Killer Bee
Two Bandits Brewing Company

I tried this IPA beer at the Casual Pint in Toledo, Ohio. It poured a clear copper with white head that left some lacing. The scent had hints of bitter hop. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with a sweet malt base and bitter hop finish. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it was a decent beer.

The past couple of days have been an amazing CANmalgam of Goses & Pilsners, but now my supply is exhausted. I had the Duvel as kind of an oddball, but it will lead me back to some of the breweries from which I reviewed beers the last couple of days, including Transmitter, Manayunk (CANayunk), Sly Fox, Conshohocken (CANshohocken), Sloop & Great North. Following that excursion, I will be focusing on imports for a while, bringing me full circle to that one. Stay tuned. It's gonna be CANother wild ride on The CANQuest (tm)! This one (plus a couple of others) came to me in a recent timely drop-off/pick-up in-person trade. They came to him CANtesy of a friend of his & I am grateful. Sense a developing theme yet?

From the CAN: "Killer Bee IPA"; "Craft. Passion. Quality."; "We've combined local goldenrod honey and fresh orange zest to create one ultra-smooth beer. With wonderful caramel warmth up front and a crisp citrus finish, this craft beer will appeal to your taste buds whether you love IPAs or loathe them. One sip, and you'll see what the buzz is about."; "Proudly brewed in Hicksville, Ohio"; "Two Bandits Brewing Co. creates craft beers with unique flavor combinations and as many locally sourced ingredients as we can muster. The result? Brews that please the palates of everyone from beer snobs to craft newbies."

I Crack!ed open the vent & started up a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. It foamed up beautifully to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with very good retention, taking forever to fall away, This interlude gave me time to gaze deeply at it. Color was Deep-Amber/Light-Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. It was even prettier than the last beer! OMFG. Nose was much akin to the previous beer - hoppy, but with a definite honey presence.

I'm going to stop here & offer a piece of advice to the brewers. Not EVERY beer has to be an IPA! See 21st Amendment's Blah, Blah, Blah IPA as an example. Rename this as "Killer Bee Hoppy Red Ale" or "Killer Beer Hoppy Amber Ale".

Yeah, you guessed it. This struck me as more of an American Amber/Red Ale. The nose just did not have the hop kick that it should to make it as an AIPA. It was too sweet with malt & honey to do justice to the style. Mouthfeel was a solid medium. The taste was great … for a hoppy American Amber/Red Ale! 8=( I really liked its honey-drizzled breadiness with a hoppy bite, but that is not what an AIPA is all about. This was making me sad as I drank it. I wanted to do right by it, but it was stylistically whack while tasting REALLY good, especially with its use of honey. This would have been the kind of Amber that I would have died for back in the late-1980s. Back then, they tended to be too sweet, where this one struck a good balance between the malt(s), hops & honey. It was sweetish, but not outright sweet. I could taste honey, I could taste bready malt(s), I could perceive a hoppy bitterness, but I was not feeling it as an AIPA. 8=( More sadness. Finish was semi-dry with a lingering taste of honey. Yum. This was SO tasty & yet, SO wrong! 8=( YMMV.

Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has as pretty, bronze/amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is honey, light malts. Taste is oranges, a bit of honey and grapefruit, moderate bitterness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

 

Gold to copper color with a thick tan head. Moderately hoppiness to this beer. Goes down fairly smooth. Nice tropical tasting India Pale Ale. Worth trying