Project Dank Summer Edition
La Cumbre Brewing Co.

 

I love the nose and the mouthfeel, but this is too overpowering with bitter hoppiness. I guess that’s the point, but now I know where to draw the line.

 

Revisited with the Summer 2023 edition

Pouring temperature: 43.5 ℉; canning info: CO 06/28/23 BB 09/26.23
Source: local purchase

Clear, light gold body; moderate carbonation density; thick head, white, sticky and fluffy, very long lasting. Dank and floral nose; pine resin; mild note of light grains. Clean, well-balanced flavor; soft, quiet, light malt base; zesty hop flavor; peppery; medium-heavy hop bitterness note. Medium-heavy body; smooth and velvety; crisp with a soft prickliness.

Well, I've had many Project Dank beers over the years, but I've only reviewed twice, but there's no denying this is the best tasted to date (for the Summer edition).

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Original June 12th, 2022 ratings and scores:

4.0 4.25 4.5 4.25 4.25; BA weighted average: 4.34; rDev: +2.8%

Sharp and clear golden yellow body; sparse, slow-rising carbonation; thick, billowy head, white and fluffy; partial sheets of foam coat the glass. Dank, sweet aroma; resinous and malty; green herbal notes. Big hop bitterness flavor; light cracker malt base; moderate sweetness; bold pine resin. Medium-heavy body; smooth, slightly velvety; sticky; a touch of alcohol warmth.

La Cumbre's 'Project Dank' series have nearly always been winners. This year's Summer Edition is no different. It is all bold and tasty west coast styled India pale.

Pouring temperature: 44 °F; canning info: CO 05/31/22 BB 08/29/22

 

To say the listings for this beer are complicated is an understatement. Nonetheless, the pic I took of the beer is the same one in the picture listed here, so we're gonna go with it.

Pours a golden color with 1/2" white head and great clarity. The aroma straight pops, you don't even have to hold it up to your nose before you get a blast of hops. I would guess Mosaic, but who knows, nobody likes giving much in the way of details about what goes into each beer, but this was so aromatic with the tropical fruit notes, that's gonna be my pick.

Taste is a solid hoppy beer, it reminded me a lot of their big door prize beer, just seems like this one is teeming with Mosaic and Nelson hops possibly. Its lush, danky, the malt bill stays out of the way yet affords the 7.5% alcohol all the leisure it wants without being able to taste it. Definitely one of the best ipas I've had, while New Mexico falls apart, at least Le Cumbre can soften the blow.

Deep gold pour with one finger of tight white head; good cap retention; heavy ring; bands of clingy lace; good clarity. Dank weedy grapefruit nose; pine; herbal hops. Taste is earthy, bitter citrus hops; lemon peel, grapefruit; pine. Medium body, moderate minus carbonation; no hop astringency, no warmth from 7.5% abv. Overall I like almost as much as Elevated; big dank nose, long bitter citrus linger; I could happily drink two in a row.

Picked up a single from the Craft Beer Hop Stop cooler 7-8-20 for $3.99. Canned 6-25-20; best by 9-23-20; consumed 8-28-20.

Beer poured golden with a nice white head with the original pour.

Nose is very nice with notes of floral and citrus hops.

Taste is very good, a good size malt base displays a grapefruit core flavoring with pine almost as strong. Finishes with a nice piney bitterness; 7/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and both smooth and refreshing.

Overall a nice classic WCIPA, glad i was able to get it!

16oz can from Craft Beer Hop Stop.
CO: 6/25/20
BB: 9/23/20

16oz can served in a nonic glass. BBD is 09/16/20.

Look- Hazy golden amber color, solid off-white head that recedes fairly slowly to a thick cap of foam, gobs of lacing. Light carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Citrus (pithy grapefruit and lemon), resinous pine, pineapple and dank melon, sweet malts, grassy/earthy hop notes.

Taste- Mostly citrus and wet pine needles, pineapple and over-ripe melon, a bit of other overly ripe tropical fruits, earthy hops and caramel malts.

Feel- Heavier side of medium bodied, soft, sticky and dry with an aggressively bitter finish, well balanced. Moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O- Dankity dank dank it is. Very nicely done.

 

A: Light head on first pour, quickly disappears. Mostly clear, straw in color.

N: Dank (of course) and pine aromas on the nose. Grapefruit and lemon citrus.

T: Oily, medium body hits the palate with light malt and a touch of juicy fruits. More grapefruit, light malt flavors and then the bitter kicks in.

F: Refreshing hops clear the palate pretty quick and leave a resinous, pine dominant finish. Not too astringent but just the right amount of a tannic “kick in the ass” let’s the hops shine.

O: This edition is loaded with bitter hops and they’re definitely the star of the show. It’s impressively balanced by a foundation of bready, creamy malt. If you like west coast style, this is a real treat. Refreshing, crisp and aromatic.

Got in a trade with AZBeerDude72. 16 ounce can into tulip glass; canned on 6/13/2019, best before 9/11/2019. Pours slightly hazy medium golden amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and dark/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and dark/bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is an excellent IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish; not overly aggressive. Feels like Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial. Extremely juicy, vibrant, dank, and earthy hops; with a great balanced dark/bready malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive West coast style example. Awesome classic hop profile.

 

 

 

Pretty gold color with a two-finger white head and a good deal of lace.
Fruity aroma, mostly tropical, some citrus. A little pine.
Pineapple and mango up front for taste, followed by grapefruit and orange. A late hit of pine.
A bit on the sweet side, but overall a great beer.

Revisit: 3 Aug 21
16 oz. Can
CO: 06/17/21
BB: 09/15/21

FUCK! 17 days on this can.

Poured into a Trillium glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden orangy color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice creamy two-finger plus off-white head, which leaves some very nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), pretty nice piney. The taste is pretty nice, hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), pretty nice pineyness. Medium body, ABV hidden very well, with a nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty beer.

16 oz. Can
CO: 06/05/19
BB: 09/03/19

FUCK! 16 days on this can.

Poured into a Tree House glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden orangy color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice creamy one-finger plus off-white head, which leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), nice piney. The taste is pretty nice, hoppy, malty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), pretty nice pineyness. Medium body, ABV hidden very well, with a nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty brew. Glad to still see it around here.

A: Clean crisp gold with some carbonation, thick foamy head, and loads of lacing.
N: Loads of hops, nice dank notes with grapefruit and other citrus.
T: The hops hit you like a hand to the face, loads of juicy goodness, resin chewiness with some lemon and orange notes.
M: Medium full, very hop forward.
O: Loved it, it was just packed with goodness from start to finish.