Beta Max
Devils Backbone Brewing Company

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From:
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.63 | pDev: 11.29%
Ratings:
29 | reviews: 9
Status:
Inactive
Rated:
May 03, 2016
Added:
Feb 26, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  9
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Pencible
Rated by Pencible from Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Not sure how old this was, but it tasted over the hill. Hot and metallic without many redeeming qualities.
May 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.63 by ThreeBeersWalkedIn from Maryland

Mar 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.43 by MisledTitan from England

Feb 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by AMCPhD from Virginia

Jan 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by Isaak1323 from Virginia

Jan 03, 2016
Photo of HerbMeowing
Reviewed by HerbMeowing from Virginia

4.31/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2015 Adventure pack (bottled OCT-15)
Source: Sam's Club (warm)
Served in porter / stout glass

---
Pours murky gold with a fat yet fast-fading head sans lace.
Lees may have contributed to poor clarity. No change as it warmed.

Strong inviting aroma ... pleasant hop-forward flavor ... malt takes a back seat ... medium-light body ... clean enough finish ... and a refined bitterness given mid-90 IBUs.

Beta Max is my idea of balance.
Too many IPAs / DIPAs wave their cloyingly slick malt backbone around like a bloody shirt.

DB claims its "full frontal assault of hop flavor" comes from Chinook and Cascade.
More presence from the former than the latter.
Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 2.47 by Guden from Maryland

Dec 05, 2015
Photo of rjs246
Reviewed by rjs246 from Virginia

3.46/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a very traditional, east coast style IPA. Earthy hops and a familiar nose. It's a little on the shy side when it comes to abv for a double, and with so many top end DIPAs available it doesn't really match up, but generally a very drinkable brew.
Dec 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by bigbutter from Virginia

Nov 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by dbrauneis from North Carolina

Oct 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by SonOfKyuss from Virginia

Oct 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by williahd from Maine

Oct 17, 2015
Photo of AndrewMichael
Rated by AndrewMichael from Virginia

3.34/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle. Not much on the hop front, but good bitterness.
Oct 11, 2015
Photo of MattXT
Reviewed by MattXT from Virginia

3.76/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle from a mixed DB 12-pack, poured into an Alchemist tumbler. Pour was a deep golden, very clear/filtered. Head was abundant and lasting. Smell was faintly tropical and resiny. The taste was similar, but had a strong malt presence and some overbearing yeasty notes. Feel was ok, somewhat boozy on the finish for such a relatively low ABV. I can say that it was the best of the mix pack, but I probably wont chase more down.
Oct 06, 2015
Photo of argock
Reviewed by argock from Virginia

3.17/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a clear glass tulip. Bottled on 09/07/15 lasered on bottleneck. Purchased in DB Adventure Pack sampler.

A: Dark amber with 1-finger off-white head with decent retention and copious lacing.

S: Aroma is light and grows a little with progression but mostly floral, honeysuckle, resin, and berry alcohol. Pale malt lends a light touch of graininess.

T: Pretty disappointing in the flavor department with too much booze despite the relatively low ABV for a DIPA. Rosy alcohol enhanced by floral and honeysuckle hop character, light pine and resin. Pale malt lands a little heavy on the palate. Really messy and not up to par.

M: Relatively smooth and dry in the finish to try to salvage the experience with low carbonation and medium-high body.

O: Beta Max is a throwback in a not so hot way -- it lands heavy and woody, herbal, cherry-berry alcoholic in nature with underwhelming hop aroma and flavor. Not DB's best effort. Sloppy in execution in comparison to their lagers and to the other two ales in this Adventure Pack. Definitely a retire or back to the drawing board with this one.
Sep 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Immortale25 from North Carolina

Sep 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by HopsForBrains from North Carolina

Sep 19, 2015
Photo of delta490
Reviewed by delta490 from Virginia

3.72/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a darker amber with a slight orange tint. The head is creamy white but doesn't last long or leave more than a drop or two of lacing. Has a moderate resinous quality to the aroma and the same goes for the taste. The taste adds a little hint of tropical fruit and caramel malt. The body is a little thicker and it has a nice weight and feel to it, smooth with just a hint of carbonation.
Sep 16, 2015
Photo of GarthDanielson
Reviewed by GarthDanielson from Virginia

3.79/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a deep, copper-caramel coloring with a tall, foamy, fluffy, off-white head. Aromas of rich caramel, tropical fruit notes of pineapple and mango, citrus highlights of grapefruit and orange rind, and a bitter and resinous hops profile. Flavors are richly sweet and bitter forward, heavy on caramel and resinous pine pitch, followed by some pepper spice, tropical fruit sweetness, and a roasted overtone. The body is full and robust, with a dry undertone accentuating the resinous and bitter aftertaste. Smooth, dry finish, with a bitter hops linger. Solid beer.
Sep 16, 2015
Photo of krbrevard
Reviewed by krbrevard from Virginia

3.56/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Less than a week bottled.

a- very hazy dark amber, about half inch of head, carbonation the entire lifespan of the drink. Looks like we may have a west coast style IPA going here...
s- bready, yeasty, esters, not much hop variety shining though on this bottle.. hmmm, west coast ipa?
t- very nice malt up front with a ton of hops on the back end, grapefruit, wood, a slight bit of alcohol... after the finish, a TON of hops.
m - a little brightness
o - This blends nicely with the mediocre 151 brews

Take out the nose and some of the overpowering yeast and this is a west coast IPA.... Hops galore.
Sep 15, 2015