Epic Armageddon

Brewed by Epic Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Auckland, New Zealand

A big hop fix out of New Zealand modelled on the great West Coast IPAs. Like most antipodean IPAs, it lacks the litheness of the Americans but I enjoyed this a great deal. Hazy peach-orange with a thick inch of shaving-cream head. The lovely ripe aroma offers all the fruit you’d expect - passionfruit, lychee, pink grapefruit - with a floral noteand a bit of soap and sherbet to round it out. Medium bodied and slick - really nicely carbonated. It’s fuller in body than the Yanks but it works well here. Solid malt backbone. Little evidence of the devilish 6.66% abv as the heavy hop schedule delivers a rasping bitter finish. Strong orange and pink grapefruit acids. I think these guys are really strong on pale ales - their standard pale, Mayhem and now this have all rung my bell. Really nice work. (500ml courtesy of Yalnikim - thanks buddy)

Bottle, Taphouse Sydney. Bright gold body, bit of haze and a thick, persistant white head. Aroma just smacks me in the face; HOPS! Lots of grapefruit rind and pine, unripe stonefruit and melon. Very resiny and delicious. And it delivers quite the same on the body. Some underlying malt sweetness soaks up a bit of the hop bitterness, but it certainly kicks you in the teeth and lingers for a good amount of time. Body is full without being overbearing like a double IPA, and what alcohol is in there is very hard to notice...you get distracted by hops! Pains me to say it, but yes, this is an EPIC beer, worthy of the name and praise!

Bottle. Pours with a huge off white head over a light orange amber body. Big aroma-floral-citrus and a spicey warming taste with a short moderate bitter finish. Nice.

Tried a bottle at the taphouse st k. A big hoppy beer but thin enough to drink a few or more. Piney hops on the nose, bitterness stands out but with good malt support in the background, don’t notice the alcohol. A big IPA in the american style though not an IIPA.

Bottle. Brilliant sparkling orange with dense white head. Huge hop aromas of citrus and pine. Some grassiness and a little malt sweetness. Flavour starts off a little sweet with some malt showing through and then the hops take over. Initially plenty of citrus and a little plassionfruit. Plenty of hop bitterness on the end plus a slightly off flavour I cant place. Lets it down a little unfortunately. Mouthfeel is spot on. Overall a good beer that would have been great were it not for the odd flavours.

Lovely grassiness prevalent, tangerine and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Pours a rocky white head and heady blossom smell. A massed assault of hops with a creamy citrus malt base. This gives way to grapiness and enduring bitterness. Creamy mouthfeel and good weight of bitterness on the second taste. More astringent hop sting, orange blossom and warmth in the very back of the mouth and tongue. Definitely one to go back for seconds on. I heard people saying this was a winter beer, for me quite the opposite as it had light summerfruit flavours. One for the hot, hot sun.
Earlier Rating: 10/17/2009 Total Score: 2.4
Grassy hoppiness, but not overdone. Characteristic tangerine/mandarin peel. This beer has kept its hops well for something this old, but has become a little oxidised. Tastes sharp and just a little bit lacking. Vegetal and a wee bit tired. Good mouthfeel and bitterness, but not living up to the expectation that I had of this beer given the hype and expectation.

Good head real decent carbonation amber coloured IPA,aroma floral,hoppy fruity mix very pleasing,flavour top class bitter,grapefruit,citrus peel bitter peach passionfruit sweetness,fizz on the tongue,finish even bitter/sweet tastes that are sharp and lasting,good one Epic.

Batch #2. what a hop explosion, but with balance too! Love the well tuned malt tones- dangerously moreish!