El Toro IPA

Brewed by El Toro Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Morgan Hill, California USA

Whoa - this beer has off the charts aroma, surging pine and citrus. Big, thick white head sits atop an amber body. Oh man, the bitterness is harsh in this one. Incredibly resinous to a fault. Nice malt balance, just WAY overdone. Thanks to TEVER for the sample.

Sampled on tap at Jack’s Cannery Bar, San Francisco.

Light caramel, kind of hard to judge the head in the ice cold bud light shaker pint filled all the way to the edge.
A large helping of C hops dominate the nose, a bit of pink grapefruit and pine, pine, pine. If you like the smell of pinesol, this Beer is for you.
The bitterness is sustained at first, with just a touch of caramel sweetness. But the more the pint went down the astringency went downright acrid, finishing bone dry. It was pretty good, but the kind of Beer that I only get sporadic cravings for. I probably would have gave it higher grades if I had less of it, because the more I drank it the worse it got, but the first half of my pint was pretty good.

beer pours an orangy-copper with a big fluffy off-white head that retains well and leaves good lace. citric rind nose in a bath of pine needles. aromatic maltiness comes out a bit as beer warms. beer starts with a hint of caramelly malt sweetness that is obliterated in a wave of hot, rough hop bitterness. lingering bitterness is quite mouth-coating, not in the most pleasant way. if you want to feel a high co-humulone hop bite, this one is for you. not me.

From bottle. Pours dark golden with a hint of copper/orange. a little cloudy. great head retention. Mouth-watering citrusy, spicy hop-aroma. A nice base malt background with slight caramel. Not too syrupy, the downfall of too many AIPAs. Dry, to the point of being almost acidic. Strong isomerized hop bitterness, with slight astringency. The bitterness lingers on the back of your palate. Great citrus hop flavor. An enjoyable IPA.

Bottle poured a clear orange copper with a large creamy lasting light amber head. Aromas of apricots, oranges, sweet carmel and a bit of pine. Palate was medium bodied and dry. Flavors of orange, grapefruit, some pine and a bit of carmel with a lingering bitter finish.

12 oz bottle thanks to Irishboy, thanks Rich. Color is dark copper with orange tints, some lacing. Aroma is very present - the kind of hop aroma I enjoy - tropical fruits - mainly apricots but some orange and citrus. When it warms turns into like a burnt hop aroma. Taste is overpowered by strong bitterness. Some tea-like flavors. Too abrasive. Mouthfeel is average, medium body. Main highlight - the aroma.

Bottle from Richard (Irishboy) Thanks! Pours out a dark orange color with a whitish colored head. Smell is mostly hops, with some grapefruits and pines coming though. A little spicy smelling too. Taste is much the same, with a nice balance to it, making it very drinkable, and very refreshing. A pretty good IPA, as most from the west coast are.

Draught. Clear orange-brown color with off white head that laced the glass. Sprucy, citrusy hop nose and flavor with a nice malty backbone.