Falcon Smash
Triple Crossing Brewing

Falcon SmashFalcon Smash
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From:
Triple Crossing Brewing
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
New England IPA
Ranked #2,268
ABV:
7.4%
Score:
90
Ranked #8,965
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 8.17%
Reviews:
39
Ratings:
190
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 03, 2024
Added:
May 14, 2014
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  33
Our ever faithful house IPA born from both the necessity of what we had to work with, and what we had to do. Brewed with a softer grist of North American 2 Row and Malted Wheat, fermented with our expressive house ale yeast, and dry hopped with a focus on the Falconers Flight hop blend, this beer delivers on balanced hop and yeast character of brighter citrus, orange pine marmalade, and stone fruit cohesion.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by julielynndubee:
Photo of julielynndubee
Rated by julielynndubee from Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%

Oct 14, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a 16 oz single from the Blue Door Bottleshop in Hendersonville 10-20-23 for $6.50. Canned 8-21-23; consumed 2-3-24. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured to near perfection as there was a huge white billowy head that has serious hang time that is leaving lacing behind.

Nose is not overly pungent as i am getting lemon.

Taste is really nice as the light but substantive pale malt base yields to the Falconer's Flight hop which i am getting a nice lemony orange combination. Finishes with a decent balancing rind hop; 6/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and refreshing.

Overall a delightful beer, would definitely have this again!
Feb 03, 2024
Photo of jonwiseman
Reviewed by jonwiseman from Florida

3.47/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Beautiful hazy pour. Large two inch head. Smell is pure pineapple. Mouthfeel is impressive. Just came for a pizza but this beer is outstanding. New England ipa at its best. Floral and citrus for miles!!!
Nov 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Nov 07, 2023
Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Gifted a fresh crowler.
Wonderful Hazy IPA with a great creamy head on a straw yellow haze. Decent nose. Flavor was great. I had forgotten how much I’ve like Falconer’s flight hops.
Smooth sipper.
Enjoyed crowler “draft”. Considering other reviews, I think this might be one of those brews where fresh draft vs canned makes a real difference.
Really came across more as a very good light DIPA. Was excellent accompanying our outside creole Seafood/Corn/Potato boil.
Sep 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.73 by Jb80va from Virginia

Jun 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.97 by Wrigfen from South Carolina

May 21, 2023
Photo of Steve_Studnuts
Reviewed by Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Canned 5/4/23

Looks like your typical hazy on initial pour. Almost two fingers of head with tremendous retention. Pretty solid wall of lace too. Good looking beer; I'm trying to embrace the opaque. They largely look alike to me, so I'm mostly grading on head retention and lacing. And I'll be damned if they don't all largely smell alike too. I get citrus and tannic grape peel on the nose with this one. It smells OK, if a bit muted. Tastes muted, too, but what's there is pleasant enough. Bitter citrus juice; grapefruit, in particular, I suppose, but it more tastes like bitter orange juice to me if that makes any sense. Pithy grapefruit zest. Something of a harsh hop burn on the finish. It doesn't ruin the beer or anything, but it's there. Dry finish as well, which is welcome. I'm used to these hazies being sweeter. *Shrug* Yeah, that's all I got. This is fine, I guess. And while certainly not bad, it's also not enough to change my overall poor opinion of the style.
May 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

Mar 11, 2023
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16oz can from south side location. Hazy orange golden pour, soft, creamy head, solid lacing. Dry, citrusy aroma. Taste is pillowy bready malts, light citrus peel, creamy, mouthfeel.
Jan 27, 2023
Photo of ThisWangsChung
Reviewed by ThisWangsChung from Maryland

3.06/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Canned 1/5/23.

Pours a murky amber color with some suspended floaties. The head is around two fingers high and off-white in shade. Retention is quite good, and the frothy texture leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. It's not a particularly good-looking beer, despite the good head (HA!)

The aroma is quite subdued - there are nice elements to be found, albeit in a muted manner. Grapefruit is the dominating note, followed by lemon zest and grass. Malt presence is also subdued, but perhaps that's a good thing? Shame everything else seems to be at 60% intensity...

The flavor profile follows the nose closely, to its detriment. It opens up with a mild grapefruit character, leading to a malty middle and a slightly herbaceous, pine-laden finish. While reasonably well-rounded and not overly bitter, it just doesn't seem to really pop in any meaningful manner. All in all, the flavor isn't bad, but it isn't great, either. It's just sort of...there.

I will say however, the mouthfeel is the best part of the beer. The semi-crispy finish works in its favor - it's soft enough to not be harsh, yet dry enough to invite more sips. Carbonation is nicely subdued, allowing the natural dryness to shine.

I wanted this to be much better than it is. It's not bad at all - it's easygoing, food-friendly, not to mention it's better on tap - but "not bad at all" doesn't cut it when Richmond, Virginia has far, FAR better hazy IPAs, including quite a few from Triple Crossing themselves. I respect what this beer represents, but I can't grow to love it.
Jan 24, 2023
 
Rated: 3.89 by PSanger from Connecticut

Dec 17, 2022
Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Draft pour into pint glass.
Pale hazy yellow color with loose short lasting head. Pineapple, orange, hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is moderate, crisp and creamy.
Oct 29, 2022
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The backbone of any relevant American craft brewery is likely an IPA. And in today's era of haze, Triple Crossing Brewing laces their flagship ale with Falconer's Flight hops for a unique flavor profile on a well treaded style.

Falcon Smash gets going with a milky gold pour and a heady cotton-white froth. With a juicy perfume of citrus, stone fruit, light tropical scents and spicy spruce, the taste soon gives way to a pillowy creamy sweetness of angel food cake, agave nectar and cereal.

As the ale slowly dries across the middle palate, the hop flavors rise to give full its full breadth of fruity character in way of juicy oranges, pink grapefruit, mango, light pineapple and then peach. Trending gently bitter, the later portions of taste develop a spicy bite of fresh spruce, tea leaf, fresh grass clippings and a hint of hemp.

Medium bodied and drying into finish, the beer offers enough crispness for refreshment but also enough flavor to remain juicy and radiant right down to the final sips. Its a delightful ale that carries a smooth resinous bite into a brisk afterglow of botanical herbs.
Oct 27, 2022
Photo of puck1225
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas

4.19/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from draft into a shaker pint glass. Bright hazy yellow color with fluffy white head and good curtain lacing. Nice fruity/citrus smell and taste. Grapefruit, pineapple and orange. Floral background and some sweet spice. Nice IPA.
Aug 07, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by emelenjr from Virginia

Jun 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.81 by natebrown8

Feb 18, 2022
 
Rated: 3.65 by hophugger from Virginia

Jan 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.23 by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

Dec 15, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by ColForbinBC from New Jersey

Dec 06, 2021
Falcon Smash from Triple Crossing Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 190 ratings