2 X Thor
Melvin Brewing

 

 

Pours a hazed amber with 2 fingers of fluffy beige head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Pears, green melon, grapefruit & grassyness

T: Follows the nose, also dryness & papaya up front. Pears, green apples, pine & dryness as this warms, plus a little yeastyness & white pepper. Finishes with green melon, pineapple & pine

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, decent balance

Pretty drinkable, solid DIPA

 

 

i think its cool that all of a sudden everyone is willing to play around with different yeasts, this is something that has been missing from main stream craft for awhile, but the weird obsession with kveik is a funny thing, its becoming an every day strain, a workhorse relied upon to save time, worry less about temperature, sort of a fail safe, so it ends up in a lot of beer that is somewhat mediocre, at least that is how its trending, so its neat to see a top flight operation like this use it in such a known entity like 2x4, and while i prefer the original by a wide margin, its neat to see how this yeast works in here. it almost turns it into a saison or something, high tone esters abound, taffy and gum, pear and white wine, light spiciness too, and there is some apparent synergy with this massive hop profile, sweet candied pine, fresh juniper, zested orange and grapefruit, even peach. there is a lot of alcohol here too, seems maybe more exposed than in the original, but it highlights different aspects of the hops, and for a minute this kind of hits like a gin drink. not a ton from the grain, a little honey sweetness and the body is all, it seems dry by the end though, maybe a sage note, herbal for sure at the very end. neat as an experiment, i think this beer can teach the drinker a lot about this strain, especially if they are familiar with the original beer, it works better than expected in the context of this colossal ipa. melvin has been on a role lately!

 

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial IPA
Glass: North Park 16.5-oz. Munique glass
Price: $4.49 (10 pct. off $4.99 because of a mixed 6-pack)
From: San Diego Wine & Beer Company in Miramar (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Feb. 16, 2021
Consumed: March 4, 2021
Misc.: No canned on date

Grabbed this and five other cans on recent trip to San Diego Wine & Beer Company. Melvin’s website described it as “It’s a new era, and Melvin is ever-evolving, so we decided to give our champion double IPA 2x4 a slight makeover, while exploring its Viking heritage. Our brew squad took the same stellar recipe and fermented it with Kveik, a Norwegian yeast known for its freakish fermentation abilities, contributing to unique flavor profiles. This beauty starts with bright flavors of grapefruit, mango and pineapple, followed by notes of honey, white pepper and pine.” I love 2x4, so hoping this is something similar.

Poured a medium amber semi-clear color with five fingers of rocky white head. Could see some bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. World-class spiderweb foamy lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled pineapple, mango, peach, grapefruit, pine, resin, pepper, guava, honey and floral. Even better out of the can. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted about as good as the nose. Very tropical. In order got pineapple, mango, peach, grapefruit, coconut, pine, resin, white pepper, Simcoe, Columbus, papaya, caramel and citrus zest. It’s boozy, not but 9.9 pct. boozy. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Average-to-lively carbonation. Long, bitter, spicy finish. (Feel - 4.25)

OK, nowhere as good as regular 2x4 but still pretty good. Like a big tropical DIPA. (Overall - 4.25)

4.17 | 93 | A-

Interesting. Unfiltered light copper body, smooth caramel on the nose, big leafy herbal bite that sticks around from the beginning to end. Medium caramel backbone but not too sweet, sufficiently dry. Big leafy hop bite.

 

Review 1497

A different variation on the 2x4 from Melvin, I am game to try it. The beer is 46 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour created a massive three-fingered head with excellent retention. The head is bright white airy, foamy, and creamy, leaving lacing on the glass as it dissipated. The color of the beer is SRM 6, pale amber color with golden hues. The clarity of the beer is crystal clear with a few lazy carbonation bubbles dancing towards the top. The appearance of the beer is similar to the OG beer. Beautiful beer with a lovely head.

Initial aromas in the beer are pine, grapefruit, and lightly toasted malts. Nosing further in the glass I detect mango, pineapple, spicy floral hops, dried bay leaves, wet grass, and bread dough.

The flavors in the beer are peppery (like a spicy floral hop), a malty sweetness, oranges, pineapple, mango, guava, phenols, solvent, toasted bread crust, crackers, dank basement, and a pharmaceutical hint.

The mouthfeel of the beer is warming, viscous, and astringent.

The body of the beer is medium-plus, medium-low carbonation, and a full finish.

This beer is different than the OG 2x4, the flavor is fruitier with that spiciness on the backend. to me the beer is good but I prefer the 2x4 instead of this beer. I can tell the alcohol in this beer too. The malt backbone for me seems a bit bulkier too. I need to do a side-by-side comparison.

 

 

Poured from a 16 ounce can into a snifter.

Look- Pale amber, visible small particulate, average head retention, above average lacing, white frothy head.

Smell- Grapefruit, pine resin, mango, pineapple.

Taste- Mango, pineapple, grapefruit, pine resin, vibrant flavor, great balance.

Feel- Medium body, below average carbonation, high bitterness, creamy, zero astringency.

Overall- This is a delicious beer, but the added cost between this and 2x4 makes 2x4 an absolute no brainer.

 

 

 

16oz can with no canning date poured into a nonic. Moderately hazy golden straw pour with a fluffy white head that laces OK. Smell is sweet and piney, touch of honey as well as some fruitiness like lemon and some light grapefruit. Smooth body retains some sweetness and the presence of a malt breadiness with more of that lemon and grapefruit and pine and a resiny herbal note. Mild caramel. Creamy mouthfeel doesn't carry itself like a 10% brew, drinks easier than that, with a zingy snap of fruity yeast and hops. Its a good brew.

16oz can from Boise Coop. Hazy golden pour with a thin, creamy head. Hoppy aroma, background caramel malts. Taste starts sweet, then the hops bring a nice electric buzz, astringent bitterness. Sweet toffee lurks underneath, savory, spicy.