Armor Shark
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- American Imperial IPA
Ranked #3,054 - ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #15,085 - Avg:
- 3.95 | pDev: 6.58%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- From:
- Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating
- Wants
- 4
- Gots
- 8
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Notes:
Reviews: 8
| Ratings: 51
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3.65/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Looks like a dingy, pale-ish ice tea with a less than enthused white head that ends up as a fizzy little sheet. Nose is primarily like a candy tangerine or something. Finishes off a touch hot, which predictably enough is exactly how it starts off tasting. So, fairly astringent and messy heat is the overwhelming taste up front but does allow some of that sweet fruit to creep in eventually. Finishes thin but angry (I mentioned the heat, ya?) with just not a ton of depth.
477 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Looks like a dingy, pale-ish ice tea with a less than enthused white head that ends up as a fizzy little sheet. Nose is primarily like a candy tangerine or something. Finishes off a touch hot, which predictably enough is exactly how it starts off tasting. So, fairly astringent and messy heat is the overwhelming taste up front but does allow some of that sweet fruit to creep in eventually. Finishes thin but angry (I mentioned the heat, ya?) with just not a ton of depth.
477 characters
3.82/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Good solid double IPA with hints of citrus, pine, and a bubble gum like flavor of some sort that plays interestingly off the thick mouthfeel...wait nope it's an odd dank fruit of some sort from the hops. Whatever it is I approve.
230 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Good solid double IPA with hints of citrus, pine, and a bubble gum like flavor of some sort that plays interestingly off the thick mouthfeel...wait nope it's an odd dank fruit of some sort from the hops. Whatever it is I approve.
230 characters
4.05/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Translucent golden hue. Bright white head that dissipates slowly.
S: Super grassy nose. Really enjoyable.
T: Grassy and piney. Slight bitterness right on the tail.
F: Finishes a bit dry, but super drinkable.
O: Very nice. Reminds me of a great west coast IPA.
263 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Translucent golden hue. Bright white head that dissipates slowly.
S: Super grassy nose. Really enjoyable.
T: Grassy and piney. Slight bitterness right on the tail.
F: Finishes a bit dry, but super drinkable.
O: Very nice. Reminds me of a great west coast IPA.
263 characters
3.79/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Filtered DIPA and a solid effort. Light in tropical nose and mild on bitterness, this is a solid effort from PB. not my favorite from them but not a disappointment either. Drank at brewery in a wine glass
206 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Filtered DIPA and a solid effort. Light in tropical nose and mild on bitterness, this is a solid effort from PB. not my favorite from them but not a disappointment either. Drank at brewery in a wine glass
206 characters
3.71/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Enjoyed this from the growler in a willybecker.
The color is dark amber with light haze and amber highlight with white head and spots of lace stick. The smell is mild caramel with a pine-like odor and slight alcohol with toasted malt accent. The feel is mostly malt at first with light bitter entry that builds with semi-high caramel texture and moderate alcohol from mid palate with medium body and semi-sweet finish.
The taste has a light pine hop flavor with mild caramel sweetness in the taste with slight toasted flavor and moderate alcohol in the taste with light citrus quality with a mix of malty/bitter hop finish. Overall a decent mix of malt, hops and some relatively prominent alcohol in the taste with a sort of fusel quality.
743 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Enjoyed this from the growler in a willybecker.
The color is dark amber with light haze and amber highlight with white head and spots of lace stick. The smell is mild caramel with a pine-like odor and slight alcohol with toasted malt accent. The feel is mostly malt at first with light bitter entry that builds with semi-high caramel texture and moderate alcohol from mid palate with medium body and semi-sweet finish.
The taste has a light pine hop flavor with mild caramel sweetness in the taste with slight toasted flavor and moderate alcohol in the taste with light citrus quality with a mix of malty/bitter hop finish. Overall a decent mix of malt, hops and some relatively prominent alcohol in the taste with a sort of fusel quality.
743 characters
4.02/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A billowing pour yields three solid fingers worth of thick lush creamy yet whimsical and light khaki colored frothy goodness... Excellent retention... Once receded there is a full slightly frothy veil of lacing... The color is a deep dark rich copper... A light bit of slightly sluggish carbonation throughout... The nose is big and slightly assertive... Loaded with tropical fruits... There is a rock solid malty graham cracker back bone... There is also a big whiff of sweet candied sugars... Simple yet assertive and rather straight-forward... Excellent aroma... Is it a malt backbone if it's at the forefront throughout... Biscuit... Bread crust... Graham crackers... There is a light rye component that seems to linger on the tongue as well... The hops take a distant backseat and are exceedingly earthy with a bit of dankness... The mouthfeel is full bodied... Lush, thick and chewy... The finish is dry with a growing chalkiness... Little or no carbonation throughout... In so many ways this one excels, but it falls a bit short in the taste category... While I love balance in my DIPAs and a strong malt backbone, this one may go a notch or two too far as the flavor profile is somewhat devoid of a much needed hop presence... Still a highly enjoyable offering...
1,294 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A billowing pour yields three solid fingers worth of thick lush creamy yet whimsical and light khaki colored frothy goodness... Excellent retention... Once receded there is a full slightly frothy veil of lacing... The color is a deep dark rich copper... A light bit of slightly sluggish carbonation throughout... The nose is big and slightly assertive... Loaded with tropical fruits... There is a rock solid malty graham cracker back bone... There is also a big whiff of sweet candied sugars... Simple yet assertive and rather straight-forward... Excellent aroma... Is it a malt backbone if it's at the forefront throughout... Biscuit... Bread crust... Graham crackers... There is a light rye component that seems to linger on the tongue as well... The hops take a distant backseat and are exceedingly earthy with a bit of dankness... The mouthfeel is full bodied... Lush, thick and chewy... The finish is dry with a growing chalkiness... Little or no carbonation throughout... In so many ways this one excels, but it falls a bit short in the taste category... While I love balance in my DIPAs and a strong malt backbone, this one may go a notch or two too far as the flavor profile is somewhat devoid of a much needed hop presence... Still a highly enjoyable offering...
1,294 characters
3.92/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Copper in color with a slight haze. Citrusy nose. Very nice malt-hop balance with solid notes of citrus fruits adn (of course) hops. The alcohol is well hidden for a double digit offering.
This beer very good but one step away from being excellent.
251 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Copper in color with a slight haze. Citrusy nose. Very nice malt-hop balance with solid notes of citrus fruits adn (of course) hops. The alcohol is well hidden for a double digit offering.
This beer very good but one step away from being excellent.
251 characters
3.75/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden. Pours clear amber orange with a half finger tall white head, quickly dissipating to a very light film, leaving small streaks of lace on the glass.
Smells of strong caramel sweetness, mild booze burn, some grassy and citric hops and some mildly toasted grains. Taste is pretty much the same with the intense caramel sweetness and mild booze burn up front slowly giving way to hints of the hops and more of the toasty malt. Slick, sweet feel with a good hit of booze burn at the end of each sip. Some bitterness and dryness creep in as it warms up, helping to balance it a bit.
Overall this is definitely a big DIPA. It packs a serious punch and doesn't let up. Nice to try but I could never drink more than one of these in a sitting.
770 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden. Pours clear amber orange with a half finger tall white head, quickly dissipating to a very light film, leaving small streaks of lace on the glass.
Smells of strong caramel sweetness, mild booze burn, some grassy and citric hops and some mildly toasted grains. Taste is pretty much the same with the intense caramel sweetness and mild booze burn up front slowly giving way to hints of the hops and more of the toasty malt. Slick, sweet feel with a good hit of booze burn at the end of each sip. Some bitterness and dryness creep in as it warms up, helping to balance it a bit.
Overall this is definitely a big DIPA. It packs a serious punch and doesn't let up. Nice to try but I could never drink more than one of these in a sitting.
770 characters
Armor Shark from Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
51 ratings
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