Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA

Beer Name: Space Dust IPA
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Co. (Seattle, WA)
ABV: 7.2%
How sold: 12 oz. bottle (354.882 mL), 22 oz. bottle (650.618 mL), and kegs
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $2.90 for a 12 oz. single
IBU: 72
Malts: Great Western premium two-row, c-15 and Dextra-pils

Date Packaged: February 26, 2015
Date Opened/Drank: April 12, 2015

What's on the Label: "'The hopping is pure starglow energy, with Chinook to bitter and late and dry additions of Citra and Amarillo."

What's on the Website: "A totally nebular IPA."

When brewed? Year-round beer.

Where distributed: Elysian ships to 11 U.S. states, two Canadian provinces (BC and Alberta), Taiwan, Australia, and Japan. Click here to see if Elysian ships to your area!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured a clear orange-golden into a pint glass. Not a lot of carbonation. Virtually no head and very little lacing. 4/5

Smell (25%): Immediate hit of passion fruit and grapefruit aroma. Next came floral and malty qualities. Loved it from the very first whiff. 4.5/5

Taste (40%): Very malty, with citrus and floral notes. Slight alcohol flavor. It's still balanced very well, with a refreshing nature knifing its way through the malts. 4/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium body, with significant malty experience. Some citrus-bitterness on the tongue. 3.75/5

Overall (20%): A good IPA. I see Elysian beers all the time from being in the Pacific NW, but it was its 11th place finish in the 116-IPA Blind Taste Test that finally made me buy this beer. It brought a wonderful, refreshing citrus aroma at the outset, although the malty qualities tended to outshine as I kept drinking. A side of me says I'd like this beer a bit more if I was either (1) really thirsty, or (2) craving a slightly heavier IPA. While I wish I could give this as glowing a review as people have on RateBeer, Space Dust is still fairly solid. 4/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.1/5