Bitter Woman India Pale Ale - Tyranena Brewing Company

parejkoj

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Light amber, good head that lingers. Clear, no haze.

Smell: Citrus aromas, predominantly grapefruit. A bit of malt, Munich or Vienna malts used possibly? Could use a little more late addition/dry hop aromas.

Taste: Well-balanced bitterness and very clean. A little minerally toward the end that isn't necessarily bad as it pairs with the bitterness. Some malt up front but doesn't overwhelm the bitter character. Really nice lingering bitterness toward the back of the mouth.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, not overly cloying or astringent. As far as IPAs go, it's about what I expect. Might benefit from a drier finish.

Overall: A nice IPA that is well-balanced and not too malt-heavy. Definitely recommended, it won't disappoint for those that like bitter, yet not overly aromatic, IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:33:10 | More by parejkoj

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present. Acquired as part of Tyranena's The Legendary Collection assorted twelve pack. Twelve pack packaged on 04/02/2013. The final beer out of the six to be reviewed.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours two fingers of slightly off-white foamy head on top of a coppery orange colored body with lots of bubbles swirling and spiraling to the top, and some sediment floating down. Nice fluffy rings of lacing.

S - Citrus grapefruit & blood orange. Some acidity, and some light bready malts. Otherwise a pretty tame smelling beer. Hint of rye / cracked peppercorns.

T - Taste follows the nose. Blood orange. Grapefruit. Bready malts. Copper. Hint of rye.

M - Feel is more sticky and sugary than it is legitimately bitter. A peppery sort of aftertaste.

Overall, not the greatest IPA of all time, that's for sure. A little too bready and malty and not enough bright hops for my liking. Not Tyranena's best offering, but drinkable nonetheless with a nice 5.75% abv. Not one I will be going out of my way to have again, though.

Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA ---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:03:10 | More by mfnmbvp

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.06/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 3/4/13

Strait into the glass, a very clear light amber color, finger of fluffy off white head.

Smell is grapefruit rind, pine, citrus notes, just a hint of malt.

Taste is nice and clean, piney and resiny, a little citrus charachter, lingering malt

Mouthfeel is medium, medium carbonation and finishes slightly dry

Now this is a session ABV IPA I can get behing! While it is not marketed as one, I could drink a 6 of this and be very happy!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:12:14 | More by nickapalooza86

zac16125

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass
no born on date

Thanks to haveanother1 for sending this one over in a trade.

A: Pours a clear light amber with 1.5 fingers width of light tan head that has good retention and leaves a good amount of lacing.

S: Grainy, sweet malts, hints of citrus. Very mild nose, with really very little hop aromas.

T: Sweet malts, some citrus rind and piney bitterness on the finish. For the most part its malts up front with hops on the finish. Taste pretty good, with a nice balance, but hop characters could be more prominent. It does grow on me as I continue to drink though.

M/D: Medium body, appropriate carbonation, good drinkability. Nice mouthfeel.

O: Overall, a little underwhelming. Hop characters could certainly be more prominent. Not sure if thats a result of a lack of freshness (damn breweries for not dating their IPAs!) , or if thats just the profile. Not bad though, at first I thought it was pretty blah, but it got better as I drank. It could make a nice session beer at a bar with limited craft offerings, but not something I would make a conscious effort to obtain.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 23:14:10 | More by zac16125

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Located just east of Madison is Lake Mills which is home to Tyranena Brewing. With over 50 different recipes, their IPA named Bitter Woman is one of their most noteworthy. This is a must see brewery if you are already in the area visiting Capital, Ale Asylum, Vintage, or any of the Great Danes.

It pours a golden, amber color with a decent foamy head. The scent is rather simple but contains hops. It is what it is, simple yet good. Personally I like a strong hoppy smell with my IPA’s but it’s not required for a good tasting brew.

At the first sip you would find it hard to believe that this in an IPA but as the taste progresses, most of the bitterness comes from the after taste. The texture is smooth and invites one sip after another. Other than hops, you get hints of toasted malts and some caramel. It finishes with a dry, chalky after taste.

This is one of the backbone products that Tyranena offers year round. I remember sales on this use to be insane on this product and in the last year or two it has slowed down a bit. Certainly a unique tasting IPA with a smooth ale beginning and a bitter IPA finish. You can’t say you are a Tyranena fan without trying a Bitter Woman.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 04:40:15 | More by Lemke10

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is a very clean and clear crisp orange color with a white one finger head. Great looking beer.

Smell is strong citrus hops with a decent caramel malt backbone. A slight pine spice also exists but overall the nose is fairly faint.

Although the nose may be a bit faint, the brew certainly makes up for it in bitter hop flavor. There is enough malt backbone to help clear the palate between drinks but overall there is a strong bitter hop flavor that overpowers the spicey hop flavor that does exist. Not much in terms of citrus flavor but quite spicey. I'd call it a hop heads dream in terms of bitterness but it does lack the overall strong citrus flavor that many of the best IPAs have.

Due to the strong bitter flavor and light body the moutfeel is very crisp and clean. It makes the beer quite drinkable on those hot and humid summer days.

Overall, this is a pretty solid beer but a slight bit different than most American IPAs in that it is more spicey in flavor than citrus in flavor. Beware, however, there is quite a bitter bite.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 01:47:38 | More by ElderPuma

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden-amber with good clarity. Transient khaki head, nice lacing. Smell is fairly nondescript mild earth, hay, grass and caramel malt. Taste is pleasantly bitter across the tongue with resin and floral notes, some roasted malt, earth and toffee malt fading into a mildly bitter finish. Good complexity of flavor and nice bitterness balanced with pleasing malt. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel. The smell is a letdown, but the flavor is quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 04:14:43 | More by JackieTH

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from session notes.

Pours out an orangish-amber like most IPAs but with a half-cm foam lid that lasts for around two minutes and leaves only minimal lacing behind on the glass. Smells and tastes the same: A biscuit forward malt with equallly high levels of pine resin and grapefruit pith. As it warms up, the glass gains just a touch of herbal hopping as well. Medium body and carbonation levels.

Middle of the road for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 20:25:42 | More by WastingFreetime

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into SA perfect pint glass

A: golden orange color with a creamy off-white head, immediately coats the sides of the glass, unfortunately the lace doesn't last and the head recedes

S: hops come through the most, as would be expected, floral with a slight orange citrus hint, has some bready notes too

T: tastes hoppier than it smelled, a punch of resiny, piney hop flavor with a good dose of bitterness, it does have a malt backbone though, not present so much in flavor, but it allows the bitterness to slowly fade away rather than linger unpleasantly on your palate, does have some kind of hop flavor that I recognize but can't quite place...could be some grapefruit flavor that's coming out

M: medium body, good carb lightens it up a bit, but its a little full for how dry it is

O: a fairly easy to drink IPA, not out of this world in terms of flavor, but a solid IPA when you want something approachable

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 02:41:05 | More by dpodratsky3

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a frosted pint glass in LaCrosse, WI:

Appearance: 1 inch head, moderate carbonation, amber in color, clear

Smell: caramel, toasted malt, and citrus hops

Taste: caramel start with a big dose of hops dominated by citrus hops at the end

Mouthfeel: sweet start with a bitter body and increasingly bitter finish, dry end, medium carbonation, light bodied

Overall: A really good IPA. I am really starting to like Tyranena. The bitterness really comes out as this beer warms. I nice combination of citrus and caramel. Both are very pronounced but neither seems overdone. Due to the bitterness one or two is the most I would have in a sitting, but I would get this again if offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 14:54:06 | More by tigg924

birchstick

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pouts an orangish caramel color with a soft white head on it. Nose is sweet, citrus aromas, taste is refreshing citrus upfront that moves to a nice caramel malt backbone. Ends with a slight pine / woodsy bitterness. Mouth is soft and well carbonated. Overall, this is a refreshing IPA. Not a tongue bruiser, yet packs a nice hop flavor in it. Recommended if you are looking for a well crafted, balanced, refreshing IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 03:01:57 | More by birchstick

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer poured out as a nice looking copper color with a cream colored head. The lacing was light and a little on the sticky side. The smell of the beer has some earthy hop aromas and a grainy backbone. The taste of the beer gives off a toasted caramel flavor with a decent bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel of the beer was medium bodied with a good carbonation to it. Overall the beer was decent, could have been a little more hoppy in my opinion. Seemed more like and English IPA than an American one.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 23:03:24 | More by Knapp85

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

slightly hazy golden amber pour with 2 fingers of fluffy white head and a ridiculous amount of thick sticky lacing. smells of pine, garlic, grapefruit, orange peel. earthy bitterness up front followed up by a slightly herbal/spicy tone.. pine, burnt caramel, garlic, olives..
medium body with a nice creamy texture, mild carbonation.

this is a pretty good ipa, but i wish it were slightly more balanced.. a sweet tone would have made this even out perfectly yet still give off the bitterness you expect.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 20:46:21 | More by facundoCNB

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap at Old Chicago

Orange-amber color typical of an IPA. 2 finger off white head with good lacing. Smell is tropical fruits and pine. Taste follows with piney fruity hops. Very fresh and clean taste.

Couldn't find any faults here but it didn't blow me away either.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2012 06:08:50 | More by jimmah120

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz twist-off bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
Bottled on 09JAN12 in black ink on the neck.

A - Brilliant clarity allows visibility through the deep honey golden beer to the stream of bubbles feeding the head. Dense cream foam floats on the beer slowly giving way to delicate curtains of lace shrouding the pint.

S - Aaah, Wisconsin-style IPAs...hop forward but balanced. Strong grapefruit and pineapple citrus mesh with pine above the grainy caramel malt base. Exceptional IPA nose!

T - A blend of resin-dipped pine needle and low fruity characteristics of citrus emerge first and foremost followed closely by pale malt. Graininess overlaps the soft caramel and toffee accents.

M - Well-carbonated, Bitter Woman assaults the tongue in more ways than one. While malty and medium-bodied, this IPA finishes out nice and bitter with a lingering flavor gripping the tongue.

O - One of the first polarizing beer experiences of my life, I remember my Dad really loving this beer in my early craft infancy. Despite my disgust towards it, he insisted it was fantastic. His instincts for great beer were just completely natural, something I wish I could enjoy now that I've reached a higher level of beer maturity. I've made it my mission to raise a pint or two of Bitter Woman IPA, a fantastic, well-balanced and easy drinking IPA, in his honor every year on March 8th. Cheers Dad, thanks for your wisdom and the role you played in ushering me into great beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 00:41:33 | More by BeerFMAndy

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Old Chicago poured in a pint glass. Pours a burnt orange color with just a thin head slowly developing. The aroma shows a bit of citrus rind, orange peel, and heavy caramel. Sweet caramel malty flavor with a decent hop bite. Again, a citrus rind flavor seems to stand out and is toe to toe with the caramel. Sweet tropical fruit emerges along with light grainy toast notes and a little resin. The bitterness is mild to moderate within the style, doing a fairly good job balancing the sweetness of the beer, but not much more than that. A decent IPA that is enjoybable enough.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2012 20:48:48 | More by CuriousMonk

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased locally ($7.99/6). Bottle dated 10/30/11, 53 days ago. Poured into tulip glass.

A: Clear, amber, with some suspended particles and occasional bubbles; with 1"+ fluffy, white head that drops slowly and leaves sparse lacing.

S: Restrained earthiness and citrus, with a faint bit of floral.

T: Malty, with caramel, then citrus & pine; moderately bitter; no detectable alcohol.

M: Medium carbonation and medium body, neutral finish.

O: An extremely drinkable, straightforward, go-to IPA -- one of my favorites. Well balanced, relatively light abv and a good value. I've been familiar with this for a while, but held off from rating it until I'd tried a range of other IPAs from various regions. Beyond the ale, I appreciate the dedication this brewery -- primarily local, no marketing, supportive of the community, emphasis on quality.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 01:47:02 | More by bierbrauer

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden amber/orange color with a thin white foam head that slowly fades into a thin ring. Minimal lacing left behind.

Citrus hop aroma that's slightly earthy with a pale malt presence. Strong grapefruit and citrus peel presence along with some grassy pine and subtle biscuit.

Medium bodied but on the chewier side with a complex hop profile that's countered by a pale malt presence. Slightly dry and not overly bitter with a decent piny flavor that is countered by lots of sweet citrus, especially grapefruit and orange peel. Well balanced with a faint caramel and biscuity malt backbone before finishing somewhat dry. Flavorful, refreshing and easy to drink, especially during the warmer months. Another solid offering frm Tyranena.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 22:50:59 | More by corby112

augustgarage

California

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Princeton orange liquid with a champagne finger of cream fed by a surging fury of micro-bubbles. A pasty gradient of lacing rims the glass.

Crackery vaguely toasty malt base comes out in the nose along with an earthy, peppery, resinous burst of hops.

Pine and grass on the palate, along with a bit of grapefruit rind and passion fruit from hops. Moderate bitterness throughout balanced by a dry loam-laden malty finish. Potent and balanced all at once.

Well carbonated, medium-bodied, faintly oily - very nice.

Nice strong example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 04:58:49 | More by augustgarage

beagle75

Iowa

3.65/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

A: Clear, light amber color with two fingers of diminishing off-white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass and small diffuse bubbles rise in the column.

S: Balanced caramel malt and hops that feature earthy herbaceous qualities. Minerality is sharp in the nose, touched perhaps by carbon dioxide but standing its ground.

T: Begins off-dry, with aggressive pale malt that is caramel at first, then giving way to pleasant breadiness. Hops play an accessory role here, kept carefully behind the malt characteristics. The hop component transmits a restrained combination of semi-dark citrus and other flavors that are similar to the hop-derived qualities of the smell. Acidity is mild into the middle where bready malt continues to dominate alongside weak yeast esters. The finish is earthy and moderately bitter.

M: Medium viscosity, slightly syrupy and sticky on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This malt-focused IPA boasts a respectable combination of American and English qualities. While malt qualities and the smell of hops remind of English ale--not to mention the transient minerality that is cutting at times--residual citrus flavors and its overall cleanliness are more to the American style. However, in the final tally it is more convincing as an English-style IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 13:27:11 | More by beagle75

JayQue

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice balanced IPA. Poured into a pint glass a slightly hazy orange color. BIG frothy white head, good retention and thick bands of lacing all over the glass. A very impressive looking IPA. The rest is more ordinary. Aroma is very mild for an IPA, a little hoppiness...thats it. Taste is fairly good, balanced between piney hops and bready malt. Flavors are ok but nothing stands out. Mouthfeel is adequate for the style, fairly crisp as well

Not a bad IPA but there are much better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 00:19:00 | More by JayQue

cagocubs

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: Pours a nice pale honey gold with a foamy thin white head that lingers without lacing.

S: Hops, citrus, juice, pine, and some malt.

T: Hops, citrus, bready, and some malt come through. Real balanced with a decent hop bite and mellow notes.

M: Light and crisp with nice mouth coating. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 22:35:49 | More by cagocubs

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bitter Woman pours a darker copper color, with a small lacing head. The smell is hoppy, and nothing else. The taste has a nice hop bite, the malty backbone is very light, and just noticeable, blends very well. Nice to drink would love to have another, and has a nice aftertaste, and leaves just a bit of bitterness on the tounge. Overall I really enjoy this one, GREAT JOB.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:02:51 | More by vette2006c5r

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Copper orange with a thick three finger white head. Holds firm there. Several wisps of lacing.
S- The smell is balanced but still hoppy. Resinous pine with a touch of citrus, and a slightly toasted malt character.
T- At first it's a toasted biscuit before a nice bitterness takes over. Mostly pine but there is a touch of citrus sitting under there.
M- Light body. Smooth at first, then a solidly dry finish.
O- An easy drinking IPA that, though not particularly unique, is all around a well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 02:13:10 | More by jsprain1

BigPlay1824

New York

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a nice medium to dark golden color that is only slightly hazy with a nice amount of carbonation bubbles, pours with a thin finger of pure white head that is fine and bubbly and dissipates quickly, leaves a small amount of lacing
S: nice hop aroma, kind of a mix between citrus hops and deeper hop notes with a bit of wildflower mixed in
T: gentle taste, light hop and citrus taste, slight sweetness at the finish
M: medium carbonation tingle which sticks on the palate after the finish, smooth in the middle but a bit dry at the end
O: a pretty decent IPA, taste is not as impressive as i had hoped but overall its a pretty decent drinker

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 00:29:55 | More by BigPlay1824