Elysian The Immortal IPA

Mister E the Immortal arrived at the G-Lodge in Philadelphia without much fanfare. Old Elysian should be pissed the red carpet was laid out for him. NW and Seattle are genuinely represented in this golden IPA with a fluffy head, citrus bitterness and malty foundation. Nice alcohol twang at the end, I almost thought this was an 2XIPA

Clear golden copper with a small, white head. Lightly floral and musty aroma. Flavor has notes of grapefruit, citrus and sweet, pale malt. Didn’t specifically detect any notes of caramel malt or pine character, just sweet malt and hop bitterness. Ends with a tinge of alcohol and a lingering bitter finish. Medium bodied, smooth texture and moderate carbonation. Some lacing left on the glass, not much head retention. Very average, I was expecting more from the great state of Washington, especially for an IPA.

This beer pours with a frothy, slightly creamy in consistency, pale tan colored head that is three fingers thick. The beer is well carbonated and is a pretty clear dark copper color. As I work my way through a couple of small glasses of this beer. the head, as it falls forms layers of lacing and a rocky texture. Ah the aroma is a hop lovers dream, it is full of fruity citrus notes like tangerines, lots of grapefruit and perhaps some apricot as well. The harder herbal & pine like notes are quite muted here; this just has a pure concentrated hoppy fruit character. As I drink this beer the aroma picks up notes of alcohol, but still remains full of citrus fruit. The initial aroma is about as perfect as it gets, but, while still enjoyable, does not quite carry through as I work my way through this 22oz bottle.

The beer is at first light on the palate up front, but quickly picks up a mouth-coating light fullness that really makes this quite enjoyable. The beer is on the dry side for an IPA (especially given many of the sticky examples out there), but there is some definite malt character here; a sort of dry toasted malt note that is really evident in the finish along with a light caramel sweetness. Ok enough with the peripherals, yes this is indeed an IPA; the hop character is dominant in the taste from start to finish. At first a lingering bitter, herbal & pine-like note dominates the flavor profile of this biting beer. As it warms up a bit and interacts with the air it begins to soften a bit and the citrus notes begin to become more evident as the sweetness from the malt is able to peek through. There are soft notes of bergamot, definite grapefruit, astringent almost grassy mint-like pine (yes that is all one flavor), notes of sweet apricots, and juicy tangerines.

What an enjoyable beer, it is just a full experience; between the austere malt character, the citrusy hop notes and the astringent herbal hop character coupled with the ample bitterness. This is just an all around enjoyable IPA, which is really hitting the spot right now. This beer is incredibly tasty and has me planning a trip to the Northwest sometime in the not so distant future.

<font size=-4>Purchased via mail order: <a href=http://www.liquidsolutions.ws/main/>Liquid Solutions<font size=-1>

This beer pours a golden color with a hint of orange and visible floaties. The head is fairly thick and decently long lasting with a slightly pearlish tint. Decent lacing as well. Aroma is citrusy and piney with woods and twigs. It has that sticky smell I’ve become accustomed to with Elysian beers. Flavor-wise this is full bodied, heavily carbonated, piney and chewy/sticky. Heavy syrupy citrus and pine action going on here. Dry bittersweet finish, sort of cottonmouth. Bitter...interesting but not exceptional...seriously floral and blah blah yada yada....

Dominant grapefruit upfront while lacking in finish. Breadth without any depth. Good but not up there with Buckeye 76, Dogfish Head 60 or 90 minute, Victory HopDevil or Bells IPA (or their suspiciously similar Two Hearted). Had in Bomber (22 oz).

GCBF. Pours a cloudy orange/gold with a delicate lace. Aromas of fresh grapefruit, peaches. Tastes of grapfruit and peach with a good malt balance. A fine I.P.A.

Bottle. Medium amber in color with a moderate amount of opacity. Smallish white head forms and lingers as a ring and slight layer over the liquid leaving very fine lacing behind. Aroma is nicely malty with caramel being predominant and a more subdued earthy/floral hop component. Medium bodied. Adequate carbonation. Taste is well balanced with a nice caramel malt presence up front and a more than adequate earthy hop balance that kicks in midway. Slightly creamy feel. Hop bitterness last for a bit but never becomes overwhelming or dominant. Quite nice.

Hazy gold. Nose somewhat citric and hoppy, a few malts, but very little is going on here. Flavor is somewhat sweet, then some citrus, a bit of fruit. Sour at the end, a bit off. Dry and astringent. Not good.