Pyromancer
Nepenthe Brewing Co.

Just a bit of haze in the pale orange body. A large off white head and light lacing finishes the appearance. Aroma doesn't really blossom until it breathes a bit then an earthy, resinous element moves in. Taste rests on the laurels of some old school hops; a bit of citrus, a dash of pine, a herbal/spicy twist and some floral underpinnings. Some maltiness lingers in the aftertaste. A good dose of bitterness in the medium-to-full bodied mouthfeel.

Two twelve ounce cans, emptied of their contents into a clear glass liter mug begin things. The color of the liquid is rich copper-amber, just a little cloudy and holding up a solid just-off-white head that has a slight tint of the beer's color to it. This one has all the proper aroma of its style, West Coast Double IPA. There's some malt, a little yeast, a little alcohol and plenty of sharply piney hops. It tastes a bit more malty than some in its style, but compared to the standard IPA, it's not nearly overly malted. The piney hops combined with the substantial ABV provides an excellent bite expected from this style. There's a touch of earthiness also to taste, but the finish is resinous and dry. There's only sparse glass lacing, but most of its head endured. The mouthfeel is good, probably a little richer than many within this category of WCDIPAs. There are those that love the West Coast style that may be bothered by the fullness of its body, as some brews emphasize the hoppiness by shortchanging the counterbalance of a decent malt body. To those that just appreciate a good tasting Imperial IPA, it's hard to find fault here.

 

 

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a golden/orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of tropical fruits. Taste is mango, pine, pineapple, moderate bitterness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Pours a semi-translucent light amber, clear and effervescent.
Smells lightly of orange, grass/dandelion evoking the spicyness to match the Pyromancer image. Malty aftertaste
Light on the tongue, finishes clean. A bit strong to sip.
A very nice offering all in all.

Nepenthe Brewing Co. "Pyromancer"
16 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$3.99 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD

Notes via stream of consciousness: "DOUBLE DRY-HOPPED INDIA PALE ALE WITH SIMCOE, CHINOOK, CASCADE, & CENTENNIAL". It's also a double IPA at 8% ABV. The body is a surprisingly clear gold (who makes clear beer anymore?), and the head is a two finger thick cap of off-white foam. I'm watching it, waiting to see how it will settle, and it's holding up really well. The aroma is bright and inviting with notes of grapefruit, pine, resins, cookie-dough, apple, and berries. Well, I'm excited to taste it now. The taste does not disappoint! It's juicy, malty, sweetish, somewhat herbal and earthy, and balanced by a firm bitterness. The fruity notes remain although I'm not really getting grapefruit, but more of a citrus blend with orange and soft grapefruit. The berry note is there, and fairly strong, which is a little odd because there's no Mosaic here. What hop gives off the berry? It has to be the Simcoe by process of elimination, but I generally don't find berry. Such is the magic of hops! Depending on whatever else is going on in the beer they can give off slightly different character, and they can also vary based on where they're grown and how the growing season was. Back to the beer, there's also a "dank" character to it, and I have no idea which hops are contributing that. I'm finding it really well balanced. It's solid but not nearly as bitter as some of the west coast IPAs that I tasted during the IBU wars around the turn of the deacade, and that's a good thing!!! On second look, I see now that there is some haze to it - and thank God, I thought I was losing my mind!!! Clear beer - crazy, right? It starts well with a great aroma that leads into the first part of the sip which opens up with the malt and fruit which is immediately pounced upon by the more earthy, piney, and herbal components, and then it finishes dry with a little bit of spiciness, earth, pine, and resin that go on to linger with just a little bit of what I would call dull citrus peel (mainly orange). In the mouth it's medium-full in body and gently crisp before warming to become smooth and creamy. Looking back, the head held up really well, and although I've gone through more than half of the glass it's still got a 60% solid surface covering. The lacing is all about with wide strips of tattered lace. My conclusion is that this is a really well-done double west coast IPA, and although I'm not going to race back to the store to buy more I will certainly pick some up the next time I'm there.
Review #7,582

Undated (WTF) can into pint glass. Pours a rich gold color with a blocky, persistent off-white head. Initial impression is citrus, pine resin, earthiness and weed. Mouthfeel is clean and refreshing. Finish fades to a slight bitterness. Overall, a good but not remarkable DIPA.