Pepperhead IPA
Middleton Brewing
- From:
- Middleton Brewing
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- Chile Beer
- ABV:
- 7.1%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.55 | pDev: 24.23%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Nov 06, 2017
- Added:
- Dec 26, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
Brewed with 7 types of peppers.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by Realbeerguy from Oklahoma
1.32/5 rDev -62.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
1.32/5 rDev -62.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
When I try to think of the flavor, all that comes to mind is the smell of a stinky ass the morning after eating hot wings.
Sep 18, 2015
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
3.19/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.19/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
64 oz brown glass swingtop GROWLER filled at The Growler Room here in Austin, and served at low altitude there into a pilsner glass a few days later. Reviewed live as a chile IPA per the name and description by The Growler Room lads. Served cold. Expectations are average. Cost was $15.00 USD.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: Pours almost entirely foam, which resolves to a 4 finger wide head quite quickly. That head sticks around for about 7-8 minutes - pretty good for a growler fill - and is white in colour with an overly foamy, bubbly consistency. It's incredibly frothy, rivaling even the most refreshing kolsch. Fluffy and sticky-looking. Leaves light inconsistent lacing on the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Transparent translucent murky copper of average vibrance. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible, but its murky hazy prevents it from looking clean or crisp.
Appears well-carbonated. Far from a unique or special appearance for an IPA, but the head is notably appealing.
AROMA: Chile pepper character dominates, with subtle vinegary preservative, chile skin, and rather modest dialed-down heat; this is sub-ancho in terms of spiciness based on the aroma alone. Any malt base is concealed entirely by the vinegary chile, and the floral hop profile pleads no contest.
No yeast character, alcohol, or off-notes come through. It's appealing overall.
Aromatic intensity is mild.
TASTE: It's disappointingly simple even at first sip, but then I notice how well-balanced it is, with subtle notes of chile pepper (with a concomitant sub-ancho chile spice), vinegar, mild floral hops, and pale malts. The heat does linger into the aftertaste, extending the duration of flavour, but even the most sensitive drinkers won't require accompanying liquid to quell it; it's hardly spicy at all. Has some cream and caramalt to round it out. The emphasis is definitely on the chile, not the hops, and hopheads may be disappointed as a result. But the core balance is pleasant.
Admittedly, it's wanting in terms of complexity/intricacy, subtlety, and/or nuance, but for a no-frills chile beer it's enjoyable for what it is. Low flavour intensity (especially for a chile IPA) and fairly shallow depth of flavour. I do like it.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, slightly overcarbonated (and this is a growler fill...), medium-bodied, and of apt thickness. A biteen oily, slightly coating. I wouldn't call it chewy.
It's not gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough or scratchy.
Overall presence on the palate is nice, but this texture fails to elevate the beer or to accentuate specific notes in the flavour profile. It's creamy enough that the texture would help quell the chile heat - if any were really here.
OVERALL: Not spicy enough to satisfy extremist chile beer fanatics, nor hoppy enough for IPA enthusiasts, Pepperhead uncomfortably straddles the line between its two constituent styles. An uneven hybrid, but nevertheless a worthwhile one. I don't know that I'm happy I bought a whole growler worth, but there are far worse beers to revisit over the course of a few days, and this is more drinkable than the vast majority of chile beers out there. I'll enjoy it for what it is, and will happily finish the growler this week. But this isn't a world-class offering by any means, and I'm in no rush to buy other Middleton brews. If this is really 7.10% as currently listed on the site, it hides its ABV pretty well. I think it'll find its audience, and I'm always glad to see more chile beers on the market.
C+
Feb 13, 2015No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: Pours almost entirely foam, which resolves to a 4 finger wide head quite quickly. That head sticks around for about 7-8 minutes - pretty good for a growler fill - and is white in colour with an overly foamy, bubbly consistency. It's incredibly frothy, rivaling even the most refreshing kolsch. Fluffy and sticky-looking. Leaves light inconsistent lacing on the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Transparent translucent murky copper of average vibrance. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible, but its murky hazy prevents it from looking clean or crisp.
Appears well-carbonated. Far from a unique or special appearance for an IPA, but the head is notably appealing.
AROMA: Chile pepper character dominates, with subtle vinegary preservative, chile skin, and rather modest dialed-down heat; this is sub-ancho in terms of spiciness based on the aroma alone. Any malt base is concealed entirely by the vinegary chile, and the floral hop profile pleads no contest.
No yeast character, alcohol, or off-notes come through. It's appealing overall.
Aromatic intensity is mild.
TASTE: It's disappointingly simple even at first sip, but then I notice how well-balanced it is, with subtle notes of chile pepper (with a concomitant sub-ancho chile spice), vinegar, mild floral hops, and pale malts. The heat does linger into the aftertaste, extending the duration of flavour, but even the most sensitive drinkers won't require accompanying liquid to quell it; it's hardly spicy at all. Has some cream and caramalt to round it out. The emphasis is definitely on the chile, not the hops, and hopheads may be disappointed as a result. But the core balance is pleasant.
Admittedly, it's wanting in terms of complexity/intricacy, subtlety, and/or nuance, but for a no-frills chile beer it's enjoyable for what it is. Low flavour intensity (especially for a chile IPA) and fairly shallow depth of flavour. I do like it.
TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, slightly overcarbonated (and this is a growler fill...), medium-bodied, and of apt thickness. A biteen oily, slightly coating. I wouldn't call it chewy.
It's not gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough or scratchy.
Overall presence on the palate is nice, but this texture fails to elevate the beer or to accentuate specific notes in the flavour profile. It's creamy enough that the texture would help quell the chile heat - if any were really here.
OVERALL: Not spicy enough to satisfy extremist chile beer fanatics, nor hoppy enough for IPA enthusiasts, Pepperhead uncomfortably straddles the line between its two constituent styles. An uneven hybrid, but nevertheless a worthwhile one. I don't know that I'm happy I bought a whole growler worth, but there are far worse beers to revisit over the course of a few days, and this is more drinkable than the vast majority of chile beers out there. I'll enjoy it for what it is, and will happily finish the growler this week. But this isn't a world-class offering by any means, and I'm in no rush to buy other Middleton brews. If this is really 7.10% as currently listed on the site, it hides its ABV pretty well. I think it'll find its audience, and I'm always glad to see more chile beers on the market.
C+
Rated by Beer-Zombie from Oregon
4.76/5 rDev +34.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.76/5 rDev +34.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Drinkin this at The Tavern on tap. Brand spankin new brew!
Dec 26, 2014
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