The Audacity Of Hops - Cambridge Brewing Company

SHODriver

California

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch No 1 from Dec 2011

A: pours a hazed light orange with a finger of white head. Decent head retention and modest lacing
S: smells of a nice combination of fruity esters from the yeast, some citrus and some floral hops with an underlying sweetness
T: sweet malt, spicy yeast, fruitiness, citrus and some floral hop flavors. aftertaste is alcohol some citrusy flavor and oily hop flavor along with some sweet malt flavor and more estery goodness
M: sharp and prickly carbonation and a medium to slightly light mouthfeel
O: smells great, looks good, and very nice and complex flavor profile. a well done beer that is sure to please

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:26:32 | More by SHODriver

C20Percent

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

*Says it was from the February 2012 batch*

A: First impression: Pours a clear pale gold with a semi-bubbly head of white foam. Decent amount of bubbles in the body. Upon pouring the second half: The body is a nicer hazy gold with barely visible pieces of sediment. Looks a lot better than initial impression.

S: This is a double IPA? No, this is all Belgian Ale. The sweet breadiness and yeastiness smell dominates. Little bit of piney hop smell in the back. Not bad, though - maybe a little too generic. A little later: With time the hops start to dominate the aroma. Starts to smell really nice.

T: A sweet yeasty taste with a nice hop backbone. It's not an IPA, but it's still good. I gave this flavor a 4 from the beginning -- but the flavor does get better much like the appearance and smell.

M: A medium body that feels a little rough on the mouth. Nice carbonation. A little generic, though.

O: Initial impression is not great. Over time this beer gets better, but -- come on. It's not a bad brew to begin with. I'd like some more hop flavor -- you start to get it with time. More than any other beer this one gets better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:09:43 | More by C20Percent

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear golden-orange color with a thin finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some good lace.

S - Aroma is full of piney hops with some citrus and tropical hops, sweet caramel malts, and some light spices and Belgian yeast esters.

T - Starts off with some pine hop with some light grapefruit and bitterness alongside some sweet caramel malt. Through the middle some more bitterness comes through alongside a touch of yeast esters and some lightly bready malt. The finish is big on the pine and grassy hops with some good bitterness and some spices and Belgian yeast flavors.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry and bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really great Belgian IPA with a good hop profile and a good amount of flavor from the Belgian yeast.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 20:53:32 | More by ngeunit1

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into Hill Farmstead belgian tulip

A - Clear golden with a half finger of white head. Medium degree of bubbles rising from the base of the grass. Decent retention

S - Very light clove and banana aromas coming from the yeast. Lightly hopped, subtle grassy and herbal notes. A bit toasty.

T - The aroma on steroids. Hops are herbal and grassy, a bit lemony. Spicy yeast character, bread and clove.

M - Medium in body, with a perfect drying finish. Good carbonation brovides a spicy bubbly pop to the beer.

O - Overall a great beer. The combination of hop and Belgian yeast flavors are very complimentary and quite tasty. Add to that a great feel and you have a very worthwhile beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 22:29:43 | More by greenmonstah

pburland23

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle (Batch No. 01) into my CBS snifter.

I wasn't able to get into Cambridge to visit the CBC brewpub during my most recent trip to Boston. But I was glad to see that CBC is now bottling some if their brews.

Appearance: Beer pouts a hazy light orange. Thin layer of clean white head which dissipated very quickly. I think the beer was served a little too cold which affected the amount of head. Anyway, a pretty standard looking IPA/DIPA.

Smell: Big floral herbal hops notes dominate the nose. A hint of spice but pretty much a hop forward smelling beer. I like it. It's not overpowering.

Taste: Spiciness greats my palette before a herbal hops bitterness takes over. I didn't really pick up anything Belgian at first but as I let the sip linger there was some sharp pepper notes at the back of my mouth. The Belgian yeast was late to arrive but it packs a punch.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and slightly sticky and resinous. I'm not getting any booziness which at 9.0% makes this a dangerous beer.

Overall: Much more DIPA than Belgian IPA. It's a tasty pour though. Lots of great hops flavor...not overpowering and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 22:22:52 | More by pburland23

notchucknorris

California

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up on a recent trip to Boston. So glad I did!

A: Hazy dark golden color with a one finger cream colored head that leaves some clingy lacing down the glass.

S: Slightly musty piny hop notes and a touch of Belgian yeast.

T: This is pretty delicious. I was a little worried about the hoppiness fading because this bottle is dated December 2011, but it seems to be intact still. Opens with a lot of pine and citrusy hops, grapefruit pith, a touch of belgian yeast and crushed black pepper. Finish is dry and pretty bitter, but leaves you wanting a lot more. The alcohol is really, really well hidden. Super drinkable and super delicious. Wish we could get this in California.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 21:29:26 | More by notchucknorris

shangwang

Pennsylvania

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

Popped open a bottle from the first batch, December 2011. Poured into a Chimay glass.

Great appearance- hazy amber color with a thin finger of bubbly white head that reduced to a thin coating over a few minutes. Lots of dense, tiny bubbles made up the head and it left smooth lacing on the glass. Smelled strongly of citrusy hops and banana, with some grassy notes. The taste hit me hard at first with a dry and bitter hoppiness, but a subtle sweetness quickly followed. Lots of bold character that you would find in a Double IPA. The mouthfeel was chewy and medium in weight, with a stickiness and a lot of carbonation.
Overall, enjoyed this one, and I felt like it was a fun take on an IPA. I tend to think it falls more into the characteristics of a DIPA rather than a Belgian, but it's light and easy to drink, and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 18:48:19 | More by shangwang

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this as a cool extra from an awesome easter coast BA'er. Much thanks!

Poured a bright medium golden amber that was non-translucent that appeared to have floaties throughout. Produced a bone white froathy head that reduced to an inconsistent layer afloat the brew. The smells are pretty potent with aromas of hop, grapes, yeast and malt. Having been bottled in December (batch 1), it might be slightly past its prime but still smells pretty refreshing. The tastes are solid and mirror the aromas. A piney hop taste is followed up by the yeastiness of a Belgian beer with a trail of slight, indiscernable malts. Not much citrus with this one. All dark pine here. Finishes up with a bitter bite but is very subdued. The 8% abv is not very obvious and is very drinkable. Glad I got a chance to enjoy this one!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 23:40:07 | More by rmcnealy

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a bright yellow/orange with a finger of white head with good retention and lacing.

Citrus with a bit of grapefruit drowned out by the spicy Belgian yeast profile.

Some of the citrus taste carries over, but really this one is dominated by the Belgian yeast strain. Finishes with a rush of black pepper that is way overpowering.

Good mouthfeel and carb.

The yeast strain and intense amount of pepper overpowers anything that may be good going on with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 22:20:10 | More by jmarsh123

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very clear beer, thin white head. Solid carbonation going. Clearly bottle condition, the later sample is quite cloudy. An orange hued straw color. Head won't hold for very long, but does lace the glass with rings. Smells resinous with hops- piney citrus musky aroma, mixed with a clean spicey Belgian yeast character (Duvel-esk). Really interesting flavors > Very strong but not scorching bitterness (yeast sample was super bitter). Tastes a bit like Northern Brewer Hops. Followed by intense piney/spicy/citrus hop flavors. Very mild maltiness to the beer, slight grainy aftertaste. The tail end of the sip is a delicious and clean Belgian yeast flavor. I've had some Belgian IPAs where the Belgian yeast really clashes with intense hops flavors. These flavor are mending and bending quite nicely. Decent ABV. Medium body. Really unique and delicious, and a very challenging style of beer.

CBC is a great place to go in Cambridge MA. heads up to all.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 00:15:39 | More by mlazzaro

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a couple of tulip glasses.

Pours a clear golden copper, with a sudsy head of bright-white foam. This maintains a rich ½ finger sized flare-up when swirled, which dots the sides of the glass with sticky lace. The aroma smells fresh, leafy, spicy, and citric, with notes of bread and bubblegum working themselves in here as well. Underlying warmth adds a touch of fullness to the nose.

The taste is fresh bitter citrus and pine, which gives this some bite, while pale malt sweetness helps balance this across the back. Bubblegum, soft fruit, and herbal textures cling to those malt flavors a bit, while that combo of hops and yeast finish this dry with notes of pith, resins, and spice. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slick and smooth feeling to the carbonation that has just enough of a prickle to it to bring out some crispness in the body. There is a good bit of slickness to this which keeps that 8% ABV going down VERY easily.

This was a well done take on a Belgian IPA, with a complex yet balanced profile that kept this smooth and flavorful on the palate despite the occasional assertiveness of the hops. Watch out for this, it's dangerously drinkable for the size.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 17:46:27 | More by Kegatron

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

22oz bottle poured into Victory tulip glass. Batch 1, Dec. 2011.

A: Hazy golden yellow. Finger of fluffy bright white head. Good carbonation, tiny bubbles off the bottom of the glass.

S: Shocked to get some Belgian yeast and some farmhouse right away. Masks the hops a bit, but I still get some fruitiness and pine from them eventually.

T: Interesting flavors. You don't get assaulted initially with hops, it's the Belgian spice. This beer lives in the middle of the mouth. Lots of fruity and piney hops. Really bitter dry finish. It's a tasty little beer. Different then other DIPAs.

M: It's medium bodied.

O: I like this one. A little different but very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 14:39:44 | More by inlimbo77

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, batch #1 bottled in December.

Pourd hazy gold with a copper hue. An inch-plus head of dense white retreated to a solid coating on the surface with ringed and tattered lacing throughout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with a blast of grapefruit, pine, cut grass, and biscuity malt. Hints of apples and cloves follow through.

Medium bodied with a crisp, slightly tacky mouthfeel.

Pine and grapefuit start the palate with a drying, smooth bitterness. Malt is near zero and the beer is bone dry beyond some hints of tropical fruit and apples.

Finishes with piney resins, grapefruit pith, and biscuity malt.

Tasty, tasty brew. With the low bitterness and and dry character, the beer is seriously drinkable as well. In comparison to the original draught version for the Symposium though, this bottled version is a bit subdued in the hop department.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:04:18 | More by brewandbbq

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Translucent straw color with a fingerswidth head. Glass bottom retention leaves a ladder of crusty lace in its wake.

Complex and busy aroma consisting of spicy pepper, cantaloupe, mango and freshly vacuumed carpet all laid out on a blanket of wheat cracker malt. A few drifts of sharp pine cut through here and there.

Tastes like it smells: Mango pineapple sorbet and pepper with an herbal theme. Pretty dry. Course mouthfeel not plush and sexy enough to induce images of Belgium. Dry, cracker malt backing.

There seem to be two camps of Belgian IPAs - the traditional ones with intense swampy/herbal characteristics (De Ranke Bitter) and the more American ones with a mix of herbal and citrus hops (Audacity of Hops). I prefer that later.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 11:48:44 | More by donkeyrunner

mltobin

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a bomber of this at Yankee Spirits in Surbridge MA.

Appearance is a nice golden tone with two fingers of bright white head. Its` nose contains citrus hops, pine and flora. Taking a sip confirmed my suspicions that this is a fine beer, sweet from orange and other citrus components with more hops and pine. Mouthfeel is medium, good carbonation level and a lingering, pleasant bitterness to the finish. For those who appreciate a nice BIPA, be sure to pick this one up, it does not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 02:28:45 | More by mltobin

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to ActonBrewer for sending this one! Poured from bomber into imperial pint glass... Bottled December 2011

A- Poues a dark golden orange color. Finger of bubbly head comes from a soft pour that settles slowly leaving lacing and nice film behind.

S- Hops are a nice blend of earthy and fruity. Interestingly I get distinct salty, smoked summer sausage. Has some phenolic qualities, but the hops don't dominate as much as I thought it may at 70+ IBU.

T/M- Hops are all of the middle of the palate, mostly bitterness with some supporting grassy and earthy flavors. Phenols come through right before a spicy alcoholic finish. Pretty balanced as far as bitterness on the cracker-y, wheat malt backbone. Well carbonated and a medium body of a Belgian DIPA.

O- Not bad, not amazing. Tone the phenols down a bit and it would be much closer to an A rating. Bitterness was balanced, buy they did have a come-and-go harshness to them at times, tgif I think the alcoholic character added to this.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:43:23 | More by TheGordianKnot

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 1
Poured in to my Portsmouth tulip

A: This beer pours a hazy, deep straw yellow color with a one finger of bone white, rich foamy head. Head retains nicely leaving ringlets of sticky lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is all hops! Big citrus, grapefruit and lemon notes. Some grassiness. For a belgian IPA, the spicing is muted - really plays an under current tone and works well for this beer.

T: Taste starts with a good deal of lemon, slight wheat, and then pale malts come through. Middle is mingled wheat and spicing - very very muted so that it compliments and not dominates the flavor. Big, big grapefruit notes come in during the finish with a hint of grass to cut the grapefruit bitterness.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, oily and slick body.

O: Goes down easy, VERY tasty, not too filling, well hidden kick, good representation of style. This is a belgian IPA that I could sit with for a night!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 14:34:28 | More by Jayli

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle from batch 1 (bottled in December 2011). This one was poured into my Bruery tulip.

The Audacity of Hops pours a hazy, but not opaque light orange, with plentiful tangerine to goldenrod highlights. The off white head approaches, but maybe doesn't reach two fingers in height. Head retention is just OK, but there's a decent amount of lacing coated onto the side of the glass. The nose is a little on the weak side, but there are definitely clove and tropical fruit notes there to appreciate. The flavor profile steps things up big time though. The front end has some candied sugar sweetness, before an aggressive charge of bitterness come through. The back half is where things get interesting though, as phenols, esters, and hops come together to bring wave after wave of flavor coming through. Notes of bubble gum, tropical fruit, light citrus, clove, and a bit of earthy herbs all come through in time. No one sip is exactly like the last, but they're all delicious. The body is nicely dialed in, not desert dry, but tending towards the dry side of the spectrum. The carbonation however, is just a little bit dull. I'm thrilled that CBC is bottling some of their beers now, and only wish I lived in MA so I could have a glass of Audacity of Hops (or any of their other beers) at home more often.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 04:38:18 | More by axeman9182

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 3/4" light beige head over the slightly cloudy golden amber brew. Pillowy head slowly collapses, with sporadic chunky lacing. Aroma is skanky green hops.

Taste is pale sweetness to start, spicing and earthy hops in the middle, giving way to biting bitter numbness and a slight alcohol warmth. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, and drinkability is good as well. Almost as good as I remember.

8/3/09 - 4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5/5
12oz bottle gifted from a kind individual.

Poured into a Mayflower nonic, formed a 1/2" off-white head over the slightly cloudy golden brew. Head lasts and lasts, with thick coating lace. Aroma is spicy hops and candi sugar. Taste starts with a light pale sweetness, hits with spicy hops in the middle, then floral bitterness to close, with a shot of warmth. Mouthfeel is smooooth, and drinkability is way easy. An example of hops working hand in hand with flavors in a brew, instead of just bashing around with the bitter club. Audacity of hops, indeed.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 22:20:14 | More by ppoitras

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: This beer pours out a beautiful honey color with golden highlights. The body is rustic and unfiltered crowned with a solid one finger white head that recedes at a moderate pace.

S: Hop aroma is definitely present, your typical pine and very orange citrus. There is a fantastic sweetness that surround this whole beer, honey, tea with lemon, Madeline cookies, dry wheat, touch of yeast.

T: Whoa! There is a roll of hop bitterness that just edges of puckering, but manages to pull back just in time. Hefty pine, fermented orange and grapefruit flavors, touch of lemon. There is a sweetness that it almost dry in nature, that same touch of yeast coming in to play, herbal and earthy like dry grass.

M: Medium bodied and crisp that finishes dry like Champagne.

O: Audacious, absolutely. Brilliant? Borderline. After eating at CBC yesterday after a 5 mile road race, I felt compelled to review one of their beers today. This is powerful, potent, and worth your time.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 02:54:44 | More by phantomwyse

MasterSki

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Reagan1984. Served in a FFF/Intelligentsia snifter. Bottled December 2011.

A - Quick-dissolving thin white foam settles to a thin collar and some wisps, leaving minimal lace behind. Hazy apricot body.

S - Spicy Belgian yeast, black pepper, some earthy and herbal hop notes, perhaps a touch of citrus zest. Alcohol isn't totally hidden, mingling with the flavors to give this a sharp bite to it.

T - Taste is a little more smoothed out. Grains, bread, yeast, stone fruits, and only mild earthy hops. Surprisingly low bitterness for the style.

M - Medium body, lower carbonation, minimal alcohol warmth, a tad dry in the finish.

D - I'm not sure I would have used this name for a Belgian IPA, but in any case it's not as hop-forward as I was expecting. Still, for the style it's pretty well done and largely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 15:10:58 | More by MasterSki

MexicanSkittel

California

3.58/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in a recent trade.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a orangeish, yellow gold, with some haze. hints of red when held up to a light. a light white 1/4 head, dissipates to a ring around the glass.

Cut grass, herbs, a little bit of white pepper, hay. Grilled lemon. Some very light hop aromas, but maybe musty hops.

I get the white pepper on the back of the sip, with some 1/2 green 1/2 brown grass initially. some citrus zest makes a pass on the pallet but just a slight appearance. A bit of limeon, you know the stuff they make sprite out of.

The mouth feel is good, although it's a cooler evening, it's very refreshing. Not very viscous, or overly hot from the 8%ABV. Not bitter, balanced, and overall pretty good.

I'm very fond of west coast IPAs but I really like this beer over all.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 01:12:32 | More by MexicanSkittel

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Thanks Thorpe for this tick. At the time of this review, this beer is the #16 beer on the "Top Beers - Belgian IPA" list on beeradvocate.com.

Beer is eyllow with a slight haze, thin wispy white head of small bubbles, some lacing, low carbonation.

Smells exactly like a Belgian IPA, mildly peppery yeast with an earthy hop backbone.

Beer is light in body and sweet on the front with a dryish and mildly bitter finish. The center of the palate is earthy with hops and a little sulfur and mild spiciness from the yeast. Pretty good, I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 04:46:36 | More by drabmuh

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a La Fin Du Monde tulip glass.

The color is a yellow gold with a good amount of bubble on the inside of the glass. There is a nice 2 fingers of foamy white head and some nice lacing left on the glass.

The smell is all hops at first with a nice pine aroma. There is some nice malt aroma hanging there with the hops that hop thing down here.

The taste is hoppy which is no surprise but there is a really fruit juice flavor that is giving out some sweetness from the malts. Good Belgian flavor comes out with a nice crisp pear and apricots coming out at the sharp edges. There is a slight bubblegum flavor just back there in the way far background but is there with some hops coming back to finish the flavor at the end.

The feel of this beer is bitter but medium bodied with some mellow feel. It seems to be just the beer for kicking back and relaxing. This beer just seems to soothe the sense.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 05:04:42 | More by Duhast500

Chelsea1905

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Strange one this. The looks are great, nice tangerine and yellow with a bit of lacing.

The smell initially is of onion like hops, and then it all gives way to malty and spicy and earthy tones.

Taste is the same as the smell

Mouthfeel is great, and over all it's not bad.

Bit it's an interesting one. Te Belgian yeast isn't that noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 03:55:13 | More by Chelsea1905