Lilja's Hop Nest Monster - Sand Creek Brewing Company

jampics2

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bottle that was either an extra or a left-behind. Nice pour into a pint glass reveals a yellow-orange cloudy beer with a small white head that does stick across the middle as well as the edges.

Smells OK. Sweet malt, mild hops, just not anything more than average and nothing too pronounced.

Taste is much better that the smell lead me to think. This bottle tastes like it may be a little old (Freshness date your bottles, please!) but there is a nice brightness to the malt/yeast/hops combo that makes me like it. Bitterness is moderate, but this has a nice fruit hint and does an upbeat dance across my tastebuds.

Mouthfeel is ok. Tastes a little watery in the finish, and that makes the carb feel prickly. But this is almost there.

Drinkability is slightly better than your average American IPA. This is a decent beer, but could use a bit more aroma and showcasing of the hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 19:39:15 | More by jampics2

eliz108

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

05-17-2013 15:55:38 | More by eliz108

HarmonMW

Michigan

3/5  rDev -11.2%

05-15-2013 19:39:56 | More by HarmonMW

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%

05-12-2013 21:32:32 | More by twenty5

Bubba569

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +25.7%

05-05-2013 17:25:22 | More by Bubba569

OB1

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

04-30-2013 03:26:05 | More by OB1

TypsiYpsi

Michigan

3/5  rDev -11.2%

04-25-2013 22:31:07 | More by TypsiYpsi

Kunstman

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

04-14-2013 02:22:40 | More by Kunstman

jcjerabek

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +18.3%

04-01-2013 21:48:54 | More by jcjerabek

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -11.2%

03-12-2013 14:21:19 | More by jenray

RaijinQ

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +25.7%

03-06-2013 03:05:25 | More by RaijinQ

SerialHiker

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Appearance: Pours an orangish golden color…some bubble action in the middle…transparent…some head formed, but decided not to stick around…(3.5/5)

Smell: Bitter initially…pale malts come out after…not overly floral or citrusy…grassy and sweet…after I really stick my nose in the glass, I pick up a hint of citrus, lemon maybe, but it’s only ‘cause I was really digging deep that I noticed it…definitely an “extra pale” smell…(3/5)

Taste: Floral hops and bitterness right off the bat…there is a pale malt backbone that does ride all the way through but plays a deep second to the bitter hop flavor…the extra pale malts do linger and coat the middle of my tongue, but the bitterness is dominate and takes no prisoners…there is little other flavor that bitter hops and pale malt…(2.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Light and fluffy…medium carbonation does fluff and create a bitter factory in my mouth…pale malts do run the middle of my tongue, but it’s a bitter beer…(2.5/5)

Overall: Not my favorite…the extra pale malts with overly bitter hops is one concept, I guess…the bitterness is too dominant and leaves the pale malts in the dust, creating a train wreck of flavors in my mouth…there is little else going on here, leaving me wishing there was more citrus or less floral bitterness or maybe some balance with the malt…something…as it is, it’s a beer that I’ve tried and won’t again…(2/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:44:18 | More by SerialHiker

GoldHorde

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mild herbal aroma and pours a hazy pale copper. A light head with a long lasting lace. Not as aggressive in flavor as I've come to expect in IPAs but the after bite is definitely in the style. My acceptable beer list continues to grow in IPAs and this is one that I would again.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 04:20:54 | More by GoldHorde

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sand Creek : Liljas Hop Nest Monster

LOOK: Pale copper in color with a yellowish head. Some lace on the glass. The end of the pour yielded some sediment.

SMELL: Cat pee, herbs, flowers and sweetness. Hoppy aroma.

TASTE: Mellow in character, with a citrusy hop giving off lemon and grapefruit flavors. A bit grassy, and fairly bitter. Sweet caramel and honey from the malts. Alcohol is present in the taste but not distracting. Just plain.

FEEL: Medium bodied, carbonation ok, kind of lacking in fullness.

OVERALL: A pretty decent IPA , unfiltered , with good hop flavor. Lies somewhere between an English and American style pale ale but falls short of many finer examples.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 00:20:02 | More by Stinkypuss

Brad7132

Michigan

4/5  rDev +18.3%

12-07-2012 22:01:06 | More by Brad7132

ssimpson89

Illinois

3/5  rDev -11.2%

12-07-2012 01:29:59 | More by ssimpson89

ironwill54

3/5  rDev -11.2%

11-28-2012 21:21:39 | More by ironwill54

JennieKoeper

4/5  rDev +18.3%

11-28-2012 21:21:35 | More by JennieKoeper

durlta

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

11-21-2012 03:33:19 | More by durlta

pabney

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

11-04-2012 12:12:41 | More by pabney

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy yellow color with a finger of foam. Aroma is very hoppy, with grapefruit and citrus aromas dominating.

First sip is dominated by a vanilla and butter flavor. Uh oh - this tastes like a diacetyl bomb. The hop flavors are there as well, but it is hard to ignore the butter flavors. Underneath this tastes like a pretty good IPA, with a substantial citrus hop flavor and medium body.

Well - I wish I could give this a better score, but there is a serious flaw, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 01:20:02 | More by FickleBeast

Kevin79

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

10-02-2012 02:10:36 | More by Kevin79

greengorilla

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%

10-01-2012 22:23:20 | More by greengorilla

pare311

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%

10-01-2012 16:13:23 | More by pare311

Hopstout

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%

09-17-2012 23:23:53 | More by Hopstout