Sophistry 08
Lupulin Brewing

 

 

16 fl oz pull-tab can cost $4.29 USD plus tax at a beer store in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Canned 11/10/20 (per bottom of can).

7.5% ABV. Hops: Sultana, Sabro, Columbus, Falconers Flight (i.e. Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra®, Cluster, Columbus and Crystal). 50 IBU. 4 SRM. Malts: 2-row, pilsner, crystal birch, flaked rye. "India Pale Ale."

Served cold into a dimpled mug.

Coconut drives the vaguely tropical hop profile, but there isn't much depth of flavour or hop pungency here. Coconut, pineapple, generic floral hop flavour, and vague tropical fruit hop flavour sit atop a generic 2-row malt backbone. None of rye malt's usual spiciness is present, and no hop seems particularly evocative or vivid in its flavour.

It's a melange of generic indistinct flavours that is generally pleasant but lacks punch and intensity. I'd venture to say Sierra Nevada's Torpedo has a more assertive hop flavour than this. Too new world what with all the coconut and tropical fruits to taste like a classic C-hopped IPA, but too generic, floral, and inexpressive to run with the big dogs of the new world hopped IPA. I can't see anyone hating it - it's generally drinkable and enjoyable - but I don't think anyone will latch onto this as their favourite beer or anything.

$4+ a can is pretty steep for the lack of quality relative to your run of the mill widely distributed $10/sixer IPAs (Deschutes, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, hell even some New Belgium IPAs)...I can't recommend this to anyone.

C+ (3.1) / ABOVE AVERAGE

 

Tastes great!

Medium golden and hazy with a decent sized head, this beer looks nice. Sweet citrus/pineapple nose is nice too. Good flavor, a little different than most. Ok carbonation with a medium feel. Quality stuff.

 

Poured from pint glass into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a slightly hazy lemon yellow hue with moderately active carbonation jets fueling a 1 inch bubbly/frothy white head with good retention.
S: Lemon, lime, soft coconut, pine, sweet grapefruit, and a hint of mango.
T: Lemon, lime, mango, pine, soft coconut, and a hint of grapefruit.
M: Light-medium body. Soft and creamy feel. Tropical and citrus sweetness. Lingers nicely on the palate.
D: Another excellent offering in the Sophistry line! Sabro is one my least favorite hops, but it plays really well here with Sultana, Columbus, and Falconers Flight.

Pours a hazed straw color with a large fresh white head. Smell herbal with lemon.citrus some berries and pine. Taste has a lemon citrus mix with some tropical mango and pine drops. A slight bitter mouth feel with ABV hidden had a herbal tsate.