Splinter Cat IPA
Big Axe Brewing Co.
- From:
- Big Axe Brewing Co.
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #3,385 - ABV:
- 6.3%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #26,534 - Avg:
- 3.76 | pDev: 6.65%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 29, 2025
- Added:
- May 09, 2017
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
The Splinter cat will hurl itself from tree to tree, smashing the trunks into pieces, revealing the tasty morsels inside.
Medium body with a balanced malt presence from a high grade pale malt. slight sweetness to accommodate the expected IPA bitterness. Notes of citrus and pine finish it.
Medium body with a balanced malt presence from a high grade pale malt. slight sweetness to accommodate the expected IPA bitterness. Notes of citrus and pine finish it.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by argock from Virginia
4.04/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured at Carleton College reunion — thanks Becky and Chris!!
Light amber with 1-2 finger off-white frothy head with good retention and thick bands of lacing.
Aroma is melon and grapefruit with light toasty malt note
Flavor is also similar to the aroma with toasty malt note carrying through with melon, grapefruit, and pineapple hop notes. Bitterness is medium-high and clean without esters.
Mouthfeel is medium body with dry finish with great drinkability.
An exceptional IPA for an exceptional event!
Jun 29, 2025Light amber with 1-2 finger off-white frothy head with good retention and thick bands of lacing.
Aroma is melon and grapefruit with light toasty malt note
Flavor is also similar to the aroma with toasty malt note carrying through with melon, grapefruit, and pineapple hop notes. Bitterness is medium-high and clean without esters.
Mouthfeel is medium body with dry finish with great drinkability.
An exceptional IPA for an exceptional event!
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota
4.04/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.04/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pints on tap at the brewery 7/27/24.
L: Pours burnished copper & rust with a rocky off white head that becomes frothy, light carbonation, leaves sticky soapy lacing.
S: Caramelized malts, pine, over ripe citrus, a hint of brown bread.
T: Slightly toasty cereal grains, sweet caramel malts, citrus zest, resin, slightly floral, mildly tangy. It is gently rich.
F: Mildly bright and smooth medium bodied feel with a medium-long lingering finish that is moderately drying.
O: A tasty and refreshing IPA that is fairly traditional. It has a lot of flavor and goes well with the menu items the brewery has to offer. This brewery's tank setup is quite small yet they produce very consistently and each batch does not lose any luster. Splinter Cat IPA is very good in its style.
Jul 29, 2024L: Pours burnished copper & rust with a rocky off white head that becomes frothy, light carbonation, leaves sticky soapy lacing.
S: Caramelized malts, pine, over ripe citrus, a hint of brown bread.
T: Slightly toasty cereal grains, sweet caramel malts, citrus zest, resin, slightly floral, mildly tangy. It is gently rich.
F: Mildly bright and smooth medium bodied feel with a medium-long lingering finish that is moderately drying.
O: A tasty and refreshing IPA that is fairly traditional. It has a lot of flavor and goes well with the menu items the brewery has to offer. This brewery's tank setup is quite small yet they produce very consistently and each batch does not lose any luster. Splinter Cat IPA is very good in its style.
Reviewed by gatornation from Arizona
3.85/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a hazed light copper color with an off white head. Smell is citrus and pine . Taste id fruity and tropical notes of oranges and cantalope, some pine resin . A hopp mouth feel with some bitterness, thought this was good.
Aug 08, 2021
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota
3.38/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
2017 notes:
To the eye: Slightly hazed, murky amber-ish coloring, off-white froth atop.
In the nose: Fruit and funk. Stone fruit, pitted fruit, much malt. A little bit odd, this one. A little herbal....not at all typical. huh.
In the mouth: Bitterness hits first, followed by fruit, then sweet turns to dry. Medium body, longish, bitter finish. Funky malt, but not in the usual meaning. There's something off about this one. Not unpleasant, but not pleasing, either. I so want to like it, for I had a good experience at the taproom last year. But I have to call it as I see it. This one needs to go back to the ol' drawing board. As it is, it's a very mediocre India Pale Ale.
I'll keep trying the Big Axe canned efforts, hoping for better success.
Jul 29, 2020To the eye: Slightly hazed, murky amber-ish coloring, off-white froth atop.
In the nose: Fruit and funk. Stone fruit, pitted fruit, much malt. A little bit odd, this one. A little herbal....not at all typical. huh.
In the mouth: Bitterness hits first, followed by fruit, then sweet turns to dry. Medium body, longish, bitter finish. Funky malt, but not in the usual meaning. There's something off about this one. Not unpleasant, but not pleasing, either. I so want to like it, for I had a good experience at the taproom last year. But I have to call it as I see it. This one needs to go back to the ol' drawing board. As it is, it's a very mediocre India Pale Ale.
I'll keep trying the Big Axe canned efforts, hoping for better success.
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.71/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On-tap at Stone Arch, MSP Airport, Minneapolis, MN
A: The beer is rather hazy yellow in color. It poured with a short white head that left a patch of bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of oranges are present in the nose along with hints of pine and melon.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of oranges with strong notes of honeydew melon. There is only a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount fo carbonation.
O: This IPA has interesting flavors of honeydew melon.
Serving type: on-tap
Aug 04, 2019A: The beer is rather hazy yellow in color. It poured with a short white head that left a patch of bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of oranges are present in the nose along with hints of pine and melon.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of oranges with strong notes of honeydew melon. There is only a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount fo carbonation.
O: This IPA has interesting flavors of honeydew melon.
Serving type: on-tap
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.25/5 rDev +13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: has that hazy big hop look as the burnished brass liquid fills the glass building a 1.5" off-white sticky foam cap with good retention. Streams of bubbles rise moderately fast.
S: Northwoods pine and citrus nose with traces of herbs, bread crumb, and a hint of green marijuana and melon.
T: The flavors start with fruity sweetness quickly giving way to a big citrus and pine bitterness that carry the beer to a slightly astringent, lingering bitter finish.
F: Splinter Cat is very creamy with a medium body and medium very fine soft carbonation.
O: This is a very assertive, very big beer that leaves the mouth dry and bitter and wanting more.
May 16, 2017S: Northwoods pine and citrus nose with traces of herbs, bread crumb, and a hint of green marijuana and melon.
T: The flavors start with fruity sweetness quickly giving way to a big citrus and pine bitterness that carry the beer to a slightly astringent, lingering bitter finish.
F: Splinter Cat is very creamy with a medium body and medium very fine soft carbonation.
O: This is a very assertive, very big beer that leaves the mouth dry and bitter and wanting more.
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