Big Man IPA - Cambridge Brewing Company

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a creamy off white 1/2 finger head that fades at a med pace, some lacing, over slightly clear darker cranberry mahogany burnt-sienna color.

Nose is very nice, a nice citrus cuts right through, with a bit of a tropical fruit juicy aroma, hint floral grassy hops, etc, then a big malty base aroma, sweet candy malts, caramel, toffee, etc, leading to a light candy hop like aroma. There is also some light pine and spicy hop character. Lots of hops, and as it warms a sweet nutty caramel candy aroma really comes through, lots of toasty sweet amber malts and more earthy hops.

Taste starts with a sweet malt at first, sweet candy, caramel candies, toffee, little amber malt, etc. Which leads into hops eventually, so first comes the candy hops, light candied orange peel hop, before it quickly moves to spicy hops, some pine and chewy hops, with a fair bitterness. The bitterness ramps as it goes but is balanced well by the sweet big malt flavors. Light citrus in the background, with no fruits otherwise this time. It brings some grainy malts towards the finish as well, before the malts just drop off the face of the earth on the finish. It doesn't really get very dry, in fact a little sticky still, but dries enough so the hops and bitterness explode, more pine, citrus, earthy spicy hops and lots of bitterness lingering for a while, with just a bit of candied hops.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, nice carb, a faint hint of background warming booze.

Overall pretty nice, a renewed effort of what East Coast IPAs are, with just a bit of a west coast touch. Although, East/West coast IPA styles are starting to disappear, this is more of what the classic East Coast was with a nice hop flavor and bitterness, mostly earthy spicy pine and a bit of citrus, with a big malty sweet balancing candy flavor. Long bitter finish, tasty but a big beer at the same time. I almost want a bit more booze in this one as it seems it will have it but never really comes. Would like to try this on tap sometime.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 01:18:32 | More by jlindros

spark3148857

New York

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-28-2013 02:01:44 | More by spark3148857

Johncnh

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

05-12-2013 01:08:06 | More by Johncnh

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

04-29-2013 06:12:56 | More by Kelp

hopley

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.5%

04-27-2013 00:21:13 | More by hopley

dreis

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

04-02-2013 20:54:49 | More by dreis

zahara15

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

04-01-2013 22:18:24 | More by zahara15

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

03-28-2013 20:57:57 | More by Davepoolesque

semaj

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-20-2013 23:41:47 | More by semaj

PatGreer

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-19-2013 21:03:46 | More by PatGreer

BColton1

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-17-2013 19:11:20 | More by BColton1

judkinst

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-15-2013 18:31:56 | More by judkinst

Apathetiq

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

03-09-2013 23:39:40 | More by Apathetiq

nquigley16

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-03-2013 20:52:44 | More by nquigley16

sil1

California

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

02-27-2013 05:16:26 | More by sil1

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

First had: on tap at CBC

I was kind of thrown off by this one. Poured a clearish darker amber color with a white ringlet. Aroma was oddly dominated by sweetness, caramel malts, a little brown sugar, with some herbal and floral hops notes in the back seat. Similarly, the taste was fairly sweet, caramel malts, and light fruit essence up front, nearly making me doubt this was a DIPA, followed by light herbal and citrus hops. Hmm. Body was medium and a bit chewy, not exactly what I expect for the style. And at less than 7%ABV, this came off more as an APA or even a beefed up amber ale than an IPA of any kind.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 03:25:47 | More by Rifugium

CypherEnigma

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

02-22-2013 22:16:12 | More by CypherEnigma

waiting4lunch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.5%

02-22-2013 20:51:53 | More by waiting4lunch

AOShabaz

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

02-16-2013 01:52:55 | More by AOShabaz

Lambocalrisien

New York

4/5  rDev -1.5%

02-11-2013 02:03:17 | More by Lambocalrisien

oline73

Maryland

4.11/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Pours a clear copper color, darker than most ipas. Smell has some sweet fruity notes along with malt to back up the hops. More hops in the flavor, but the fruity malt backing up the hops really makes the flavor. Grapefruit hop bitterness in the finish. The head leaves nice lace on the glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 22:35:32 | More by oline73

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Big Man IPA pours a clear, dark copper color with a moderate, creamy head on top. The foam leaves a fair amount of netted lacing on the glass.

The aroma is faint and is on the malty side. It has notes of caramel malt, rye bread, orange/grapefruit citrus and some tropical fruit.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is creamy with soft carbonation. The flavor is begins with caramel malt, a touch of bread, and a little dark fruit (red grape?). The malt is complimented with some pine and citrus hops and a bitter finish. Once gone the caramel and bitterness lingers on the palate.

This beer was more malty than I expected. It's tasty and easy to drink and would go great with a burger.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:36:35 | More by WanderingFool

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

4.98/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: bright copper color with a very slight haze has a 2 finger off white very light brown head that sticks around for a bit with a good ammount of lacing

S: hints of caramel and malt with a good hop aroma lots of resin, piney wood and citrus on the nose a good mi. Of hops no alchol detected

T: good malt backbone followed by a good ammount of hop bitterness more citrus and a hint of oak no alchol Tate at all

M: good full body and finishes very nicely very drinkable

O: great beer overall on of the best ipa's that I've in a long time

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 16:21:37 | More by smcnulty1981

ctrevino

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

02-02-2013 22:31:43 | More by ctrevino

ichorNet

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: A pretty dark color for an IPA; dark orange/rusty copper with great lace and a solid, retentive cap of off-white foam

Scent: Citric rind and caramel malt wrap around a revolving cast of wooden scents, sweet honey, fresh bread and some light fruity esters

Taste: Though the palate is shocked and numbed by bitter hops (mainly C varietals, mind you), malts are complex, vibrant and strong

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is middling, tending towards passive but never completely unengaging. An interesting body allows this to stand out

Drinkability: Not amazing but pretty satisfactory. There’s solid balance but also some very strong, periodic pulls in different directions that let it down

Overall: A pretty great "Winter seasonal IPA" from a fantastic brewery, Big Man occupies a space that is at once very necessary and yet utterly unsupported; Winter IPAs are a style that should be easy to recreate but which are often left behind for more marketable varieties such as warmers. I applaud CBC for sticking to their guns even through their bottling operation and creating large format bottles of beer for those who would wait out the cold season in hoppy, bitter and balanced style.

Read full review @ http://blogs.lowellsun.com/beer/2012/12/20/cambridge-brewing-big-man/

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 06:28:38 | More by ichorNet