DEADBOLT
The Virginia Beer Company

 

Enjoyed on tap at the Innsbrook Capitol Ale House. As this one reached room temp it clearly tasted like cotton candy, and I enjoyed this, though I'm not much of a sweet-side hophead. As I always say, with IPAs, the best, or most interesting flavors, usually comes out near room temp.

 

 

Poured from 16 oz can (07/29) into stinger glass. Color is dark orange about half inch of foam w some Lacing. Not much smell to this one, slight orange/tropical and Booz. The taste gets little better with each sip but the hop/malt/abv ratio never comes together leaving a bitter/musky aftertaste. Wanted to like this one more for the high abv 9.2% but just not very smooth or hoppy enough for me.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a snifter glass. Had an orange-brown color and a cloudy consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, somewhat long-lasting head. So-so lacing.

S: A solid aroma of hops, pine, tropical fruit, malt, and citrus fruit.

T: Tasted of a small amount of malt (mostly in the finish), a fair amount of tropical fruit (mango), a good shot of citrus fruit (oranges), a fairly high hops content (a big factor), and some dank pine notes as well. A well-balanced, juicy and sharp flavor. It's pretty hoppy, but not obnoxiously so; the fruit elements offer good support. Pretty tasty.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a lively finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A super solid DIPA. Worth a look.

 

 

 

I don't see a date listed on the can.

Appearance: For starters, the beer has a massive white head, so be careful when pouring this. The body is a dark beige to light orange-brown color. It is hazy to the point that it occludes everything but light around the edges.

Aroma: There isn't too much aroma here. There's a light bit of what smells faintly of both mango and wildflowers. The scent picks up a bit more strength the longer the beer sits.

Taste: There is a nice mango flavor mixed with strong presence of alcohol. There is a light bit of grain flavor floating around on the edge of the palate that never really marries with the other flavors.

Mouthfeel: Fairly low bitterness. It has a medium-light body and a wet finish. The strong alcohol hampers drinkability and it picks up a bit of sweetness that never gets cut by the hop bitterness.

Overall: When the beer hits the mouth and some of the aroma wafts into the nose all at the same time, the beer leans towards being pretty good. Once it makes its way across the palate it starts to deconstruct itself into very simple and disjointed flavors. It never smells or tastes especially fresh. It's not really a beer I would recommend or pick up again.

Pours a clear amber color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of strong citrus hops, slight piney hops, hint of spicy hops, alcohol, and sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of strong citrus hops, slight piney hops, floral hops, hint of spicy hops, alcohol, and sweet malt. Overall, good appearance and feel, strong body, hop bouquet, overpoweringly just hops.

Poured from a can into a pint glass.

Appearance: Amber colored with a thin off white head.

Smell: Light hops.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Taste of bitter hops and sweeter malts.

Overall: Not what I expected but not bad.

 

 

 

Poured a light gold body with one-finger head and lace spots on the glass. Aroma is dominated by a citric hop burst and then there are notes of earthiness and bitterness. Smooth, light-bodied, it gets not only bitter and dirty but a tad veg-like at times. This possible skunkiness overpowers the minimal sweet malt aspect of the beer and it finishes overly dry. I didn't have this at the brewery but at a growler to go shop in Norfolk so it is possible that the beer sat too long; I say this b/c something about the bitterness and veggie like taste at times struck me as not bad brewing but just bad beer.

 

On tap at the source. First visit to VBC. Sampled from a flight of 8. Pours a medium orange/amber color. Solid aroma, mostly pine. Taste largely follows, a little sweet. Lingering bitterness on the tongue.

Pour is beautiful copper orange color with good lacing and perfect carb...

Smell is off pure juicy fruity goodness...like smelling a bowl of fruit mixed with a pack of juicy fruit mixed in with a layer of dank on top...

Taste is effin perfect...dankness and fruitiness mixed with some maltiness sitting on a perfect carb...

Mouth feel...chewing malty dank juicy fruit gum with a side of slickness on top of it all

Overall...these guys are someone to look at...among this beer I tried everything thing they had and with the exception of maybe one beer I would rate not only this but all there beer near perfect...a must go to if in the vicinity...great atmosphere and very great service...a layed back open air awesome place to go have a few or flight...do it!!!!

Pours amber with a thick foamy white head with solid retention and some lacing.

Nose is big on dank, onion, and the malt presence is clear. Definitely a sweeter note here.

Flavor is fantastic. Not quite like any DIPA I've had before. Juicy, bitter, grassy/onion notes, dank but with a solid sweetness throughout. Something about the hops seems to add to the balance along with the malt. Really nice and a bit surprising.

Feel is spot on - carb level is perfect. Well rounded, a bit brash in the right way, with a nice juicy sweetness. I hope this one sticks around for a while - would likely become my go-to DIPA for VA brew.

Edit: First review was of the first batch (reviews from March vs. June seem to back up the difference in the batches). The bigger batch didn't do as much for me. Flavor was still fine, fresh, dank and juicy with a nice sweet balance. But the nose is more absent and the feel is just a bit too chewy/viscous for my liking.