Odyssey Imperial IPA (2005)
Sly Fox Brewing Company

Odyssey Imperial IPA (2005)Odyssey Imperial IPA (2005)
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From:
Sly Fox Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 11.37%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
17
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 29, 2017
Added:
Dec 18, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by stomioka:
Photo of stomioka
Rated by stomioka from New Jersey

3.19/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Feb 28, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.09 by chicagoish from Pennsylvania

Jan 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.01 by Mbo108 from Pennsylvania

Jan 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by Boxerjay from Pennsylvania

Feb 22, 2014
Photo of hustlemuscle
Reviewed by hustlemuscle from Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From Premier Gourmet in Kenmore NY. I had never heard of Sly Fox before, and being a fan of IPAs...

Pours a nice apricot with a nice fat head. The first pour of the 22 oz bottle left some lace. Other notable features include some bad ass pucker. A bit overpowering, but not too bad.

Overall, a decent brew, but not overly memorable. On a 1 to 10 scale, this one would probably be a 6.
Aug 10, 2007
Photo of Nipitato
Reviewed by Nipitato from Massachusetts

3.82/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked up a bottle at Premier Gourmet in Tonawanda, NY.

A: Medium amber hue. Pours with a thin buff head. Weak head stand.

S: Pungent, juicy grapefruit hop aroma is full and prominent. Sweet malt takes a backseat but is perceptible. Sweet and rich. Some alcohol aromas as well.

T: Very good tongue cutting sharp/biting grapefruit hop flavor with a nice bittering finish that is very long lasting . Sweet malty backbone is present but ideally could be a touch stronger.

MF: Smooth medium body. Pretty low carbonation but tingly. Dry finish.

D: A good solid imperial IPA. Probably would be a little more easy drinking if it had a stronger malt presence.
Jun 04, 2007
Photo of shirfan
Reviewed by shirfan from New York

2.87/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Coppery orange with a sticky layer of lace.

Smell -- not the best smelling beer. Sweet malts mingle with wet hay, dog food, and leafy hops.

Taste is a bit better. I get fairly sweet toasty malt, leafy hops with an herbal, citric quality, and a smooth, creamy finish something like the topping of a lemon meringue pie. The dog food aspect isn't completely gone however.

Mouthfeel is sweet, creamy, drinkable. If there wasn't an overwhelming four-legged-friend theme to this beer, it would be really good. I don't know what would cause such a flavor/aroma, and I definitely like other Sly Fox products, but something went wrong here.
May 24, 2007
Photo of BeerBelcher
Reviewed by BeerBelcher from Ohio

3.62/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I would say this is slightly above average DIPA that I had at Blind Tiger. Poured a transparent bronze with a medium amount of fairly soapy head. Aroma was grapfruity and bitter. Flavor was very bitter with some pleasant citrus notes and nice caramel malt backbone. Mouthfeel was fairly pleasant.
May 04, 2007
Photo of ski271
Reviewed by ski271 from Pennsylvania

4.17/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Medium amber with a touch of brown and a small, off-white, frothy, slowly diminishing head. The smell is surprisingly balanced. Huge hop-oil scents, full of citrus but supported by a very solid malt backbone. The taste follows suit, but with a nice woodsy presence. The bitterness lingers for quite some time on the long finish. This is a very enjoyable DIPA. Boisterous, but not over the top. Definitely worth trying.
Apr 25, 2007
Photo of beerphan
Reviewed by beerphan from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bomber -> nonic
no date

Pours a clear ambered orange with a respectable off white tight head. Gobs of thick juicy lace coat the empty glass. Carbonation appears robust and consistent.

Nose: Hoppy nose, both fruity and earthy. Orange, pine, sour pear. Some sugary sweetness linger in the background

A hefty malt sweetness is blindsided by a bitter hop bomb. Hops offer little in fruit flavors or eathy tones but make up for it with a bitter hot alcohol burn. More bitter than alcohol the hops dominate and hang around.

A nice full crisp clean mouth.

A pretty intense DIPA, sure to satisfy the hop lovers.
Mar 20, 2007
Photo of MuddyFeet
Reviewed by MuddyFeet from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Got this bottle as a "throw-in" from Warriorsoul. Dude, keep throwing them my way, will ya?

Pours quite clear. A very rich and burnished copper brown. Thick foamy head that never quite receded. Lots of stringy lace around the glasses. Nose is bold, earthy hops.

Flavor is quite nice for a DIPA. Just a step down from being over the top. Bitterness really lingers. Malt backbone appears at the very dront of the flavor. Kind of a woody tannin thing going on as well. Medium to full mouthfeel. The hop oils really cling to the cheeks. Great beer to go with my enchiladas.
Mar 02, 2007
Photo of Foxman
Reviewed by Foxman from New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
It pours a bright orange amber, with just a touch of haze. A finger of barely off-white head sustains en masse for a bit, then settles to surface film. Prints of lacing paw the inside of the glass.

In the aroma, the malt is distinctly caramel and a bit sweet. The hops are certainly prevalent, but a little more of a challenge to pin down, though citrus is predominant and pine secondary. The alcohol is readily detectable but not obnoxious.

Upon sipping, the malt takes a shot, presenting caramel and berry and a brief sweetness that is quickly upstaged by a more distinctive hop offering. Here, the hops give up dry grapefruit, crisp pine, and a softer mandarin orange and lemon citrus continuance. The alcohol is again capably strong, and once it subsides marginally, a touch of biscuit malt rehashes the grain presence. The finish is airy, bright and clean, with a crisp, dry bitterness lingering long and poignantly. The flavor is bold but blended, and is a real pleasure to experience.

Medium bodied, the malt coats at first, but it's the oily hops that swamp and cling to the palate, leaving a knowing glow in their wake.

From what I read, this is quite a combination of hops, and while the aroma might have struggled a wee bit in the translation, the flavor was a hop-bomb explosion, but at all times tastefully so, and never wanton in its bitterness. The ABV is right out front from the get-go, acting as a warm warning against maniacal overindulgence, but it does so like a polite, personable cop. I do believe this is my favorite IPA Project beer, and if you can get, do so, because the getting's good.
Jan 29, 2007
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a decent head that leaves some lacing behind

Smell: A bit of caramel and a blast of hops

Taste: Start with a nod to the caramel but from then on it is all about the hops - there is a touch of pineapple but these hops are neither fruity nor piney nor earthy; they are just bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Although its hard to pin the flavor profile down, this beer is quite tasty
Dec 11, 2006
Photo of DrJay
Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Enjoyed at the 2006 IPA Project. Murky orange with a frothy, off-white head. Great retention with plenty of chunky lacing composed of coarse bubbles. Rings formed around the glass with each sip. Plenty of citrusy hop aroma, mostly grapefruit and tangerine. Solid bitterness with grapefruit flavour and a bit of pine resin. There's also a mild sweetness - oranges and malt - and a soft, lingering bitterness. Low carbonation with a medium body. Soft, almost creamy texture with a dry finish. Very nice overall. It held together admirably over the past year - I wish I could have tried it fresh.
Dec 09, 2006
Photo of blitheringidiot
Reviewed by blitheringidiot from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at UJs Glenside, pours a perfect peach copper hued pour filtered clear with a spumescent 1/2" khaki head cap leaving a drippy layered lace.

Hozy woody aroma with a touch of orange.

First swigs: Grapefruit front with a mixed pine wood middle. Some tangerine and lemon peel with a slightly peppery middle. Juicy fruit gum finish with a dusty dry aftertaste.

Actually, the feel is quite easy and medium despite the style and ingredients. Wow! Not syrupy or sappy. This is not 2IPA in the feel. Tricky and easily drinkable. What a trick!

Last swigs: Dry pine and grapefruit. Smoothness adds to the drinkability. Clean as a whistle. Essentialy, flawless overall as all Sly Fox beers are. This made me happy. Oh yeah!
Jan 09, 2006
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Draught in Phoenixville: This beer poured a very clear, golden amber color. Mine had almost no head on it. The aroma contained notes of citrus, pine and caramel malts. The taste was really potent without overdone. The hops are really upfront, but they are well balanced with the malts. This is a really good beer.
Dec 28, 2005
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
'05 Version contains:
Glacier, Ahtanum, Northdown, Willamette, Progress, Galena, Challenger, Santium and Chinook varietals
Appears a light golden amber with a small white head that slowly fades out into a nice lacing.
Smell is of pine, orange, sugary grapefruit, and caramel.
Taste is of the same aromas with a grapefruit bitterness that seems to stand out.
Mouthfeel is sugary but bitter and medium bodied. Perhaps a tad bit more malt to try and balance it but c'mon people...this SOB has 9 friggin hops varieties pumping through it's vains. Kind of hard to seperate all the different hops out of a strong malt without going overkill.
Pretty good. I like it more than last year's version.
Dec 18, 2005
Odyssey Imperial IPA (2005) from Sly Fox Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 17 ratings