Jive & Lyrics
Ocelot Brewing Company

Tea, earthy, and clean.

 

On tap at the Ironhorse in DC. I was unimpressed. Thought the aroma was lacking for such a orange juice looking IPA. Taste was above average but no reason to over rate this brew.

 

 

Fourteen ounces poured on tap at Churchkey DC into a Becher glass.

Deep hued lemon yellow with an excellent glow to it with slight shades of green, showing nice plentiful streams of fine carbonation. One finger head presented, bleach white bright and very creamy looking, nearly nitrous in appearance. Lots of clingy lace while finishing.

Tropical airy hop notes with lots of citrus oils to match, spritzy and zesty on the nose. A light juiced body, but hints at dry and very clean smelling. Really nice aroma.

Palate hits with some interesting character. Real nice quick pine like astringency with a rich malt presence. Hop forward with a mid palate that fills with a good amount of citrus orange oil and mango tropical flavors. Real nice drying mouthfeel but with some hinting thick chewy character, almost a bone dry champagne like crispness. Popping hop dryness in the aftertaste that lingers with and almost peppery quality as well.

Very memorable IPA and very tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Arrives goldenstraw colored, capped by and inch or so of foam; the head retains nicely, leaving a squiggly pattern of lacing behind

Smell: Herbal and slightly grassy, with distinct tones of tropical fruit and onion

Taste: Malt recessive, with herbal and grassy flavors developing; the middle brings tropical fruit and a hint of lemon, with the finish displaying an oniony character

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very different flavor profile to an IPA but it works really well; while I have not enjoyed onion flavors in citrusy IPAs, in this beer, it worked very well

 

 

From a growler, pours a hazy orange-ish yellow with a big, white 3-finger head that's dense and long lasting, leaving tons of lacing. Smell is super complex, with earthy, spicy herbs, mint, black pepper and hints of bay leaves. There's a very little orange and lemon citrus coming through, along with something deep, ripe and vaguely tropical. Almost meaty in some respects. Just on the edge of garlic/onion, but not quite, for which I'm grateful.

Taste is on the peppery, spicy side, again complex and evolving, ending in mint and herbal spice. Feel is light-medium, with a creamy carbonation and a prickly bitterness. Slightly sticky, resinous finish.

This may be the first IPA review I've written that doesn't use the words "grapefruit" or "pine." Overall, another truly excellent IPA from Ocelot.

 

On tap at Smoke and Barrel. American IPA with Simcoe, Green Bullet, and Waimea hops

3 days old.

Appearance: Off to a good start. Hazy but not turbid light orange that leans toward yellow when held into the light. Three finger white head that retains forever.

Smell: Really interesting aroma, if not totally my favorite profile. Not the easiest to nail down. Some citrus zest components. Grass. Lime. Resin. Some spice that hints of noble hops. Almost a hint of raisin at points? My nose must be off. Pleasant and intense, if a bit surprising.

Taste: Certainly complex. A simple, pale malt backbone holds everything up. Hop flavor is cohesive but plays on a lot of angles: resin, pine, and dank hit first. Black pepper, spice, citrus zest, and hints of mint come after. Bitterness is firm and at times intense, but never totally out of place.

Feel: Bitterness is medium to high, but never gets astringent or abrasive. Light-medium bodied with medium carbonation. Feel is so good. Lingering resin, citrus, and pepper.

Overall: Not their best IPA (to my palate) but perhaps the most complex. A hop bill that isn't super sexy and still a really, really good IPA. Takes more than a few sips to really appreciate this one.