Equinox Extra XPA
Lawson's Finest Liquids

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Lawson's Finest Liquids
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 9.5%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
9
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 16, 2015
Added:
Jul 26, 2008
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
Our “twice a year” beer, this special extra pale ale is brewed with ridiculous amounts of hops and a huge malty body that will leave you craving more when its gone.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by andrewinski1:
Photo of andrewinski1
Reviewed by andrewinski1 from New Hampshire

4.27/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
Bottle 11 of 150. Bottle says it was brewed on September 22, 2010. Super fresh! Big thanks to Bendurgin and Miquirk for hooking me up with this one.

Poured into a tulip. Nice hazy caramel body. Head is about two fingers thick and slightly off white.

I immediately smell loads of hops when pouring. After admiring the beer for a while, A careful whiff indicates the strong aroma of caramel apples, followed by a nice piney scent. I don't expect a bone dry IPA, but a sweet juicy one now.

Great taste of sweet grapefruit. The finish is actually drier than the aroma indicated. Awesome flavor here.

Decent mouthfeel, but the drinkability is off the charts. I have to find a way to distract my gf to get her half of the bottle.
Oct 19, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.39 by Tmyhre802 from Vermont

Aug 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by pveilleux from Massachusetts

Jun 10, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by nathanjohnson from Vermont

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of TurdFurgison
Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On deck is a bottle gifted to me from Thorpe429, thanks a ton Mike! Another Lawson's product enters my favorite glass during a post-season NFL battle between the Steelers and the Ravens.

Label propaganda: "This twice a year beer is a perfectly huge balance of malt sweetness, juicy and flowery hop aroma, extravagent bitterness. Brewed only on the equinox." Sounds wicked.

It pours a dark clear copper color, SRM of maybe 20-22, with a gorgeous off white foam, thick and dry, clumpy lacing. Lots of hops in the aroma, not as much malt as expected with the dark color. Citrus and pine needles, some sweet malts way in back.

The taste is a little more balanced than the smell, with the hops still leading but by less margin. Sweet caramel malts do little to temper the hoppy bitterness, this has a lasting dry and astringent feel to it. I like it, an excellent taste for a red ale (a style I don't take to very often).

Fast drinking, very good overall. Another bottle in my deficit to Mike, who will eventually get what's coming to him.
Jan 16, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Huge thanks to Sean for dropping some of this off for me at Lawson's last weekend.

Poured into a generic tulip glass at a tasting with bmanning, Amyliz4, and Heather. The color is a ruby with just a tad bit of lace off of a two-finger head. The nose brings some sweet cherry malt and a bit of pine and citrus hops.

The taste is, like the nose, a good dose of sweet malt with some mild dark fruits and a hint of cherry. The hops are fairly light and there is a bit of booze. Medium body with a bit of booze. Overall, this definitely fits within the Strong Ale category. There is a nice hop presence and a bit of earth, though the malt is bit more toward the front.
Nov 11, 2010
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bomber bottle 22 of 150, purchased a few weeks ago at the Warren Store in Warren, VT. for as best as I can remember $10.99. Wax over the cap.

Pours murky dark amber, rich medium khaki head, that stays, with a thick collar and leaves respectable low sheeting and heavier lacing. Hopped up nose with some maple malt undertones. Densely flavorful brew. Waves of citric and floral hops, on a luxorious pillow of sweet malts. One sip tells you this is loaded with character and quality.

Enjoyable from first sip to the last. As it warms some subtle smoke notes come through, and they assert their intensity, biting and bitingly dry. Well done, worth the phone call, the fact finding effort, the quest...hope to be in the Mad River valley area again sometime soon...
Oct 29, 2010
Photo of Bendurgin
Reviewed by Bendurgin from Maine

4.27/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
As soon as I popped the cap on this I could smell citrus hops. I picked this one up Saturday during my trip to Vermont. Poured into a pint glass. The beer is amber color with about a finger of off white head with soapy lacing. The smell is full of bitter floral hops, orange zest. This is however insanely hoppy in the nose. The taste follows the nose pretty well, bitter floral hops all the way through with a bit of citrus to finish all compliment with a pretty caramel malt profile. Again, this is really bitter on the finish. The mouthfeel is pretty light and crisp; slightly dry. Pretty good drinkability on this one, easy going down. I'd really love more of this.
Oct 18, 2010
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a dark copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a balmy doughy malt with a hearty earthy hop.

The taste consisted of a heavy malt comprised of seven different malt varieties coupled with a spicy and earthy citric hop.

The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style likely due to the complex grain bill.

Overall a tasty IPA. Brewed twice a year, once on each equinox.
Jul 26, 2008
Equinox Extra XPA from Lawson's Finest Liquids
Beer rating: 4.21 out of 5 with 9 ratings