18 Decillion
Equilibrium Brewery

I have had plenty of beers from both Equilibrium and Omnipollo over the years (though the former is much newer to my distribution area), and I would say that, although EQ are very good at what they do, and Omnipollo have made some bangers in their days as a brewing/artistry outfit, both are a little bit more hit-or-miss than I'd like to admit at times. Omnipollo's solo IPA efforts can be pretty "meh" even with good hops and legitimate brewing expertise and talent at the fore, and so I had a tiny bit of trepidation when it came to this one. The hop bill did sell me on it, however: Idaho 7 (Lupomax, if that means anything to you; to me this is just another modern hop extract gimmick like Cryo hops and whatnot), Strata, and Galaxy. Sounds nuts, and definitely makes me way more interested than, say, another generic Mosaic/Citra bomb. Anyway, this was canned on 5/25/21, making it a little over two weeks old. No better time than the present to jump right in.

The pour is on the nice side of NEIPA-type hazy/juicy-looking IPAs. The wheat and oats in the grist bolster the head formation and retention, giving this a solid collar of two fingers or so of sticky, white foam that lingers for about ten minutes, sinking slowly to a half-finger ring throughout that time. It leaves behind some patterned lace as it does so, and the legs linger nicely as well. No real complaints here.

I definitely expected this to have a complex nose and it doesn't disappoint in that respect. At first, I get dense apricot and melon mingling with vibrant tropical fruit (pineapple and mango with a splash of papaya), and some herbal grassiness starts coming out as it breathes a bit. Strata brings this all together with its superb dankness and green profile that allows the light spice/herb notes of Galaxy to stand up and work well with Idaho 7, which would otherwise dominate the scent. Hints of blood orange and grapefruit coming out, too, but those feel a little more "par for the course" in this type of beer.

Flavors of bright melon, juicy apricot/nectarine, and ripe mango are found first, with some strong dank overtones hitting right in the transition from the early-mid palate to the swallow. Finish is densely packed with complex fruitiness and a hint of grassy bitterness, building up with strong tangelo and passion fruit that I didn't come across in the nose. Juicy but somehow also a little bit more "aggressive" than some other DIPAs I have had from EQ. Feel is supremely-fluffy. Perhaps slightly thicker than most in this category, but I prefer that as long as the flavors are well-developed and the experience is consistent. This is very successful. Should have bought more!

 

 

 

 

Pours a very hazed gold with 2 fingers of eggshell colored head. Great head retention & better lacing

S: Apricots, faint citrus, guava some grassyness; nose tails off after initial pour

T: Passion fruit, tangerine, limes & dryness up front. Pink grapefruit, dryness, & passion fruit as this beer warms up, a little grassyness as well. Finishes with passion fruit, pink grapefruit, pineapple, lime & dryness

MF: Medium body, subdued carbonation, good balance, some acidity towards the end of the can

Very drinkable the nose drags it down a tiny bit

18 Decillion (2024)

Equilibrium Brewery

IPA - Imperial / Double

Charred earth and grains like golden wheat and rye for malty flavor's hit me first. More dried earth notes in the hops along with sweet, tropical fruits like papaya and mango juice. Slightly peppery in the back. Light Bodied but smooth with a zesty finish

16 oz. Can

Poured into a Trillium glass a very nice cloudy yellow/orange color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice thick/creamy one-finger plus white head, which also leaves some pretty nice creamy sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a very nice citrus complex (oranges, tangerines, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, apricots, nectarines, peach, melon, papaya), very nice diesel like. The taste is very nice, hoppy, malty, with a very nice citrus complex (oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, apricots, nectarines, peach, melon, papaya), a nice little sweetness, very nice diesel like. Medium body, ABV hidden very well, with a nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, this is a very tasty beer. MilkShake! Orange Julius! Addictive!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canned On: 10-01-22

A - Opaque dark golden orange color with frothy, bubbly, white lacing floating on top. Lacing sticks to the sides of the glass like cotton candy.

S - Citrus, apricot, spicy peach, and papaya on the nose.

T - Apricot, peach, papaya, sweet red grapefruit, some resiny pine, and ends on the sweeter side with very light bitterness.

M - Thick, pillowy soft, and chewy.

O - Really solid at two months old. Would love to have tried a younger canning date.

 

 

 

[IMG] Poured into a 20 oz tulip glass canned on 11/25/22. Pours a very attractive hazy orange yellow with a finger plus sticky white head that thick streaks of lace, with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma is papaya, peach, mango, mandarin, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows papaya, mandarin, mango, peach, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, gentle carbonation, not sticky or dry, and at 8.5% it is big on flavor, but easy going down. 4.25

Overall this is a very nice NEDIPA. I would recommend for sure. 4.25