Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.0

90/100
Aroma: 11
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 18
Mouthfeel: 4

Avery Brewing Company Raja Double IPA

What the brewers say

"Brazenly bitter. Dashingly dry-hopped. Raja is an audacious addition to our lengthy lineage of intrepid IPAs. Hops for all! All for hops!"

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Pine bomb with a grapefruit punch on the end and a curious mild sour funk that leans a touch medicinal. Weak, lemony hops aroma with some pine, lemon, and citrus notes. Sweetness with lots of fruit!”

Flavor: “Rich and well blended. Dialed bitterness throughout that’s good for style. Lemon-heads candy, strong lemon/orange flavor. A fair chunk of that is the hops, but there’s something else going on. Moderate hops bitterness that melds with the tartness. There’s a splash of brighter esters and malt sweetness, but the funk from the nose is here, too. Sweet and juicy with lemon and orange and citrus notes. The hops are more favorable, less bitter, and balance well with the malt. Finishes with a slight bitterness and a nice sweetness.”

Overall: “Solid IIPA that tastes very fresh. The high carb gives it a bite that I don’t care for, but it is otherwise very good. The pine and grapefruit play well together. Very good. This beer blended well together, and the finish had me wanting another sip.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: The United States of IPA (February-March 2016) (View All Issues)


REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Jagged Mountain Brewery Texas Suitcase

“Subdued aroma of mild orange peel, soft pine resin, guava, light pilsner malt sweetness. The flavor continues the same trajectory with biscuit and pie crust, black pepper, anise, grapefruit peel, light resin, and grass. Malt sweetness helps showcase bitterness in the finish.”

Cerebral Brewing DDH Hollow Fang

“Aroma has a soft and velvet-like texture with oozing tropical fruit and citrus notes. Those qualities flow across the palate with an almost smoothie-like hop experience. Orange notes, leaning pineapple. Soft and delicate, if simple finish.”

Revolution Brewing Company Rise

**Aroma:** “Hops! Fruity passion fruit, orange, lemon, grapefruit, dank resinous in the background—if I didn't see the color, I’d expect an IPA. Some dark roast and chocolate sweetness sneak through once your nose is dead to the hops. Light tart note. As it warms, a slight molasses note starts to mix with the hops.” **Flavor:** “High hops flavor up front with bit citrus notes. Moderate chocolate with big roasty notes support the hops. Quite sweet up front. Sweetness slowly fades into a low bitterness. Toward the end, slight smoke note but big hops that continue into the aftertaste with a mix of roast. Dry, bitter hoppy finish. As it warms, the smoke turns into a burnt molasses note. Very fruity: passion fruit and pineapple. Finish is sweet and lingers. Rich chewy body that doesn’t come across as thick. Big pine and orange flavors from the hops. Chocolate from the malt gives it a chocolate orange flavor. The sweetness comes together with all the different bold flavors and finishes with a slightly dry finish.” **Overall:** “A nice balance of stout and hops, but if you don’t like hops, this stout is not for you. Strong flavors all around with a touch of alcohol warming in the background to fill it all out. Good balance of hops flavor and bitterness. This is a very different take on a stout—kind of a black IPA more than a stout. This beer tastes like a better, less sweet version of those chocolate-covered orange candy sticks, but with a heavy dose of pine richness. Very tasty!”

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