IPA V.S. Brut
Golden Valley Brewery and Pub

IPA V.S. BrutIPA V.S. Brut
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From:
Golden Valley Brewery and Pub
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 10.58%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
10
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 27, 2010
Added:
Feb 09, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine June 2007.

This brewery incorporates barrel aging and the méthode champenoise for this beer; very few breweries in the world finish their beer in this manner, due to it being both costly and labor-intensive.

Pours a mildly hazed orangey-amber color, with a thick layer of sea foam head wrapping itself tight on the inside of the glass. Sweet and pungent resin aroma; lemony and oaky, with suggestions of hemp seed oil, blond tobacco, pine and grapefruit rind. As the beer warms up a bit, a deep graininess unfolds in the nose. It kicks off with a juicy malt and vanilla flavor, which quickly turns to dry oak, bitter hop oil and a semi-sharp graininess. It's certainly an IPA, with a nonstop barrage of bitterness that's intensified by the alcohol. Hints of peach and pineapple on the palate. A well-rounded backside of oak, as well as a slight vanilla tone, chalky yeast, bitter hop and a long-lingering graininess.

Absolutely delicious--almost too complex as it pushes the envelope of flavor. Go out and find the sharpest aged cheddar available to throw at this one.
Sep 27, 2010
Photo of badbeer
Reviewed by badbeer from Iowa

2.84/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Orange color with an off-white head that quickly dissipates. Skunky aroma with bits of caramel. Taste was also skunky, but had a little bit of grass and pine to it. I think the clear bottle might have ruined this beer. Medium carbonation and medium body. Would try this again if not in a clear bottle.
Dec 28, 2008
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to hopdog for sharing this 750 mL...
Appears a semi-transparent amber with yeasty and small grainy particles near the bottom of the glass. Steady streams of CO2 rising to the top. An off white head of fluff slowly fades out and has decent retention.
Smell is of mildly oxidized cherries, caramel, brown sugar, earthy hops, and pine.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some gummy raisins coming through in the flavor.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sugary, well balanced.
Very drinkable beer that grows on you.
Jan 10, 2008
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A 750 mL corked and caged bottle with foil around the mouth. I bought this at Liquid Solutions over a year ago, so I am hoping that the hops have held up.

A: The ale opened with a slight pop. A pour into my mug yielded a 2 finger swatch of foamy head that has clung precariously to the sides. The ale is a darker amber color, showing off hints of copper red. Haziness throughout the glass dulls the color a bit.

S: The nose has a thick vinous aroma punctuated with some oily hops and an alcohol aroma that doesn't hide its strength.

T: It seems that my fears have been realized. The hops have settled down significantly, casting a muted flavor in the mouth. The barrel aging has imparted a sweeter flavor to the IPA, adding some vanilla bean flavors and a sweet white grape flavor. Graininess overtakes the last half of the sip and, in conjunction with the chardonnay profile, creates a sweet mouthfeel that could pass for a Belgian IPA.

M: The mouthfeel starts off promising, hits some Belgian IPA notes midway through but never really hits the hoppy notes that I was hoping to see. Interesting but not extraordinary.

D: The abv is high but there is a large flavor profile that keeps the tastebuds interested. Worth a look for its uniqueness.
Dec 09, 2007
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Damn strange - when I uncorked the bottle, I was very worried as I didn't get the expected pop and the beer looked like a still wine; slowly, however, I started to see a stream of bubbles and now, half the bottle later, I have a beer that pours a rocky head that retains well and releases shards of lace; hazy light amber color or, as one reviewer put it, saffron

Smell: An unusual aroma, to boot - apricots and pears predominate, with an oaky, vanilla aspect; clearly some citrusy pineapple underneath, as well

Taste: Up front, the flavor has a toasted oak quality and is somewhat yeasty; then some fruit appears, with the pear and apricot I detected in the aroma; a touch of herbal bitterness appears as well, by mid-palate; after the swallow, there is an earthy hop character that is complemented by the oaky elements, but it also generates a lemony and grainy flavor

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation; I would have expected a bit more effervescence from the methode champenoise

Drinkability: Mighty complex and very interesting to document, but I can't say that I love it
Nov 21, 2007
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml Bottle
Gold Wrap
Caged/Corked

BIG POP!

Poured into a chalice a cloudy burnt orange color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger plus creamy off-white head, tons and tons of nice sticky lacing follows. The nose is quite different from a DIPA, more on the malty side, hints of spices, dark fruits, some caramel. The taste is just awesome, malty, spicey, hints of cherries, tangy, some caramel. The alcohol is hidden very well with this one. Nice warming effect going down. Full body, well rounded, complex brew. Very drinkable, this is my first brew like it, very different from an DIPA or IPA, to me a combo of an IPA and a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and Dark Ale. It did cost me $25, but worth it. Highly Recommended.
Oct 11, 2007
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Batch 2, Sampled September 2007
Pours with a lightly hazy, rich amber hue, but shows a bright copper color when held up to the light. The head starts out almost three-fingers in height and is a frothy, creamy, light tan color. Aromas of hemp, pine, a touch of green onion and citrus like orange peel are found easily in the nose. Underneath this caramelized grain, toasty malt, biscuit-like malt and lightly browned soda cracker aromatics play a secondary, yet vibrant role. Spicy, almost hot, oak notes play a role here as well, though they are almost not noticeable as a distinct entity, but instead contribute to the overall character of the aroma.

Much sweeter tasting than I anticipated (for some reason the aroma had me subconsiously thinking this would be dry; though it is only lightly sweet, and well in line for a double IPA), this certainly accentuates the citrus hop notes, but these still don't play nearly as prominent a role as they usually do in an American IPA. The beer finishes with a drying, herbal, pine-like, even menthol feeling flavor and bitterness. The hops definitely have a hemp-like character to them, it is almost even dank and oily at times; though these notes are well contained and balanced. Spicy with a light woodiness to it, the barrel character seems to meld quite well with the hop notes; in fact the sharper, herbal leaning notes of the beer may well be accented and even contributed by the barrel character. The malt sweetness, general hoppiness and oak spiciness combine to form a component that is almost like cinnamon. Flavors of grapefruit, tangelo, lychee and orange zest mix with spicy notes of hemp, definite pine tar, spicy pepper and a green menthol note all mix together with a bunch of other flavors that I just can't quite put words to. This beer has a nice heft to it, it is light enough to be easy drinking yet full enough to carry the substantial flavors of hop and oak.

I really like how subtle the oak character is here; it is more subtle in the aroma but even in the flavor if I didn't know it was here I could almost be convinced that the flavors were from something else like the hops. The barrel character really adds to the complexity of this brew, especially as it warms. So many layers of aromatic notes and flavor notes become noticeable; I almost think I can taste the chardonnay influence at times. This is quite good; I almost feel like the individual components of this brew would not add up to a beer as tasty as this, but the combination definitely works on many levels for me.

Purchased via mail order: Liquid Solutions
Sep 23, 2007
Photo of GCBrewingCo
Reviewed by GCBrewingCo from North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The beer poured into the chalice crystal clear pale golden amber with light particulates starting to grow. The head was off-white, actually almost yellow, small bubbled, and frothy rising well and falling slowly to lace the glass.

The aroma was earthy and spicy with a strong aroma of pepper. A light character of oak was notable and grew stronger as the beer warmed. The aroma had a malt sweetness and light caramel, but mostly it was earthy and fruity with a muted spice.

The flavor was interesting with a light oak presence, toasted oak that is, and an earthy and citrusy hop character. The malt was present, but not overpowering and the bittering was moderate and well balanced with the caramel malt. The flavor still contained a peppery spice presence and an earthiness. At first on the palate was malt, and a creamy texture, but as the beer lingered a second or two the pepper and earthiness with oak took control.

The finish was dry with a lasting impression of light earthy bittering and pepper long and pleasantly into the aftertaste. The body was medium full and was nicely creamy with a fairly high carbonation level. A very interesting beer and worth the $25 price tag and shipping from Oregon. A n experience in a bottle.

750 ml corked and bailed clear bottle.
Oct 14, 2006
Photo of Westsidethreat
Reviewed by Westsidethreat from California

4.06/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Clear 750ml corked bottle with lots of sediment. Pours a unfiltered saffron orange body with a huge frothy head, color of whipped butter. Tight bubbles signify a long lasting friendship between the head and the body. Constant movement from the bubbles at the bottom of the glass cause the sediment to dance about.

S: Fresh soap, orange, green apple with a hint of oak. Very yeasty.

T: Whoa. Starts off sour with stray yeast flavors. Bitterness then spikes hard and fast with highnotes of green apple, peach, apricots and pinecones. Moments are extremely dry; grapefruit, oak and almost salty. The aftertaste is pure diacetyl.

M: Full bodied with a carbonation on the fluffy end.

D: Surprises around every corner. First flavors make you think its going to be like a Belgian, then you think its going to be like a champagne, then you think its going to be like an IPA, then you think its going to be like a lambic.

Then the sip is done and you wonder what the hell you just drank, so you try it again. What a trip. Quite a pricey bottle but recommended regardless.
Jul 03, 2006
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle, corked, caged and foil-wrapped. Methode Champenoise, aged in Argyle barrels.

Pop goes the cork!
Dark crimson color, nearly violet, with thick haze and some floaties flitting about...big, long-lasting head.

Musty, funky aroma looms over anything else...slightly sour and utterly twisted...thoroughly queer this, more like a Cantillon than any IPA...can barely detect any hops...(this changes in the glass over time, as the must dissipates just a bit)

Taste: sweet and sour. Hops dance on the tongue, lash the palate with light bitterness, fruity character dominates and becomes increasingly pleasing. Plummy flavor shines through, with some cherry and grape. Nicely rounded with an edge of oak. Very complex and sophisticated blend, gets mellow in the mouth, despite the protracted alcoholic content (9.5%).

Full bodied, dry, fruity finish...bitterness is moderate, malt feels lush. Quite tasty, this...smooth, yet complicated, a unique combination of hops, yeast, sweet malt, and barrel-aging effects.

Very special, indeed.
Feb 09, 2006
IPA V.S. Brut from Golden Valley Brewery and Pub
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 10 ratings