Elysian 12 Beers of Apocalypse #3 - Fallout Green Cardamom Pale

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Clear light amber color with fleeting ivory sheen. Big cardamon, mint, fresh herbal sweet aromas. Light to medium body. Nice cardamon, minty sweet flavors with a solid pale malt platform brew--very tasty

Thanks to 5000 for sending me this bottle. The beer pours a hazy orange color with a white head. The aroma is very heavy on the herbal notes. I get some cardamom and ginger, as well as some rosemary. There is also a hint of biscuit malt and some orange citrus. The flavor is also herbal. I get some biscuit and toffee, as well as some rosemary and cardamom. The orange citrus notes also come through, and they are joined by a little bit of grapefruit. The bitterness level is fairly low. There is also a bit of a minty, medicinal quality that goes well with the other flavors. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

THOUGHTS: Very nice. Tons and tons of cardamom. I could smell it as soon as it was poured. Very light and easy to drink for something with 7.3% ABV. If I had to guess, I would have guessed it was more around 5-5.5%. I hadn’t had a beer with that much cardamom in it since Weyerbacher Decadence. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a slightly hazy, dark yellow to light orange or golden with an average, off-white head that mostly diminished and left good lacing. The aroma was mostly cardamom, but also contained light to moderate pale malt; light floral and resinous hops; honey; pepper; spices; and herbs. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and slightly acidic; while the finish was moderately sweet, lightly acidic and lightly bitter with a fairly long duration. There was honey, pale malt, cardamom, floral hops, resinous hops, a strange aftertaste, peppery spice, herbs. The light to medium body was a bit oily with fairly soft carbonation and a metallic and spicy heat finish.

Pours a semi hazy orange color with a thick white head and great lacing. Smells of tea, spices and sweet malt. Tastes of green tea,cardamom, and pale malt and a slight hop bite. Mouthfeel is thick with medium carbonation and a dry finish. Overall this is a Wierd combination of ingredients but it works and is a good pale ale.

pours a cloudy orange with a very small white head, and some lacing. smell is of spice, a little malt, and lots of floral notes. taste is a bit watery, flowers, some spice, some malt, a little caramel, and a few hops. ends a tad bitter.

This pours clear dark copper with a thick white head. Heavy lacing in the glass. The cardamom permeates the nose like Chai tea. The spice and hops are not a good combination resulting in acrid flavors and a pasty texture.

This 22 oz bomber was shared with Strykzone via facebook chat. It poured a lightly cloudy orange with a big rich foamy head and very attractive lacing rings. The nose is mostly cardamon, with a hint of caramel malts underneath. Medium to bold in body the mouthfeel is thick and creamy. The flavor is dominated by the cardamon but there is some citrus as well. As you move into the finish there is lot of flavor overall, and the beer stay good all the way to the last drop. Unique and delightful.

Bomber from Hayduke with whom I shared a bottle via facebook chat. This pours hazed orange brown and has a soapy off white head. It leaves thick lacing. I smell citrus hops, caramel, and tea. Unique. By the second sip the cardamon has taken over but there are citrus hops and caramel in there, too. That spice definitely dominates and at the end becomes a bit like rye spiciness. The cardamon was never over done and made for a truly unique beer. I enjoyed it and was challenged by it. Tasty stuff!

Bottle:   Fiery amber, yet a bit hazy, thin to moderate sudsy off-white head, little lacing.   Strong cardamom nose.   I just had a Barley Wine not too long ago, Lift Bridge, that was too much with its spicy cardamom.   This brings that experience all back again.   Seems a little soapy as well.   Bright spicy cardamom on the tongue.   Thankfully not as sharp as the nose suggested.   Still seems one sided in its spiciness.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   The spiciness is bright, and not too heavy which is nice.   However, it seems to overshadow everything else.   Can’t tell if this is a Pale Ale, Amber, or something even lighter.   If its here just to showcase the cardamom, its certainly doing that.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate.   Finishes spicy with a bit of a fragrant soapy cardamom.   Interesting to try... once.

Location: 22 oz bottle from State Line, 8/1/12

Aroma: The nose has lots of spice/cardamom, with a little tea, lemon, and a little herbal
Appearance: It pours a cloudy orange color with a small white head and spotty lace
Flavor: Lightly sweet up-front, but the spice flavor takes over pretty quickly after that, and lasts throughout
Palate: The body is medium, with a spicy tingle throughout, a lively carbonation, and a lengthy finish
Overall Impression: This is the first of the 12 Beers of the Apocalypse that I have tried thus far. This was an interesting, if a touch one-dimensional offering. First off, it makes me think Indian food pairing immediately. Beyond that, the spice and the tea-like notes are really the dominant component here from the nose all the way through the feel. Still, I found it to be quite drinkable and fairly interesting, so I’m curious to try the other ones, and see how they turn out.