Kung Fu Robot
4th Tap Brewing Co-op

RB transfer

Pours a copper/amber in color with half a finger of frothy foam atop that subsides into a thin layer of bubbles over time. Some lacing as you drink. Carbonation looks to be on the lower side. Darker in color than expected, but otherwise it looks good. Aroma is sweet, caramelized malts with citrus and pine hops coming through strongly in the background. Pretty pungent and enticing. Taste follows the nose well. This is a pretty balanced IPA with ample roasted malts, but a decidedly bitter hoppiness, especially towards the swallow. Lemon and pine for the most part with hints of peach and melon. I quite like the balance. Mouthfeel is medium with zesty carbonation. Solid body, not quite chewy but definitely not thin. Very drinkable.

Overall this was a lot more malt-forward than I expected, but I ended up quite liking the balance. It's definitely hop-forward on the finish, but pretty balanced up front and quite drinkable at 7% ABV. Looking over some of the other reviews, it seems like they must have shipped out some bad batches as my tasting notes don't match a lot of what others were saying. This one was quite fresh tasting I am pleased to say. I'd put this up there with other balanced IPAs and would happily seek it out when I'm in the mood for one. Cheers!

my very first beer from these guys, cheers to my boy for sending it up! its a neat ipa because it sort of uniquely bridges the gap between the old and the new school, like this is sturdy and malty, maybe more than just barley in the mash, a little redder in color, fuller, but then at the same time the hop profile is decidedly modern, new wave, dry hoppy, only average bitterness, so its sort of the best of both worlds in one glass. this unfortunately didnt taste extremely fresh to me, not sure if it got warm in the can in the mail or something, but there is some fade on it in the nose right away, not quite cardboard or anything, but some oxidation setting in. no date visible on the can, which is approaching unacceptable for hoppy beer in this day and age. i get a cool hop nose on this, juicy melon and rind, bitter orange peel, and oily lemongrass. most of that is there in the flavor too, and its better as it warms. good grain balance, toasted but not sweet or concentrated tasting there, cool proportions, good balance, clean ferment, hops have a nice linger too, more orange character, white grape, dried apricot, and even apple, making it kind of autumnal all up. i appreciate the high carbonation and think this is pretty clever from a recipe standpoint. would love to try it in its best form...

Kung Fu Robot from 4th Tap. On room temperature shelf at Total Wine, Selma, TX. $2.15 (Including tax)/12 oz can ($ 0.180/oz). Stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 10/6/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Served at 44.2 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.6 degrees.
Appearance – 3.25.
First pour – Pale Gold (SRM 4), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), opaque. When rear-lite, translucent.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive center pour), white, medium density, rapidly diminishing to a ten to fifteen mm ragged crown, and a partial cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide band of tiny to medium bubbles with a jagged upper edge and multiple short columns connected to the next lower band.
Aroma – 3 – Mild pineapple - no malt, no yeast. Weakens more as time passes.
Flavor – 2 – Begins lightly metallic and bitter with weak pineapple and weaker malt, no yeast, and no ethanol (7 % ABV, according to BA, NOT marked on container) taste or aroma. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. The metals hang on.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 2.75 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Too metallic. One and forever done.

 

This is a beer that didn’t need to be made. Not sure what they where going for but it this is poor effort. Little flavor and to much carbonation. Very thin malt back and light hop flavor. In today’s world of IPA,s this is severely lacking

This was very difficult to take down

 

 

 

 

Just picked up a six pack in Austin, the name caught my eye, great name btw. The 6 pack I picked up is horribly oxidized, and undrinkable. So this rating is for the beer I'm drinking right now. If I get a chance to try it again I will and review again. But I feel I just wasted $15 on this, I'm sure the store will not let me return it.

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden amber color with a one finger had of white foam. The head fades very fast leaving a little bit of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is sweet of tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, and tangerine along with aromas of a caramel smell. Along with these aromas comes some doughy smells as well as a touch of herb.
Taste – The taste begins with a bready and doughy taste accompanied by some flavors of caramel and a bit of herbal hop. The herbal hop gets stronger as the taste advances and is joined by a little bit of a earthy taste. These tastes take the taste to the end, leaving one with a lightly dank hopped and malty taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium to thicker with a carbonation level that is rathe low. A higher carbonation and thinner body would have been better for the flavors and style and made for an easier drinker.
Overall – OK, but really nothing all that special here. Maybe worth a try, but in the end, it nothing too special.

Notes from 1/15/2020.
Poured from a 12oz can into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
The appearance is amber and cloudy with three fingers of white foam with great retention, and large amounts of thick lacing. 4.25
The aroma is less than moderate in strength and smells of mango, peach, citrus, and pine. 3.00
The taste is also less than moderate in strength with notes of mango, peach, citrus, and a moderately bitter pine finish. 3.00
The mouth feel is medium, and has a little carbonation. 3.00
Overall, it's a primitive IPA. It needs more aroma, flavor, and a creamy mouth feel. In an Austin IPA competition, Kung Fu Robot would get torched by Fire Eagle IPA, battered by the antlers of Axis IPA, and permanently short-circuited by Electric Jellyfish. 2.75

 

 

Not a bad beer but not something that I’d pay for again. Thin, flat and 1 dimensional, boring. Where’s the Citra & Mosaic? This has no pop of flavor or aroma. Disappointing.