Merry Taj IPA
The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Imperial / Double Winter|
Score
7.10
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Already in the Holiday Spirit, The Lost Abbey will be releasing its latest addition to its seasonal lineup, Merry Taj IPA. With a release date preceding Thanksgiving each year, Merry Taj IPA will be an extra-hoppy Holiday IPA, a first on The Lost Abbey roster.
With an already established Holiday beer like Gift of the Magi (Strong Bier de Garde w/ Brett), The Lost Abbey wanted to give its brewers (who already make exceptional hoppy beers) a chance to do something with this year’s new hops. Merry Taj IPA was able to take advantage of some of the freshest hops available, harvested in September, and will feature five different varieties (Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe) used throughout the brewing process.Merry Taj IPA begins with an aroma of crisp floral notes of citrus rind and tropical fruit. Initial flavors of clean sweet caramel malt will give way to a spicy bitterness on the finish thanks to the addition of the Simcoe hops. Merry Taj IPA will not be bottled, only kegged, to get the beer out to consumers as quickly as possible.The name “Merry Taj IPA” pays homage to the holiday celebrations going on from sea to sea, encapsulating the hope of a new year as we inch closer and closer to 2014. It’s also a play on a term from the wine world, Meritage, which loosely translated means: A damn fine blend (of hops in this case).
With an already established Holiday beer like Gift of the Magi (Strong Bier de Garde w/ Brett), The Lost Abbey wanted to give its brewers (who already make exceptional hoppy beers) a chance to do something with this year’s new hops. Merry Taj IPA was able to take advantage of some of the freshest hops available, harvested in September, and will feature five different varieties (Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe) used throughout the brewing process.Merry Taj IPA begins with an aroma of crisp floral notes of citrus rind and tropical fruit. Initial flavors of clean sweet caramel malt will give way to a spicy bitterness on the finish thanks to the addition of the Simcoe hops. Merry Taj IPA will not be bottled, only kegged, to get the beer out to consumers as quickly as possible.The name “Merry Taj IPA” pays homage to the holiday celebrations going on from sea to sea, encapsulating the hope of a new year as we inch closer and closer to 2014. It’s also a play on a term from the wine world, Meritage, which loosely translated means: A damn fine blend (of hops in this case).
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8/10
Tried
on 13 Dec 2014
at 19:26
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
On tap ambrata leggermente velata agrumata spezia caramello discreto corpo discreto amaro finale quasi speziato
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Nov 2014
at 04:10
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught @ Brouwer’s Cafe, Seattle, WA
Pours reddish amber with a thick white head. Aroma of ripe fruits, berries, caramely malts, spices, toffee, fudge and wood. Taste is heavy, complex, malty and sweetish with some toffee, fudge, berries, grassy hops and ripe fruits. Finish is lingering bitter, grassy and malty with some berries and ripe fruits. Quite massive and heavy. Feels more like an American Strong Ale than a DIPA.
Pours reddish amber with a thick white head. Aroma of ripe fruits, berries, caramely malts, spices, toffee, fudge and wood. Taste is heavy, complex, malty and sweetish with some toffee, fudge, berries, grassy hops and ripe fruits. Finish is lingering bitter, grassy and malty with some berries and ripe fruits. Quite massive and heavy. Feels more like an American Strong Ale than a DIPA.
Tried
from Can
on 10 Jun 2014
at 20:51
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes. From my AZ trip.
The appearance had a semi dark red sort of amber color. Bar pour leads to a one finger white foamy head that dies to leave some white cling lacing.
The smell started off light caramel leading to bitter hops, nothing overly done and extremely inviting.
The taste was a bittersweet all the way through to lead to a super nice bittersweet caramel bitter hops aftertaste, dry finish.
On the palate, it sat at/about a medium in body, somewhat sessionable, and the carbonation is right on for the style and for me.
Overall, I say this is a good AIPA that I would have again.
The appearance had a semi dark red sort of amber color. Bar pour leads to a one finger white foamy head that dies to leave some white cling lacing.
The smell started off light caramel leading to bitter hops, nothing overly done and extremely inviting.
The taste was a bittersweet all the way through to lead to a super nice bittersweet caramel bitter hops aftertaste, dry finish.
On the palate, it sat at/about a medium in body, somewhat sessionable, and the carbonation is right on for the style and for me.
Overall, I say this is a good AIPA that I would have again.
Tried
on 12 Apr 2014
at 14:37
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Sweet, lychee, bright peaches, pears, a little bit of chewy-sticky malts, good body. Has a very bright aroma with simcoey orange. A panoply of hop characteristics.
Tried
on 29 Mar 2014
at 17:38
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
On tap at the brewery
Clear amber with a medium sized beige head and good lacing. Aroma is fruity and citrus. Taste is fruity, sweet caramel and pine
Nice and clean
Clear amber with a medium sized beige head and good lacing. Aroma is fruity and citrus. Taste is fruity, sweet caramel and pine
Nice and clean
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Feb 2014
at 09:54
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
On tap @ Black Bottle. Pours a murky copper appearance with a creamy light brown head. Quite spicy, piney, resiny, mild caramel aroma. A bit sweet and goopy, toasted caramel malty, piney, dank, resiny flavor. Not bad.
Tried
from Draft
on 14 Jan 2014
at 18:23
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Draft. Rich amber beer with a cream head. Big grapefruit and tropical fruit aroma. Grapefruit and tropical fruit flavor. Medium bodied. Good bitterness. Grapefruit and tropical fruit lingers.
Tried
from Draft
on 28 Dec 2013
at 13:31
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Tap at Capitol Beer in Sacrmamento, CA. Pours dark, somewhat ruddy amber with a whiteish head. Aroma is hoppy. Med body. Flavor is perfume/floral hop, nice caramel, and then something citrus. Then towards tropical/pineapple. Very different IPA. Very nice.
Tried
from Draft
on 07 Dec 2013
at 13:54
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
On tap at Bottleworks, pours a hazy orange amber with a medium creamy beige head. Aroma of resinous hops, spicy hops, and some crispy bready malt. Flavour is very elegant and complex, with spicy hops, resin, bready malts, and dry caramel. Super dry and complex, with amazing depth to this. Excellent depth to this.
Tried
from Draft
on 06 Dec 2013
at 07:57