Phaedrus IPA
Culmination Brewing

Gold color. Big white head that receded to a thin layer. Nice amount of lacing.
Aroma of fruit and pine.
Taste of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, melon. Late pine.
Medium-bodied. Not a lot of bitterness.

 

Look: Semi-clear copper with a nice-looking pure white head that eventually settles to a lid, leaving sticky lacing behind
Aroma: Pine, navel orange, mandarins, some berry notes, grapefruit, sweet bready malt, limes, and some dank
Taste: Follows the nose well. Starts off with a nice rush of mixed citrus fruits with orange, lime, and grapefruit leading the charge and followed by resinous pine. Malt is present, but in the background, and closes with a nice bite and more pine
Mouthfeel: Full, medium-high carbonation, and ever-so-slightly dry on the finish
Overall: I dig it. Oddly, this is my first experience with this beer though I’ve seen it for a couple years so was glad to finally try it, as it’s good. Classic WCIPA flavors and a good malt backbone along with a nice bite and good feel all help bring this beer the credit it’s due. Definitely worth the purchase and try

 

draught
Medium light orange/amber look. An off-dry, good musty (dank), touch of floral spice, in the aroma. A slightly creamy mouthfeel, starts it off, then a very slight bite of a floral/spice and whiff of a pine sort, then a pleasant trailing off of flavors.

Refreshing. Bought from Tavour; but I didn't need their national network to taste yet another average AIPA.

Looks give me average foam, minimal lace. Smells say mostly malt backed by hops. Tastes say mostly hops backed by malt. Finishing without the usual extreme bitterness and using just enough bubbles to refresh, Phaedrus is a medium body AIPA that is good enough... but not good enough to have again.

I grant that Culmination seems to have a particularly high level of love for brewing accented by hops. But they really don't seem to be too much different than many other Portland brewers where the hop-crazies seem to congregate and imbibe. But Phaedrus is clearly their cash cow and every micro needs that to get to the other side of Covid.

Also Phaedrus is a heady name. My take is that Culmination is honoring the Plato/Socrates method of philosophical discussion during which Phaedrus would make comments for us the readers. But Phaedrus also comes in as Robert Pirsig's previous and troubled self in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." This was one of the 1970s most popular books on philosophy; back when I was in college and smoking pot instead of drinking beer. (The craft beer movement would not emerge for two more decades.) So for all that past life, I give Phaedrus some pretty good OA Hugs.

 

 

12oz can picked up at Hop and Hound in Bothell, Washington.
Canned ON 11/27/2019. Served in a pint glass.

Look- Clear golden orange color. A solid off-white head that recedes very slowly to a thin cap of foam, a modest amount of lacing. moderate/heavy carbonation streams visible.

Smell- Dank melon, citrus (grapefruit, orange/tangerine and pithy lemon), resinous pine, tropical fruit (pineapple, mango and papaya), bready honey malt, a little peach, floral/grassy notes.

Taste- Much like the aroma melon forward with some nice citrus, mango and peach backing it up, the pine is fairly negligible.

Feel- Medium/light bodied with a dry, crisp, lightly bitter finish. Medium carbonation on the tongue.

O- My first offering from Culmination and it's solid. Cans are $2.50 a single so I'll be going back tomorrow for a few more.

 

 

 

 

 

A 12 ounce can poured into a IPA glass.

Look- Golden, slightly hazy, average head retention.
Smell- Citrus, tangerine, grapefruit.
Taste- Citrus, well balanced, not at all boozy.
Feel- Between light and medium body, average carbonation.
Overall- Great beer!

 

 

 

A good looking IPA. Clean and clear golden body with a foamy white head that unfortunately disappears completely without a trace. It both smells and tastes of mild tropical fruits. Melon and mango start it off, and a healthy dose of bready malt follows, but it's a little pissy to me, and it follows in the finish. It is crisp and light feeling with moderate carbonation, but much more of a balanced IPA with a lack of pungency and bitterness. Overall, this is a decent IPA, perhaps more suited for the Pale and even Blond Ale lovers. It lacks the intensity that I enjoy, and there are too many others that I would reach for over this. Cheers.

Toasted tan color. Clean and crisp with a classic subdued bitterness. Great body. Hints of melon and gobs of pine and resin. Delicious west coast IPA. Couldn't ask for anything more.

From a single can into a hotel tumbler glass, pours a slightly hazy golden amber with a good thick 1 finger head and good retention and lacing. Nose is pretty dank...piney, juicy orange, oniony Citra, some unobtrusive bready malts. Taste follows pretty much exactly...quite savory and earthy on the finish. Carb: middling. Body: middling to thick, mouthful kind of coats the tongue with lots of hop oils, some nice moderate bitterness. Solid and enjoyable and well made.

Canned 03 Nov.

A clear golden orange with a dense, offwhite head with good retention and lacing, this looks great. The nose is a blend of fruit and pleasant bitterness. Floral, fragrant, peachy, melon, there's an impressive depth here. Honey and a touch of pinesap are present too. The palate opens moderately bitter with a blend of orange, peach and mango with a bit of melon. There's also a touch of honey and cotton candy. Malt character is minimal. Clean, drying, moderately bitter and quite fruity on the finish, this is impressive. Carbonation is soft, allowing the focus to be on the hops. Well crafted, highly recommended.

 

Bought 22oz bomber at GZ outlet in Portland.
Pours cloudy gold. Modest sudsy head. Not much lacing to speak of.
The hop combo is almost as if I suggested it....so I'm biased.
Great tasting beer. Not astringent, just hoppy.
And 6.7% abv is about perfect.

 

 

This was poured into a becher pint glass. The appearance was a hazy burnt orange color with a thin white foamy head that dissipated at a quick pace. Barely any lacing. The aroma starts off with sweet danky onion over top of sweet papaya, guava, pineapple to run into each other mainly in a sweet sort of sly breadiness underneath. The flavor bridges the gap between the a nice sweetness to bitterness coming about. Balanced aftertaste swarming into a sweet to underscored bitter sort of finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sessionability about it. Carbonation rides nice and low. Overall, it’s a good American IPA that I would have again.

 

Looks: cloudy pee pee, but good looking pee pee
Smells: sweet, pine, and a bit oniony
Taste: sweet, oniony, apricot.

 

 

 

 

 

The first word here has to be dank!
Above all else, if I am to rank.
Great simcoe notes pushing the top
What a complex taste from such a hop

As well there is onion, fruit, and pine
Some citrusy notes, maybe clementine
It fades rather quick, giving in yet
To a green smell, like hops that are wet

The flavor dominates thoroughly here
Like a fresh start for this fantastic beer
Sweet, ripe mangos and evergreen, too
There is the Citra in this great brew!

But where's the Mosaic in this ale
Perhaps it is me and I just fail?
At any rate to whom is reading
This beer welcomes like a greeting

So wonderfully resiny in such delight
I wonder if it was maybe left in the light
As a sweeter ipa, I have no complaints
A beer that has no known restraints.