Project Dank
La Cumbre Brewing Co.

Re-reviewing the new batch, which is a different recipe. Bottle dated 8/11/14, courtesy of BeerandBoards, my Dank hookup forever and always. You're amazing. Poured into a Prairie Teku glass. Previous reviews below.

Appearance: A dark red-hued orange, translucent, reminds me of the color of Dayquil, really unique color for an IPA. I suppose this is due to the darker malt they used in this batch. Head is small white and loose, big champagne like bubbles that fade quickly into a thin crown with dainty lacing.

Smell: Wow. Indescribably complex, but let's give it a try. Intensely floral, specifically Gardenia. Loads of sweet citrus rind, tangerine or orange, almost like an orange creamsicle thing going on. Faint hints of pine intermingle as well. As it warms up, I get a bit of a spicy character as well, cinnamon comes to mind first, like a red-hot candy type of way. This is gorgeous.

Taste: Not quite as awesome as the smell, but still great. The tangerine comes through very prominently as well, but it's ultimately too pithy. Bracingly bitter, particularly on the aftertaste. The floral Gardenia plays in the background behind the citrus in the taste, but it's still a big portion of the flavor profile, adding a perfume note.

Mouthfeel: On the lower side for an IPA, but still respectable. That bitterness really clings to the palate, the finish on this thing is forever.

Overall: First batch I tried (2/28) was still my favorite, but this is a very respectable second place of the three so far. Really unique flavor profile on this one. Lovely stuff.

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Poured from a bottle dated 5/3/14 into a Prairie Teku glass, courtesy of the ever-generous Beerandboards. Original review of the first batch I tried, 2/26/14, is kept for history's sake down below.

Appearance: An almost-translucent orange/amber with a small head that fades quickly. A thin crown hands around the edge. Some minor lacing. 4.25/5

Smell: Tropical fruits and cat piss come through first. Very fruity too, like sweet blueberries. Yup. Lots of dried blueberries. That must be the interesting South African hops I've never had before, the Southern Dawn and the Southern Passion. Can't wait to see how the smell develops as the beer warms up. 5/5

Taste: Very different from the smell. Very low bitterness at first, but the first sip has loads of pine, and some earth. Bitterness intensifies as the beer warms and I get further down in the glass. Some herbal notes, (perhaps oregano, or parsley?). Virtually no aftertaste, which is interesting because literally every beer I've ever had has an aftertaste. Some vague fruitiness but not anything specific like the dried blueberries I was getting in the nose. This isn't hitting me over with complexity flavor wise like the last batch did. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Relatively thin, hefty carb. Doesn't stick around for long in the mouth at all, very clean. 4.5/5

Overall: The last batch I had was better (probably the best IPA I've ever had), but this is still very good. Very unique hop profile. I'm looking forward to future batches of this. 4.59/5

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Poured from a bottle dated 2/26/14 into a Prairie Teku glass.

Appearance: Hazy amber, next to no head. What head there is there fades away quickly. Just the thinnest of crowns around the edge. No lacing to speak of. 4.25/5

Smell: Holy hell. Holy. Hell. Best smelling IPA I've ever had. As soon as I popped the top the room filled with beautiful citrus, apricots and tropical fruit. Putting my nose in the glass, the beer reeks of cream. I can't wait to taste the beer! 5/5

Taste: Well I wasn't expecting that. Unlike the fruity smell, the flavor is much more earthy even dusty. Quite herbal. Dank, too, because of course it is. The fruitiness comes through a bit more toward the finish. Cat pee and pine, bitterness isn't bracing. Aftertaste is mostly bitter and sticks around a while. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Very sticky. Carbonation is lower, but far from flat. Really coats the mouth. 4.25/5

Overall: This is a ridiculously good IPA. Unlike any other IPA I've had, and it's fantastic. I wish I lived in New Mexico so I could drink this more frequently. Just...oh my god. Five stars. Good job, La Cumbre. 5/5

Total score: 4.89/5

Pours a clear straw with slight sediment. This one canned 3/5/26, $5.99 for 16 Oz single at Total wine. Simcoe, Ekuanot, Citra hops. White head, citrus, grapefruit, lemon, dank aroma. Flavors of floral, fruity, juicy but not sweet, peach, melon, light dank, easy drinking for so much flavor. Pretty good...

Superb westie.. w/simcoe,citra,mosaic hits on all cylinders. Dank, slightly sweet/fruity with a firmmm bitterness.

 

Such a beautifully done beer. Gobs and curtains of sticky lace, slight haze, zippy piney honey aroma. Such a full and balanced journey of hop expression. This one I believe was brewed with citra, eukanot, krush. Not even a big eukanot nor krush fan but they got me here. Beautifully juicy midway then finishes bitter hoppy and dry. The bitterness doesnt overstay or cloy. When dankness, fruit, pine, and deeper herb characteristics are balanced this well, it’s impossible not to give near top marks. QUAFFABLE

 

 

 

L: pours a beautiful clear golden straw yellow.
S: piney
T: dank, bitter, perfectly balanced and delicious
F: satisfying, gulpable, minimal aftertaste
Overall: just when i was starting to doubt if I’d see another great west coast IPA, this comes along. Perfect.

 

While it’s a bit inaccurate to rate this beer (the hop bill changes year to year) I’d say the various recipes I’ve tried have been excellent examples of west coast style with over the top hop bitterness and fruit/floral aspects carried on a restrained malt backbone tending toward clear straw yellow. The Venus version I’m enjoying at the moment is stone fruit, melon, maybe green apple, and weedy, spicy, bracingly bitter. One of the best breweries in the southwest. You can’t go wrong with La Cumbre!

Look - pale gold, frothy white head
Smell - dank, weed, spicy, piney
Taste - grapefruit, citrus pith, piney, spicy
Feel - medium body, moderate carbo, dry finish with lingering bitterness
Overall - Fantastic Brew and "Dank" is definitely appropriate. The grapefruit, citrus pith, pine and spice flavors leave a nice lingering bitterness that's just so damn good. Get a hold of this one if you can and pair her up with Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath.

Pours a beautiful clear golden straw color with a frothy white head that coats the glass. Gorgeous beer. The nose is DANK AND WEEDY (intentional all caps) with loads of citrus and some pine, which is where the taste lands with an exquisitely bitter, dry mouthfeel. World class stuff, IMHO.

Piney, resinous IIRC

 

On tap at Downshift Brewing in Albuquerque, CA.

Just lost. So lost. Not Kardashian lost while reading a Goosebumps book, but lost in beauty and wonder and I don’t want to be found. It’s here. It’s there. It’s everywhere… And Raul is… Raul just “is.” Because he’s in this moment. A moment. And he loves moments. And today we live. Today Raul lives.

 

Quite delicious. La Cumbre continues to produce some very different, but very fine beers. My hat is off to them. I do like dank beers, but I understand that they are not for everyone. However, if you are one of those that like the funk, then this beer is for you!