Northern Liberties IPA - Christian Moerlein Brewing Company

screamking

Ohio

3.19/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

Pours brown with a thick off white khaki head. Lacing is hanging on for its life around the edges Very dark for a IPA, but looks like a typical Moerlein brew. The smell is rather malt heavy, not a lot of citrus in there. Taste is rather the same as the aroma. This one style they need to rethink. I could totally see this as a beer they retire, there is no need to keep it around. Okay, that might be a little harsh. IPA's are becoming the biggest thing in craft beer lately and there are so many good ones out there. This is well below most.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:38:22 | More by screamking

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Off white head. Lace walls down the entire glass. Color is a pale copper hued gold.

Flavors of biscuity and caramel malts. Come grapefruit and citrus fruit. Pine flavored hops. It is also kind of weedy.

Mouthfeel is very sticky. Bitter as well. Medium bodied. Ends sticky.

Overall, an okay ipa, but nothing crazy. It was drinkable, but nothing I'd seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 17:09:08 | More by mothman

buschbeer

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle
Served in a perfect pint glass

A - It pours a hazy amber color with golden highlights. It is topped with three inches of rocky, off-white head.

S - I get some citrus. Lemon seems to stand out. I also get some caramel malt to balance it.

T - The taste is a balance of caramel malt and citrus hops. The lemon comes through in the taste. It has a bitter pine finish. It's not overtly bitter, but enough to let you know it's there.

M - Medium

O - It's an above average IPA. I would call it a starter IPA. It is not a hop bomb. It has the characteristics, but nothing that stands out.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:16:51 | More by buschbeer

Josiah2729

Tennessee

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into pint glass...

Appearance: Clear copper orange with decent effervescence. Two finger yellowish-orange head. Decent lacing throughout.

Smell: Strangely sweet with a hint of hoppy bitterness.

Taste: Bitter hops up front, then sweet bread, finishes with bitter hops again.

Mouthfeel: Smooth drinking with a lingering hop tingle.

Overall: Interesting experience, not at all what I was expecting. Will try again.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:44:30 | More by Josiah2729

slassy

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark marigold...almost urine colored (appetizing right?). Very foamy, light tan, finger-sized head.

S: Mostly malt...something else very subtle going on as well- I'm picturing red berries?

T: Initial taste is a blast of hops, then very biscuity flavors, then the hops take over once again and linger on the tongue.

M: Medium carbonation for a second or two that fades very sharply into an extremely smooth swallow. All I can say...it's fun to drink, whatever exactly that means. A different sensation, I suppose.

O: I am pleasantly surprised overall. Not one of those IPAs that punches you in the face with hops, nor one of those that leaves you wanting a little more of what makes an IPA and IPA. Not sure if it's something I could drink more than one of in a row, but either way a solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:12:51 | More by slassy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a proud head that refuses to give way; the color of the liquid was a slightly hazy amber

Smell: Balanced between the caramel and the hops, but the hops brought on minty and piney tones

Taste: Caramel, up front, followed by the piney hops; floral and minty elements develop by mid-palate, but the caramel hangs around through the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: More of a hoppy amber than an IPA, but still a decent beer from a brewery that doesn't appear to get much respect around here

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 19:15:41 | More by brentk56

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle on 1-21-12

A - Pours a darker, cloudy orange with a smallish cream colored head. Good retention.

S - Grass, orange, and some carmel.

T - Oranges and sweet carmel.

D - Average body and decent carbonation. Bitter.

O - Ok, more malty than hoppy. Pretty underwhelming all-around.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 04:01:43 | More by HuskyinPDX

b3shine

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On draft at the new Moerlein Lager House in downtown Cincinnati. Looks good; orange with normal head and carbonation. Smells average; hops are pretty subdued. Tastes decent; nothing too special, but a good local brew. Mouthfeel is good too. Overall, a good local brew that I'll definitely have again when I come back to the Lager House (which is SWEET!).

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 16:43:48 | More by b3shine

sixerofelixir

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Julian code on neck.

Pours a hazy deep-golden. Whitish ring. Smell is sweet and perfumy. More chemical likeness (as from the aroma) in the taste. Oily hops. Finishes pithy and very bitter. Not a whole lot of desired balance. Odd & "off" overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 05:47:31 | More by sixerofelixir

schoolboy

Ohio

2.45/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Hmmm. I'm not sure if I have ever had a good beer from this company. This is no exception. It's not good. To be fair, it is following an exceptional tasting, but thiere isn't anything I like about it. I'd rather have a Bud (and I am an IPA person).

It has an unrefined, uninteresting bitterness that overpowers everything. The nose is similar. This is one to avoid, and I will avoid the brand in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 23:55:57 | More by schoolboy

titosupertramp

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Slightly cloudy, golden amber. Minimal fizzy head with very little lacing and a flimsy film.

S: Faint, but there is a toasty biscuit quality backed up with what seems like pine hops.

T: Not too bad of a taste, but there is a faint metallic quality that keeps this from being rated higher. Biscuit and toasted malts with the piney, floral hops. Fairly well balanced with a bitter finish.

M: Medium bodied and slightly dry.

O: Northern Liberties is a drinkable enough beer, but I would grow tired of it after two or three. I would probably pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 01:55:52 | More by titosupertramp

amidabha

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

served in a sam adam's perfect pour glass on a 60 degree night. like many of the new morlein beers this one is a nice recipe especially for the price.

northern liberties pours a fairly nice and slightly hazy appearance with a decent amount of carbonation and head. the smell and taste compliment each other in a very nice. the hops and malt are work together for a nice balance. this might be a bit too thick of a beer for a hot night but perfect for a cool evening.

this is probably not my go-to ipa but overall i think this is a great ipa for the price that falls in line with sam adams.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 03:51:07 | More by amidabha

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Given to me by Purplecloud. Thanks dude.

A: amber, clear, light creamy head
S: milder nose - fruitier grapefruit with good malt base
T: decent with malt and good bitter finish with some astringency that's distracting
M: astringency isn't right, metallic

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 15:36:17 | More by wisrarebeer

Brenden

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is an opaque, heavy amber. Sticky lacing clings heavily from a thick foam left after a nearly white head two fingers high drops. While the head doesn't die too terribly quickly it could last longer, but the lacing is just astounding.
A definitively cannabis/hemp character comes out of the aroma right off. It's followed by some extremely herbal and floral hops bitterness and precedes a bit of citrus rind. A bit of bread and caramel from malts adds a touch of balance to this hoppy brew.
Pine resin bitterness and some raw, leafy and herbal hops characteristics are strongest in the flavor, with a bit of grassy earthiness to it. Malts add balance but allow for a heavy hop bill to shine, so that the light caramel and biscuit notes are that much more necessary and appreciated. Citrus rind follows, and a bit of lemon and orange peek out as this beer warms.
A medium body with moderate carbonation make for a very nice combination of creamy smoothness and gentle crispness. The smooth, even feel gives way to dryness about halfway through.
This is a great beer from Moerlein and I've heard people say they had some problems with medicinal, mineral or other off-flavors and wonder if the brewery had any quality control issues with previous batches. This, to me, is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 15:21:13 | More by Brenden

nrbw23

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a pretty clear orangish amber color with a thin off white head. Head has great retention and leaves some really nice lacing.

S- Aroma is pretty floral. A solid malt back bone with some sort of metallic smell as well.

T- Follows the nose pretty well. Very floral, a bit of pine, and a strong malts. Again the metallic taste is here.

M- Medium in body and carbonation.

O- With all the other IPA's out there I find this one to be average at best.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 05:36:07 | More by nrbw23

gregshead

California

3.33/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Received in a trade from sdsurfer217 (thank you). Enjoyed on 4/2/11. Reviewed from notes:

A: Half finger o'head. Amber light color

S: some bready malts his my nose first. Picking up some pine hops but not a lot on the nose

T: Good level of pine astringency up front. A large malt backbone to back it up.

M: Nice strong carbonatino on the tongue. A medium thickness/feel.

O: A average to good IPA. Nothing to cry home about but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 05:46:07 | More by gregshead

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thick, creamy looking liquid the color of iced tea. A sudsy head that hardly seem to be dissolving. Tons of lacing left behind as the ale leaves the glass. Smells really hoppy. Sweet, pungent grapefruit and roasted toffee are the dominant flavors. Very hoppy flavor as well, but not excessively bitter. Actually has quite a bit of sweetness to it. Tastes of toasty grapefruit and sweet lemongrass. A really well-rounded IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 17:36:47 | More by keeganfrank

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- mostly clear orange amber with golden highlights and a frothy off-white head that leaves some tightly knitted lace. retention is ok. looks hoppy.

S- sweet shortbread and pine and grapefruit. some orange peel as well with toast in the background.

T- resinous and nicely bitter. pine dominates until it warms a bit and citrus flavors peek out. toasty whole grain bread. straightforward and not complex. burps have a nice orange flavor, always a plus. finishes hoppy with a respectable balance.

MF- juicy with delicate carbonation. cooling and dry on the cheeks.

D- a rather generic ipa with nothing special about it, but an acceptable brew and better than bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 00:23:00 | More by hustlesworth

stewart124

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Arnold's

Copper in color with little head.

Nice pine resin and citrus in the nose.

Medium body with plenty of carbonation. Medium caramel character with some bready notes but overall caramel comes through. Pleasing amounts of bitterness with nothing over the top. Blends well with the malt character.

Finish is pine and bits of citrus. Nice feel and a nice addition to Moerlein's portfolio.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 02:09:10 | More by stewart124

Dave128

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a mug from a 12oz twistoff bottle. Uh oh!! popping the top has the beer spewing a fifth of its contents onto my desk even tho its been sitting there for half an hour to bring down to a better temp.

A - Actually pretty darn nice looking. Great head. very cloudy amber in color. Sheets of lace run down the glass.

S - Faint piney smell. not many strong aromas.

T - Tastes pretty strongly of pinecone. There is a tiny hint of citrus flavors, but they are shortlived and the bitterness comes around. Its not too strong in general, but a little strong considering there is not a huge amount of malt backbone.

M - Highly carbonated. Super fizzy. medium mouthfeel but harsh carbonation.

O - Not bad. Suffers from averageness. Could use a little more balance and less carbonation.

Edit: I just discovered the bottle I bought as a single was about a year old so take this review with a grain of salt.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 03:50:32 | More by Dave128

Kelly88

Kentucky

3.18/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into my bruery tulip.

A- brownish red with a very solid and very resilient off white head. Can't see through this brew but you can see the tiny Carb bubbles racing to the top. A little to dark for me but a great head.

S- not getting much smell in This. A very weird plastic earthy vegetable smell. Not the most appealing.

T- much better than the smell. Some sweet candied malts, sugary sweet. Watered down orange hop bite is a transition taste into the very grassy earthy finish.

M- on the light side. Creamy with good carbonation. Nothing is unappealing so its pretty good.

Overall I don't really like this beer. Terrible smells and a strange taste. Now I know why this brewery Sticks to malt forward brews.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 01:02:14 | More by Kelly88

Groomsy

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic - can't vouch on how fresh this is since there's no freshness date in view. Review taken from notes.

Appearance: The body of the beer is actually fairly dark for an IPA - a pleasant, deep copper with some hints of fiery orange, fairly hazy but no sediment in suspension. An aggressive pour yielded a 1.5 finger head of ivory white foam which slowly faded to a cap of wisps and left behind spotty lacing.

Smell: Bold, but balanced. There are the obligatory notes of citrus, particularly grapefruit and just a little bit of lemon; but there are also some notable floral/herbal scents in there accented by some pine resin, all backed by just a pinch of either pale or caramel malt, providing a slightly sugary scent to the beer.

Taste: A fairly rich beer. Citric hops dominate with flavors of orange rind and grapefruit, underscored by a backbone of floral and herbal spiciness on the middle of the palate, which carries into some pine resin notes in the finish. There's a small but substantial backbone of malt flavors, sweet and sugary, to provide some balance for the beer. Nice balance between very American and European hop characteristics. A good thirst quencher, and a balanced IPA that still knows how to kick it.

Mouthfeel: Medium body overall, not too highly carbonated. Lingering flavors from the hops create a slightly drying finish leaving me thirsty for another sip. Alcohol is well-hidden, even though the ABV is a little low for this style in this brew.

Overall: Pretty good IPA, a little bit of a surprise from Moerlein, who generally specializes in Euro-style beers. Good balance and drinkability, but nothing to get crazy excited over. This isn't a super-assertive IPA - in fact, I would venture to say it's either a very mild IPA or a slightly souped-up APA. If you want to support your locals and want a good beer with some character, check this out. Sessionable but not fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 04:40:06 | More by Groomsy

UMNbeerhunter

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an HotD tulip on 4/14/11.

Pours a pretty golden honey color with a fluffy white head that dissipates leaving moderate lacing .

Smells are very subdued. Citrus fruit, pine and some earthy grass aromas come through. Some sweet malt backbone becomes apparent as the brew warms and becomes more volatile. I echo some of the other reviews that believe it smells more like a pale ale then an IPA.

Taste is diluted and not what I expected. Again more like a pale ale. I can taste some hop forward citrus but for the most part this beers taste is forgettable.

Mouthfeel is light to moderate and crisp. Some resin sticks and leaves hop bitterness as well as a little fruit hop flavor.

Overall this is a one and done for me. It has some significant flaws such as the weak smell and taste and the mouthfeel is leaning towards lagger.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 05:28:10 | More by UMNbeerhunter

rlshep

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Aroma: Citrus, tangerines, piney. Dark sugar. Plums in background. Aroma, could be more assertive.

Appearance: Aggressive pour produces 1 finger off-white head. Dissipates quickly. Minimal lacing. Orangeish amber color. Very clear.

Flavor: Very piney. A sugary taste present. Possibly band-aidish. More of the dark caramel from aroma. High bitterness.

Mouthfeel: On thin side. Alcohol a little hot. Seems astringent, husky and harsh,

Overall: I find myself liking IPAs less and less. It is hard to say where the over the top bitterness/hoppiness ends and being just a bad beer starts. This is not an easy drinking beer, very harsh. I won't be getting this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 02:22:24 | More by rlshep

rembrant

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I wrote a review months ago and it was among quite a backlog I'd yet to post Now with a revisit...I'm not tasting the same beer anyhow. Either my first was a bit old and faded or Moerlein upgraded this beer
Looks-If you've seen Hopslam and Nugget Nectar...same look Rich orange.a bit hazy,even a hard pour yields just a bit of offwhite head.
Aroma A scent of caramel maltand some mixed fruity citrus.. As I'd found previously there's a slight yeasty hint as though they wanted to have a hint of lager in it. This, however,has much better hops to it.
Taste The Malts only get a moment and then the hops take command,yet this is not a one-note. The malts do maintain some influence,the yeast add a little to the complexity. I'm not getting a single dominant hop ttaste,not a discreet fruit. It's like grapefruit,pineapple,green apple,pine cone,orange and lemon all have a voice in there. In the end, a German -like Nobel hop appears with a dry woodiness that joins the fruits for the finish.
In the past I'd felt it was more like a Pale Ale labeled as IPA. Now it's not just an IPA for real,but a good one. As I had my first of Hopslam and Nugget Nectar just lately..that says something
I like an IPA to be BEER,to have more than just a bang of grapefruit.
Mouth- The Orange-Haze look and the hop-slimed glass gave warning this should have good substance and indeed it does.
Carbonation is right. Aftertaste doesn't linger long relative to the hop flavor but is a clean and nice finish
Drinkability is quite drinkable. Elsewhere it's not seen much,but here it's available and budget friendly. Not in any way abrassive or weak,real quenching and complex enough to stay interesting

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 23:01:03 | More by rembrant