Cigar City Brewing Co.: Humidor IPA

Humidor IPA
Cigar City Brewing Co.
3924 West Spruce St. Suite A.
Tampa, FL

Aroma: (10/12) 
Wow, cedar totally dominates! There are some hints of spices, almost like a saison.

Appearance: (3/3) 
Pure copper hued. This beer is bottle conditioned, so it pours a massive head. Highly carbonated.

Flavor: (15/20) 
The first thing tasted is cedar. Heavy, heavy cedar! The hops briefly show themselves before the cedar regains dominance.

Mouthfeel: (4/5) 
Light to medium body, pretty darn dry.

Overall Impression: (8/10) 
I liked the uniqueness of this beer, but the cedar flavor way over-powered everything else. No balance of flavors. Totally masks the underlying IPA.

TOTAL: 40/50 

Odell Brewing Co.: Myrcenary Double IPA

Myrcenary Double IPA
Odell Brewing Co.
800 East Lincoln Avenue.
Fort Collins, CO

Aroma: (11/12) 
Intense waves of tropical fruits. Grapefruit, mango and peach dominate the hop profile and aroma. Maybe a slight sweetness detectable. In all, fantastic!

Appearance: (3/3) 
Very clear and definitely filtered. Color is a light gold that is on-par with Surly's Abrasive.

Flavor: (17/20) 
A healthy amount of bitterness up front, but it mellows quickly enough not to pucker the face. After the initial hop blast, like I said, it does lessen through the middle tongue, but from there on, the hops intensify through the finish. Hop flavors are slightly citrusy, but not as much as was present in the aroma. Extremely drinkable for a 10% beer, with no heat at all. Excellent job Odell!.

Mouthfeel: (5/5) 
A light body. Slightly drying finish, but not much at all. Finishes clean.

Overall Impression: (9/10) 
I really like this DIPA from Odell. They did a great job of balancing the hops with the malt as to not make it too much of a hop bomb. The tropical fruits, aroma and flavor really hit the "sweet spot"..

TOTAL: 46/50 

Central Waters Brewing Co.: Illumination Double IPA

Illumination Double IPA
Central Waters Brewing Co.
351 Allen St.
Amherst, WI

This is my re-review of this beer. I last had and reviewed this beer on September 13, 2010 (review here) I unknowingly reviewed it when the beer had been upwards of 6 months old, and we all know that an IPA / DIPA should be had as fresh as possible. The review wasn't too shining (37/50). I've discussed this beer with fellow beeradvocates and decided to pick this beer up again and give it another try. People had told me that this was one of their favorite beers of 2010, so let's see how a fresh 2011 version comes off:

Aroma: (10/12) 
The fruity hop characteristics hit my nose first, then a little underlying pine.

Appearance: (3/3) 
A fairly clear beer with just a touch of haze, most likely from the hopping. Last years 6 month old beer was extremely hazy (2010 photo)

Flavor: (17/20) 
Bitterness hits you up-front, with a punch. Through the middle-tongue, the malt does kick in some, but not much - as the hops carry through fairly strongly. At the back of the tongue to the finish, the hops increase in intensity. Very bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: (4/5) 
A medium-bodied beer. A pretty sweet brew. A little too sweet for me. Not too dry.

Overall Impression: (9/10) 
This is a pretty good beer and I see a lot of people really like it. It is a little too bitter and sweet for me, especially the finish. Bood brew, just not for me.

TOTAL: 43/50