BrewDog King Crush Review – Double Milkshake IPA

440ml Can of BrewDog King Crush 8.4% ABV

Reviewed: 14th Feb 2024

In theory, BrewDog's King Crush is not messing around. This 8.4% Double Milkshake IPA promises big tropical fruit flavours, plenty of sweetness and the thick, creamy texture that should separate a milkshake IPA from a standard hazy beer.

King Crush was also one of the earlier BrewDog milkshake-style IPAs I remember seeing widely available in the UK. More importantly, it was one of the first examples of the style I noticed appearing in the supermarkets rather than being confined to specialist bottle shops and independent craft beer bars.

That made it quite an interesting release. Milkshake IPAs had been around for a while within craft beer circles, but they still felt slightly unusual on a mainstream supermarket shelf. Most drinkers were becoming familiar with hazy New England IPAs by this point, yet adding lactose, fruit juice and an even sweeter flavour profile pushed things in a more indulgent direction.

If somebody enjoys the juicy character of a New England IPA but wants something richer, sweeter and more dessert-like, a milkshake IPA should dial all of that up. The lactose, which is a milk sugar that brewing yeast cannot fully ferment, is meant to leave residual sweetness and contribute to a thicker, smoother mouthfeel. Combined with tropical fruit, it can create something approaching a fruit smoothie with hops.

At least, that is the idea. King Crush certainly has the strength, fruit and sweetness, but does it have the balance and texture to live up to its rather grand name?

The can:

I actually like the can design. It looks modern, colourful and suitably regal without becoming too cluttered. BrewDog has produced some fairly forgettable packaging over the years, but this is probably one of its better can designs from this period.

The large crown and brightly coloured fruit give you a clear indication that this is meant to be bold, tropical and slightly excessive. It certainly looks like a beer that should stand out on a supermarket shelf.

The description on the can promises: “A big, bold and powerful Double Milkshake IPA that’s packed with mango and passionfruit, this is a brilliantly balanced sweet and citrusy beer fit for monarchs and enjoyed by mere mortals.”

There are some fairly big claims in there, especially the part about being brilliantly balanced. Let's open it and see whether King Crush deserves its crown.

Appearance:

King Crush pours a hazy orange-yellow colour, although you could equally describe it as a deep golden beer depending on the light. It is completely cloudy and does have the appearance of mango or orange juice mixed into a hazy IPA.

A fluffy white head forms on the pour and initially gives it a lively, attractive appearance. It looks thick and tropical in the glass, which immediately creates the expectation that the texture will be similarly rich.

Visually, it is exactly what I would expect from a Double Milkshake IPA. There is no mistaking this for a traditional clear, bitter IPA.

Aroma:

Orange is the biggest aroma for me. There is a delicious wave of sweet orange at the front, followed by gentler notes of mango and passionfruit. The passionfruit is not particularly sharp or acidic; it sits behind the orange and adds a slightly deeper tropical character.

There is also a subtle suggestion of lactose sweetness, almost like a light vanilla creaminess underneath the fruit. It is not quite enough to make the aroma smell like an actual milkshake, but it does soften the sharper citrus notes.

The orange dominates so strongly that it is a little like sticking your head into a fruit basket that somebody has filled almost entirely with oranges, then hidden one mango and a passionfruit underneath them.

It is an appealing aroma, although it already leans more towards fruit juice and syrup than fresh hop character. I would have liked a little more obvious hop aroma to break up the sweetness, perhaps some resin, grapefruit peel or a sharper tropical edge.

Taste:

The initial sip is not as smooth as I expected. With “Milkshake IPA” written on the can, I anticipated an immediate creamy texture, but that does not really arrive at the front of the taste.

The fruit flavours come through quickly, with juicy mango and sweet orange taking centre stage. That is hardly surprising because King Crush contains fruit juice rather than relying entirely on hops to create its tropical character.

There is some passionfruit further back, although again it is the orange and mango that do most of the work. Unfortunately, the fruit begins to taste increasingly syrupy as the beer develops. Instead of tasting like fresh mango or freshly squeezed orange, it reminds me more of concentrated fruit cordial or a sweet dessert sauce.

That artificial quality is the biggest problem for me. BrewDog beers can sometimes have a slightly manufactured flavour, as though individual ingredients have been assembled to match a brief rather than coming together naturally through the brewing process. King Crush is a particularly obvious example.

At 8.4% ABV, there is also a noticeable touch of alcohol towards the end. It is not aggressively boozy, but there is enough warmth and bite to interrupt the fruit sweetness. A gentle bitterness appears around the same point, although it is too restrained to properly clean up the finish.

There is a mild creamy note after swallowing, but by then the syrupy fruit has already taken control. The sweetness, alcohol and fruit concentrate seem to be competing with each other rather than forming the “brilliantly balanced” beer promised on the can.

Mouthfeel:

This is the area where King Crush should really shine. The combination of lactose, fruit juice, a hazy body and an 8.4% ABV ought to create something full, velvety and almost smoothie-like.

Instead, the mouthfeel is disappointingly ordinary. It has some weight, as you would expect from a Double IPA of this strength, but it does not have the rich creaminess I associate with the better milkshake IPAs.

The lactose becomes more noticeable towards the end, adding a slightly soft and creamy finish, but it never develops into the thick texture promised by the style. The syrupy sweetness hides much of whatever creaminess may be present at the front and through the middle of the beer.

The carbonation is moderate and adds a gentle lift without becoming sharp or overpowering. That part works reasonably well because too much carbonation would make the alcohol and fruit sweetness feel even more disjointed.

I would not describe King Crush as thin, but it certainly is not the velvety tropical milkshake I had expected. It feels more like a strong, sweet fruit IPA with some lactose added around the edges.

Who might enjoy King Crush?

Despite my problems with it, I can see King Crush appealing to drinkers who enjoy very sweet and fruit-forward beers. If you like the juicy profile of a standard New England IPA but find yourself wanting even more mango, orange and residual sweetness, this certainly pushes those elements further.

It may also be an accessible introduction to milkshake IPAs for somebody browsing a supermarket beer aisle. There is very little harsh bitterness, the fruit flavours are easy to identify and the alcohol is reasonably well controlled considering the strength.

However, anybody looking for a genuinely thick, creamy and well-integrated milkshake IPA may be disappointed. I have had examples where the lactose rounds out the hops and fruit beautifully, giving the beer an almost ice cream-like softness without turning it into liquid sweets. King Crush does not achieve that balance.

Overall:

King Crush is a big disappointment. It had the potential to be an interesting early supermarket example of a Double Milkshake IPA, bringing a relatively niche craft beer style to a much wider UK audience. It also looks excellent in the glass and begins with an inviting burst of orange, mango and passionfruit.

Unfortunately, the flavour soon becomes far too syrupy and artificial for me. The promised creaminess is only faintly present at the end, while the fruit sweetness dominates the beer from the first sip onwards.

I wanted something rich, smooth and indulgent, with enough hop bitterness or citrus sharpness to stop it becoming cloying. Instead, it feels as though BrewDog concentrated on making the fruit flavours as obvious as possible and forgot that a beer like this still needs structure and balance.

There will be drinkers who enjoy its sweet tropical profile, particularly those who prefer fruit juice flavours over hop bitterness. For me, though, the artificial character and disappointing mouthfeel are impossible to ignore.

I would have liked King Crush to be a drink fit for a king. Unfortunately, this particular monarch is wearing a rather syrupy crown.

Score: 4.5/10

Thanks for reading, enjoy your beers, cheers!