Cluster 8
BentSpoke Brewing Co
- From:
- BentSpoke Brewing Co
- Australia
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 8.8%
- Score:
- +5 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.84 | pDev: 13.02%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 12, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 02, 2014
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
2.88/5 rDev -25%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.88/5 rDev -25%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
On-draught @ the brewery. 330ml for $11 AUD.
Too emphatic of malt, with the underwhelming hop profile taking an unwelcome backseat.
Drinkable but underwhelming for an IIPA in 2023.
C / AVERAGE
Jan 12, 2023Too emphatic of malt, with the underwhelming hop profile taking an unwelcome backseat.
Drinkable but underwhelming for an IIPA in 2023.
C / AVERAGE
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia
3.86/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.86/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bentspoke Cluster 8 IIPA – this is going to be good, hella-moreish-awesome IIPA good. Apparently Bentspoke have pushed this already 8.8% ABV IIPA into IIIIIIPA territory [translation: each “I” in IIPA can be interpreted as an ABV level, with their Cluster 18 weighing in at a whopping 18% ABV – those are some cojones right there cabrón!]. Back to Cluster 8, I’ve been looking forward to this since seeing recent social-media posts of the drifter series cans of this, plus Red Nut has been the beer of my winter 2018 – I must have consumed a dozen cans of that already, and I keep coming back to it, so tasty! The hop bill in Cluster 8 also reads as my Top 6 hops of all-time: Mosaic, Citra, Galaxy, Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo [hell yes!].
Poured from a 375ml with one of those “the-entire-lid-lifts-off” tops that rock, into a Duvel tulip.
A: Cloudy amber body with a beige sea-foam head that slowly drops back leaving some tasty lace-work inside the glass. There’s something rustic about the look of this brew that appeals to the inner hop farmer in me – this is a real beer, it ain’t pretty, but it’ll do the job (well I suspect). 7/10.
S: Pure hop-gumbo! Piney/herbal/floral hops mingle with juicy fruit, spicy notes, hints of stone-fruit and biscuit malt base in the background. A delectable hop fragrance like this doesn’t come along often, this is sublime, I don’t know whether to drink this or keep it in a snuff-box to sniff at whenever I feel like a pick-me-up, brilliant stuff! 10/10.
T: Flavour is as expected, it’s a bit too muddled, there’s good stuff going on but it’s lacking the finesse of a KAIJU! or a Modus IIPA: Piney/herbal/juicy fruit from the start, mid-palate adds a syrupy stone-fruit and fructose dilemma – it’s a bit on the sweeter side for a typical (West Coast) IIPA, finishes with a potpourri note that unsettles. It’s not terrible, just discombobulated. After-taste is a mix of mango and floral character, sort of like a tropical punch. Yep, unsettling. 7/10.
M: Mid to heavy and syrupy AF – which doesn’t help with the sweetness in the flavour profile – and a dense almost-flat carbonation. Hop syrup here. 7/10.
D: What a roller-coaster. I was so expecting this to be brilliant with that aroma, but it fell apart in the flavour department. Based on the texture of this beer I suspect Bentspoke may have thought the keg recipe would translate directly to the can… I can’t think of any other reason why this didn’t work. 7/10.
Food match: Tropical fruit salad and potpourri of course!
Oct 05, 2018Poured from a 375ml with one of those “the-entire-lid-lifts-off” tops that rock, into a Duvel tulip.
A: Cloudy amber body with a beige sea-foam head that slowly drops back leaving some tasty lace-work inside the glass. There’s something rustic about the look of this brew that appeals to the inner hop farmer in me – this is a real beer, it ain’t pretty, but it’ll do the job (well I suspect). 7/10.
S: Pure hop-gumbo! Piney/herbal/floral hops mingle with juicy fruit, spicy notes, hints of stone-fruit and biscuit malt base in the background. A delectable hop fragrance like this doesn’t come along often, this is sublime, I don’t know whether to drink this or keep it in a snuff-box to sniff at whenever I feel like a pick-me-up, brilliant stuff! 10/10.
T: Flavour is as expected, it’s a bit too muddled, there’s good stuff going on but it’s lacking the finesse of a KAIJU! or a Modus IIPA: Piney/herbal/juicy fruit from the start, mid-palate adds a syrupy stone-fruit and fructose dilemma – it’s a bit on the sweeter side for a typical (West Coast) IIPA, finishes with a potpourri note that unsettles. It’s not terrible, just discombobulated. After-taste is a mix of mango and floral character, sort of like a tropical punch. Yep, unsettling. 7/10.
M: Mid to heavy and syrupy AF – which doesn’t help with the sweetness in the flavour profile – and a dense almost-flat carbonation. Hop syrup here. 7/10.
D: What a roller-coaster. I was so expecting this to be brilliant with that aroma, but it fell apart in the flavour department. Based on the texture of this beer I suspect Bentspoke may have thought the keg recipe would translate directly to the can… I can’t think of any other reason why this didn’t work. 7/10.
Food match: Tropical fruit salad and potpourri of course!
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia
4.35/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.35/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brief notes don't do justice to my fave Bentspoke had at the brewpub.
Generous apricot, peach, and mango fruit flavours into a smooth and balanced IIPA.
Nov 02, 2014Generous apricot, peach, and mango fruit flavours into a smooth and balanced IIPA.
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