Shop Talk
Revolution Brewing

 

 

16oz can from tavour. Golden pour capped with a white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and floral, citrus. Taste is more bright citrusy flavors with some soapy, floral notes.

This is aggressively sharp and pungent, and I'm here for it. This hits all the right notes for what a classic West coast style IPA used to be, in the vein of a Pliny or Blind Pig. Pine resin, bitter citrus pith, and some light florals to provide some semblance of balance. Light malt presence that gets outshined by the hop character, though.

Canned 6/30/22; drank 8/9/22 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a big khaki head; strong, frothy lace.

Watermelon Jolly Rancher, baking soda & table sugar notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Baking soda, orange peel & table sugar flavors.

Old-mode IPA badness. I've had my last.

Really enjoyed this. (Drank from the can, so my 'look' rating is default). Approximately 6 weeks old. Solid bitterness, relaxed malt profile.
I've been trying a lot of "west coast" attempts in this recent revival (aka NEIPA backlash), and I couldn't tell if it was me or the brewers who'd forgotten the basics. Shop Talk reaffirms my memory. FWIW, I tried a Pipeworks Unicorn Cowboy in the same session and despite being almost a month fresher (late July canning), it was just a touch too sweet, too malty to bother purchasing again. Shop Talk is worth grabbing.

Halfway decent example of the style, but I see it’s from late July and think it’s unfair to review it in late November. Nice dank bitter hippiness, so I’m going to give it some credit. Glad it’s from two great Chicago area breweries.

Review 1685
Shop Talk
Revolution Brewing/18th Street Brewing
Date: 2021
WCIPA
Beers were part of Barrel and Flow Fest never heard of this fest/ Bought some of the beers; because I enjoy IPA's. I used my fancy IPA glass; the temperature is 44 degrees. The pour created a frothy and foamy white three-fingered head with excellent retention. The slow dissipation left gobs of lacing on the glass. The color charts around SRM 6, straw yellow with golden hues. The somewhat hazy beer does display carbonation within.
Loads of grapefruit, floral ester, and pine leap from the glass. Nosing further, I detect bread, toasted crackers, orange, a hint of herbal, and some malty sweetness. When I want to consume a WCIPA, these are the aromas I want to smell.
Grapefruit, pine resin, and floral ester are at the forefront of the palate. Other flavors I taste are bread, malty sweetness, a hint of dank, a touch of herbal.
The mouthfeel is astringent and dry. The body is medium, medium carbonation, and delightfully long finish.
The only complaint I have about this beer is the malty backbone overshadows the hops. The hops are delicate and fragrant and the malts are just overbearing. I enjoy the hop flavors and this IPA is stellar. I am glad I got to try this beer.

 

 

 

 

 

A: The beer is nearly clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down, leaving a quarter finger high head covering the surface and some lacing down the sides.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of piney and spicy hops are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has additional notes of grapefruit citrus. There is a moderate to strong amount of bitterness.
M: It feels just about medium-bodied and very crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This West Coast IPA is very assertive with its bitterness and piney flavors.

Serving type: can

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a somewhat fizzy, two finger white head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel pale malt, citrus and lightly piney hops, lemon, pine, mixed stone fruit; lightly and pleasantly floral. Flavor is pale malt, citrus and piney hops, lemon, grapefruit, yuzu, pine needles. Cryo hops kick in at the finish leaving a long lingering quite piney finish with good alpha bitterness. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A great take on a West Coast IPA from this Midwest brewery. Less Citra notes than that style, but make up for it with plenty of mixed citrus rind and the amount of pine usually found in an actual spruce/pine ale. Crisp and flavorful. The almost aggressive pine finish really won me over. Nicely done.

16oz can into a pint glass. Canned 7/27/21, so 7 weeks old.

Looks fantastic in the glass. Golden yellow body. Big foamy bright white head persists in very good form throughout. Leaves rings of lacing.

Dull fruit aroma.

On tasting, pine and fruit notes duke it out, with pine coming out ahead. Solid malt base pokes through now and then. Very tasty brew.

Mouth closer to full than medium, finish a pine/grapefruit battle.

Overall, extremely drinkable beer. Really had to show some restraint here, and not chug it on down. Brewed for 2021 Barrel & Flow Festival. Thanks guys.

 

 

part of the barrel & flow fest - this is a great tasting west coast ipa ( seeing this is a collaboration between two midwest breweries) great hoppy tastes all thru the drink