Zen IPA
BluCreek Brewing

Zen IPAZen IPA
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From:
BluCreek Brewing
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
English IPA
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
69
Avg:
2.71 | pDev: 26.2%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
32
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 16, 2012
Added:
Aug 29, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of WastingFreetime
Reviewed by WastingFreetime from Wisconsin

2.49/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Reviewed from session notes.

A. Cloudy golden yellow with a fairly decent foamy head with pretty nice retention time, but only minor amounts of lacing.

S. Pale malt with a hint of green tea herbal and floral aroma. Very understated overall. I do *NOT* consider this to be an IPA. It has the aroma profile of an interesting PA with the tea gimmick, however, I am forced to deduct points for lying on the label as I rate according to label style and this beer simply does not perform as an IPA.

T. Same as the aroma, it comes across as a PA and not an IPA. Green tea mixed with light caramel malt and a gentle fade-out of herbal / citric peel hopping.

M. Thinner side of medium body, well carbonated, smooth texture.

Yet another case of a bottle lying to me on the label! I'm getting really annoyed with how common this practice is seeming to be, why must I constantly be forced to give perfectly serviceable beers scathing reviews simply because they print something on the bottle that is not inside?! :(
Mar 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by captainbearcat from Illinois

Nov 22, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by Another6Pack from Michigan

Nov 22, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by FreshmanPour77 from Minnesota

Nov 16, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of samyoung
Reviewed by samyoung from Michigan

2.71/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pulled this one of the shelf at Sicilianos in December 09. The concept was simply too good to pass up.

A - Very cloudy and unfiltered looking - went well with the zen imagery.

S - Not very bold; I was expecting more aroma from an IPA. The tea scent was definitely on display.

T- Green tea to the max; also disappointing as I was hoping for more hops and bitterness.

M - Thin and average feeling.

D - No problems drinking this unique beer.

Do not purchase this beer if you expecting a clever take on the American IPA style.

But if you are looking for a interesting take on the English IPA style, give it a try. I applaud the creativity here.
Jan 12, 2010
Photo of Ek0nomik
Reviewed by Ek0nomik from Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Poured In: Tulip Glass
Purchased At: Steve's Liquor (Madison, WI)

This should get said up front: This beer is not as bad as most of the reviewers on here have made it out to be. Some people are thrown off by the cloudiness. A little yeast won't hurt you. People also seem rather concerned about there being green tea involved in the beer. The green tea doesn't overtake the beer, and it only adds a small amount of flavor in the middle of the tasting. Maybe, just maybe I got a better batch than everyone else, but I don't think people gave this one a fair shot.

Appearance: Pours a golden yellow with a finger of head. The head retention is great; it's been floating on top as the amount of beer in my tulip slowly reaches zero. A little bit of lacing at the top of the glass. It's also a rather cloudy beer, although I don't really mind. You could tell the last inch of beer was a cloudy one as it left the bottle. I know this beer was brewed with some green tea, but I can't imagine the cloudiness being attributed to the tea. The tea leaves wouldn't be this fine. But, it also seems like too much cloudiness to be from the yeast.

Smell: A hint of earthy hops and pale malt. Really not getting much aroma from this.

Taste: Light caramel malt up front. A little bit of grass and soil, followed by a very light, but noticeable hint of green tea. The last wave involves a touch of grapefruit from the hops.

Mouthfeel: I feel as though people were a bit too harsh on the mouthfeel with this. It's a thin to medium bodied beer, not too carbonated, slightly creamy in the mouth, and goes down easy.

Drinkability: It's an enjoyable beer. I don't think it is quite up to par as an IPA, but it's a rather aggressive APA. Having a bias towards strongly hopped beers, I would have liked for this one to have another pellet or two of hops just for my glass alone.

I'd certainly give this beer a higher score if it were categorized as an APA. It just isn't an IPA, but I'd love to see them add more cascade and centennial hops to this and bottle it again.
Sep 17, 2009
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

2.41/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours oddly cloudy. Almost looks like a Belgian Pale Ale or a wheat beer of some sort. Kind of strange. Nose is also strange. Pineapple? Flavor is tangy and odd. No real hop qualities. Odd malt backbone too. Feel is thicker on liquid. An odd beer. In no way does it resemble the style, yet it is still drinkable. Overall though, remains a strange one.
Aug 11, 2009
Photo of nsmartell
Reviewed by nsmartell from Wisconsin

2.25/5  rDev -17%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
I enjoyed this beer from the comfort of my own living room. Now I say "enjoyed" in just about every review I make here, because hey, I'm drinking a beer! But I can't say I really enjoyed this beer. The only thing that saves it was that I was watching the Sarah Marshall movie.

From the 12oz bottle to a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a really hazy/cloudy dark orange color with a decent white head. Not sure what is up with the cloudiness in an IPA.

Smell: Not much going on here but a little bit of hop notes. I imagine that is a green tea, but I'm only guessing because I don't drink green tea.

Taste: Just as the nose suggests, not going on here. Again, I'm guessing that is green tea I'm tasting. Also some pine hop flavors, but the green tea is too much.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Unfortunately, this is the best part of the beer.

Drinkability: Can't say I would recommend this beer and that saddens me.
May 23, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.08/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
"The only Zen you find on tops of mountains is the Zen you bring there."

--Robert M. Pirsig

Ripe tangerine with a massive amount of yeasties that makes the beer look like a shaken snow globe. In this case, however, the particles stay in suspension. The crown is melted orange creamsicle in color and has an acceptable texture. Less than outstanding lace assures the lower score.

The nose isn't hoppy enough for an APA, much less an IPA. It's a bit musky-fruity, but the killer lineup of Chinook, Cascade and Centennial is not obvious by any means. My guess is that the brewers backed off the hops to showcase the green tea. Probably not a good idea.

Despite the ABV (whatever it is) Zen IPA is an APA. It doesn't have the flavor boldness, the hoppiness or the body to pull off the bigger style. That said, it isn't a bad little brew. Nor is it a good little brew. Being different only gets you so far.

There can't be too many hops swimming around; never mind the 'intense infusion' claimed by BluCreek. There's a smidgen of orange and apricot, maybe some grapefruit, along with a mild herbaceousness that I would never have been able to identify as natural green tea. Is there such a thing as artificial green tea? A moderate amount of bitterness is probably due to a lack of malt as much as anything.

The mouthfeel is pale ale average (which makes it less than *India* pale ale average) and is a fraction too fizzily bubbled. Things are calmer in the bottom half of the bottle, though not necessarily better.

Zen A(I)PA is an interesting concept on paper, but it doesn't work that well in the glass. Beer of this style needs an abundance of hop leaves, not an abundance of tea leaves. Bottom line: neither mystical nor magical.
Apr 13, 2009
Photo of Tone
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri

2.86/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy, golden color with lots of suspended yeast. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of what I'm guessing is green tea, slight hops, some hints of spice (ginger), and some earthy malt. Seems to fit the style of an English IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp with a high carbonation level. There is a strong dryness associated with this brew that makes you want to go back for more. Tastes of slight hops, strong herbal flavors (green tea), some earthy malt in the background, and some slight yeast cleanliness flavors. Wow, this is definitely an odd beer - maybe not particularly bad, but an extreme version. In my personal taste this is not a very good English IPA, but too each his own.
Mar 13, 2009
Photo of AdmiralDiaz
Reviewed by AdmiralDiaz from Minnesota

1.54/5  rDev -43.2%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Poured from a 12oz bottle to pint glass.

A: Looks like a dark liquor poured into a pale beer. Terrible and unattractive.

S: Hops dominating with a bit of malt and a strong green tea smell, not in a good way

T: Tastes like an unpleasant green tea poured into a semi-hoppy beer with a bitter finish.

M: Well carbonated, that's about it and its the best part of this beer.

D: Not drinkable, first beer I've poured out.
Feb 12, 2009
Photo of cdkrenz
Reviewed by cdkrenz from Wisconsin

1.79/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
A - Extremely cloudy and full of carbonation. It appears as a carbonated apple cider would. There is no head atop this ugly brown body.

S - Very faint hop aroma.

T - The flavor is hoppy but it's not smooth and tasty. It is bitter and abrupt.

M - Coarse and uncomfortable.

~ My opinion of this brew is not going to flatter the brewer. I suggest leaving this IPA in the shelf or in the cooler.
Dec 29, 2008
Photo of drizzam
Reviewed by drizzam from Wisconsin

2.96/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
A buddy of mine from Beer Advocate gave me a bottle of Zen IPA at a Christmas party...but he warned me he wasn't impressed and he was giving it to me for educational purposes. Let's give it a shot and see if his analysis was valid...

A - I poured it in my favorite pint glass and gave it a gander. An aggressive pour produced a weak thin white head on top of an opaque orange/copper colored brew. I was a little surprised at how thin the head was and it left very little to no lace on the inside of the glass.

S - Suprisingly, the smell of hops in this selection is underwhelming for an IPA...when I think IPA, I think HOPS....this is an IPA that doesn't do hops justice. The smell is more citrusy than I expected...reminding me more of a Hefe than an IPA.

T - I again implore you...for an IPA, where is my bitter hop taste? The hops are almost indistinguishable among the orangey citrus and bready taste followed by a green tea undertone. Again, this is not my definition of an IPA, but I'm not totally mad at it.

M - It's not the heaviest beer for mouthfeel but it isn't quite thin either. Carbonation (at least in the bottle I had) was almost non-existent and I noticed that the second I pried the cap and heard very little escape of built up carbonation.

D - This wasn't as bad as my buddy made it out to be in my opinion. I wouldn't make this a usual session brew but I'm not angry over trying it. I am still trying to figure out how this made it into the IPA category though.
Dec 19, 2008
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle acquired in trade with ughsmash (thanks!).

Hmmm, I love IPAs and I love Green Tea, lets see how they play together.

Poured a medium and murky / muddy orange color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of citrus, herbal, floral, and light pine. Tastes of green tea (yes, its definitely there), citrus, and just all around herbal. Not bitter at all. Light lacing left on the glass. The tea dominates the flavors. I found it interesting and drinkable, but would not have pegged this as an IPA.

Notes from 2/25/07
Dec 16, 2008
Photo of WJVII
Reviewed by WJVII from Wisconsin

2.31/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Well truth be told, I had a mix-in-match sixer ready to go and this brew caught my eye with a free pint glass (I am a collector) so instead I picked this up.

Poured into a pint glass this brew has a nice hazy grain color with a decent white head that is sticky and leaves great lacing. So far so good, right? Well, that is as good as it gets. The aroma is week and only has a mild hop note, some mild citrus and maybe a hint of dough. The taste is very disappointing. It was very thin and if I wasn't sure it was a beer I could mistake it for tea (maybe a glass of green tea to be exact). No real hop bite as expected in an IPA and almost a sour aftertaste. Not sure I could drink the entire 6-pack myself.

Just goes to show, if you need to give a freebie with it, probably not that good...at least I have the glass to show for my troubles.
Dec 12, 2008
Photo of beerad666
Reviewed by beerad666 from Illinois

1.92/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an American Pint glass. The Zen IPA pours a cloudy orange. It looks heavy in the glass. There is a small light white head, that dissipates after a few a moments. It has a very a little hop smell and the smell grapefruit is overwhelming. The taste is as disappointing as the smell. I think it was the green tea that killed this one.

This is not drinkable at all.
Dec 03, 2008
Photo of jeremyd365
Reviewed by jeremyd365 from Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Alright, I admit it: I bought this one primarily because of the "green tea" gimmickry and took a chance on it.

It pours a thick, opaque, nutty-brown-colored and is SUPER foamy (it took me nearly 20 minutes to get the whole bottle poured into my glass). It appeared to be highly carbonated, as one might guess.

The smell is not unpleasant, but not that of a normal IPA: nutty and malty with perhaps only a hint of hops.

In the mouth it's thick and a little citrusy, while the hops are more apparent at the finish. I can MAYBE sense some green tea at the finish as well but it's hard to tell--it's kind of citrusy as well.

Overall, I can see why this would get such an average low rating while judging it as an IPA, because it really doesn't seem like one at all. HOWEVER, it IS quite an interesting concoction and not at all horrible. Thus, I won't completely fail it and am glad I tried it. It seems sort of the same situation as Dogfish Head's Midas Touch. It's hard to compare it to other brews.
Aug 28, 2008
Photo of strohme2
Reviewed by strohme2 from Michigan

1.57/5  rDev -42.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
This is cloudy with specks of yeast (i hope). Too much foaties for me to consider it appealing. It looks like water from a murky creek. It had a brownish-orangish head.

Smells almost decent. Very weak for an IPA, almost no hops.

Tastes okay for about ten seconds. Again very weak for an IPA. Tastes orangy with a very slight green tea taste. Aftertaste is like chewing on a bit of aluminum.

Medium body, no carbonation but not in a good way. Too chunky.

I usually like breweries that get creative with their beer, go for some unique fruit or addition that makes it good but this was very, very bad. I don't like this beer. Two thumbs way down.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-20-2007 06:29:24
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Flag as Inappropriate | id: 592626
Apr 03, 2008
Photo of Goliath
Reviewed by Goliath from Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This IPA is brewed with "natural green tea".

This beer pours a ridiculously cloudy amber color with a very thin layer of light yellow head.

The aroma is fairly hoppy with some citrusy tangerine like notes shinning through. A little herbalness is also present.

Taste is alright, but slightly odd. A slight citrusy tangerine up front with almost no hop bitterness. There is a huge green tea presence on the finish and is kind of dry. I think they accomplished what they were trying to achieve, but I do not believe it was successful.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated.

Drinkability is moderate. Low alcohol and subtle flavors make this beer easy to consume, however lack of flavor and poor flavor combination does not encourage you to do so.
Mar 21, 2008
Zen IPA from BluCreek Brewing
Beer rating: 69 out of 100 with 32 ratings