BluCreek Zen IPA

BluCreek Brewing Company
Brewed at Sand Creek Brewing Co. (Pioneer/Wisconsin Brewing Co.)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Madison, Wisconsin USA

Alright, I admit it: I bought this one primarily because of the "green tea" gimmickry and took a chance on it. It pours a thick, opaque, nutty-brown-colored and is SUPER foamy (it took me nearly 20 minutes to get the whole bottle poured into my glass). It appeared to be highly carbonated, as one might guess. The smell is not unpleasant, but not that of a normal IPA: nutty and malty with perhaps only a hint of hops. In the mouth it’s thick and a little citrusy, while the hops are more apparent at the finish. I can MAYBE sense some green tea at the finish as well but it’s hard to tell--it’s kind of citrusy as well. Overall, I can see why this would get such an average low rating while judging it as an IPA, because it really doesn’t seem like one at all. HOWEVER, it IS quite an interesting concoction and not at all horrible. Thus, I won’t completely fail it and am glad I tried it. It seems sort of the same situation as Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch. It’s hard to compare it to other brews.

I am completely fooled and intrigued by this beer. I bought it thinking "Oh, BluCreek, they’re really Sand Creek, and I like their stuff," and was feeling like an IPA. I didn’t even notice the green tea stuff until right before I opened the first bottle. Well, it pours thick in appearance, with a fair amount of particulate remaining in the bottom of the bottle. I think BeerBelcher put it best: "it looks like this nasty apricot-orange stuff my wife drinks, with not much head." There’s no lace either. The aroma is weak, and smelled of green beans or maybe grass, with just a hint of hop flowers. Mouthfeel is thin, and the consistency is watery too. Flavor is dominated by the green tea, and this is only a bad thing if you bought this beer thinking it was a standard IPA. There is some hop bitterness and citrus flavor in there, but it’s mostly herbal green tea flavor. I drank 3 to make sure I didn’t have a bad bottle, and then couldn’t sleep -- I think the green tea gave me a caffeine kick that led to insomnia! Interesting, and not entirely unpleasant -- although this was a surprise. 6/3/6/3/16=3.4. RE-RATED 3/19/08: Had a leftover bottle in the fridge, and thought I’d try it to see if it stored well. It didn’t. There was a strong odor, and a LOT of sediment. 3/1/3/2/7=1.6 Lesson: Don’t wait.

12oz - Aroma is muddy wet musty malt and green tea. Pours dark hazy yeallow/brown with a small head and good lacing. Flavor matches aroma with an interesting tea aftertaste, but no hops. Not sure of bottles age. Crisp and bubbly palate. Different, but not that good.

I liked this for all the reasons most people hated it: sweet notes lift a gentle citrus (orange) across my tastebuds, with a gentle mint flavor wafting through. Low sensation of hops (the best way for an IPA to be!) and a gentle fruit juice and flowers color. There are some unattractive elements to it, to be sure, including a bit of metal in the finish and a curious palate like a 7-Up and Orange Juice punch for a kids’ party, but at least it has some lambic qualities out of it.

Pour is a hazy brown with a small tan head. Aroma is deffinalty all IPA. Very much citrus and floral hops with a some caramel malts. Flavor is where this one is different. Very herbal and so much so it takes away from the hops. Gave it a decent rating b/c it was a good attempt and it almost worked. Make the hops show up over the green tea and you got something here.

Cloudy darkish gold with a fizzy off-white head. First whiff of aroma was a herbally IPA, for some reason bringing back memories of New York. Next inspection is more of a orangey green tea, like a Tazo bottled drink. A little too sweet and orangey for me. Too much like orange crush. Beer has a thin body with a rindy orange Tazo tea component. Okay for being different but needs work to make it a winner. Too thin, dry rindy character leaves it unbalanced for me.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with ughsmash (thanks!). Hmmm, I love IPAs and I love Green Tea, lets see how they play together. Poured a medium and murky / muddy orange color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of citrus, herbal, floral, and light pine. Tastes of green tea (yes, its definitely there), citrus, and just all around herbal. Not bitter at all. Light lacing left on the glass. The tea dominates the flavors. I found it interesting and drinkable, but would not have pegged this as an IPA. If I were to rate it as an IPA, the #s would be a little lower (since I love green tea, I’ll rate this for what it is).

Poured with a small head and a little lace. Very hazy not quite amber color. Tea and hop aroma with a little caramel malt aroma. More so in flavor. Thin body. Big tea finish that flops back and forth with the hops. Interesting experiment that probably could be done much better at another point.