The Liberator - Short's Brewing Company

DosBeerigos

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

C: Clear
H: Golden Amber
N: HELLO HOPS! Super Citrus w/ Hints of Grass & Sweet Sugary Honey

Bottle was reviewed on 03-24-2010. This is a draft review.

This beer smells soo good I accidentally snorted it up my nose when getting a good wiff of the scent. The beer is extremely balanced Double IPA….tons of hops and a solid malt backing. This really is a damn good DIPA, lots on piney citrus, followed with a mouth puckering flavor. Lots of sweet candy notes on the back-end of the taste. Overall a damn good DIPA, that I think is one of the best that I have had so far!

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 14:43:00 | More by DosBeerigos

Magpie14

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Butchs Dry Dock

A: reddish copper wonder with soft orange tones at the rim and bottom of my glass. Minimal lacing (just a ring of soapy suds) and not much activity

S: crisp citrus and bright earthy hops. Plenty of malts and sweeter notes as well. A very well done amalgamation of flavors in the nose

T: big crusty green cone goodness. This buddy is bitter and more malt whiffs in the nose. The late end of each sip has peppery notes. Lots of citrus and fruity tastes (grapefruit!) in the hops. Mild hints of biscuit malts and sweet caramel. Overall, this is a tongue wrecker

M: smooth and clean within the bitter tastes. Medium body with carbonation at the forthright. Totally drinkable and oh so bitter

D: not for the faint of hop heart. Pretty bitter and yet very tasty. Another winner from Short's. I find that I have to be in a super hop mood to drink a full sixer. Me like

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 21:31:30 | More by Magpie14

dstc

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on draft in a pint glass. Pours a deep copper color with a nice white head. Head falls to a minimal one. Thin lacing.

Big herbal hop aroma. Flowers and plenty of pine needles in the smell.

Big hop taste. Plenty of malt backbone but lots of pine flavored hops. Finished very bitter.

Medium bodies and rather smooth.

Nice beer, delicious fresh and on draft. Liked it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 15:32:31 | More by dstc

shivtim

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Central City Tap House in Kalamazoo.
Served in a pint. Nice golden/copper color. Slight haze. Tiny head is just a frosting of off-white.
Nose is heavy pine hops. Strong pine is complimented by some citrus. Definitely an IPA.
Taste matches the smell. Pine and citrus hops. Lingering hoppiness.
A very good IPA all-around. Nice mouthfeel and drinkability. Very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2010 20:57:24 | More by shivtim

chugalug06

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Murky brown-red colored brew, head is off-white and made of bubbled foam. Nice lacing.

Tropical, pine, sweet, nutty, orange, tons of crystal sugar. Lemon is well hidden.

Whoa. Nice strong earthy buttery bitterness. Not sweet, yet elegantly tropical. A very unique IPA. I get a lot of orange and grass. Buttery carbonation. Awesome unique blend of flavors.

Shorts nailed this one.. Great blend of awesomeness. Strong robust bitterness with nice tropical flavors and mild sweetness. Highly recommended. Thanks Abanton for sharing!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 03:13:35 | More by chugalug06

samyoung

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cost Plus Eastern Market Purchase - only one six pack on the shelf, it was fate.

It is a very cloudy beer, thick with head and lacing. It smells like a bouquet of flowers with a squeeze of citrus and a several pine needles thrown into the mix. Bold hop bitterness and grapefruit taste that dissipates into a sour, bitter and quick mouthfeel.

I've wanted to taste the Liberator for awhile and am not disappointed. It's a great Michigan IPA with plenty of hop bitterness and a complex blend of flavors and smells.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 22:47:54 | More by samyoung

tectactoe

Michigan

4.09/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a copper color, mild haziness, only slightly transparent at the edges of the beer. Gray-ish, off-white head fades quick and leaves only little bits of lacing on the way down. Very floral nose, abundant grapefruit and hop oil with some light white pepper acting in the background. Taste first hits with a heavy splash of grapefruit and citrus but quickly turns into a myriad of hop flavors; florals, roses, oils, resins, heavy pine sting on the end of the tongue. The latter half of the sip is 100% full of HUGE oil, perfume, pine, and resin with a hefty dose of white pepper playing secondary to everything but remaining for the entirety of the sip. The first half carries over a bit of its grapefruit and citrus into the end, but the aftertaste is made up mostly of hop bitterness and spiciness with only a slight, reminiscent flavor of grapefruit left on the tongue. Medium body, medium-high carbonation.

Definitely a decent DIPA, lots of perfume aromas and flavors, including a huge floral and pine essence. Grapefruit is abundant on the nose and in the first moments of the sip, but the oils and resins take over quickly and certainly maintain their staying power. It's fairly low at 7.4% ABV, too, which is typically a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 12:24:35 | More by tectactoe

andrewjraab

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a clear orange with big fluffy head. Nice sticky webbing and film that clings to the glass. The nose on this brew is quite amazing. Bold citrus, orange and lemon zest, grapefruit. The taste follows the nose quite well. Huge hoppy and citrus flabors that have a smack you in the mouth zest. The big hop aroma and taste are kept in check just enough to make this highly and dangerously drinkable.

This is the second year I've had this and will continue to look forward to this seasonal release every year.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 23:47:57 | More by andrewjraab

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This one seems to show the alcohol a bit too much for me. Burns somewhat. There are some good character points here, but it's not really coming together in the way that it should, or that it could. Decent, but not altogether working. Eh. Not really working for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 05:46:00 | More by RblWthACoz

porcelli426

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into tumbler

A- Dark Orange with a finger head. Beautiful copper haze.

S-Light floral and orange smell

T-Strong lemon with citrus notes. Fairly strong bitter presence.

M-Nicely carbonated and well balanced

O- Overall decent DIPA. I would have liked a bigger hops presents up front. Clearly they were going for more lemon and orange flavors which they did pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:15:11 | More by porcelli426

dlello2

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden and bubbly. Not much head. Smell is quite good. Citrusy and a bit dry. Lemony and fresh. Taste hits hard on first sip in as pleasant a way as possible. Then comes lemon lemon and more lemon. Finish is smooth but with a definite bitterness from the zest. Pretty good balance. Overall a decent double ipa!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 12:27:21 | More by dlello2

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.45/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Appearance: Lightly hazed, orangey body with a wispy, white head.

Smell: Cutting citrus wafts, though leaning towards grating citric angle instead of something more fruity, more juicy, or more inviting. Some coiled resins and very low hint of bready pale malts.

Taste: Lean bready malts including one single, solitary drop of simple syrup. Head-first launch into the sharply citric, screechy synthetic resins with a hard bitterness. Remains so to the dry finish and beyond (or, at least until you grab for that glass of water).

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Fairly smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: Liberator has liberated me from hope and good cheer. Tremendously one-note and that note is an utterly unforgiving assault on the tongue. Displeasingly harsh.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 15:53:26 | More by ChainGangGuy

sendsilk

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Scoot1969 for this bottle. Always a pleasure to trade with you Scott!

Pours a nice dark orange color not much lacing and a small head that recedes quickly.

Smells nice and hoppy with some malt in the nose.

Pretty much a hop bomb but there is a weird aftertaste (malty) that immediately follows after the swallow. It starts to get annoying about 1/2 way through the bottle. It's a little spicy (?) which is odd. I like a cedar aged ipa and Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye, but this doesn't seem to fit in to me.

Mouthfeel is average to a little lighter bodied than i think is appropriate.

Glad to have tried it but I'll stick to my regular IPA's from now on.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:47:10 | More by sendsilk

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Looks pretty hazy for an IPA a darker tone than expected but the head was a good 1/4 inch with excellent lacing.

S - This beer is all about the hops. Big pine with background of lemon and even some orange.

T - Wow I can't believe anyone can enjoy this. Even though its well over 2 months old the pine and earthy hop bitterness is unbearable. It's like a ate a grapefruit without even removing the peel, just biting right into that sucka. Very little malt to balance slight if any crystal malts or bready malts to make this balanced. Aggressive.

M - Well it's drinks pretty medium bodied but I found it hard to finish.

Overall if Humpa Lumpa is anything like this I am also going to be disappointed. Maybe I should have not worshiped a beer company that makes such a bitter biting brew that destroys the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 16:59:59 | More by DrDemento456

mobius387

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

thanks to splax23 for this one!

poured into a deschutes snifter

appearance: pours a firey orange with a thin white bubbly head. looks awesome, screams out "drink me!"

aroma: very nice nose of oranges, grapefruits and honey. very light pine scents

palate: this one doesn't sit great in the mouth. its bitter and carbonated, the alcohol seems stronger than 7.4%. not a brew to let linger

taste: a little disappointing after how awesome it looked and smelled. the spruce/pine way over power any of the citrus picked up on the smell. its an extremely bitter taste that doesnt offer a robust flavor profile.

overall: a nice brew by shorts, but really just a taste-bud burner. looks fantastic, smells great, drinks ok, and tastes ok. was glad i got to try it, but ill stick to huma-lupa if i want an ipa by shorts

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 18:27:49 | More by mobius387

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Received this beer as an extra from my man Bob in a trade, thanks again!

The beer was poured from bottle, without date, to a pint glass.

A - The beer pours a slightly hazy red/orange/copper color with a nice 1.5 finger white head with decent retention and lacing.

S - The first thing I noticed when cracking the beer was the hop character. It was strong with citrus hopes but noticeable pine/earthy tones in the back with an almost onion chracteristic.

T/M - A very unique flavor to the beer unlike any IPA/DIPA I've had. The beer starts out crisp with a slight malt chracter and then very quickly the flavor explodes in a variety of notable tastes: Big hop bitterness (how many IBUs!?), Pepper, Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange, Crystal Malts. Very interesting. Full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. The beer finishes with a sweeter flavor on the tongue that lingers. Very complex and very interesting though the peppered onion taste was a little much.

D - The complex variety of the beer makes for a nice experience though 1 is enough.

Overall, this is a beer the lies of which I've never had before. Glad to have tried it and fortunate to Bob. I wouldn't necessarily come back to quickly though.

pepper

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-05-2011 04:12:33

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 17:54:36 | More by hopfacebrew

cocoapuph

California

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks TheGr8BeerState for this one!

Opened with a small hiss and poured with a very tiny head. Little bubbles can be seen floating upward through the pinkish caramel color brew.

Smells of pine trees, orange rind and tons of grapefruit.

First sip was very bitter. Made the inside of my cheeks tingle. Tastes of sour lemons and grapefruit. Aftertaste is that of chewing on pine needles.

The body was light to medium and kept the lingering flavors or citrus peels on my tongue. Quite refreshing. Reminds me a little of Pliny... maybe this could be called Piney the Elder. Glad to have tried this.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 23:17:59 | More by cocoapuph

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of WeisGuy. This one has a bottled on date of 12/6/11 and was poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

The Liberator pours an opaque burnt orange. Proper backlighting yields some straight orange highlights, and about a finger and a half of white foam comes together. Head retention is alright, and lacing is good at the apex of the glass, and spotty underneath. The nose is a little tame, but I can appreciate what's there. The usual grapefruit citrus aroma was supplemented by the zest added to the brew, with orange coming though much moreso than the lemon. There's also a bit of mango-peach fruitiness. There's some sweetness at the open, a bit each of biscuit and caramel, that's interrupted by a solid, but not overbearing blast of hop bitterness. The hops on the back end lean a little more towards the fruity end of the spectrum, with some pineapple acting as a bridge to grapefruit and orange notes. The body's not bone dry, there's just a little bit of firmness to it. Carbonation is definitely on the low side, and in my mind helps keep some of the citrusy flavors from really popping. I like the idea of adding some citrus zest to an IPA/IIPA, and The Liberator is is a solid double IPA, but it's also not a great one.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 06:04:10 | More by axeman9182

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured into Duvel tulip. Medium caramel color and bright orange hue. Completely clear, dusty white froth on the top.

S: Grapefruit, pine, caramel, slight malt aroma, but quickly overtaken by hop profile.

T: Wow, tons of grapefruit and pine mixed together. Bitter to a finely chiseled point but not tannic at all. Fresh hopping profile, love the combination of hops put into here. Citrus peel and lemon zest on top of a caramel malt backbone. Grapefruit rind at the end.

M: Light to medium body for a Double IPA, but the carbonation is very pleasant, making this a very drinkable DIPA.

O: I would definitely get more of these if they were available. I would love to live in Michigan to enjoy this fine brewery in person.

Thanks again to Scoot69!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:11:07 | More by alpinebryant

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to BBP for this bottle.
Bottle date of 12/6/11? (sort of rubbed out). Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Medium orange/amber colour with half a finger of cream coloured head that reduced to a few bubbles.

S - Big citrus bitterness up front full of grapefruit, orange zest and lemon rind with a touch of pine. A very slight malt sweetness is evident in the background.

T - An assertive hop bitterness up front. Grapefruit, orange zest and a touch of lemon with the faintest trace of a malt backbone. Definitely a hop forward DIPA. The massive bitterness lingers seemingly forever in the finish.

M - Medium body and very slightly creamy. Some nice sticky hop oils that coat the tongue. Light to moderate carbonation.

O - A very good DIPA but it needs a slightly bigger malt presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:04:06 | More by TheSevenDuffs

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

fresh bottle from Champagne Cellars. Opaque grapefruit coloured body with a small retained white head, leaving lots of lace behind. High IBU aromas, akin to hop pellets. A cup of grapefruit juice, funny how the zest brings it to the forefront. Hits the style, Tingling palate. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 23:48:58 | More by northyorksammy

BrianOhio

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I was thrilled to stumble upon this bottle from a colleague who is in a beer trade club. When I told him Short's was my favorite Michigan craft brewery, he gave me the bottle. Given my love for Huma-Lumpa, expectations were sky high. (maybe too high.)

Pour is a very cloudy amber, with a 1 finger head that dissipates quickly. Aroma initially struck me as hop bomb...I was excited.

The taste was extremely sharp - pine, grass, and very peppery. The only real citrus taste I could pull out was that of tart grapefruit.

I still love Short's and can't wait until I get up to Bellaire next time, but this one just isn't for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 23:31:43 | More by BrianOhio

superspak

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottles 12/06/2011, so pretty darn fresh. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some fairly nice lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange zest, grapefruit, pine, caramel, lemon, floral, and spiciness. Great aromas with good balance; definitely a citrus bomb. Taste of big pine resin, caramel, orange, grapefruit, lemon zest, bread, and big spiciness. Gigantic amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers forever. Notes of caramel, grapefruit, pine, spices, and orange linger on the finish as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming noticeable after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and interesting double IPA. A bit too over the top on hop bitterness, but this is a nice one to sip on, and is loaded with citrus and pine flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 07:38:57 | More by superspak

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a 330ml sized standard "pint glass"

A: slightly caramel, with bright white head. Laces well and good head retention.

S: defiantly very fruity, but not like sticking your head up to a glass of OJ. Subtle enough that if I did not know there were orange and lemon zest in here, I would assume it be from the hops alone. Scent is rather sweet in general.

T: lots of oily hop juice in here. Finish is quite grainy and lots of caramel.

M: quite thick and juicy. No dryness here at all. Does not help the drink ability.

Overall: similar to a nelson Sauvignon hopped IPA. Everything is quite well balanced and alcohol is well controlled. A toutch of dryness on the palate would be really welcome however.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:15:00 | More by uno99

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to surlytheduff for this surprising extra!!

Pours a great colored, slightly hazed amber orange. There is an inch of white head that holds up good. There is a moderate amount of spotty white lace as well.

The nose is really showing off that lemon and orange zest. A citrus punch blasts the nostrils and dominates. There is a fresh hop resin intertwined within the citrus fruit. Not much malt but I could care less.

The taste is also citrus packed with notes of lemon and orange. There is a malt backbone behind the citrus that resembles a biscuit-like malt. Nice and bitter.

The mouthfeel is possibly one of the driest feels I have experienced. So dry, like gin as it goes down. It is light-medium bodied with a nice mellow amount of carbonation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this brew. It's like the load of citrus made the beer finish very dry and I love it. This is where it's at. Wish I lived up there in the MI.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:02:28 | More by ChugginOil