Singapore IPA - Saugatuck Brewing Company

brentk56

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives with a somewhat hazy amber color; the head displays nice retention and leaves some lacing behind

Smell: Citrusy and piney, with grapefruit and other tropical fruit elements

Taste: The hop flavors dominate, up front, bringing citrus and pine along with some tropical fruit; the bread and caramel in the malt balances out the hops, in the middle; nicely balanced in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A decent IPA; nothing spectacular but a nice, middle of the road IPA

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 03:41:17 | More by brentk56

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Not overly impressed with this one. To me its closer to an English style IPA than an AIPA. Nevertheless, the appearance is nothing remarkable, clear golden color (I was able to avoid the massive settlement at the bottom of the bottle) with thin almost non existent white head. The smell is more bittering hops as well as the taste. The first few sips let's one know that alcohol is prevalent. The mouthfeel is fuller in body with decent carbonation. Overall its ok....just expect more of an standard english IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 02:04:43 | More by WoodBrew

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle into nonic pint.

Clear, bright, and shiny yellow body with a shimmering white head. Good retention. Weak lacing.
Smells a little boozy, over a predominantly dry bready malt bill with a hint of sugar cookie. The hops are mainly citrusy, but I find the nose a bit muted.

The flavor also comes off a bit muted, at least as far the hops are concerned. The finish is quite dry, little abrasive, and very bitter.

Body is fine-- medium, very carbonated- effervescent feel.

Overall-- not bad... But not that impressive. I prefer more flavor/aroma over straight bitterness, but this beer is decent enough I suppose. Nothing is offensive at least.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 18:53:39 | More by AleWatcher

birchstick

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours an orangish yellow color with a nice frothy head that pretty much vanishes into the beer

S - nose is grass, pine, and citrus hop...smells nice

T - taste is similar. First on the tongue are the citrus flavors picked up in the nose. These move to more of a grainy malt flavor, but the hops surge back bringing bitter pine hops and some grapefruity rind bitterness.

M - smooth and full bodied, goes down well

D - this is a nice IPA. Hoppy, fruity, and bitter pine all come together to form the singapore IPA. I would recommend this if you are in the Saugatuck area.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 01:56:38 | More by birchstick

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice IPA. A bit too much ink and iodine on this, but it still works. Hearty hop characteristics contribute to a very earthy and hearty ipa that avoids the "light" and powerful citrus/oily/pine hop tone and sticks with a more robust and deeper offering. It could stand to be a bit more vibrant, imo.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 03:42:10 | More by RblWthACoz

Fusion_Pirate

Michigan

2.78/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Carefully poured cold into a Weisen glass, Singapore IPA yielded absolutely zero head, minor lacing on the glass as you tilt it to and fro. However, the actual color is a rich golden amber...like when you wake up after a long night and take a good piss!

S: Mild, floral scent, hints of citrus hops, finishing with fresh pine needle notes. Not overwhelming in either a good or bad way- just a good, adequate amount of all elements mentioned.

T: This is where Singapore IPA lets you down...the carbonation is quite strong...too strong for an IPA, in my opinion. The actual flavors are quite subdued; sadly, none of the relative complexities I smelled initially translate into the taste. Really, this has more in common with an Adjunct American Lager than a craft IPA...I'm even getting aftertaste notes of corn. Not cool!

M: Tingly carbonation, watery, lingering moistness...qualities I would frankly expect from a Miller High Life, not a craft IPA. Disappointing...

O: The appearance and smell of this beer belie the lack of substance within. I'm a big IPA fan, and I REALLY tried to like this beer- but frankly, Saugatuck's Singapore IPA is like a sheep in wolves' clothing- all bark, but no bite when push comes to shove.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:25:48 | More by Fusion_Pirate

hosehead83

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into an English "pot" pint glass.
Cloudy, orange/gold in color,with a nice, frothy head of bone-white foam.
Aroma-Foral hop note
Taste-Nice punch of floral and citrus hops. Grapefruit rind juiciness and bitterness carries to the finish. Snappy and tasty. Classic American IPA. My first offering from Saugatuck and a very pleasant and enjoyable one. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 16:47:02 | More by hosehead83

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Mixed six from some local shop straight from the brewery.

The body is a golden-ish color with a super frothy hyper white head. the smell is powdery for sure. A bit of Centennial fruity hops are there, but not so much. It smells light and drinkable for sure. Very Balanced. small hint of pine.

Theres an upfront bite from a load of hops, and all boiled. Im thinking high Alpha Acid hops, but I could be wrong. Resinous and slick. Almost like a bitter form of Two-Hearted. Underlying fruity-ish hops try to come out, but the upfront hops do dominate. Not bad, but not all that great.

Taste is clean for an IPA. Finishes clean and smooth, with a nice crisp feeling that Id associate with an American Wheat.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:35:23 | More by VncentLIFE

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This unfiltered IPA pours a hazy lighter blonde color, and very light for the style. Looks like a cloudy weisse. Strong, very nicely floral bitter notes hit the nose, maybe even banana. Not mega malt on the nose or on the palate. Taste is easy, clean, what I imagine a session ale to be, leaning to almost bready (with the bitter), moderately chewy, but well balanced between all the elements, nothing seeming to dominate. Bitter is more floral and maybe pine but I don't perceive much citrus. Blend of hops is distinctive on this one, the echo prominent through time. Mouthfeel is moderately fizzy, not fussing nor scrubbing. Overall, I like this beer and am happy, having gambled on a six without knowing the brewery or the brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 23:10:44 | More by Bitter_Echo

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle a clear gold color with orange highlights and two fingers of sticky beige head. Good lacing all around.

Juicy aroma of orange, floral hops, and a light touch of tropical fruits and wheat cracker.

The taste opens with orange and floral hops upfront, quickly followed by a malty bite. The finish is pretty bitter.

Medium bodied and a bit dry with a moderate carbonation.

This was my first beer from Saugatuck Brewing and I wasn't disappointed. Maybe not among the finest AIPAs out there but definitely a good one.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 22:20:34 | More by Monkeyknife

youngleo

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

WOW, big 3 inch head. Head was slightly offwhite in color. Head hung around for quite a while. I had to let it settle down a bit. A lot of lacing going on. Brew itself was golden in color. Smelled like a IPA should. Floral hops. pine, slighty citrus smelling. Smell was good. Nothing real strong. Just seemed like the smell blended together real good. Taste was nice. Got that hoppy floral taste with pine. Also malt. It had a slight bitter aftertaste. Felt good in the mouth. I thought the carbonation was right. This brew really reminded me of Two Hearted. Both are nice. Id buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 19:03:37 | More by youngleo

CHickman

New York

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours very hazy gold color with a little orange to it, and a huge 2 finger foamy white head that faded slowly and left moon like craters as it went down; a lot of sediment like dust clouds as the bottom poured into the pint glass; great foamy lacing as it went down, leaving rings as it went down - this is a very handsome pour from the bottle and quite nice to look at. Great start to this brew.

Smells of floral hops up front, followed by grains, sweet malt, lemon zest, citrus hops, light caramel, herbs, grapefruit, coriander, buttery cracker and very light spices; a hybrid aroma that's half American IPA and half English IPA and very refreshing to inhale.

Tastes like it smells, with floral hops, grass, flowers, lightly toasted grains, sweet malt, lemon, citrus hops, caramel, herbs like tea leaf, grapefruit, coriander, Ritz cracker, biscuit or wet wheat bread, orange peel, and very light spices like pepper and faint allspice; as notes above, it seems half American IPA and half English IPA and done really well as this beer is well balanced, complex, tasty and refreshing.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and refreshing, with a smooth, buttery feel that slides across the tongue and a medium chewy body, light fizzy carbonation and a slightly bitter finish that trails off with a combo of grains and citrus sweetness. Hides the ABV very well.

I must say that this beer took me by surprise and was very enjoyable and a definite session beer, despite lacking the traditional American IPA punch normally associated with this style. Definite recommendation, this was perfect on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Another great beer out of Michigan!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 04:11:27 | More by CHickman

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 12/03/2011. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 2-3 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some decent lacing left on the glass; with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big grapefruit, herbal, floral, orange, pine, some tropical fruits, and a bit of bread. Nice and well balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of big pine, herbal spiciness, biscuit, caramel, grapefruit, orange, and light tropical fruits. Good sized bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pine, biscuit, herbal spiciness, and citrus on the finish for a while. Decent balance of flavors; but the bready/herbal quality is a bit over the top for my liking. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly oily mouthfeel. A bit of prickly carbonation on the palate. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Good drinkability for the level of alcohol. Overall this is a solid IPA. Has nice aromas, but the taste is quite a bit different.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:52:07 | More by superspak

zoso1967

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Singapore pours a light amber color that seems a bit on the light side for an IPA. It is almost golden really. The head is bone in color and posses decent retention and great lacing abilities.

The aroma is a fairly balanced mix of citrusy hops and some biscuity malt scents. Lemon zest and grapefruit are the dominant hop aromas.

The flavor is more balanced, but in a bad way. The malt comes through much more and it's buscuity and slightly grainy flavors mute the citrusy hops from the aroma. Bitterness comes through strongly, but it lacks hop flavors.

The mouthfeel is light and refreshing with a good amount of carbonation. I find the finish to be a bit dry with a very dank bitterness that has very little floral or citrus character to it.

Overall I found this to be a pretty "meh" IPA. It lacked a big hop punch to go along with the bitterness. Also, I found the grainy malt body to be a bit off putting. Hopefully the other offering from Saugatuck that I picked up will be a better showing.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 00:32:21 | More by zoso1967

pb9613

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – For an IPA this one was extremely light. The IPA poured a dark gold color with a huge white head that lasted the entire experience. Lacing was awesome.

Smell – This IPA brought the pine and citrus aromas of the hops to the forefront, but there was a hint of malt in the background that stated this was not going to a hop monster.

Taste – I was a little worried that the malts would not come through but it is there behind the huge hop assault on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel – The light coloring of this IPA hinted towards a light body, but that is not true. The carbonation along with the malt back bone makes this beer a great drinking experience.

Overall – Competing in the central coast IPA market is not easy with Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Founders Centennial, and Shorts Huma-Lupa-Licious in it’s back yard, it is not easy to compete. This beer holds it own and in on the buy list.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 00:34:00 | More by pb9613

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark, orangey, coppery golden with a bit of haze and a few streams of bubbles. Large bone cap of foam with really great retention and quite alright lacing.

S: Spicy. Pine & resin ( a bit dank) and some citrus rind. Hint of alcohol – slightly fusel. Caramelly sweet malts in the background.

T: Wow. A hop monster. Pine, resin, spicy, dank, herbal / woody, & some rind. Extremely bitter. Incredibly pungent. Soft brief flash of sweet & grainy pale malt – just enough to keep it from being total hop juice. Super strong & lingering hops. Increasingly citrus and grassy as consumed. Not huge variety, but what it has exists in abundance. Pungent NW hops in vicious abundance.

M: Medium body with matched carbonation. A bit light relative to abv. Some texture & chew, but quickly & aggressively overwhelmed by an intense hop drying. Slowly spreading alcohol warmth.

D: An ogre of an IPA – big, burly, dank & rank, and rough around the edges. Hopheads – this one is for you. No pretense at balance. Very much an American style uber hoppy IPA. And a pretty darn good one. Overall, an impressive hop smackdown.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 22:20:14 | More by SickGnar

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle of Saugatuck's Singapore IPA yesterday for $1.49 at The Lager Mill. I have tried two of the three Saugatuck beers that The Lager Mill carries so I thought I would give the third one a try, I haven't been too impressed by Saugatuck's bottled beers, but hopefully this one will be different, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a pint glass.

A- The label is pretty plain looking but it still looks descent. It poured a clear slightly golden amber color with three fingers worth of fluffy and rocky white head that died down to a thick layer that stayed till the end and it left some pretty nice chunky lacing. The color is a little light but other then that it is a pretty good looking IPA.

S- The aroma of this beer is pretty hoppy with a nice mixture of floral and citrus hops with the floral hops sticking out the most and it had a slightly soapy aroma. I also pick up a good amount of pale malts that have a slightly grainy and bread like aroma to them. It's a little soapy smelling but it has a pretty good hop fragrance to it that doesn't completely overpower the pale malt base of this beer.

T- The taste is pretty similar to the aroma and on the lighter side for an IPA. It starts off with the malt base that tastes like a mixture of pale and caramel malts that have a nice medium amount of sweetness to them. Then comes the hops which hardly have any of the soapyness that I picked up in the aroma, they taste more like 1/3 citrus hops and 2/3 floral hops, it's a pretty nice mixture that has a medium amount of hop flavors. The finish is a little sweet with a medium amount of bitterness and it has a floral hop aftertaste.

M- Smooth, slightly sticky, medium bodied, and it had a high amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel on this beer was pretty spot on for an IPA.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and a pretty solid American IPA. This wasn't the hoppiest IPA, but the hops that were there made for a pretty nice mixture that imparted a nice floral flavor. This beer had pretty good balance, the malt base was well done, noticeable, and not overpowered by the hops. Since this beer is a little lighter on the hops and bitterness then some of the other American IPA's makes it have pretty good drinkability, if I had another one I would drink it. What I liked most about this beer was the look and mouthfeel, it looked pretty damn good in my pint glass and the mouthfeel was spot on for an American IPA. My only complaint about this beer is that the hops could be slightly bolder, the flavor is nice, I would just like it a little more bolder. I would buy this beer again when looking for a good local American IPA, but when it comes to IPA's the ones that I have had from the west coast are on another level. I recommend this to any IPA fan, it's good, really good balanced and is pretty on par for an IPA. So far this has been the best of three bottled Saugatuck beers, and overall a pretty solid American IPA. I would be interested to see what else Saugatuck can do when it comes to hops, I don't know how fresh this beer is since it didn't have a bottling date but I can imagine this beer is even better fresh on draft, if I have the chance I will have to try it like that, good job Saugatuck, this American IPA was solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 02:18:43 | More by StoutHunter

divineaudio

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

tulip glass, no freshness date.

a - a perfect pour gets me a hazy, orange liquid with a quickly rising, 2 finger, off white head. retention is good and leaves thick swaths of lace in the glass.

s - grapefruit, orange, toasted malt.

t - toasted malt up front, notes of citrus, strong bitter slap of pine resin in back. lacking depth.

m - medium with higher carbonation.

o - not bad, but definitely not bringing anything new to the table. worth a try if you're into ipas.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 15:08:26 | More by divineaudio

tapman

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A light orange body that is relatively clear even with evident bottle conditioning. I'm looking forward to a clean beer. Head is thick, rich and whipped cream like.

Nose is apricots and white flesh peaches and uncooked pastry dough maltiness. Raw hop oils give the nose a nice spice.

Very delicate malt/hop flavor; the sweet doughy malt and a floral hop character combine for a subtle, yet rich balanced taste. A moderate-high bitterness follows behind along with a little raw grass that lingers.

Full, rich mouthfeel. Must be plenty of sugar left in this one. Carbonation is strong, though not harsh.

An awsome beer and even bette on tap at Foran's in Detroit!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 03:39:16 | More by tapman

salvo

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Full bodied, rich, nicely hopped, and astringent. If this was brewed anywhere but within spitting distance of Bells, Founders, or New Holland it would have a cult following. Long, slow finish unravels through biting pine hops to bitter dryness. Lovely finish, strong lacing and an overall pleasing personality.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 01:53:54 | More by salvo

Florida9

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: clear amber. Forms a frothy bit of white head. Okay retention. Decent amount of lacing. 4

S: pine and pine resin. Smells acrid and bitter, but in a good way. 4

T: starts off with some light, dry, caramel malts. Loads of pine and pine resin
Lead to a fairly strong bitterness. 4

M: medium bodied. Appropriate carbonation. Strong bitterness. 3.5

O: a solid IPA. Good flavor, strong bitterness. Certainly not a west coast IPA, but they don't all need to be either. 4

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 01:46:19 | More by Florida9

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just slightly darker than straw yellow in color. Tons of cascading sticky lace.

Smell is resinous pine and floral notes. I don't really pick up any malts at all. It just reeks of hops.

Whoa, this is bitter to the extent of masking the flavor. The piney hops do peek through, but the hops are almost all puckering effect. There's an asprin aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is a little thin, but well carbonated. And bitter.

I liked this beer, but the overly bitter hops detract from the flavor. If the bitterness was just toned down slightly I think it would be a better package.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 01:52:44 | More by Vonerichs

djeucalyptus

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a nice cloudy golden orange with a frothy white two-finger head that has impressive retention and laves decent syrupy sticky lace here and there.

aroma is brightly citrus, fruity, and tropical. a touch of light malt but really pungent citrusy and pineapple notes.

taste is potent. resinous pine, lemon, bitter orange. honey and caramel with some doughy malt comes through, then more pine, juniper, herbal and green hops. a touch boozy, a touch heavy but delicious.

mouth is moderately full, ample carbonation that's just a touch effervescently prickly... but not bad.

wow. all in all, pretty impressive. aroma is practically otherworldly. I wish the taste followed suit, although the complexity of the herbal notes works nicely.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 08:10:54 | More by djeucalyptus

ssimpson89

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light, golden amber with a small white head. Aroma is of citrus hops. Nicely balanced herbal and citrus taste with a bitter finish. Medium bodied for an IPA with slick mouth feel.

Good, solid IPA. I wish Saugatuck well...Michigan can never have enough quality breweries for me to experience on summer vacations.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:26:07 | More by ssimpson89

alexgash

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle.

Slightly hazy golden orange body. Big, thick, marshmallowy, very light beige to white head. Good lacing. Lots of citrus rind and pineapple on the nose. Powdered sugar and candied fruit malt as well. Smells like a nicely-balanced IPA.

Citrus hop bitterness right away. Grapefruit and lemon. Toasted malt and marmalade fill in. Bitterness increases, nicely, with more citrus notes, and a little pine too. Light caramel and sugar cookie underneath. Minty hop bitterness lingers in the very dry, appetizing finish. Medium-full body with a nice, creamy feel. A very nice IPA, that fits in nicely with the other Michigan heavy hitters. Hope to see more bottles from this brewery!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 01:16:35 | More by alexgash