Beaver Overbite Imperial IPA
Paradox Brewery

 

Enjoyed this at the NY State Fair's Syracuse Beer Garden yesterday afternoon. Really made my day! Hops very lupulin yellow bitter, biting sharp, lasting through aftertastes. Excellent head & lacing. Wish I'd had a glass glass, but even out of plastic it was worth the trip. Paradox needs to make more of this IIPA, and send it to Ithaca

 

 

 

 

 

This is a pretty good looking IPA, as a pint can is emptied into a clear Imperial pint glass. There's a reasonable white head on top of the brew that appears to be enduring. The color of the brew is a hazy copper-amber. The aroma isn't distinctively hoppy, nor malty, bland may be the best word for it. As for taste, it's OK. There's a little sweetness from malt and concurrent body. There's a little hoppiness to appreciate, even during the finish. Unfortunately, this is another of those Imperial IPAs that the best that can be said about them is that they hide a relatively high ABV very nicely. There's some hop bite, but it's thinly one dimensional. Overall, with this is what you get in a one dimensional hop bite beer without layers, nor noticeable malt counterbalance. The limited hop bite isn't worth the effort. Pleasant enough, but certainly not noteworthy.

 

 

 

From an undated 16 oz can into a non-descript drinking glass from the house we're staying in for vacation.

Pours a translucent golden orange with about five fingers of off-white head (violent pour, apparently!). Excellent retention and great lacing.

Smells predominantly of oranges, tangerines and perhaps apricot.

Taste follows. Citrus, fruits up front with some hoppy bitterness on the back end.

Drinks very smoothly. Quite wet-almost thirst quenching. Mild bitter aftertaste with a touch of alcohol. Low carbonation.

Overall, a nice drinking IIPA. Would like the cans to be dated so I know what I'm getting into.

 

I disagree with the description "bold juicy IPA" - it is not like Juice Bomb or Sip of Sunshine. The later are very rich and almost look like juice. Overbite has a slight haze, but it is not overly hoppy (Sierra Torpedo IPA is way hoppier). It is a smoother IPA but not an NEIPA. I paid $14 for a 16oz 4-pack, it's a pretty good buy and a very nice IPA. I have really enjoyed the Beaver Bite on tap and I'd really like to try this one on tap.

 

A - Nice clear medium to dark orange color with a thick billowy white head that sticks to the sides of the glass like glue.

S - Citrus and apricot on the nose with a slight hit of grain.

T - Resiny apricot, citrus, and tropical fruit from start to finish. Nice lingering fruity citrus on the back end.

M - Thick and soft that's dry on the back end of the tongue while leaving the rest of the mouth wet.

O - Very easy drinking for 8%.

I feel like this should be waaaaay hoppier than it is. Smell is ample hops but the taste just doesn't provide the hop kick of say a focal banger, burlington beer co ipa or a rock art ipa( all vt. Beers btw...see a rythym here?). Too much alcohol on the back of the palette and a tad too sweet for my tastes. I like an imperial ipa to wrestle with my tastebuds. This doesn't suffice.

A: A dirty pear-gold pour is viscose and dense, accompanied by a solid two finger oatmeal white head. A steady dense linear showering of micro-effervesce fills the vessel with lots of activity. A lengthy head retention crowns everything off with a lasting appeal and outstanding appearance. Thick, sticky, sponge bands condescend down the vessel walls.

S: The nose is wet and juicy, with hints of slightly soured pineapple and citrus. Peach, and grapefruit juice combine along with some sugary cereal grains. A solid awareness factor.

T: Tart and pulpy citrus/grapefruit reign on the flavor with a dominant tartness. Juicy and bittering, with a balance of dark sweet caramel grains are highlighted in the flavor as well the visual. The juicy citrus bite is perhaps the start of the flavor, most notable and standing out. Lingering is the dry after feel of citrus hop petals along with hints of sour fruit, particularly peach and pineapple with some warming.

M: A big crisp bite does not dissappoint, with tons of massaging bubbles filling the mouthful along with a thick, chewy and malty west coast style body. Bubbly and warming, bittering citrus on the cheeks.

O: Big and juicy flavor, a throwback to the old west coast style with flashes of N.E. influence in the way of sour fruit. A big 8.1% abv makes this a big drinking and rewarding experience.

I am imprecisely sure of where this one came from, but it certainly merits inclusion in The CANQuest (tm)! I recently did myself in with a spate of Stouts that left me bound up tighter than a drumhead & in response, I am CANcentrating on Lagers & especially Pilsners. Yesterday, I had their Pils so today, I am following up with something more my speed.

From the CAN: "Pure Adirondack Craft Beer"; "Northeast Style"; "Paradox Brewery was founded in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains where the air is crisp, water is pure and people take the time to do things the right way. Whether that’s building the perfect campfire, taking in high-peaks views, or crafting beer that captures what it means to be in the Adirondacks. Pristine water combined with the best hops and malts gives you a taste of the Adirondacks. From our Northeast style IPAs to our award winning Lagers, the results are the same, Pure Adirondack Beer."; ":Pairs well with all mountain activities".

I was VERY anxious to get in a hops-driven beer after having strayed so far for so long. I beCAN with a Crack! of the vent to kick things off as I prepared to go into the mountains. Once I had all of my gear GTG, I went with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug since I had not attempted a summit in a while. My guide & I sat in rapt fascination as it foamed up to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with excellent retention! How were we going to top that?!? It seemed inCANmountable until it slowly beCAN to fall away, leaving loads of sticky lacing in its wake. As if that sped the plow! We took note of its solid Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) color with its NE-quality clarity & shook our heads in disbelief. Clearly, we were going to need a bigger glass! Nose had an odd earthiness underlain by a caramel maltiness. The hops either were not meshing or they were clashing with the malt(s). Odd does not equate to "bad", however. Odd & different are the sorts of things that I tend to embrace. The proof of the pudding would be in the tasting. Mouthfeel was medium, but on the thin side for the style. The taste had an oakiness as though it had either been barrel-aged or oak chips had been used. Mmm. Personally, I LOVE white, untoasted oak in IPAs! To me, it bespeaks the origin of the style as the beer sloshed around with the late addition of whole-cone hops to speed it on its way. It is for this reason that I am also super-anxious to open my bottle of Jefferson's Aged-At-Sea Whiskey: it spent a boat-load (literally) of time sloshing around in its casks. I CANnot guarantee you that this was oak-aged, but it certainly tasted like it! Finish was dry with a fusel alcohol heat, letting me know that it was almost Taps & time for lights out. Nitey-night!