

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: great color, marmalade orange, great lacing, nice velvety head
S: grapefruit, mild with good, solid malt backbone - biscuity, juicy
T: great balance between malt and hops - juicy malt, good hops, well-balanced for an American IPA
M: very good
D: very good, especially since well-balanced IPA

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2010 11:47:59 | More by wisrarebeer

jsanford

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Distillery in Savannah, GA on 8/8/10. Poured into a pint glass.

A - Crystal-clear copper with a sudsy white head. Leaves lots of sticky lacing.

S - Citrus hops (orange and grapefruit) and pine resin, with an overly sweet toasted malt aroma.

T - Pretty close to the nose, with a nicely balanced bitter finish. A bit sweet.

M - Light-bodied with high carbonation and a crisp finish. A touch watery, though.

D - Crisp and refreshing but not overly complex. Overall, a nicely quaffable summer beer, but not something I'll go out of my way for.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2010 13:42:42 | More by jsanford

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at 21A

A: The pour is the familiar light amber color with a finger's worth of white head.

S: Good citrus notes up front along with a fair amount of sweet fruitiness. A bit of bread and malt underneath to round things out.

T: The flavor is highly fruity and tropical in nature, much more than I was expecting. The bitterness is piney and helps to balance out the sweetness in the beer.

M: The body is medium with a crisp carbonation and clean bitterness.

D: Overall, a good IPA and much better than the canned version. This is one of 21A's signature beers for a reason...

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 07:26:21 | More by womencantsail

glid02

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Twain's in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a 1.5-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of bright citrus and pine hops backed by mildly grainy pale malt aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Smooth pale malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by large amounts of pine hop flavors. The flavors sweeten up a bit midway through the sip with the addition of citrus flavors, and then carry through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a nice thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I had no problems finishing my glass and could easily have a few more.

Overall I was a big fan of this beer on-tap after not being terribly impressed when I had it from the can. Be sure this one's fresh and you likely won't be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2010 00:39:54 | More by glid02

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Comes out of the tap a clear golden amber with a fine-bubbled off-white head. Aroma is strongly hoppy with an evergreen overtone and has a firm fruity hint. Flavor is richly hoppy, just the way a good IPA should taste. Lively, fizzy texture leaves behind a pleasant tingle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 19:30:19 | More by Cyberkedi

chaz01

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on draft at Sweeney's Seafood Restaurant outside of Dayton. Served in a pint glass with a big bowl of spicy jambalaya.

A: Clear golden color, thin head that produces lots of lacing.

S: I pick up tropical fruit flavors in the aroma.

T: Not picking up a lot of hoppy bitterness, but the fruit tastes again are more tropical in nature instead of citrusy. Taste like a fruit salad with pineapple, mangos and papaya.

M: Medium bodied, good carbonation with a creamy like mouthfeel.

D: Very smooth and drinkable -- goes down easily. Went well with my spicy jambalaya with sausage, shrimp and chicken. Tropical notes added a nice element, but I didn't get a lot of bitter hoppiness that I would expect from an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 22:54:22 | More by chaz01

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

21st Amendment IPA

Appearance: A deep bronze in color with a sticky, creamy head that provides alot of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A very fruity nose that boasts hints of tropical fruit, citrus and strawberry. Bready malt is also apparent in the aroma.

Taste: Well balanced flavors. Roasted malt and some bitter hops. Malt is nutty and really compliments the citrus rind quality of the hops. I get some fruit too bordering on strawberry and mango, as odd as it seems the yeast/malt interaction is profound.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: This one goes down oh so smooth and is medium to full bodied for an IPA. I could easily make a night of drinking this beer, it is quite excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2010 15:20:24 | More by Stinkypuss

afausser

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a nice, golden orange color with a fluffy two fingers of head. Decent lacing.

Smell: Citrus and hops--predominantly grapefruit and lemon peel. A bit spicy. There's also some bready malt notes, but they're below the surface of this brew.

Taste: Quite hoppy, particularly in the aftertaste, which is deliciously bitter. There's sugary notes here--particularly banana and caramel, which mix in nicely. A very distinctive brew. Bitter citrus blends throughout. A bit of malts, but the hops definitely dominate.

Mouthfeel: Good, a very strong and long-lasting hop aftertaste. I have no complaints (?!) about carbonation here--it's nicely done, but doesn't jump out at me as something spectacular, either.

Drinkability: I would have thought from drinking this that the ABV was more like a 9% than a 7%. It's not BAD drinkability but it's not wonderful, either. The taste keeps me coming back, and it's a solid brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2010 02:51:05 | More by afausser

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light golden orange, thin white head retained across the top, minimal carbonation.

Smells of mild piney resins, floral hop character, small hints of orange and honey.

Taste is very mild pine, delicate floral hop bitterness, mild grassy character, lingering spicey bitterness.

Mouthfeel is mildly prickly, has a slight warming in the aftertaste from the ABV, light medium body, and finishes semi-dry.

This beer is very drinkable but I found it to be a little to wimpy for what I prefer in a West Coast IPA. It's mildly aromatic and the taste is delicate, definitely a big surprise. However, this would be an IPA that would appeal to more mainstream beer drinkers. Worth checking out.
---
Updated review: Can
A - Pours a medium honey orange, clear, nice amount of carbonation, and a rocky head that gradually dies down to a thin layer across the top of the glass.

S - Crackery malt, grapefruit, citrus fruit, a little bit of pine apple, and a little bit of pine. 'Definitely smells good and the aroma isn't aggressive, just a moderate amount of IPA aroma goodness.

T - Pretty close to what I was getting in the nose. The malt has a graham cracker flavor personality that's tasted immediately up front and on the tip of the tongue. Hop bitterness stays even throughout and settles on the side of the tongue with assertive lingering bitterness after the sip - my kind of IPA. The hops work well together and don't overpower the other: piney grapefruit resin and citrus.

M - Medium bodied, carbonation is crisp, finishes semi-dry, and coats the mouth with a mildly wet grapefruit bitterness that lingers for quite awhile. I'm always impressed with this beer because the 7% is so well hidden.

D - Very drinkable.

For some reason, I enjoyed this more from a can as opposed to the tap, that's unusual for my track record.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2010 05:44:49 | More by jzeilinger

CHickman

New York

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber gold in color with a 1/2 inch off white head; smells of hops (lots of hops), malt, citrus and light spices, with an overall nice hoppy aroma.

Tastes like it smells: hops, both floral and piney, sweet malt, citrus/grapefruit, orange peel, caramel, yeast or light wheat and light spices. Very light and crisp with medium carbonation and decent lacing. A good IPA that goes down easy, but is not crazy in the hop flavor. There is a nice hop taste throughout this brew, but the citrus and resin/piney hop notes play a big part and don't make the hops too over the top in flavor. The hop taste is muted in a good way.

The malts must calm the hops as this beer was not bitter at all and was very enjoyable to drink. A definite session beer as I had 4 last night.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2009 03:40:56 | More by CHickman

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice orange-amber into an American pint glass, with less than a finger of white head, but decent lacing. The smell was dominated by citrus (lemon, grapefruit) and piney bitter hops; smelled a lot like buckets of Cascade hops. Not much malt presence in the smell. However the taste did reveal more malt mid-palate, after the initial citrus/pine, and then finished on a bitter dry note. Pleasant flavor progression. Decent carbonation and medium body make for a nice mouthfeel. A nice session ipa.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2009 05:18:35 | More by donniecuffs