Valhalla | Elysian Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Elysian Brewing Company
Washington, United States
elysianbrewing.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
From their menu: "It's thirsty work crossing the rainbow bridge! Fill your horn with the hoppy pagan red ale of pale, Special B and just a pinch of roasted barley, bittered with Sorachi Ace and finished with rare Citra hops. Starting gravity 17.1° plato (1.069), alcohol 5.65% by weight, 6.75% by volume."
Added by olympuszymurgus on 01-13-2010
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 151 | Reviews: 40
2.11/5 rDev -44.9%
look: 1.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
A- a mellow amber glow does not a "red" make. Also, the sediment was a bit much for me. There was too much dead yeast at the bottom of my nonic that I couldn't finish.
S- nothing to exciting. A bit of citra hop aroma, nothing special.
T- despite the other shortcomings, it tasted pretty great, which is all that matters right? Very balanced. Quite dry with a little fruitiness.
M- very creamy for the style, which I didn't mind at first, but again, the sediment just got to me on this one.
Overall, an ok beer, but ultimately another disappointing offering from this brewery.
575 characters
look: 1.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
A- a mellow amber glow does not a "red" make. Also, the sediment was a bit much for me. There was too much dead yeast at the bottom of my nonic that I couldn't finish.
S- nothing to exciting. A bit of citra hop aroma, nothing special.
T- despite the other shortcomings, it tasted pretty great, which is all that matters right? Very balanced. Quite dry with a little fruitiness.
M- very creamy for the style, which I didn't mind at first, but again, the sediment just got to me on this one.
Overall, an ok beer, but ultimately another disappointing offering from this brewery.
575 characters
2.76/5 rDev -27.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
On tap at Naked City.
Pours dark orange with a decent carbonation.
Smells spicy and bitter, somewhat like Arrogant Bastard.
Taste is along the same lines, malty and bitter.
Crisp but kind of hard to drink, but not my thing. Sort of a let down with a name like Valhalla, one of the few Elysian has put out that I didn't like
331 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
On tap at Naked City.
Pours dark orange with a decent carbonation.
Smells spicy and bitter, somewhat like Arrogant Bastard.
Taste is along the same lines, malty and bitter.
Crisp but kind of hard to drink, but not my thing. Sort of a let down with a name like Valhalla, one of the few Elysian has put out that I didn't like
331 characters
3.25/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.36/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly hazy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a two finger yellowish beige head that very slowly settles into a thick, lasting ring. Streaks and chunks of soapy lacing left behind.
Floral, citrus hop aroma with resinous pine and a sweet malt presence. Hints of grass and sticky pine needle along with citrus and tropical fruit notes, notably grapefruit, mango and orange peel. Underneath, there some sweet caramel malt as well as hints of toffee, biscuit and hazelnut. Malts stronger than expected in the nose but they don't really interfere with the hops too much.
Medium bodies with a crisp, bitter hop bite that provides some earthy dryness which lingers over the citrus and sweet malts into a dry finish. Not as complex as the nose suggests with dry, sticky hops and only subtle citrus/tropical fruit notes. Grassy with bitter pine needle and minimal grapefruit and orange peel flavor. Also, the malt backbone is stronger than the nose would have you believe with hints of caramel, toffee and hazelnut. Faint roasted presence as well the dominant flavor is still hop bitterness. Decently balanced but the hop profile is a bit one dimensional and the malt flavors are a bit strong for my liking.
1,229 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly hazy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a two finger yellowish beige head that very slowly settles into a thick, lasting ring. Streaks and chunks of soapy lacing left behind.
Floral, citrus hop aroma with resinous pine and a sweet malt presence. Hints of grass and sticky pine needle along with citrus and tropical fruit notes, notably grapefruit, mango and orange peel. Underneath, there some sweet caramel malt as well as hints of toffee, biscuit and hazelnut. Malts stronger than expected in the nose but they don't really interfere with the hops too much.
Medium bodies with a crisp, bitter hop bite that provides some earthy dryness which lingers over the citrus and sweet malts into a dry finish. Not as complex as the nose suggests with dry, sticky hops and only subtle citrus/tropical fruit notes. Grassy with bitter pine needle and minimal grapefruit and orange peel flavor. Also, the malt backbone is stronger than the nose would have you believe with hints of caramel, toffee and hazelnut. Faint roasted presence as well the dominant flavor is still hop bitterness. Decently balanced but the hop profile is a bit one dimensional and the malt flavors are a bit strong for my liking.
1,229 characters
3.39/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.43/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Served in straight pint glass. If you're gonna call a beer a "Red IPA" I'd expect it to be red, not the typical orange-amber so common in the style. The beer had less than 1/4 inch of white head that that had moderate retention and light lacing.
The aroma was a nice blast of citrusy hops, with just a slight hint of malt in the background. There may have been a touch of floral notes, but I wasn't quite sure. Again, citrusy hops dominated the tongue, but there was a malt smoothness at the back that wasn't apparent on the nose. That slight suggestion of floral tones was also there.
The body was the typical medium of the style, and enjoyable. Drinkability was good, I'd certainly drink a few more of these. Overall, a pretty nice take on the style. Red, this brew is not. Tasty, it certainly is. Worth your time when you see it.
834 characters
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Served in straight pint glass. If you're gonna call a beer a "Red IPA" I'd expect it to be red, not the typical orange-amber so common in the style. The beer had less than 1/4 inch of white head that that had moderate retention and light lacing.
The aroma was a nice blast of citrusy hops, with just a slight hint of malt in the background. There may have been a touch of floral notes, but I wasn't quite sure. Again, citrusy hops dominated the tongue, but there was a malt smoothness at the back that wasn't apparent on the nose. That slight suggestion of floral tones was also there.
The body was the typical medium of the style, and enjoyable. Drinkability was good, I'd certainly drink a few more of these. Overall, a pretty nice take on the style. Red, this brew is not. Tasty, it certainly is. Worth your time when you see it.
834 characters
3.48/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This beer is a reddish, clear beer. It has an off white soapy head. The smell is clean and hoppy. Scents of grapefruit an fresh cracked pepper are notable. The taste is spicy and sweet. Balanced. Lots of American hops in the finish. Full body. This is a fine brew.
264 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This beer is a reddish, clear beer. It has an off white soapy head. The smell is clean and hoppy. Scents of grapefruit an fresh cracked pepper are notable. The taste is spicy and sweet. Balanced. Lots of American hops in the finish. Full body. This is a fine brew.
264 characters
3.49/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
on tap at the industry - served in tulip
Hazed reddish pour with a one-finger crop of beige head. Wispy retention, leaving spotty lacing littered about the glass.
Intense pine hoppiness in the nose, resinous and aggressive. Alcoholic phenols, bready/fruity malted sweetness with caramel.
Assertive pine hop bitterness with sticky resin and a touch of grapefruit. Bitter and dry throughout, meshed with a bready malt backbone with caramel sweetness. Touches of fruit towards the finish, with sticky pine and alcohol.
Medium body, well carbonated, sticky and a touch rough on the tongue. Pretty intense hoppy red, although the pine and alcohol combo was a little much after a while.
688 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
on tap at the industry - served in tulip
Hazed reddish pour with a one-finger crop of beige head. Wispy retention, leaving spotty lacing littered about the glass.
Intense pine hoppiness in the nose, resinous and aggressive. Alcoholic phenols, bready/fruity malted sweetness with caramel.
Assertive pine hop bitterness with sticky resin and a touch of grapefruit. Bitter and dry throughout, meshed with a bready malt backbone with caramel sweetness. Touches of fruit towards the finish, with sticky pine and alcohol.
Medium body, well carbonated, sticky and a touch rough on the tongue. Pretty intense hoppy red, although the pine and alcohol combo was a little much after a while.
688 characters
Valhalla from Elysian Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.83 out of
5 with
151 ratings
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