Raja | Avery Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Avery Brewing Company
Colorado, United States
averybrewing.com
Style: American Imperial IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Prospero on 01-24-2015
HISTOGRAM
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Ratings: 784 | Reviews: 177
Reviews by markgugs:
More User Reviews:
4.71/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Avery really knocked it out of the park this time. An amazing IPA, fruity, floral, tons of tropical fruit flavors such as pineapple, passion fruit, mango, all from only a couple hops. The nose is a bouquet and the beer is definitely bitter but not overly bitter and focuses more on the character of the hops as opposed to being just overly bitter for the sake of it. A great easy drinking body for 8%, a pretty straw like color, and all the above make this beer one of the better IPA's I've grabbed in a long time. I highly suggest trying it and feel like it's rating would be higher if Avery was one of those harder to find "artisanal" breweries. I didn't get much alcohol notes on it like others have said but then again I'm not a little bitch either.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Avery really knocked it out of the park this time. An amazing IPA, fruity, floral, tons of tropical fruit flavors such as pineapple, passion fruit, mango, all from only a couple hops. The nose is a bouquet and the beer is definitely bitter but not overly bitter and focuses more on the character of the hops as opposed to being just overly bitter for the sake of it. A great easy drinking body for 8%, a pretty straw like color, and all the above make this beer one of the better IPA's I've grabbed in a long time. I highly suggest trying it and feel like it's rating would be higher if Avery was one of those harder to find "artisanal" breweries. I didn't get much alcohol notes on it like others have said but then again I'm not a little bitch either.
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4.5/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It's funny how simply dropping the "Maha" in the name really made me enjoy this beer.
This one pours a slightly hazy citrusy looking orange, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.
Smells like dank citrus, sharp pine, marijuana, and grassiness.
This is a really surprising tasty and hoppy effort from Avery. Previously, I had not been super impressed with their hoppy offerings- this changed that. It's got a really dank and slightly funky citrusiness to it, with a big bitterness on the finish, and some definite cannabis overtones. It's delicious and it's hard to not drink it fast.
This is medum bodied, with a very juicy mouthfeel, and a normal level of carbonation.
A really excellent and startingly good IPA from Avery. Bravo!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It's funny how simply dropping the "Maha" in the name really made me enjoy this beer.
This one pours a slightly hazy citrusy looking orange, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.
Smells like dank citrus, sharp pine, marijuana, and grassiness.
This is a really surprising tasty and hoppy effort from Avery. Previously, I had not been super impressed with their hoppy offerings- this changed that. It's got a really dank and slightly funky citrusiness to it, with a big bitterness on the finish, and some definite cannabis overtones. It's delicious and it's hard to not drink it fast.
This is medum bodied, with a very juicy mouthfeel, and a normal level of carbonation.
A really excellent and startingly good IPA from Avery. Bravo!
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4.1/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Light golden and clear. Nice fluffy head that lingered. Nice lacing remained as I sipped.
A: Tropical fruits, peach, apricot. Hint of pot. Reminds me of Lagunitas’ IPA’s which is a good thing.
T/F: Taste is tropical, with some citrus zest. Not overly bitter. Medium bodied (maybe a little on the thin side) and medium carb. Alcohol is well hidden. And it’s refreshing.
O: Not really complicated but really good. Very crisp and clean and has a nice juicy mouth feel going for it. Hides the 8% pretty well. Never been blown away by Avery but this is good stuff. However the price point (I think I paid well over $3 for the can ) is pretty outrageous. That may keep me from throwing this into my permanent rotation. Might get overlooked by some as it's not from a fancy new brewery but I'd recommend it.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Light golden and clear. Nice fluffy head that lingered. Nice lacing remained as I sipped.
A: Tropical fruits, peach, apricot. Hint of pot. Reminds me of Lagunitas’ IPA’s which is a good thing.
T/F: Taste is tropical, with some citrus zest. Not overly bitter. Medium bodied (maybe a little on the thin side) and medium carb. Alcohol is well hidden. And it’s refreshing.
O: Not really complicated but really good. Very crisp and clean and has a nice juicy mouth feel going for it. Hides the 8% pretty well. Never been blown away by Avery but this is good stuff. However the price point (I think I paid well over $3 for the can ) is pretty outrageous. That may keep me from throwing this into my permanent rotation. Might get overlooked by some as it's not from a fancy new brewery but I'd recommend it.
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4.08/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Cloudy pale gold, white head, moderate lacing
S: Grapefruit, resinous pine and the hint of field onions
T: Slightly sweet malt, pineapple, bitter citrus pith nice bitter finish with lingering sweetness
F: Medium, moderate carbonation
O: Really great fruity and sweet DIPA with a lot of pineapple taste
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Cloudy pale gold, white head, moderate lacing
S: Grapefruit, resinous pine and the hint of field onions
T: Slightly sweet malt, pineapple, bitter citrus pith nice bitter finish with lingering sweetness
F: Medium, moderate carbonation
O: Really great fruity and sweet DIPA with a lot of pineapple taste
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3.71/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
pours clear gold-amber with a solid head.
smell is juicy hops. sweetness to it as well. weird aroma, skunky fruit
taste is weird. bitter enough but finishes very strangely. weird fruit combination. really glad i only bought 1 4pack.
i don't really like this. the taste is very strange, leaves an awful aftertaste. one of my least favorite dIPAs.
-it tasted slightly better when i finished the last 2 cans.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
pours clear gold-amber with a solid head.
smell is juicy hops. sweetness to it as well. weird aroma, skunky fruit
taste is weird. bitter enough but finishes very strangely. weird fruit combination. really glad i only bought 1 4pack.
i don't really like this. the taste is very strange, leaves an awful aftertaste. one of my least favorite dIPAs.
-it tasted slightly better when i finished the last 2 cans.
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4.22/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a hazy gold with a two finger foamy white head. Good amount of spotty lacing.
S - Aroma is tangerine, grapefruit, and piney hops.
T - The taste follows the aroma. Taste of tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple with a good amount of resinous hops. Finish has a light lingering bitterness.
M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is soft and creamy.
O - This a is nice bright DIPA. The flavors a are nice and balanced. Super crushable for 8%.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a hazy gold with a two finger foamy white head. Good amount of spotty lacing.
S - Aroma is tangerine, grapefruit, and piney hops.
T - The taste follows the aroma. Taste of tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple with a good amount of resinous hops. Finish has a light lingering bitterness.
M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is soft and creamy.
O - This a is nice bright DIPA. The flavors a are nice and balanced. Super crushable for 8%.
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4.11/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a four-pack of 12 oz cans at Stein's Liquor in Rhinelander. The canning stamp states this one is about two-and-a-half months old. Poured right from the fridge into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a slightly cloudy bright straw color, with about three-quarters-of-an-inch of eggshell head that sticks around for a little while, falls to a health film and ring, and leaves excellent lacing on the glass. Moderate, somewhat lazy, visible carbonation present.
S: Ripe tropical fruits are the most prominent notes in the bouquet. Pineapple, mango, and papaya are all present, as well as ripe melon and citrus fruit. Just a touch of dank/funk hop aroma as well. All of these play above the bread and cracker malt notes.
T: There's a definite astringency to the front--the hops provide an instant tartness on top of the more mellow bread-like and cracker malt flavor. The ripe fruit flavors follow, with pineapple, mango, and melon the most assertive of the notes from the nose, at least moving toward the middle. The middle moves the overall flavor from tart to something more sweet, with the melon and pineapple becoming more central, even as the citrus hop flavor builds. There is a touch of dankness there in the middle, as well as a bit of cracked pepper--the malts continue to make their presence felt. The back end sees the culmination of the citrus hop flavor, which ends up as more of a bitter citrus rind. This plays up against more of the pineapple and melon, with very little contribution from the malts at the end. The aftertaste has just a hint of clear alcohol to go along with the citrus rind and tropical fruit.
F: On the heavier side of light-bodied (or the lighter side of medium-bodied), this one has some substance without ever feeling syrupy. There's a nice level of carbonation to this one that keeps it crisp and lively on the palate. It moves from astringent to slightly creamy to bitter at the close.
O: This is the third or fourth Avery beer I've tried, and I have to say that it's probably my favorite so far. For an IPA (or IIPA) with this ABV, this one hardly shows it at all. It's quite remarkable that so little clear alcohol comes across--it is consummately drinkable for this style. It brings some very nice tropical fruit flavors--they really steal the show. While not particularly balanced per se, it does offer some nice complexity to keep the drinker engaged. I recommend giving this one a go.
2,431 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a four-pack of 12 oz cans at Stein's Liquor in Rhinelander. The canning stamp states this one is about two-and-a-half months old. Poured right from the fridge into a tulip glass.
L: Pours a slightly cloudy bright straw color, with about three-quarters-of-an-inch of eggshell head that sticks around for a little while, falls to a health film and ring, and leaves excellent lacing on the glass. Moderate, somewhat lazy, visible carbonation present.
S: Ripe tropical fruits are the most prominent notes in the bouquet. Pineapple, mango, and papaya are all present, as well as ripe melon and citrus fruit. Just a touch of dank/funk hop aroma as well. All of these play above the bread and cracker malt notes.
T: There's a definite astringency to the front--the hops provide an instant tartness on top of the more mellow bread-like and cracker malt flavor. The ripe fruit flavors follow, with pineapple, mango, and melon the most assertive of the notes from the nose, at least moving toward the middle. The middle moves the overall flavor from tart to something more sweet, with the melon and pineapple becoming more central, even as the citrus hop flavor builds. There is a touch of dankness there in the middle, as well as a bit of cracked pepper--the malts continue to make their presence felt. The back end sees the culmination of the citrus hop flavor, which ends up as more of a bitter citrus rind. This plays up against more of the pineapple and melon, with very little contribution from the malts at the end. The aftertaste has just a hint of clear alcohol to go along with the citrus rind and tropical fruit.
F: On the heavier side of light-bodied (or the lighter side of medium-bodied), this one has some substance without ever feeling syrupy. There's a nice level of carbonation to this one that keeps it crisp and lively on the palate. It moves from astringent to slightly creamy to bitter at the close.
O: This is the third or fourth Avery beer I've tried, and I have to say that it's probably my favorite so far. For an IPA (or IIPA) with this ABV, this one hardly shows it at all. It's quite remarkable that so little clear alcohol comes across--it is consummately drinkable for this style. It brings some very nice tropical fruit flavors--they really steal the show. While not particularly balanced per se, it does offer some nice complexity to keep the drinker engaged. I recommend giving this one a go.
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4.31/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
poured from a can into a tulip glass. canned 02/07/16
L- Deep pale yellow, good clarity, two finger white head.
S- Orange juice, passion fruit, Juicy Fruit hopness, citrus pith.
T- Passion fruit, grapefruit peel and pith, medium high bitterness, not too dry. Alcohol hidden well.
F- Medium, good carbonation, easy drinking for a double.
O- Nice double with a very light malt bill but not to dry, great aromas and flavors from the Australian hops that remind me of the new Oskar Blues IPA which I really liked.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
poured from a can into a tulip glass. canned 02/07/16
L- Deep pale yellow, good clarity, two finger white head.
S- Orange juice, passion fruit, Juicy Fruit hopness, citrus pith.
T- Passion fruit, grapefruit peel and pith, medium high bitterness, not too dry. Alcohol hidden well.
F- Medium, good carbonation, easy drinking for a double.
O- Nice double with a very light malt bill but not to dry, great aromas and flavors from the Australian hops that remind me of the new Oskar Blues IPA which I really liked.
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3.56/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly cloudy but surprisingly light yellow color. The head, even if poured aggressively, quickly dissipates.
Aroma is of ripe tropical fruit. Pineapple, melon and a hair of dank hops. Taste is an interesting wrestle between the hops and that citrus up front. Ester/alcohol with rotten oranges eventually overtakes the tropical, then wet biscuit.
There's a creamy citrus aspect to this. Mellow, really. The sweet is possibly from malts but I'm guessing it's the booze. Still it's hidden okay. I'm also getting a spice, a sour rind, not sure this is doing all the things it's supposed do. Feel is a little heavy, carbonation. Not as overpowering as Maharaja (which I found too boozy). An okay DIPA but muddled somehow. And the price, about $12 for a 4-pack, makes it hard to justify repeated purchases.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly cloudy but surprisingly light yellow color. The head, even if poured aggressively, quickly dissipates.
Aroma is of ripe tropical fruit. Pineapple, melon and a hair of dank hops. Taste is an interesting wrestle between the hops and that citrus up front. Ester/alcohol with rotten oranges eventually overtakes the tropical, then wet biscuit.
There's a creamy citrus aspect to this. Mellow, really. The sweet is possibly from malts but I'm guessing it's the booze. Still it's hidden okay. I'm also getting a spice, a sour rind, not sure this is doing all the things it's supposed do. Feel is a little heavy, carbonation. Not as overpowering as Maharaja (which I found too boozy). An okay DIPA but muddled somehow. And the price, about $12 for a 4-pack, makes it hard to justify repeated purchases.
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4.32/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Amber orange with a very content to stay where it is dirty white froth. Smells of pure grapefruit juice with notes of caramel lurking in the background. Grapefruit also washes over the palate followed by hints of orange, lemon, faint pine at the back of the throat and even fainter caramel. Almost light in body, and dare I say refreshing when speaking of a DIPA (or any beer for that matter)?
A very fluid and flavorful beer by any standard.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Amber orange with a very content to stay where it is dirty white froth. Smells of pure grapefruit juice with notes of caramel lurking in the background. Grapefruit also washes over the palate followed by hints of orange, lemon, faint pine at the back of the throat and even fainter caramel. Almost light in body, and dare I say refreshing when speaking of a DIPA (or any beer for that matter)?
A very fluid and flavorful beer by any standard.
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4.29/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Review is of 1 month old can
Pours a moderately hazy pale golden color. Head is 1/4 inch and off white. Carbonation levels are high. Head retention is great and so is lacing.
Smell is of tropical and grassy hops. Pineapple, guava, and lemongrass are main aromas in beer. Straw malts are detected, as well as honey. Alcohol is faint for 8%. As beer warms, grapefruit begins to appear.
Taste is of sweet tropical hops and honey. Lemon zest, guava, lemon grass, and pineapple juice are big flavor contributors. Bitter lemon dominates the palate, me likes. Alcohol is present but restrained.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little sticky, but high carbonation livens the beer up. Head stayed frothy through out adding some nice texture. Finish is bitter but leaves a nice sweet coating on the roof of my mouth.
Overall this was a very high quality DIPA from Avery. Lots of citrus balanced by sweetness with a touch of alcohol. Enjoyed the galaxy hops they threw in. Bonus points for coming in a can.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Review is of 1 month old can
Pours a moderately hazy pale golden color. Head is 1/4 inch and off white. Carbonation levels are high. Head retention is great and so is lacing.
Smell is of tropical and grassy hops. Pineapple, guava, and lemongrass are main aromas in beer. Straw malts are detected, as well as honey. Alcohol is faint for 8%. As beer warms, grapefruit begins to appear.
Taste is of sweet tropical hops and honey. Lemon zest, guava, lemon grass, and pineapple juice are big flavor contributors. Bitter lemon dominates the palate, me likes. Alcohol is present but restrained.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little sticky, but high carbonation livens the beer up. Head stayed frothy through out adding some nice texture. Finish is bitter but leaves a nice sweet coating on the roof of my mouth.
Overall this was a very high quality DIPA from Avery. Lots of citrus balanced by sweetness with a touch of alcohol. Enjoyed the galaxy hops they threw in. Bonus points for coming in a can.
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4.18/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap. Poured slightly cloudy and orange. Aroma is tropical but it also has a dank, green quality to it. Very hoppy. Smells of some candy malt sweetness, too. Flavor starts off with a variety of tropical fruits, some apricot and pineapple. Then it turns a bit more earthy and green. More herbal hops. Candy-sweet malt. Finishes a bit sweeter than I would like. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the hop profile. It seems to be packed with new-age hops. Sneaky bitterness and alcohol. This one can sit next to Maharaja in my book.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap. Poured slightly cloudy and orange. Aroma is tropical but it also has a dank, green quality to it. Very hoppy. Smells of some candy malt sweetness, too. Flavor starts off with a variety of tropical fruits, some apricot and pineapple. Then it turns a bit more earthy and green. More herbal hops. Candy-sweet malt. Finishes a bit sweeter than I would like. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the hop profile. It seems to be packed with new-age hops. Sneaky bitterness and alcohol. This one can sit next to Maharaja in my book.
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4.13/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured a 12oz can, just below cellar temperature, into a snifter. It had a slight hazy, golden appearance with a two finger head which continued to fully coat the glass. The nose contained pineapple, banana peel, fresh hay, and menthol. It wasn't overly malty or hoppy in the taste. Nice soft, tropical fruit flavors, smooth bitterness with a creamy texture. A nicely balanced double IPA.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured a 12oz can, just below cellar temperature, into a snifter. It had a slight hazy, golden appearance with a two finger head which continued to fully coat the glass. The nose contained pineapple, banana peel, fresh hay, and menthol. It wasn't overly malty or hoppy in the taste. Nice soft, tropical fruit flavors, smooth bitterness with a creamy texture. A nicely balanced double IPA.
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4.24/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.39/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.24/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.59/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.16/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can. Pours clear straw colored with a big pillowy white head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is a little perfumey bready malt and tropical fruit with dank piney resiny hops.
The flavor is sweet doughy malt and ripe tropical fruit with a big resiny piney hop finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with slightly prickly carbonation.
Overall, a nice DIPA.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can. Pours clear straw colored with a big pillowy white head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is a little perfumey bready malt and tropical fruit with dank piney resiny hops.
The flavor is sweet doughy malt and ripe tropical fruit with a big resiny piney hop finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with slightly prickly carbonation.
Overall, a nice DIPA.
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4.31/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Raja from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.11 out of
5 with
784 ratings
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