ACME California IPA - North Coast Brewing Co.

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle traded with a coworker

Poured into a pint glass, a hazy copper-brown with a small, fizzy, white head that dissipated quite a bit, leaving a little soapy lacing on the glass. Sweet aroma, quite nice, biscuity, caramel, and opposed to some reviews I've seen, the hops are more in the distance it seems; I get caramel predominantly. Taste is pretty good as well, very bitter up front, woody, leafy, then heavy with caramel sweetness, malty, with pithy citrus bitterness, and some herbal and piney hop qualities leaving a very dry and bitter finish. Medium body, pretty interesting overall, and decently drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 16:00:29 | More by Rifugium

jonstep

California

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I drank a stronger ale prior to this particular one. So, the boldness of the ale may not have presented itself to me as it would had I drank it alone.

Appearance: I drank it straight from the bottle, so I cannot comment.

Smell: The brew had a delightful smell of sweet and nutty.

Taste: it was a smooth brew, without a noticeable bite to the palate.

Mouthfeel: Not heavy. I would place it as just right. The carbonation was light and refreshing.

Overall: I bought a six pack of this brew, and will enjoy the other five as well. A fine quality IPA that is not overpowering, and tastes of a well crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:49:15 | More by jonstep

StLThrash

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Slightly aggressive pour yielded a very rich, pillowy white head. Lingered for some time. Left a little lacing at first, then not much after a while.

S - Slightly hoppy, but lacking the robust hops / citrus / pine smell I was anticipating. Not bad, but not close to many other west coast IPA's.

T & M - Decent. Again, similar to the smell. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Slightly bitter from hops, drinkable, and overall decent.

Overall - I probably won't buy this again. My brother in law both bought a sixer for a get together at my house. I bought Stone IPA, and he bought this. I won. In the crowded IPA market, there are much better choices. I will be sampling Goose Island IPA tonight for the first time and looking forward to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 21:06:24 | More by StLThrash

PrivateEquity

Kansas

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear, light golden color. Frothy head retention and lacing is outstanding.

S - Good floral hops, but the aroma is a little weaker then expected.

T - Hoppiness is definitely there and comes off as a piney, grapefruit, flowery punch. Hop bitterness lasts throughout, and comes off a little bitter / pungent at the end. Malty sweetness complements.

M - Good mouthfeel that is smooth and dry. Light body.

O - Good example of a west coast IPA. Full of hops and semi-dry. My main concern with the brew was imbalance of hops in the aftertaste with too much pungent bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 00:03:43 | More by PrivateEquity

sethmeister

New Hampshire

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Golden to lightly copper body with a touch of haze and a creamy ecru head. Fluffy patches of lace

Scent is unfortunately very faint; floral and grassy i suppose

Taste is spicy and earthy hops. Grapefruit. Not that bitter. There's a bready malt base with a lightly sweet note.

Mouth is medium with low carbonation; slightly chalky

A pleasant ale but not among my favorite ipa's

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 01:16:50 | More by sethmeister

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a cloudy orange yellow, with a one inch sticky white head, plenty lacing. Smell is sharp citrus, grapefruit, lemon, and some pine. Taste is that, grapefruit dominates, a little biscuity grass. Mouthfeel is nice, dry, lots of carbonation, and easy drinking. This is a nice beer, would rather get a Smuttynose Finest Kind 12 pack for almost same a price and fresh, but a nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 22:23:56 | More by SawDog505

danieelol

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours yellow with cloudy white head.

Nose is doughy, yeasty with a bit of metallic CCC hops. Lots of fruitiness- from hops or yeast?

Taste is similarly yeast dominated with a bit of sweetness and quite a satisfying bitterness.

Mouthfeel is creamy with good carb and nice bitterness.

Overall a nicely balanced, drinkable beer. Not really a "California IPA" by any stretch though.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 13:43:30 | More by danieelol

titosupertramp

Tennessee

3.28/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a honey colored amber, clear. Finger of off-white head with lots of larger bubbles. The head is slow to receed leaving behind tons of lacing and a thick film.

S: Mostly malts here which isn't quite what you'd hope from an American IPA. Sweet caramel malts with floral, citrus hops. Not bad, just average.

T: Like the smell, the taste isn't bad, but is soundly average. Caramel, bready malts with slight citrus and pine hops. Somewhat bitter finish. Believe it or not, alcohol is barely presesnt in the taste. Surprising since this is only 6.5%ABV.

M: Medium bodied, almost creamy. Slightly dry finish.

O: This isn't a bad beer and it's possible that I purchased an old bottle(no bottle date), but I probably wouldn't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 01:26:39 | More by titosupertramp

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Undated bottle  Bought at Happy Harry's Grand Forks Sourh in a mixed six. Poured into a clear plastic glass around 4C

A: Slightly hazy straw yellow body with a dinger of head with light lacing 4.5
S:  Incredibly muted. A hint of hops, maybe earth?  Light notes of apple juice. Nothing like an IPA should be. Old bottle perhaps? 2
T: A nice thin body here that lets the hops shine. Strong bitterness with a resinous pineyness. Still weak flavours though, hopefully this bottle has faded with time otherwise it is a weak IPA.  3
M: Strong carbonation and nice lingering bitterness, though the bitterness is not as sharp as I had expected. 3.5
O: An old bottle?  Perhaps. Unless I know this is fresh I won't be touching this again. 3

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 00:39:30 | More by kjyost

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No freshness date on the bottle but decided to take a change and give it a try anyway. Shame on you North Coast.

Hazy bright orange colored body. Decent amount of sticky off-white head that leaves just a bit of lace on the glass.

Aroma has a nice citrusy aroma to start with a touch of minty floridness as well. Mildly sweet malty backbone to round it all out.

Good healthy dose of hops on the palate with tasty citrus notes and a lingering minty flavor. Not the most palate busting IPA I've come across, with a good bit of malty sweetness and grain flavor but still plenty hop forward to satisfy a craving.

Mouthfeel is medium body with a nice dry finish. Overall, ACME California IPA isn't the most jaw dropping IPA of come across but it certainly can hold its own.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 16:17:33 | More by Kinsman

FreshHawk

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Apricot orange with a decent sized foamy, bubbly, light, white head. Average retention with a fair amount of patchy lace.

S - Caramel malt along with some sweet citrus and hints of tropical fruit, making it pretty sweet but not overly hoppy. Some floral hops as well.

T - Similar to the nose. Not overly hoppy with a strong caramel and crystal malt backbone with a little bit of a biscuit flavor. Sweet grapefruit and pineapple are present throughout. Touches of floral and grassy hops show up, particularly at the finish.

M - Medium to light body. Average carbonation. Fairly smooth.

D - Easy to drink. Plenty of sweet citrus and some tropical fruit and a healthy malt backbone.

Notes: The hops don't jump out and punch you in the face but there is a nice hop presence. Nice middle of the road IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 19:23:52 | More by FreshHawk

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured chilled in ale glass

A: classic IPA-style golden yellow; thin head; little carbonation; great lacing
S: very malty, little hop aroma
T: very highly hopped; nicely spiced; malt base in the background; intense flavor--all IPA
M: buzzes on the tongue; creamy

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 00:11:41 | More by Arithmeticus

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pretty good IPA here, It poured out as a golden yellow color with a white head on top that leaves a little lacing behind. The smell of the beer has a pretty good amount of hops on the nose along with some sweet malts to balance it out. The taste of the beer was pretty good, it had enough hops in there to classify it as an IPA and enough malts to give it a little sweetness. The mouthfeel was pretty light and refreshing. Overall this brew is pretty good for casual and social drinking for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 04:51:48 | More by Knapp85

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pour is copper with a surprisingly light-colored (white) head. The dissipation is slow and leaves fantastic lacings.

S: This is very American in smell; floral as well as bitter hops are very American; citric and piney notes; pineapple and grapefruit. Caramell malt, with some sweetness gives it a bready backbone.

T: After the nose; no surprises. Pine and citrus dominates but doesn't overpower the caramell malt.

M: Nice feel: medium carbonation and body - smooth. Aftertaste holds a pine-like bitterness (if that is possible) and stays for some time.

O: Obviously a west-coaster. Nice (very nice), but it doesn't stand out from other great west-coasters.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 18:35:42 | More by Sunnanek

jamescain

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an SA perfect pint, thanks exiled for the extra

Appearance: Clear yellow-orange with a thin off white head that clings to the side of the glass and leaves a thin lacing.

Aroma: Subtle pine and citrus notes with some malt peaking through.

Taste: Not very complex, mostly piney bitterness and a little malt in the background.

Mouthfeel: Medium-high carbonation and medium body with a dry finish.

Overall: I wasn't particularly impressed with this offering, but that could be because of its age. Without a bottle date I have no idea how fresh it is, but I also feel like it lacked complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 14:39:19 | More by jamescain

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a clear gold with light head and some lasting lace. It's aroma is of grass, fruit, and caramel. The flavor is citrusy, mainly grapefruit, with caramel notes and a malty, hoppy balance.There's a mild bitterness, not unpleasant, with a fruity aftertaste. This beer has a light-medium mouthfeel, is dry and crisp. Acme California IPA is a decent beer, not as hoppy as most American IPAs. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 20:53:28 | More by B967ierhunter177

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Bronze with a white head, good retention and amazing lace.

S: Great hop aroma... citrus rind, pine and a little grassy.

T: Hop flavour echoes the aroma, with plenty of bitterness and some underlying grainy biscuit.

M: Moderate body has a hint of hop acidity a slightly drying finish.

D: A good drinker. This is a solid west coast IPA that's really well-crafted. Great to have it fresh at the brewpub.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 04:27:11 | More by Derek

gatornation

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

from a 12oz bottle into a a sam adams perfect pint glass

A-pours a light golden copper color with a big fresh fluffy head slow to recede with sticky lacing..looks very nice

S- is malts and pine hops a bread and caramel mix with bitter lemon grass

T- is hops first with pine resin then grapefruit and citrus hops,some wet grass and baked bread

M- good carbonation with a bitter/pine profile,crisp and pure

O- its a crisp a pine infused IPA with a caramel and bread background a 2nd tier ipa that is drinkable and recommended, but not on my list of buying or trying with so many others on the shelf

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 22:32:30 | More by gatornation

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Crystal clear amber, with a rocky off-white head.

S - Woody pine, mineral-like citrus.

T - Bitter pine off the top, coats the tongue, bready pale malt, dried grapefruit pith, finish smooth and dry.

M - Medium smooth body, dry and crisp on the finish.

Good clean malt with a clean bitterness. Nose is a little weak all around, almost muted. Bitter, dry and simple.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 23:38:02 | More by StaveHooks

Offa

California

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I finally revisited this some years after being decidedly unimpressed, to say the least, and in fact find it very good.
Deep gold, med-big off-white head slowly shrinks.

Aroma is wonderful malty-yeasty-hoppy mixture, flowery, raisiny, yeasty bread, bread crust, herbs, citrus, juicy with caramelized toast hint.

Taste is yeasty, juicy, with light raisiny maltiness, zesty/peppery-medicinal bitterness just dominating but mostly balanced with some sweetness and a reasonably complex, firm, well-rounded character to support the bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 05:22:33 | More by Offa

plfahey

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Medium orange-gold in color with moderate clarity. Low beige head has fair retention.

Aroma-Malt is biscuits and bread with a dab of caramel and a hint of toast. Hop aroma is not terribly pronounced, with citrus and slight grapefruit, and a hint of flower. Fruity esters are muted, but present.

Flavor-Bready malt is swept away almost instantly by sharp hop bitterness. The hop bitterness never becomes harsh, but it is quite abrupt and sets in quicker than usual. Some citrus hop flavor follows the wave of bitterness, and then a glimpse of sweet caramel malt flavors peeks back into the finish. Although the aftertaste has elements of both malt and hops, the hop bitterness dominates.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderately high carbonation. Bitterness is not astringent, and while quite sharp up front, doesn't really numb the tongue as many very hoppy beers do.

Just an ok American IPA. It's lacking in hop aroma and flavor for an American IPA (though it definitely has the bitterness). It's not bad, and I'd definitely knock one back if I had them lying around (as I do), but certainly not a go-to if I'm at the store looking for a nice hoppy IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 07:55:43 | More by plfahey

chicagoabbot

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz into a snifter...bright body with a lacy white head, very appropriate for the style. Bitter hops in the nose, but very well-balanced. Not a huge-hoppy IPA, but clean. Taste has the hops at the front with a clean solid and balanced malt backbone. Excellent mouthfeel. Recommended, I really like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 07:44:52 | More by chicagoabbot

glassculptor

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a glass. Not a lot of head retention, lacing, and/or overall hop aroma. Honey colored hue moving into light amber, with a crisp, clean flavor. Has a descent amount of bitterness, well balanced malt profile, appropriate carbonation, refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 23:14:44 | More by glassculptor

roodie

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass at Hot's Kitchen in Hermosa Beach

A: pours an clear amber brown with 2 fingers of pillowy off white head. Tons of lacing

S: hoppy no distinct maltiness or fruity quality

T: hops dominate. Pleasant bitterness

M: bitterness lingers and covers the palate. Smooth on the tongue

O: a good offering. Would get this for an everyday thirst quencher. More potent than the ABV leads you to believe

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 20:22:53 | More by roodie

gatorbreath

Fiji

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Orange/copper hue on this'un..minimal head dissipating rapidly leaving considerable lacing, smell is of pine/hops. taste is hops initially with a malty/caramelly backbone..mouthfeel is thin/crisp and the maltiness coats the palate..

overall, not a bad sample here. pick one up, might be your new fave

cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 00:55:17 | More by gatorbreath