Eggnog IPA
Evil Twin Brewing

 

16oz can poured into a tulip

A- pours a deep golden color with a two-finger foamy white head that has good retention long after the pour and leaves some lacing behind

S- aroma is surprisingly floral up front, with spicing kicking in afterwards; nutmeg, creamy vanilla lactose, very interesting

T- the lactose and vanilla actually gives a creamy egg-nog like flavor up front, complimented by some nutmeg. Mid-palate brings out some citrus and floral hoppy notes. The finish is creamy and sweet with notes of vanilla cream and nutmeg on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy silky finish

O- I had no idea how someone could pull off an eggnog IPA, but what can I say, I love egg nog and this was surprisingly good

 

 

 

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a yellow-orange color and a very cloudy consistency. There was a 3/4", creamy, fairly long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: An interesting aroma of hops, citrus, malt, vanilla, and spices.

T: Tasted of a mild amount of malt (mostly in the finish), a bit of an eggy quality, a moderate hops presence, some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), citrus (orange, in particular), and a tinge of bourbon. Definitely one of the stranger IPA flavors ever. Somehow this grows on you, with the light, fruity, hoppiness playing well with the eggnog elements.

F: A fair amount of carbonation with a silky smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is certainly one oddball IPA, which probably accounts for its low score. To me it works. If you want something offbeat, give it a whirl.

 

 

 

I'm an eggnog fanatic so I had to give this one a go.

Did a pretty good job of nailing the eggnog in the aroma and taste, especially the aroma, but the hops clashed a bit with the eggnog qualities creating a bit of a strange medicinal flavor. Perhaps this would have been a more successful beer if it were brewed in another style, rather than an IPA, such as a stout or cream ale. Still not bad and I was able to finish and enjoy my can. Probably more of a novelty, fun to try once type of beer, definitely not an everday drimker, but maybe next Christmas I might possibly buy another can, if i happen to see it.

 

Looks are super hazy. Wouldn't be able to try seeing through it for anything. Thin head.
This is a very different smell. Smells like citrus egg nog? Very interesting. It is cool how much like egg nog the nose smells like.
And this is where it gets even more interesting. Because it does have citrus notes in the flavors. But egg nog does come through. It's kind of confusing. But can't knock it since that's what it is! The mouthfeel is thick but isn't as thick as an egg nog.
Overall I think that this is pretty crazy what they pulled off. It was very fun and interesting to try. I wasn't crazy about it. But judged by what it was. And what it was and what they were going for I think they achieved.

 

A: Pours a hazy pale yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate pale golden yellow + burnt orange colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense sudsy foamy white head that reduces to a couple of small patches of medium thick film surrounded by a large patch of thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of eggnog, biscuit malts with lactose sweetness, citrus/grapefruit hops, and hints of nutmeg + vanilla.

T: Upfront there are just shy of moderate flavors of biscuit malts with moderate amounts of lactose sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of eggnog and sweet bourbon/cognac and light hints of nutmeg + vanilla. Finally there are moderate flavors of citrus/grapefruit hops which impart no perceptibly bitterness. Lingering flavors of eggnog + lactose in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Initially slightly crisp.

O: Definitely a unique (read strange) beer and not sure that it is completely successful in my opinion - I get the lactose IPA, cocktail, and eggnog flavors but they don't quite seem to integrate. Even though I'm not the hugest eggnog fan (I like 1-2 glasses per year), I couldn't resist grabbing this one but I don't think I would have another.

 

A: The beer is very hazy light yellow in color. It poured with a half finger high white head that died down a bit, leaving patches of bubbles on the surface and a thin layer of bubbles covering the remainder with a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of citrusy hops are present in the nose along with underlying notes of eggnog.
T: The taste follows the smell, having balanced flavors of citrusy hops along with notes of lactose and vanilla with hints of bourbon and nutmeg. The vanilla becomes stronger as the beer warms up.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O:This is an unusual beer as the IPA doesn't really mesh with the eggnog. It doesn't work that well together and would probably be a lot better if the underlying beer was a stout.

Serving type: can

 

This is by far one of the wackiest ideas from the Evil Twin camp in a while, but, interestingly enough it actually does fit into some of Jeppe's modern ouevre... namely, creating beers that remind one of cocktails. Now, most of these have been IPAs (though some have been on the sour side of things, for sure), and that's another way in which this is out there. Wouldn't it make more sense to do a brown ale or at least some kind of sweeter stout with these flavors? This guy has pulled off a lot of unique stuff, but we'll see if he can do justice to the bourbon eggnog cocktail.

The pour is convincing as hell, actually... a beautiful light/pale orange color with a superbly-retentive head of white foam, resembling the creaminess you get from the blended/whipped egg/spice mixture. Lace is superb here as well; quite consistent with sheets of eggshell-white suds clinging to my snifter glass as the beer settles down. The surface is surprisingly clear and static here, but the same can certainly not be said for the main body of the beer which remains completely opaque. Overall, a good looking beer; well-made and apropos of current style trends. I dig it so far!

The nose is certainly going to be hugely-polarizing here, however. Now, I'm not sure what people were really expecting given the ingredient list ("shaken up with eggs and with lactose, natural bourbon type flavoring, nutmeg and vanilla"), but this is hilariously accurate to an eggnog cocktail, with perhaps some slight hints of grassier/herbal hops. Honestly, this is most likely really an "American Strong Ale" at the end of the day, given the smell, which hints at raw egg, vanilla-flavored milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and a hefty dose of yeast-driven esters. If I have to rate "to style," I'd say this is a let-down, but given some of the flavor alchemy going on here, I'd say this was quite well-done. You have to like eggnog, though.

The flavors open up closer to room temperature, unlike most IPAs (not surprising, really, considering this is essentially an IPA in name only), giving off strong aspects of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and an egg-like creamy element. The mid-palate carries over with strong yeasty notes, surprising earthy and grassy hops and a finishing note of nutty malt coalescing into more yeast and lactose-induced milkiness. Gets a bit bitter and takes on some flavors of tangerine, clementine and white grapefruit, too, after maybe thirty minutes in my glass. I've spent a while sipping at it and swirling this, and I'd say it'smooth, weirdly-satisfying and definitely interesting, Eggnog IPA cements Jeppe's not-really-contested seat on the throne of "Best and Most Unique Beer Adaptations of Off-Kilter Cocktails."

It's definitely a strange beer... I probably wouldn't really ever want more than one in a session, but I'm also willing to be on the record saying it's well-done. I just wish it wasn't marketed as an IPA, but I somewhat understand that the haze and "not-as-bitter-as-usual" flavors are qualifications that kinda end up shoeing this one into the modern "NEIPA scene." Perhaps that's "the joke," as Jeppe is known to be kind of a clown, especially when it comes to trends. If so, it's a surprisingly good (and informed) one. Not many cocktails resemble the "milkshake" IPA craze, after all... and what better time of year to take advantage of that hype? Solid stuff.

Smells like bubblegummy jagermeister and tastes like banana Laffy Taffy; no IPA essence present at all.