Light Year
Grimm Artisanal Ales

Light YearLight Year
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From:
Grimm Artisanal Ales
 
New York, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #244
ABV:
8%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,753
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 5.37%
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
181
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 12, 2023
Added:
Dec 01, 2016
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  37
Light Year is a Double IPA prominently featuring Wai-iti and Galaxy with background notes of Mosaic and Citra. Firmly operating in our hop candy mode, we taste typical Southern Hemisphere “purple fruit” notes, pineapple, dank, and spun sugar.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by chrishiker1409:
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Rated by chrishiker1409 from New York

4.27/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Apr 21, 2018
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.41 by scottyshades from Florida

Dec 12, 2023
Photo of dano213
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $3.99. Canned on 03/07/2023, so this is a bit over two months old or 70 days old to be exact.

Look: Pours a pale golden color with a wispy white head hanging just atop the surface. The beer has a very slight haze to it; it's more like a very fine particulate suspension than a haze. There's a steady stream of very tiny bubbles rising up the glass. Upon pouring the second half of the can, the beer become a very hazy yellow-orange color.

Smell: This smells like my kind of Imperial IPA - tons of citrus rind and pith with lots of grapefruit. I also get nice peach notes, cantaloupe, papaya, and a fair amount of pine resin. There's a subtle creaminess present in the nose. After swirling the glass, I get vegetal notes including green bell pepper on the finish. Pineapple coming through strong after pouring the bottom of the can.

Taste: Mmmm, very nice. It's a big beer but it drinks quite easily. It's quite flavorful with the flavors on the palate very much echoing the nose. Up front, it has big citrus and stone fruit flavors. The finish has a significant bitterness and dryness. Lots of peppery, piney, and pithy notes on the finish. For an 8% Imperial IPA, it's stupidly drinkable. The beer changed quite a bit when I poured the second half of the can - it became very hazy and gave off much more esters, it's almost like an orange-banana smoothie. It's still tasty and enjoyable, just definitely different. I preferred the first half more.

Feel: It has a medium to medium plus mouthfeel. The beer has a nice oily slickness and a decently chewy mouthfeel too. The carbonation is the right amount.

Overall: This is one of the better Imperial IPAs that I have had lately. I much prefer this style of Imperial IPA (call it what you will - the Old School or West Coast-Style) over the hazier style of Imperial IPA. I guess I am very picky when it comes to Imperial IPAs. Even though the second half of the can was very hazy, I still enjoyed it but not as much as the first half of the can. I am surprised about the order that the hops are listed; Citra is listed last? That is surprising to me, however that may not necessarily mean that it is used the least. It could also be heavily dry-hopped with Citra. The website says "DOUBLE IPA WITH CITRA, COLUMBUS, GALAXY, & MOSAIC" so there you go. Overall, this is a very well-made Imperial IPA that basically has something for everyone. If you like West Coast-style, make sure that you let the beer settle and don't swirl or roll the can. If you prefer the new school, then roll the can/swirl the can and incorporate everything at once.

From the can/website:
Galaxy, Mosaic, Columbus, and Citra Hops
---
DOUBLE IPA WITH CITRA, COLUMBUS, GALAXY, & MOSAIC
Light Year is a tropical/dank swirl of Galaxy, Columbus, Citra & Mosaic hops. Notes of orange and pineapple that lead in aroma and taste, are complimented by subtle notes of pine and a strong backbone of dank herbal funk. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with a pleasant and balancing bitterness.
May 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

May 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.16 by caffeinelogic from New York

Mar 19, 2022
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Reviewed by metter98 from New York

4.26/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color. It poured with a quarter finger high white head that left a thin collar and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of gooseberry and lime are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell but has additional notes of passion fruit and stone fruit. A slight amount of bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied and a bit juicy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer drinks very easily for a Double IPA and completely masks any traces of alcohol from the taste.

Serving type: can
Mar 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by Mleblanc25 from Massachusetts

Sep 02, 2021
Photo of brureview
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts

4.07/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
No can date, but I bought it recently.
Possibly a new batch.
This has Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra and Columbus hops.
No waiti listed on the can.
Light golden color with a 2F head in a Spielgelau IPA glass.
Very dank aroma with citrus.
Carbonated and tangy MF.
Dank and grapefruit citrus taste.
Moderately spicy finish.
Is this the same beer reviewed over 6 months ago?
The hops are different- it seems to be a different beer.
Aug 02, 2021
 
Rated: 4.31 by 322wingedfoot from Pennsylvania

Jul 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.27 by Orny18 from New York

Jul 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.42 by Gambyt20 from Illinois

Nov 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by EMH73 from New York

Nov 06, 2020
Photo of Antg8989
Reviewed by Antg8989 from New Jersey

4.46/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Aroma is blend of citrus, grapefruit, mango, papaya, grass, melon and pineapple. Taste is more grapefruit/mango/grass and pine on the retronasal. Taste is a bit harsher with an aftertaste I'm not in love with. Feel is medium bodied leaving toward fuller. Medium carbonation. Overall, this is a super solid beer. Definitely would recommend, but the aftertaste and bitterness with this one may scare of those sensitive to those aspects.
Oct 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.12 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Mar 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.35 by Biggiekrock627 from Maryland

Feb 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.48 by flgimp from Pennsylvania

Jan 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by Shenk87 from Pennsylvania

Jan 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by JMScowcroft from Vermont

Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.22 by AlpacaAlpaca from New York

Dec 16, 2019
Light Year from Grimm Artisanal Ales
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 181 ratings