War Elephant
Rushing Duck Brewing Company

War ElephantWar Elephant
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From:
Rushing Duck Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #266
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,796
Avg:
4.27 | pDev: 7.73%
Reviews:
58
Ratings:
283
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 08, 2023
Added:
Sep 16, 2012
Wants:
  53
Gots:
  52
War Elephant is as unapologetic as Double IPAs get. At over 4lbs. of hops per barrel, War Elephant contains a completely irrational amount of hops designed to create a unique hop experience. It has a “smack-you-in-the-face” hop aroma consisting of pine needles, grapefruit, tangerine, and other citrus fruits. Unlike many other Double IPAs, though, War Elephant has a subdued malt character so it’s never cloyingly sweet, and at 80 IBUs it isn’t overly bitter. Like all Rushing Duck beers, War Elephant is unfiltered so as not to strip any of the precious hop aromas from the beer. As a result it has a hazy golden color with a thick rocky head.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Knapp85:
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured out as a slightly hazed amber color with a white head on top. The smell of the beer has a good amount of hops on the nose. The taste is nicely balanced with malt and hops. The feel of the beer is medium bodied. Overall it's a very solid IPA.
Jul 22, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Oct 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by johnlatona from New Jersey

Apr 08, 2023
Photo of BigIronH
Rated by BigIronH from Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Current batch rated. 8.6 % ABV.
Nov 24, 2022
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.14/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Opaque and turbid brew. Good head production and retention. Has the look of a NE-style IPA.

Super hoppy aroma in a bit of a throwback fashion. Grapefruit, pine, orange, along with stone fruit and citric acid. Little presence from the malt base.

Some pale malt sweetness presents on the palate, but it's still primarily about the hops. Moderate to high bitterness, quite reminiscent of a WC-style bitterness with a slight modern twist to the hop expression. Lemon, mango, grapefruit, orange peel. Light but noticeable astringency. Mild dankness; mild green herbal quality.

This is a very solid and enjoyable IIPA. It's somewhere in between the old and new world of American IIPAs, with WC sensibilities but a hop expression that feels like a blend of New Zealand/Australian along with both classic and modern Yakima. I'm not sure of the hop bill, but this in-between balance is quite nice.
Nov 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.11 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by PaleAleWalt from New York

May 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3.79 by KevinL from Michigan

Feb 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.13 by Curt3 from Ohio

Oct 20, 2020
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

3.34/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Cool can art rendition of a LOTR Battle Oliphant of the Haradrim. It offers it's own presumptuous review, and suggests it be consumed fresh, yet shows no canning or best by date. >(insert FAIL buzzer here)
Color is a hazy gold with a dense white head of foam. Little to no lace clings after the fall.
Aroma is as the can states; "the smell(s) of citrus, tropical fruit and pine will assertively invade your nose".
Invade indeed. Pure grapefruit and melon to my nose. It's like smelling a lunch box fruit cup when you wanted to smell beer.
So boring and NOT different from 99/100 IPA's available these days and a perfect example of how more is not always better.
Flavor is "a full on assault with a barrage of more fresh hop flavors". Yeah citrus flavors. Big deal. Try some new - old hops.
This is almost sour it's so bitter with citric acid character.
I mean, I can picture some assistant brewer standing over the wort boil and laughing maniacally as he/she continuously dumps Mosaic hop pellets into the kettle for 90 minutes.
Seriously, if I had wanted a Mimosa I would have gotten one.
This just makes me sad for beer in general.
This is juicy all right if thats what you like in a beer. It's a horrible example of an IPA though in my 40 years learning and teaching about beer.
Finish is non existent. A faint hop bite at the back of the mouth and a light tingle of alcohol in the throat.
The 8.6% is fully enfolded in the medium bodied, pulpy thickness while providing the only reason to be happy I drank this, as it might help me forget it.
Aug 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.31 by Samlover55 from New York

Jun 07, 2020
Photo of jpd026
Rated by jpd026 from New York

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Malty but good, like a good foreign objects beer. But could be hoppier
Apr 17, 2020
Photo of NYNorseman
Reviewed by NYNorseman from New York

4.09/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Quality beer from a local brewery Rushing Duck. This was a NEIPA before their popularity blew up. This is a very good beer. I am drinking a pint poured out of a growler. It has a great cloudy glow to it and hides its ABV well enough. It is good-not spectacular. This has a big following around here. I would not pass it up on tap but I wouldn't go crazy to find it.
Apr 13, 2020
 
Rated: 4.23 by LeftHanded666 from New York

Nov 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.84 by curlybird from Pennsylvania

Oct 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Aug 09, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by Urs from Connecticut

Jul 18, 2019
 
Rated: 3.92 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jan 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by knicks19947 from New York

Dec 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by eddiefl from New York

Oct 24, 2018
War Elephant from Rushing Duck Brewing Company
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 283 ratings