The Grizz | Tallgrass Brewing Company

3.94/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Canned 1/15/16; drank 2/18/16 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange appearance.

A rough pour yielded a HUGE eggnog head (careful pouring!); frothy tree-rung lace.

Pineapple, fresh flowers, fresh soap & mango notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Mango & fresh flower flavors up front; banana & honey notes on the finish. Booze heat emerged as this warmed.

Flavorful yet easy to drink; just a touch hot. A very likeable DIPA.

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3.06/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can, drink by 9/17/17. Pours hazy dark reddish gold with a big creamy off white head that retains well and laces the glass some.

The aroma is subdued - vegetal caramel cola malts.

The flavor is sweet caramel / toffee malt with fruity resiny bitter hops and a touch of alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, a nice sweet malty resiny boozy DIPA.

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3.82/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a light copper/orange mixture with a hug fluffy off white head that stays and laces very well. Good looking little brew, love to gobs of lace down my pint glass.

Aroma is over ripe tropical fruit, some light floral on a caramel/ honey sweet malt base. Not a hop forward big IPA but a nice balanced inviting one.

Taste is about like the nose good malt backbone but not overdone. Takes a few seconds for the hops to appear over ripe tropical fruits, some floral notes and even a little spicy hop kick. Its a big beer but balanced the 9.5% is noticeable but not distracting.

Mouthfeel is big medium with fairly mellow carbonation considering the huge head.

Overall a nice big I2PA big on malt and balanced like so much a hop bomb, but a balanced IPA is nice every now and then. Wouldn't mind having this one again when the mood hit.

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4.46/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The Grizz kind of reminds me of a beer we have down here in Texas called "Art Car" by St. Arnold's. Simcoe, mosaic smelling IPA (little tropical, little fruit zest) with a little bit of a syrupy malt. Not quite as pleasing tastewise as Art Car, I guess the extra ~2.4% is to blame. A little bit heavy on the malt, but that can be typical for some DIPA's. Overall not a bad beer. The price point and alcohol % was great (I do like to get a good buzz, what can I say) and I do really like Tallgrass's lineup (King Buffalo, Velvet Rooster, etc.) Cheers.

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3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Like most Tallgrass, the aromatics are strong with this one. The taste doesn't quite deliver. The heaviness of the malt overwhelms the hop profile. It is a bit thick and syrupy. I love other Tallgrass offerings, but this one isn't my favorite.

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4.1/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce can into tulip glass, best before 8/26/2017. Pours slightly hazy golden orange/amber color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of huge grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, apricot, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, honey, light caramel, biscuit, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, apricot, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, honey, light caramel, biscuit, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine/grassy/citrus peel bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, apricot, mango, lemon/orange peel, pine, honey, biscuit, and floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from lingering bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and lightly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mild warmth of alcohol for 9.5%. Overall this is an awesome DIPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the balanced bitter/drying finish. Very bright, juicy, and pretty dank on hops; nice malt backbone that is never overly sweet or heavy feeling. A really delicious offering.

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3.76/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Aroma is spices, grapefruit/pine, malts and a hint of sweetness/honey. The flavor is citrus, biscuit/earthy malts, grapefruit, light tropical fruit, mild spring water and a spicy/alcoholic finish.

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3.56/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

L - medium Amber little head
S - malt first then some hops
T - too malty but still an IPA
F - seems thick to me syrupy
O - Not this brewery's best IPA by far, go with reg IPA or Ethos

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3.92/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy light gold, moderate cap and lacing.

Aroma: Conifer and citrus, little malt apparent.

Taste: I get conifer hops followed by citrus hops. Malt with an underlying touch of sweetness. Not bad, but hop forward is an understatement. Finish is bitter as is the aftertaste, which lingers longer than I would wish.

Texture: Reasonably full for the style.

Overall: For me it's almost a disjointed mix of heavy hops moderated by sweetness. I paid for this with my own money which gives me the right to say I don't particularly like it. I'll drink it, two even, but it's unlikely I'll buy more.

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3.83/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a golden-amber hazy color with a serious haze. The smell is of malt and spicy hops. Flowery. The taste is sweet...notably sweet with some initial bitterness. Malty. The body is robust....full and satisfying. Warmth sets in after several sips. Enjoyable.

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3.35/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hello Boozy! Maybe I've been sessioned down to a sub 5% ABV but the first thing that hits me here is the booze. After that, all the good parts of this beer come through. Not a bad beer but for the price, I can do better, even with other Tallgrass offerings.

I was hoping for a dialed up Ethos. But, this is their experimental line so I'll see what happens next from this prairie land brewery.

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4.08/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful lacing after pour. Strong hops aroma. Solid flavor, but was expecting a bit more hops in this style. Having said that, good flavor and very drinkable even with the high abv.

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3.47/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

For a beer of this abv and price, just a bit more was to be expected. Color was great Amber. Smell had me reaching for just something that I was hoping for in the taste and just didn't get to the fullest. Abv is hidden well and this can be dangerously drinkable. I wouldn't consider it a "miss". But not a home run either.

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3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a snifter. Hazy amber color with a moderate white head. Good lacing. Smell is pretty grassy with some pine and earthy tones. Taste followed closely - grassy, some earth, pine and dank. A bit of citrus. Good malt balance and a soft bitterness for such a big beer. Medium-to-full mouthfeel with a warming at the end but masking of the high ABV.

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3.12/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Amber colored with some light haziness. There's a solid inch of tightly packed tan colored head on top. Moderate lacing. The aroma is a blend of pungent pine and a hint of citrus hops. The taste is of citrus and oddly metallic flavored malt and caramel. The mouth is lightly sticky and faintly gritty. This seems like a rare miss for Tallgrass.

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3.69/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

First had poured from 12-oz. can into snifter. My kids used to drink juicy-juice. This is kind of fortified beery-beer. Even great breweries swing and miss occasionally.

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4.24/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a chalice.

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid two finger off white head that settles into a thin creamy layer.

Smell: A juicy and grassy hop forward aroma with a scent of citrus fruit, grass, and pine. Citrus hop scent of grapefruit, orange peel, mango, lemon, tangerine, and pineapple. Earthy hop hints of grass and pine resin along with some floral hints. Malt hints of caramel, grains, and cracker along with yeast. A pretty solid aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a juicy and grassy hop driven taste with notes of citrus fruit, pine, and grass. Citrus hop notes of grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, mango, tangerine, and pineapple. Earthy hop notes of pine resin and grass. Backing malt notes of caramel, cracker, and grains with some yeast. Also some notes of sugar. A solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Juicy, sticky, and fairly oily. Somewhat boozy.

Overall: A solid Imperial IPA. Nice juicy citrus and grass hop flavor.

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2.78/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

From a 12oz can:

Appearance: Slight haze, yellow-gold, big head.

Smell: Biscuity, malty, hard to say exactly since it had low aroma all-around.

Taste: Hmm, moderately sweet, deeply buried caramel, earthy, vague citrus, vague fruitiness. Seems not very well put-together. Not bad/offensive, just nothing all that tasty.

Overall: Pretty disappointed in this beer, I enjoy most of Tallgrass's other offerings. This just tastes like a generic "strong ale", no real pluses in either the malt or hop department.

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3.77/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Tallgrass tumbler glass.

Look: Semi-clear copper body with a light cream colored head. A film remains after dissipation and light spots of lacing stay on the glass.

Aroma: The malt bill brings some sweetness through a spiced-up, boozy affair. Subtle touch of tropical fruits in the background -- pineapple and mango.

Taste: Starts out malty-sweet, and spicy. Sweet tropical fruits eventually surface but the spiciness and alcoholic heat seem to win out.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, hot.

Overall: Was hoping for more tropical flavors but this one was more spicy and boozy instead.

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3.96/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Canned 1/15/16 Drank 2/23/16

A - nice copper amber clear color, off white head nice lacing
S - mango, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya, orange, sweet caramel malt
T - follows the nose, sweet mango, passion fruit, papaya, orange, tangerine, backed up by sweet caramel malts. Bitter orange rind.
M - medium mouthfeel, alcohol a little too present, aftertaste is sweet tropical fruit, almost sickeningly sweet
O - ehhh, another okay to moderately good Midwest ipa. It's not bad, just a little too sweet/too much alcohol tasted.

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3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The best part about this India Pale Ale is the abv. 9.5 is fantastic! Especially for the smoothness of the delivery. Overall a 3.0 due to the taste, look, and drink ability.

Poured into a tulip in a honey glaze with a thin string top head. In other words, good to look at but lacking depth.

It has a sweet smell of hops and citrus. I really enjoy the smell and am not a fan of hops in general as a note but it was balanced very well.

The tongue is lead into a sweet, smooth tingle on the front and is followed by a short, non lingering hop with only slight bitterness on the tail.

My favorite test is the drink ability test. My mind says that a good beer should be drunk first as if you had been walking through the desert with no water or hydration, and that the beer is the first drink you've come across in ages. In other words, the first beer in a round should be drunk with vigor.

The drink ability of The Grizz caused a difficult chug due to the hoppiness, which is clearly to be expected in the cans graphics, but was not overall difficult. Finished in a sip, sip, chug, finish fashion.

Overall a decent ipa with an excellent abv.

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4.38/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour an effervescent amber with 3 fingers of cream colored head. Sheet of lacing with nice head retention

S: Pine, cakeyness & grapefruit

T: Cakeyness, a little pine, mango, pineapple & just a whisper of booze up front. More pineyness, cakeyness, mango & a little toffee as this warms, plus grapefruit, just gets better as it warms. Finishes cakey, piney with grapefruit

MF: Medium body, with some stickiness, a little warming & moderation that tamps down as this warms. Nicely balanced

Great drinkability, this impressed me, I believe it is even better than Ethos & that is a damn good compliment!

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3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured out a golden amber color with a small, foamy tan head. It smelled malty with some pine. It's good but lacks some of hop punch I expect in a DIPA.

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