Hop Zombie
Uncle Billy's Brew & Que

Rock on Cory

Cloudy orange colored pour with a small white head. Very mild grapefruit aroma. Taste has a juicy citrus flavor upfront backed by a touch of bready malt.

 

 

 

 

My personal preference for an IPA is that it has a strong pine aroma and taste. I'm a big fan of Doubles/Imperials. My son and I went camping this weekend and stopped by the Oasis. I am currently watching the incredible sunset over Lake Travis while drinking this beer.

My overall impression of this IPA is that it is in the middle of an identity crisis. Am I a hoppy wheat beer or a wheaty IPA? The color and taste are more citrus oriented than a purist IPA like Stone. The hops are not overbearing, but they are definitely present. The orange/lemon flavor is a bit distracting for an IPA. Despite my criticism of this beer as an IPA, as a "good beer" it doesn't disappoint. It is an enjoyable beer with few weaknesses.

If you're looking for a noteworthy IPA, this isn't it. However, if you're at the Oasis and want a beer, Uncle Billy's Hop Zombie isn't bad!

Growler from xpimptastikx. Served in a Bell's tulip.

A - Generous white foam with good retention settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and spotty lacework. Hazy golden body.

S - The aroma was somewhat unexpected, as I read this was an Amarillo IPA. There's lots of tangerine flesh and tropical fruits, but also a slightly musky and floral character to it, but none of the spice or zest that I typically expect. The musky flavor dissipated as the beer warmed, so perhaps it was due to Texas' dumb growler laws. Sugar cookie malt backbone supports things. On the whole the aroma is a tad understated.

T - Icing sugar malts, tangerine and candied citrus, very low bitterness. The previous reviewer's reference to Orange Julius is pretty apt as this drinks more like a fruit beverage in some ways. No alcohol presence, and more balanced than the aroma suggests.

M - The feel is my favorite thing about the beer. It's got sufficient heft, but goes down super smooth and easy, with soft almost cask-like carbonation. Finishes quite dry and clean, and there's no alcohol presence at all.

D - It's not the most mind-blowing IPA, but the combination of low alcohol, low bitterness, and growler-level carbonation makes it super easy to crush. Not something to seek out, but worth trying if you're in the Austin area and need a hop fix.

 

 

 

A growler, Growlin' At The Moon, from jamescain.

A: The IPA is a lighter amber color, I'd say that some yellow tints come through but the thickness of the ale prevents me from saying that. The first few pours of the ale generate a thick white head - moderate lacing the end result.

S: Plenty of aroma, oranges both pulpy and zesty. Very floral and powdery. The hop aroma was a pleasant surprise, quite rich and wholesome. The caramel body lingers in the background, allowing the hops to come through.

T: The first sip: Orange Julius without the icy foam. Seriously, the citrus zest is intensely strong up front. As it relaxes, the hops get absorbed into the caramel malts, resulting in a spicy bitter breadiness. The citrus flavors run throughout, pulpy at times, powdery at others, the flavor starts strong and blends in before re-appearing at the finish. The murky thickness of the hops adds so much sweet citrus that the ale goes down rather quickly.

M: I stick by my Orange Julius association - a rich citrus solution, powdery and thick. I wasn't expecting it to be this enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

From my notes:
Pours a clear straw yellow with a clean, floral nose. Nice carbonation lightens the chewiness on this one, and it works wonders. Definite piney and floral hop profile working in tandem. I would have had another if I didn’t have a long drive ahead of me. Good stuff!

A - Pours hazy copper to orange in color in the pint glass that it was served in, about one finger of head that maintained moderate retention and some lace.

S - Hops are forefront; lots of citrus, pine and resin. Carmel malts are nicely balanced with hops.

T - Citrus by the way of grapefruit rind, some pine/resin hop flavors with a nice caramel malt sweetness, bitterness is up there but not overwhelming.

M - Medium carbonation, medium/heavy body, well rounded.

D - Definitely for the hops heads, nothing awing, but a really solid enjoyable IPA.

My day in Austin began with a visit to this fine establishment on my way to some disc golfing. I arrived just as they were opening and was pleased to see that they were serving a delicious IPA. It had been a weary search for a new one to try on this trip.
Hazy golden-orange the pour with a small little head. Aromas of the grapefruit and orange with some sticky pine. The taste is wonderful. This is definitely a solid IPA with some quality hop kick. Good, not overwhelming bitterness, a nice malt balance, definitely on the drier side with the resinous stick lathering me up. Good shit, Uncle Billy.

Had this on tap a few times out at their Oasis location. It's wonderful to be able to bring people out for that view and not have to eat the mediocre overpriced food at the Oasis. I'll just kick back with a beer from Uncle Billy. The menu mentions that this is their Amarillo IPA and I love me some Amarillo hops.

The beer is a hazy golden color with a white head. The pour didn't give much of a head, but it's still a decent looking beer. Looks even better with a sunset overlooking Lake Austin

The nose is a resiny, grapefruit bomb. Amarillo hops come back to life! The taste is right along those lines. Resiny and grapefruity. Maybe some pine... but that could just be the resin talking. Definitely sticky. The carbonation and weight are both solid and leave the beer somewhere between a 4 and 4.5 for mouthfeel and drinkability. I went with the 4.5 on drinkability because I keep coming back here and I keep ordering this beer. That's gotta mean something.

I've been extremely happy that Uncle Billy's opened out on the lake and this beer is one reason why. Now I just need them to be able to bottle out there and for them to have Hell in Keller on tap. Is that too much to ask?