Is King Crush IPA A Step Too Far

King Crush IPA comes out of the Brewdog brewery and is actually a Double Milkshake IPA with mango and passionfruit. I have tried to avoid these milkshake beers, but this one slipped through the net. So is it any good?

King Crush for me, is a step too far, when it comes to beer that is. Although it is nice and hoppy with a good hit of bitterness in the middle. That fades and becomes way too sweet, leaving an aftertaste that is a little sickly. Not the best beer to come out of Brewdog, it gets 3.4 out of 5.0.

My score is probably a little too generous, but I did like the hoppy bitterness, it just went down hill after that.

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King Crush Double Milkshake IPA Review

I am not sure why I bought King Crush to try, like I said I do try to avoid them. However Lou pointed out that I have to try all beers, and not just the ones I fancy. I guess she has a point, so a double milkshake IPA it is then.

King Crush sits in a 440ml dark blue can with an abstract design on the front. On the side of the can it says “A Kingdom Of Flavour Awaits.”

Being a double IPA it is not a session beer and comes in at a whopping 8.4% ABV.

During the beer review I guessed that this beer used Citra and/or Mosaic. Having looked it up afterwards it actually uses three hops, which are Citra, Mosaic and Talus hops. So not a bad guess.

Anyway what is it like to drink?

Drinking King Crush

It pours a light gold with a half finger white head. There is a slight haze to the beer and a good amount of bubbles rising in the glass.

On the nose it is powerful, Lou could smell it without getting close to it. A pretty hoppy smelling beer with plenty of fruity citrus notes. Strong aromas of mango and pineapple burst out of the glass.

In for a taste and it is a hop slap with loads of fruity citrus flavours of mango and pineapple. A nice grapefruit bitterness kicks in, but then it fades quickly and you are left with a very sweet finish.

This killed the beer for me, I don’t mind a little sweetness in a beer, but this is way too sickly. You wouldn’t want to drink more than one at 8.4% ABV, but I don’t think I could. I struggled to finish this one because it really gets sticky and sickly.

I am being generous at a score of 3.4 out of 5.0, but I did like the hoppy bitterness, it just lost it from there on. As a beer, it is one step too far.

Lou is of the same mind saying, “I had milkshake in my head, which I like, but not as a beer. This beer is too overpowering and I can’t enjoy it as a drink.” Lou scores it 3.0 out of 5.0.

King Crush then does not hit the spot and won’t be featuring in my fridge again in the future.

Brewdog

I am not going to go into the history of Brewdog as I have written plenty about them in other posts reviewing their beers, which can be found on the Brewdog Brewery page.

What I will say is that beers like King Crush baffle me. Brewdog have produced some great beers over the years, but this one sucks a little.

Punk IPA, Hazy Jane, Shore Leave and Black heart are among some of their best beers. They are all good beers, but this one, King Crush I just don’t understand.

I guess some people like them, but for me they are not a real beer, they taste more like a fruit juice than a beer.

This is when the balance has gone, there is nothing wrong with a little citrus fruit in a beer. But when the beer is lost and all you get is a fruit juice type drink, then it’s a step too far.

Brewdog Beer Range

Thankfully Brewdog still brew their old favourites, some of which I have already mentioned. But what else have they got, is it just a load more King Crush style drinks, or could they have another future classic among their range.

Here are a few I might look into.

Cold Beer

Cold Beer is a fairly new Brewdog beer, It’s a session lager said to be crisp and clean with a light lemon flavour. At just 3.4% ABV it really is a session beer, and possibly one created for those summer barbecues and get togethers.

I actually have a few cans in my fridge, so will be reviewing this beer soon. It will be interesting to see how this lager compares to their Lost Lager which I do like and comes in at 4.5% ABV.

Hop Frenzy

Hop Frenzy is a dry hopped hazy IPA with flavours of coconut, orange and passionfruit. The taste profile suggests a good balance of hoppyness and maltyness with a good kick of bitterness.

It sounds pretty good, but will it be an overwhelming fruit circus again, I guess I will have to find out. Hop Frenzy weighs in at 5.8% ABV, so whilst not too strong, it is not a session beer.

Speed Bird OG

Speed Bird OG is a Transatlantic IPA because it was first brewed at 40000 feet to celebrate BA’s centenary. Said to be sharp and zesty with citrus aromas and orange up front.

It is a hoppy IPA with a good balance of malt and bitterness, so could be a winner. At 4.5% ABV it does fall within the session bracket, so more than one is all good.

Final Thoughts

We all know Brewdog is a bit like Marmite, you either love them or hate them, they do split the crowd. I actually do like Brewdog and like many of their beers.

However I just don’t get these beers like King Crush, but I don’t think they are the only brewery that go a little over the top and crush the beer out of the beer.

If you have tried King Crush, then do share your thoughts below. Are you a big fan? Or does it get the thumbs down?