Hop Troll El Dorado S.M.A.S.H IPA
Odd13 Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Type: 12-oz. can
Glass: Figueroa Mountain shaker pint glass
From: Beer Advocate’s ucsbmullett
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received July 26, 2016
Consumed: July 29, 2016
Reviewed as: New England Style

Misc.: No BOD on can

Thanks, Nick!

Have seen and heard some good things about Odd13 Brewing, so was excited to get a few cans from Nick. Still getting into these single IPAs, but looking forward to this El Dorado.

Poured a medium, yellow, hazy color with two fingers of white, frothy head. Could not see any bubbles coming up from the bottom. Outstanding, uneven foamy lacing. Good retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled boozy no-pulp orange juice, orange blossom, cantaloupe, orange creamscicle, El Dorado after all the orange zest and even a touch of Galaxy. Still new to these hazy fruity IPAs, but this is nice on the nose. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted a lot like the nose. Getting all orange - vodka, juice, blossom, creamscicle, peel and zest. Also cantaloupe and bitter El Dorado. Also getting an unknown hop, but not Galaxy like I was getting in the nose. (Taste - 3.75)

Light body. Creamy texture. Lively carbonation. Long, juicy finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was a decent IPA, especially for the style, but I’m still a bitter, hoppy guy. Would still like to try more like this though. (Overall - 3.75)

3.78 | 85 | B+

Hoppy, hazy and smooth. Minimal bitterness. I like this a lot better a few weeks after purchasing (compared to first tasting). Definitely a distinct hop profile but didn't distract from my enjoyment.

12oz can. Poured out a hazy, golden orange color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled of orange, pineapple and toasted caramel. Sweet tropical fruitiness with toasted caramel and sharp bitterness.

 

thanks to the captain for the massive assortment of odd13, held this for last as El Dorado has never really been my hop and true to form, this was a good beer but not great mostly due to the flavor of the hop. fairly sweet and has a tang to it that I don't love...decent beverage thougb, good ipa. just feautre's a me hop and theven beer didn't pull out any new or flattering feaures.

its hard to drink this beer side by side with a bunch of trillium stuff and give it a fair shake, but its safe to say this this isnt anywhere near as distinct and delicious as the comet edition was. i am not so sure i am sold on el dorado hops in a single hop context, not quite all there maybe. this seems lighter than other beers in the series, not just in the hops, but in the overall beer too, lighter in body, really dry, lighter in bitterness, really mellow, and unfortunately a little lighter in carbonation. its not bad, in fact its really really good, the hops have a lime zest citrus note and a little sweet oil character to them. i get notes of grape too, its fruity, but there isnt quite the bitterness to back it up for an ipa. i have loved the hoppy stuff from these guys when its on, but some of the recent releases have been less than mind blowing to say the least. this is a lot better than bad guy with an agenda, but its nowhere near as good as the comet edition, which really floored me. maybe its just the hop though, i hope they keep the series rolling. it could also be a spoiled palate after a few of the trillium pales and ipas in the same session, but this was without question a step below those (top of the line hazy hoppy beers). i know these guys shoot for the same thing a lot of the time, and superfan and its variants are a lot closer to that mark than this one.

 

 

This was wheeled into the tap room and I was told it was canned that day so I bought a sixer on impulse. Super hazy, wispy head. Aroma is pungent, almost skunky like skunk bud or even actual skunk spray. Fruity as well. Flavor is sort of weed like but not pot, actual weeds from your yard like a dandelion or something. Kind of an odd beer, the flavor seems fleeting almost but it has a strange aftertaste.