Fifteener Double IPA
River North Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 fl oz pull-tab can with a blue and black label nabbed as part of a sixer for $12.99 USD plus tax at a beer store in Colorado:

10.0% ABV. "West Coast Style Double IPA." No hop varietals are indicated on the label, but a quick visit to their website reveals they used Simcoe, Centennial and Falconer’s Flight hops (at least for this initial 2020 batch).

Served cold into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

APPEARANCE: Boasts impressive clarity - obviously it's filtered. Body is a dull yellow...could certainly be more vibrant.

Head is ~2-3cm in height. ~8 minute head retention is rather good considering its high ABV.

Appears well carbonated. Not a great looking IIPA, but it's generally appealing.

AROMA: Oniony aromatics from Simcoe along with vague fruity notes. Floral hop aromatics. 2-row/pale malt. Probably crystal malt in there too...I don't notice any caramalt but there's something bringing more sweetness than 2-row alone. Subdued mango.

None of its hop aromatics seem particularly pronounced or fresh, but it's not boozy aromatically despite its 10% ABV. Hints of fruitiness from ale yeast esters are present but I don't get anything else yeast-wise.

Suggests a IIPA that drinks easy for its high ABV but doesn't really showcase the piney potential of Centennial hops. Simcoe seems dominant to me.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Acidic and sharp on the palate with obvious weight and a noticeably full body. Very filling but its ABV isn't as overt as one might fear in a 10% ABV IIPA. Oniony and floral with mango-y and citrusy flirtations. Where's Centennial's rich pine and subtle oiliness? All Centennial seems to contribute is a Supercascade floral flavour that isn't unpleasant but isn't the best flavour Centennial hops can impart.

Pale malt/2-row and probably crystal malt are present; it's got a big sweet malt backbone to counter any hoppy bitterness.

I wouldn't call it balanced. Like many of these high ABV IIPAs, it needs some restraint...the big full body and huge malt & hop presence just feels bold for boldness' sake. The great IIPAs are just great mechanisms for hop flavour delivery; their imitators (like this) mimic their recipes but don't capture the hop flavour and thereby miss the whole point.

Smooth, coating, wet, slightly oily, thick, chewy. Unrefreshing but not boozy; indeed, its well disguised ABV is its best attribute.

OVERALL: A shrug of an IIPA that doesn't showcase its hop varietals well, though I don't know that the varietals they selected would be all that interesting or novel in combination even if this were much better executed. Drinkable but forgettable given the wealth of superior expressions in the style out there (especially in Colorado).

C / AVERAGE

 

12 oz. Can
Canned: 06.03.19

Poured into a tulip a pretty nice hazy dark golden yellow color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger plus white head, which also leaves some pretty nice creamy sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), piney. The taste is hoppy, malty, with a nice citrus complex (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, mango), nice piney. Medium body, ABV is hidden pretty nicely, with a nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty brew.