Lilja's Hop Nest Monster - Sand Creek Brewing Company

DMXLOX22

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Just spotted this beer at my local fav quick beer stop. Loved the bottle and design.

Appearance: Very cloudy with a awesome looking light brown metallic coloring. had a great white foamy lacing and head.

Smell: almost cirtrusy scent with a strong hop smell.

Taste: almost a bit too good to describe. Heavy hop flavoring fills the majority of my first encounter. As I went through I noticed a bit of lemon and light orange flavor hidden behind a strong hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Dry and crisp, but something I could see myself getting used to it.

Drinkability: If your an amatuer at this, your'll notice it quickly. Def. not a beer you would want to chug at a incredible rate. I def. recommand this though.

My final thought: I liked this beer to a great degree and I would enjoy this on a daily basis, but something tells me this isn't made for a beer you would consider a first choice when your out drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 02:10:40 | More by DMXLOX22

Wasatch

Utah

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to beerbeagle for this brew.

Pours a nice cloudy golden yellow/orange color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger creamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is slightly hoppy, with some malts, citrus, slight pines. The taste is hoppy/malty balance, with some citrus, and slightly piney. Medium body. Drinkable, not a bad IPA at all, my first from this brewery, Thanks Randall.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 22:52:56 | More by Wasatch

wheatyweiss

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into an imperial with no freshness date. The clerk told me it's only been there a few weeks, we'll see.

Pours a light, murky honey with a decent head that recedes to a thin film and ring. Laces OK. Leaves a decent ring of sticky foam after every sip.

Aroma is earthy, piney and floral hops with a nice sweet crackery, bready malt backing. A bit of butter and sweet cream on the nose.

Flavor begins with sweet bready malt. Creamy and substantial. Middle is hops, full of earthy piney flavors, grapefruit and light citrus flavors. Finishes dry with the pine sap, hop flavor lingering through the finish. Slightly boozey on the finish. The hops and malt are balanced well and make for a nice drinking beer.

Mouthfeel is medium with soft carbonation and a slightly oily tongue feel.

Very nice APA, I would drink it again if I could find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2009 00:38:28 | More by wheatyweiss

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I got this beer as an extra in a recent trade. I am always thrilled to try new beers, and having this one was going to be no exception. This gem of an IPA was served cold and poured into a pint glass. Consumed on 03/29/2009.

The pour was very nice. Rich medium amber in color with a nice head of white coming up and over the top. Decent settling and nice carbonation left a good amount settling down as it warmed. Rich notes of pungent pineapple and grapefruit led the way here. Subtle malts mid palate as it warms provided a nice amount of balance, and the easy, smooth character of it really showed off quite nicely. Rich hop profile here as it warms and the finish was full of orange and pineapple bite. Really nice medium body and a full, dry finish that begged me to come back for another round.

This was about as solid of an IPA as you get. Really top notch and I would go back to it anytime.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 00:00:21 | More by mikesgroove

estereich

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

I was very excited when I poured this beer. It had a nice golden to amber color and a thick head. It also had great citrussy hop character in the nose. The first taste was nice. Slightly sweet and citrus up front, but the feel quickly faded to a hard dry bittertness, and that was about it. Subsequent sips had less of the sweetness up front and that dry bitterness became more and more pronounced. I know that IPA's are noted for their hop character, and I even consider myself somewhat of a "hop head," but this beer had no complexity of taste and little character other than the bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 01:37:54 | More by estereich

brewbucker

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really like this new brew. It pours a light/medium hazy gold with a small head. Leaves some nice lacing as well. Aroma is mild, fresh and crisp. Light hops, pine, citrus and malts. Flavor is bitter hops, light malt and citrus zest. The mouthfeel is nice and dry. This is honestly one of the better IPA's I have had in a while. Not overpowering and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2009 03:15:58 | More by brewbucker

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not much to go on, here. On the label, the beer name is splayed over a painting of a roaring T-Rex, with this extra verbiage: "A Primordial Extra Pale Ale", "India Pale Ale", & "Bold, Brazen Beer Brewed Behind the Cheddar Curtain."
Okay! Well, let's check it out!

Very hazed,thick and clouded, golden hue, creamy white rocky head.

Snappy citric aroma, bright and pithy, lemon and orange...nice.

Taste: the hops are happily at play here.Very bright and lively. Puts me in mind of a fresh, fruity IPA like Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Nothing wrong with that.

Medium body, well balanced, mellow mouthfeel, long hoppy finish.

Good drinking IPA, really delivers.
Nice work, Lilja, whoeveryou are.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2009 08:19:39 | More by feloniousmonk