Operation CoHoperation - Melvin
Lupulin Brewing

 

Semi murky orange pour. There's a 2 finger white and fluffy head. The head retention is pretty damn good, and there's some beautiful lacing on the glass.
The nose is has a decent tropical hop aroma.
Taste - Lots of mango in the flavor. I also get some guava, as well.
The body is pretty good. The hops do linger in my throat for a bit.
Decent IPA.

 

16 fl oz pull-tab can cost $3.99 USD plus tax (per single, not as part of a 4/6 pack) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Canned 02/11/21 but just hit shelves last week.

"West Coast Style Double India Pale Ale." 9% ABV. 100+ IBU. 6 SRM. Recommended glassware per the can label is a tulip, but all I've got is a stemless wine glass...

Served cold.

APPEARANCE: Off-white head of fair frothiness. ~5-6cm in height. ~5 minute head retention.

Body is dull and uninviting...a murky dull copper. Lacks any vibrance or life at all, and even lacks clarity/filtration judging by its lack of transparency and slight cloudiness. Maybe it's chill haze?

AROMA: Woodsy, almost as if Crystal hops had been used...I guess that's the Talus (a hop I'm not too well acquainted with). I don't get any oniony/garlicky notes from the Simcoe. I do get some generic floral hop aromatics I'd attribute to Columbus (or any C hop, really). Muted citrus.

Malt backbone seems a bit simplistic...caramalt (or maybe crystal malt) and 2-row/pale malt.

Suggests a dull but drinkable IIPA with an underwhelming hop presence and a noticeable alcohol warmth.

TASTE: Woodsiness, herb, floral hops, a bit of vague unidentifiable muted citrus (maybe tangerine peel if there's a gun to my head along with some rind-like bitterness). Honestly, it's more woodsy than anything else, so I guess the Talus dominates. But it's so fucking underwhelming...I expected far more depth of hop flavour and hop intensity in an Imperial India Pale Ale.

Has a very simple malt backbone - 2-row/pale malt and something stronger (I'd bet on Crystal malt).

TEXTURE: Full-bodied without reason. Highly carbonated. Smooth, wet, unrefreshing. Has an alcohol warmth that doesn't do it any favors.

OVERALL: Not particularly easy to drink given its noticeable ethanol presence. Not much of an IIPA given the lack of well showcased (or even well selected) hop varietals. I wouldn't buy it again and I don't think much of it, but I'd put the blame more on Melvin than Lupulin....these sort of overly alcoholic yet somehow still insipid IIPAs are more up their alley than Lupulin's if you look at both brewery's lineups.

High D+ / NOT RECOMMENDED

 

 

Canned February 11th.

Pours a lightly hazy medium gold with an inch of foam with a vigorous pour. It does okay with the lacing.

Tropical fruit smell, pine, dank with some onions which I am not a fan of.

The taste is dank as well. Onions are there and I tried hard to not notice them. Tropical fruit and some pine with some malty sweetness, it claims to be 100 IBUs. Or I should say +100. It's not all that bitter but the dankness is a bit too much for me.

Body and carbonation are just fine.

Not my favourite collaboration but there are few that I truly like. I gave away one can. I reckon that I will do the same for the other 2 cans.

16oz can. Can bottom is stamped '#MEL1 CANNED 02/11/21'.
Slightly cloudy, pale gold colored body. Two finger white head, which recedes a little but stays around. Partial walls of lacing.
Aroma is a little sweet with floral, grassy, and citrus smells. Some pine resin in the background.
Taste is very floral and grassy. At the end there is a touch of pine bitterness. Underneath is some dank resin.
Softer, more than medium mouth feel. A touch of syrup. Very good carbonation.
Sweet like an imperial IPA, but lacks bitterness for a WCIPA. Kind of disappointed as I like IPAs from both brewers. It seems, for a lot of these cooperative efforts, that the brewing process party is more enjoyable to the brewers than the resulting beer is to the customer drinkers.

Unfiltered pale amber with a large dense head. Aroma of citrus rind, grass, flowers, and pineapple. Subtle dankness as well. A lot of citrus in the flavor like grapefruit. Minor notes of pine and finishes slightly catty and resiny. Bitterness is moderate but definitely more than 95% of new IPAs today. Alcohol is well hidden. Big body and appropriately carbonated.

From a 16oz can:

Appearance: Hazy gold, good head.

Smell: Good, citrusy, dank, citrus rind.

Taste: Nice sweet and citrus balance up front. A little cake-like note, bready sweetness. Pretty good bitterness in the finish.

Overall: Lupulin makes some good hoppy beers here in MN and I've heard good things about Melvin despite never having any of their beers. This beer has a good balance between sweetness and hoppy bitterness. About $16 for a 4 pack, not too bad!

Pours a hazy golden color with a fresh white head, Smell is dank floral and tropical. Taste is a 3 hop collaboration with Melvin, it has notes of berries pine citrus and herbal sage . Mouth feel is soft with 9% ABV well hidden a touch of dry pine resin in finish. A well made 2IPA but a single is enough, so many others on shelf ...two respected breweries by their on merit collaborated and made an average ++ 2IPA .