Illumination
Central Waters Brewing Co.

IlluminationIllumination
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From:
Central Waters Brewing Co.
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
9%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 9.63%
Reviews:
275
Ratings:
942
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 04, 2019
Added:
Jun 01, 2010
Wants:
  94
Gots:
  97
Can you say palate wrecker? This double India pale ale is our version of a mouthful of hops. Full of Centennial, Chinook and Simcoe hops, it is as hoppy as a beer gets.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Bingja18:
Photo of Bingja18
Rated by Bingja18 from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mar 28, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

4.14/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can into Goose Island Nonic Pint.
8/20/19

Chill-hazed, honey colored, with a tall creamy cap of 3 fingers, leaving tons of lace destroying the glass.

Aroma is straight pineapple. Freshly sliced, crisp, hard, juicy pineapple. Hints of citrus and grass.

Flavor is huge, huge, huge. A double dose of malt starts this - actually a nice balance of pale and toasted/caramel malts, followed by hints of citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit), pineapple, and some onion. I imagine as this beer ages the onion will come out more, but for now it's manageable.

Feel is super resin-y first and foremost, with a nice creamy body, moderate carbonation, intense warming alcohol, and more resins on the finish.

Overall, this is the imperial stout of IPAs. Unforgiving, unflinching, very intense, but has a wonderful balance of fruit and caramel malt. Definitely try it if you haven't yet, and it's been way too long since I've had it. Just make sure you get it fresh, it can get kinda stanky if it's left too long.
Oct 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by ian_graf from Minnesota

Jul 28, 2019
Photo of Mindcrime1000
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

4.09/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a single can into a tulip.

Pours a hazy amber with excellent two-fingered foamy/frothy head and excellent staying power. Good lacing.

The aromas are very forward--not shy at all. Citrus (ruby red grapefruit and orange) balanced with resiny pine. Hints of caramel malt and booze.

The flavor is a hopsplotion. Old school earthy hop bitterness meld with red grapefruit, mango, pineapple, white grape, white pepper, grassy notes and pine resins. Hints of crackery malt and plenty of warming booze.

Medium bodied, smooth, foamy very dry and fairly boozy on the palate. The finish is all hop.

This is a solid DIPA with earthy hop flavor from days gone by.
Apr 27, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Rated by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Murky dark orange hue.

White head; decent lace.

Mango nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Mango sweetness with a tart hop bite. Bold & delicious.
Apr 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.13 by TSJ from Wisconsin

Apr 14, 2019
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a big beer with no holds on the hops. A cloudy burnt orange fluid with a roasted eggshell head. A bit of rockiness and soapy bubbles.

Great nose with lots of citrus and an undercurrent of pine. The Chinook is my favorite part of the picture. Malt adds caramel and and light bread notes with an orange overtone.

Taste is very well balanced. I poured this at about 48 degrees to develop the flavor and it does not disappoint. A healthy malt backbone presents lots of citrus and pineapple on a bed of pine. Huge grapefruit smakdown in the middle of it. Finish is surprisingly clean and dry. Yes there is a hop oil linger but given the amount of hops going on it leaves quickly with a hint of mint. Alcohol is present but not prominent, basically undercover.

Feel is somewhat heavy with a lively carbonation and smooth swallow. Quite thirst quenching for such a big beer.

A great DIPA. Easy drinking for such big beer. I really like the hop combination.
Mar 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by NodakEric from Minnesota

Feb 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by tittyfish from Minnesota

Nov 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.19 by qcghost from North Carolina

Sep 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Jul 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by NappyB from Illinois

May 31, 2018
Photo of RoadLizard
Reviewed by RoadLizard from New York

4.69/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Great looking beer right out of the bottle. Nice initial head that creates a perfect lacing down the glass. Smells of citrus, orange, some pine and a little grapefruit too. Hazy orange color. This is exactly what a strong IPA should taste like IMO. Its clean, refreshing and has a perfect citrus bite without that "dirty" hop flavor that too many beers end up having. There is a slight maltiness at the back that just tones things down a tad & makes it practically balanced. Its delicious. Period. Great mouthfeel too. I cant find much wrong with this beer. Its going to be in heavy rotation in my fridge, thats for sure. Highly recommended.
May 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.06 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Apr 30, 2018
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Clear, orange body; fine carbonation bubbles; creamy, sticky white head; sheets of foam clinging to the inside of the glass. A very nice citrus and pine aroma. Nice malt base provides a solid foundation for a robust hop bitterness; some citrus rind flavors; kind of peppery. Medium body; coarse and tingly on the tongue; mostly dry finish.

This beer delivers the goods for a powerfully hopped beer. Well-rounded and quite drinkable even with the 9% ABV. Good stuff.
Apr 05, 2018
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
You know Central Waters makes several world class barrel aged beers. But one aspect of their game seems decidedly underwhelming, and that would be their contributions to the hoppy world of beers. Will this one be any different?

Pours a hearty orange color familiar to those who remember the ibu and crystal malt arms race of the last decade. 1/3" barely off white head. Aroma isn't huge, not much dry hopping going on, and what there is or might be, seems to be of the bittering hop variety as opposed to an aroma or finishing hop.

Taste is a mostly bitter and malty ipa, without much in the way of flavor beyond the normative caramel, pine and grapefruit discussions. Hides the alcohol pretty decently. This is pretty much exactly what you would expect from this book when you judge it by the cover. There are no off flavors or whatnot. Just another sticky dense malty ipa with a ton of IBUs moreso than citrus or tropical flavors or smells.
Feb 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by LarrysDeerGut from Illinois

Feb 21, 2018
Photo of scream
Reviewed by scream from Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is pretty solid. It will not blow one away if you are looking for a hop bomb. It's just a really well done example of a traditional IIPA. If you are looking for a NEIPA it is not for you. I like it
Feb 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by TheGent from New Jersey

Jan 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by GreenBayBA from Wisconsin

Jan 06, 2018
Illumination from Central Waters Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 942 ratings