Odyssey Imperial IPA (2007)
Sly Fox Brewing Company

Odyssey Imperial IPA (2007)Odyssey Imperial IPA (2007)
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From:
Sly Fox Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 8.82%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
11
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 16, 2020
Added:
Dec 15, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
My goodness, but the reefer is giving up its dead here at Chez Woody as the purge of the Bottle Backlog continues unabated!

From the Bottle: "Imperial India Pale Ale"; "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make hoppy"; "Philosophers ponder: does the journey or the destination matter most? Through the complex grandeur of our annual blending of unique varietal hops, we seek to unravel that great quandary, only to discover again that the answer lies in the heart of each traveler."

In reading some of the early reviews, I can promise you that my bottle's contents have had ample time to mellow out. The proof of the pudding, however, will be in the tasting. In order to get to that point, I first had to Pop! the cap. Having achieved that monumental task, I followed with a slow, gentle C-Line pour into the awaiting glass to alleviate some foam coming up through the neck. I only got a brief finger of foamy, soapy, rocky, tawny head before it quickly faded to wisps. Color was Amber to Deep-Amber/Light-Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a cool mintiness, very mellow & tea-like. Mmm. I dig hops tea, having made it on several occasions. It is VERY mellow, though. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, a little on the light end for this style. Time had lent it a mellowness of which the early reviewers had lamented a lack. It really was very hop tea-like, quite mellow with a grassy, herbal quality accompanied by a honey-like sweetness from the malt(s). Finish had a dry, lingering bitterness & I can imagine that was sharp in its youth. Now, it was quite palatable. It is a chilly mid-April day, more suited for mid-March so I am going to slowly enjoy this while reading a book & contemplating an uncertain future. YMMV.
Apr 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by Boxerjay from Pennsylvania

Feb 22, 2014
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a dark golden color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a nice pale and bisquit malt scent along with a mild hop aroma. It's not as pronounced as most DIPA's. The taste is good. It has a very bitter hop flavor that blends well with the choice of grains. The bisquit malt compliments the grassy/piney hop taste. It goes down easier than most DIPA's as well. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking beer. It's not as powerful as some. It's not as full bodied as some. It's not as hoppy as some. What it is, is a damn fine beer.
Jun 11, 2008
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

3.42/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours clear copper, with a quarter-inch head of white. No lacework as the beer drinks, and retention is minimal.

Araomtics have subdued pine, orange-rubbed grapefruit, and juicy malt. Pretty basic and really meager in strength.

Sticky and slick mouthfeel. Low carbonation.

The pallet has plenty of bitterness, albeit somewhat harsh and grainy. A mix of pine bark and grapefruit zest, but the freshness is gone. Plenty of stale malt to balance.
Finishes with lingering bitterness, and fruit piths. Slightly astringent.

Reminds me of a more bitter, aged Celebration.
May 03, 2008
Photo of TheDeuce
Reviewed by TheDeuce from New York

3.67/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Had the bottled version, really cool label with some philosophy intertwined.

Appearance-light orange to dark brown, some heady lace appears, decent looking beer.

Smell-hop aroma permeates, not sure if I am getting a mixture of the eleven varieties but it's certainly good.

Taste/Mouthfeel-actually rather...subdued...is this an Imperial IPA? Good taste and smoothness and I do detect hops, but not as much complexity as I'd hoped nor the kick that most Imperials give you.

Drinkability-well the lack of a punch or overwhelming complexity helps the drinkability I suppose, taste is good and it won't smack you in the head.

Overall- fine beer and good tasting, but subdued to the point that the cool label is almost misleading. I liked it but it wasn't what I expected.
Mar 23, 2008
Photo of Phillyduke
Reviewed by Phillyduke from Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Picked up two bombers from the Royersford location after a quick stop in for lunch. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

Appearance: a clear, golden amber color with a huge, rollicking 4-finger head of sticky foam that seems to hold on forever and clings to the side of the glass in all it's hop resin glory.

Smell: not too much going on here. Hints of pine resin. Some notes of hops.

Taste: For a beer that is purported to include 11 hop varietals, I really expected more in the way of flavor. I'm not sure if they all canceled themselves out or if the brewmaster was hesitant to put in too many of any of them for fear of overpowering, but I found the flavor to be rather flat and uninspiring. It's not bad, though; it's quite enjoyable, actually...but for an imperial IPA I was hoping for a bit more punch instead of the slight bitter twinge I do get. This was bottled in December so it's only been sitting for 3 months at the most...I doubt it's had enough time to really "mellow" out. The 8.4% ABV is only apparent in the warming feeling it leaves in the stomach. There is a nice caramel malt flavor which provides a good backbone for the mildly citrusy undertones, and leaves a sticky sweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: soft and gently carbonated, mildly sticky and coats the mouth well

Drinkability: For the strength that this beer has, it's highly drinkable, and I could probably have 2 or 3 bombers without being put off by the bitterness (though the ABV would probably catch up to me by that point). The fact that the hops don't smack you in the face in this beer actually help it's drinkability.

Overall Impression: A nice, easy-to-drink IPA that falls short of my expectations (something a little more "extreme") and its potential (11 hop varietals!).
Mar 07, 2008
Photo of grees20
Reviewed by grees20 from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Got this from fellow BA dashirey, and I thank him for it. Since it's about 13 degrees outside I thought I'd enjoy some big beers tonight. Needless to say I'll be calling it quits after 2 or 3.

Sly Fox's Odyssey pours a nice shade of amber with a pillowy two-finger head that leaves behind some nice lacing. A nice hoopy aroma is present.

I must admit I'm a little disappointed with the taste. It's an imperial IPA and you can taste the hops but they don't quite dominate like I thought they would. A little more maltier than I expected.

Overall, it's decent and very drinkable, but it lacks that hop punch I look for it double IPAs.

Serving type: bottle
Feb 12, 2008
Photo of PEBKAC
Reviewed by PEBKAC from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Sly Fox Branded growler promo from New Beer. $7.95, not bad at all. :)

Beer spent about a week in the fridge before I got around to it. Stock up, stock up all week, loose track of things, wander around the house changing light bulbs after a freak short fries everything, & you find this jug in the back of the fridge. Yeah, maybe 100 watts is a little too much for the milk to take, but it's all I bought.

On to the beer. Let it be known, I am not the biggest IPA fan, but I find myself trying & trying again, hoping something hits me just right, or drives me insane in fustration, either way is okay with me. :D ...

The tulip is on the clock again(major overtime pay coming it's way). The color of Earl Gray, with a lumpy paper mache head standing very proud. Crystal clear views through the tint. The beer activates like a snow globe shaken with an industrial paint can mixer. The bubbly simply just doesn't stop. A 6 on the scale if I could give it. These growlers are all personally blessed by the local Bishop, did I mention that? :D

The nose is all pizza dough. Nothing quite baked or toasted just yet. The sweetness of fresh butter, & a big slather of hop oils & flavors running the gamut from resiny sap, to soft flowers, to sharp zests, to the alcohol infusing it together. Just too much to individually point out since it practically hits all at once. The malt doesn't drown here. You smell it throughout.

All the malt sits upfront on the taste. Sharply sweet, then falling on a rigid citrus rind that sort of stops you mid-swallow. The end softens up with a dry cracker malt & the lighter, almost fabric softener-type hops. Those linger for a good while.

Medicinal stickiness keeps it from going down too smooth, but even with that, is runs more on the thin side. It sort of evens out. Carbonation is just about right. The alcohol is apparent, ... but if I could just be a pig for a minute & say, that it burps up quite nicely, without any acidity or sharpness left in it.

I bought a jug & I intend to finish it. I don't need to focus too much will power to finish it off, but it comes on just a bit too strong to go into the weekly rotation. As unique as this one is, I enjoyed the individual hops stewing in their own beers more then this. Maybe not all of the IPA Project was great this past year, but a few of the single varieties I felt came in above this conglomerate. Just a few though. :)
Feb 03, 2008
Photo of Kadonny
Reviewed by Kadonny from Florida

4.2/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I have tasted this twice recently. Once from tap at the brewery, then once from tap at a freinds house from a recently purchased sixtel, both in late December 2007.

A: Poured a nice amber gold color with a lacing off white head. Not a ton of carbonation.

S: Hops right off the bat, mostly hops with pine smell leading the way. I picked up a hint of floral hops with some slight citrus. When it warms the aromas change a bit more to the citrus.

T: Hops bitterness up front with a load of pine and straw. I can get some citrus, but the piney taste is the real backbone of this beer. Not much malt in the back of this, so I would love to see what the ABV is (the GM of Sly Fox said the ABV is in the 10 range). There is malt there, but it does not push it's way forward in the flavor and the finish is all bitterness of hops. Still this is a fine tasting beer and a very good DIPA.

M: A medium mouthfeel with not a lot of alcohol present. Surprising for a beer with that high an ABV (if the 10 number is right). Not a lot of carbonation as I said earlier.

D: Actually, pretty high. I had 2 the one night and could have kept drinking it. For those that love hops, this might actually be sessionable if you can still stand up after a few.

Overall a very fine beer from Sly Fox. They keep amazing me and it's a miracle that the beer ends up this good with all the different hops they throw in there. Very nicely done.
Dec 28, 2007
Photo of Biscuit033
Reviewed by Biscuit033 from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Golden-orange with about 1/2 finger of head that stayed for quite some time. Good lacing.

S: All of the hop smells are there dominated by pine and earth. There is also some sweet malt in the background.

T: Pine and earth dominate the taste as well and ther isn't quite enough malt to hold up to all of the bitterness.

M: Good carbination and very little alcohol warmth especially for something 8+ ABV. But the finish is slightly oily.

D: There is not enough malt sweetness to hold off the pine bitterness (probably from the Target hops) to have a few of these. But not a bad beer at all.

Had this on tap earlier today and there was a slight bit of fruit in the taste before the pine and earthiness take over.
Dec 17, 2007
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On cask at the Sly Fox IPA Project in Phoenixville, PA on 12/14/07.

A - Hazy amber/orange body with 1/2-finger foamy white head and no carbonation due to cask conditioning. Mostly diminishing head left very minimal lacing.

S - Almost all hops in the nose, with a potpourri of citrusy, perfumy and flowery hops. Quite a complex blend of hops here, with perfumy characteristics pushing through the most. Touch of alcohol twang as the liquid warmed up.

T - Blend of sweet and bitter hops, with a burst of flavors coming through, including citrus fruits, fresh flowers, and mild perfume. Unfortunately, a lack of malt presence leaves things a bit unbalanced. The taste is exclusively hoppy.

M - Pretty creamy texture with no carbonation. A tad bit watery on the palate. Finish is surprisingly average in length with some mild bitterness lingering on the tongue.

D - Definitely pretty mild for the amount of hops used in this brew. I felt this was an interesting experiment, and I'm glad I tried it. While the hop flavors were pleasant, I felt it lacked a malt backbone to balance things out.
Dec 15, 2007
Odyssey Imperial IPA (2007) from Sly Fox Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 11 ratings