Emerald Grouper
Pipeworks Brewing Company

 

 

Unlocking the mystery of how to avoid a cease and diciest letter because of beer naming rights, Pipeworks and Four Hands brewers find a solution: "color + animal" should do the trick.

Pale gold, glowing translucently through a reasonable haze, Emerald Grouper builds a frothy white cap before teasing the nose with a flood of Simcoe, Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic hops and their tropical, citrus, dank and herbal glory. As a mild mannered sweetness of honey, caramel and toasted grains apply a granola effect on the early palate, the early palate shows a malty-sweet tone.

But those hops are not to be denied. As the malts slowly dissolve on the middle palate, the flavors of grapefruit, orange, passionfruit, mango, apricot and lime all begin to shine in a fruit cocktail medley. With a light linger of malts having the fruity hop impressions seeming plump and ripe, the juicy session soon trends herbal, bitter and spicy. With a bitter finish, the session is piney, resinous, hemp-like and grassy.

Full bodied and finishing malty-dry, the ale is a throwback Imperial IPA balance with a few modern tricks and adaptations. Its a great beer that lingers with an afterglow of hemp, peppery warmth and fruit peels.

Clear and copper in color. The head was so bright I had to wear shades. Nice lacing. Nose is citrusy. Taste was citrus and apricot and maybe piney as well. Backend was slightly bitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one pours a slightly lighter than honey golden with a fluffy white head. It smells like sweet citrus with hints of tropical fruit and pine underneath it. The taste has a nice citrus forward start that smooths out into a mango pineapple flavor with a satisfying piney finish. The finish is much less bitter than I typically like, but it's very well done. It's very sweet without being overbearing. It's surprisingly refreshing for a double IPA and is a very easy one to drink. This one is something that would satisfy your serious craft beer palate, but also be something drinkable to someone just getting into the sport.

 

 

Canned 12/17/2020

 

 

 

Bitter but dry. Crystal clean, brilliant straw. Old school DIPA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A - Pours a lightly hazed gold with a one finger creamy white head. Nice amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is orange, grapefruit and caramel malts.

T - The taste is orange, mango, guava, grapefruit, honey, caramel malts and piney malts.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - Really solid traditional DIPA.

 

 

Tremendous imperial IPA from the very solid Pipeworks. 5/11/20 date printed on can. Pours a very slightly hazy darker yellow-orange color with some fluffy white head and small rings of lingering lacing. Big aromas of ripe grapefruit, mango, orange, lemon, pineapple and also some malt, vanilla, weaker floral hops and faint piney hops. Taste follows the nose, excellent flavor and balance, good depth, higher ABV was fairly well hidden although there was definitely a little warming alcohol as the beer warmed. Smooth crisp mild mouthfeel, a little sticky, somewhat soft, great carbonation. Well done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

poured from a 16oz can into a spiegelau IPA glass. pours a clear but darker gold with almost 3 fingers worth of creamy white head. nose is not so much hoppy as it is more sweet honey and an off-smelling maltiness. taste is better with a hoppy and sweet combination paired with a creamy and luscious mouthfeel. it finishes bitter and sweet. overall, pretty solid DIPA that i’ve been wanting to try for quite some time now.

Pours a cleanse, golden orange with a thin, white head.
Awesome candied citrus and melon, and honey.
Taste follows nose. Best beer to utilize honey. Absolutely awesome. Comes with a little dank ness you expect in an Imperial IPA. Very little garlic and onion. Good malt.
Wonderful bigger mouthfeel. Worth the wait!

 

Canned 3 weeks ago.

L -- Golden straw body with near total clarity and two fingers of solid white head produced with moderate pour. Good retention and some lacing
S -- Candied citrus peel, sickly sweet floral, honey, lime zest. Has this odd 'off' smell, almost like a compost pile
T -- The added honey is definitely apparent here, lending both a sweetness and a fruity/floral character. Mostly green, leafy notes from the citra hops. Again, there is this weird sour/zesty note that is a little offputting
F -- Medium mouthfeel, medium carb. Fluffy and fairly easy drinking
O -- Not my favorite from Pipeworks, but I might be spoiled by Trillium's Cutting Tiles variants in terms of higher-ABV IPAs with honey added

69/100