Beer Previews: Elysian Space Dust series

It’s been an age since a brewer’s PR rep has offered my beers for my comment. And this is my acknowledgement that these beers were provided to me.

So here are three beers in the “Space Dust” series from Elysian Brewing of Seattle, WA. They opened in 1995, at the apex of Seattle’s gunge scene. Space Dust IPA, which has become their national flagship, was first brewed in 2012 using crushed hops, thus the “Dust.” It’s likely this beer caught the attention of Anheuser-Busch InBev. They purchased the brewery in 2015, during their “acquisitive phase” of moving into the craft beer sector.

I thought I had tried the Space Dust earlier, but it turns out, no. I had tried an official Def Leppard pale ale about seven years ago. And they recently got wider distribution for two Halloween pumpkin beers: Punkuccino Coffee Pumpkin Ale and Dark O’ The Moon Pumpkin Stout.

The Space Dust is a series of Imperial IPAs being presented as a series, similarly to Goose Island’s Beer Hug and New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger. So let’s start with the main flagship.

Elysian Brewing Space Dust Hazy IPA

The beer pours a big spongy head over an orangey, slightly hazy beer. The nose offers more of a fruit character than a Citra and Amarillo hop load would suggest. Orange on the palate, maybe some pineapple and other tropical fruit. The taste keeps up the citrus with only moderate bitterness. Alcohol is present, though not over powering. Lightly toasted malts keep out of the way, letting the featured parts of the beer work through.

Elysian Juice Dust Juicy IPA

“Juice Dust is powered by a fathomless palate squeeze of orange and citrus.”

Much hazier pour than the main Space Dust, yes, like some orange and Grapefruit combination. Smell has plenty of grapefruit to it, and then some orange. Taste emphasizes the citrus notes by being pretty “juicy.” Some hop bitterness makes its way in here, too.

This example does demonstrate the balance that’s needed in making an IPA with both fruity hop character AND actual fruit juice. This beers seems to have let the bittering hops go in favor of matching citrus notes. Although the nose does show up a bit of Citra once I get my nose into the glass.

Elysian Phaze Dust Imperial Hazy IPA

“Emerging from an electrifying wormhole of flavor, this hazy IPA billows with a soft mouthfeel and sweet notes of candied peach, mango, and tangerine.”

Much less haze than the Juice Dust. An orange-gold beer with very small floaties under a thin head. Smell has less aggressive fruit, clearly from the hops. Taste has more of the standard hop bitterness, the West Coast version, with fruit notes to the background. A little more malt backbone, too.