Elysian The Immortal IPA

Brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Seattle, Washington USA

Bottle (22oz). Slow but inexorable gusher - just kept pushing waves of foam out of the bomber - I got a full pint, though. Hazy, bubbly gold-orange, with a huge lasting fluffy off-white head. Funky aroma, dry yeast, mango, figs, very herbal and pungent - tastes the same, serious acidic funk to the hoppiness, borders on resin, sticky tart fruit malt keeps up nicely (mango, peaches in syrup, dates) - and the alcohol asserts some too. Lively mouthfeel, not too thick, finishes dry and not fast, a spicy/fruity/pungently herbal linger makes this quite a solid IPA, not the usual thing, either. But wotcher when opening!

Style; glass: IPA; tulip 22 fl oz x 6.3% ABV = 138.6 / 60 = 2.31 beers * 150 C = 346.5 calories (est.) Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $3.00 Aroma: sour, flowery, and some pine. Mold. Inviting. Visuals: Overwrought packaging and label design, though the box branding won me over. Sunlight in the glass, though there is clearly sediment awaiting me in a subsequent pour. Bright, brilliant orange, with a wonderful white staying head and crisp, sticky lace. Taste: beginning is resinous, malt is not sweet, as you might expect, but rather nutty. Charming. Middle is corn, hay, and dust. Grassy. Finish is aa light hoppy bitterness. Very enjoyable. Palate: Starts heavy and rounded in the mouth, works quickly to crispness and bite, then to some warmth and a middle length butter finish. Well done. Overall: Delicious, definitely not an imperial style, but I appreciate the subtlety and focus on hops. Malt is secondary here, and sweetness is clearly muted. I like it a bunch! originally posted at: <a href="http://beercritic.wordpress.com/2009/02

Feb. 17, 2009; 22 oz. "bomber" sampled in a Trappist glass. Orange pour, thin head, decorative lacing. Bready aroma. Unusually malty for an IPA - unlike a majority of the West Coast variety. Conversely, the hops are more subdued, and this ends up being quite hearty -- chewy, almost. Much more "English" than American -- like an ESB on steroids. Disappointing to true "hop-heads", perhaps, but an enjoyable change-of-pace.

Solid, classic IPA. Nice biscuity malt backbone with caramel sweetness. Pine and grapefruit highlight the floral hop component.

Tap at Barclays. Was a bit disappointing, expected more. Pours with an amber color and a smallish head. Some aromas of grapefruit and citrus but not floral or anything. Was a bit rough around the edges, hop flavors were somewhat harsh, the malt backbone did not generate any contrast to the hops. NorCal’s own such as Blind Pig or Racer 5 are clearly better, so is Avery IPA.

This amber pours smelled of fresh hops. The flavor was dry, hoppy and it has a bitter aftertaste. I quite liked it.

Bottle (660ml). Pours a clear, bubbly copper-gold with an average size mostly-lasting frothy white head. Nice aroma of fruit and resiny hops along with caramel malt in the background -- simple but pleasant. Flavour of resiny hops is maybe a little thin, a touch spicy and a little overly simple -- it could have more going on but it’s easy to drink and tasty enough. More then average bitter finish. Medium bodied. A fine IPA, I easily drank a bomber and would have it again.

Pours a thin copper color from the bomber with a trim off-white head. Fair carbonation and mild sediment. Smells and tastes of crisp red apples and bitter hops. Lacking depth and an element of citrus. Much more like an ESB than advertised.