Big Man IPA - Cambridge Brewing Company

beerbiatchMD

Maine

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

On tap at CBC into a tulip glass.

A: dark reddish brown, minimal white head, reasonable lacing.

S: lots of pininess, hops for sure but not overly done.

T: citrusy hops, grassy earthy taste there as well.  Decent malt backbone underneath the hops with some caramel tones.

M: crisp, good carbonation, no complaints.

O: a good IPA, would recommend for sure but there are certainly better IPAs out there.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 03:56:00 | More by beerbiatchMD

JustinAniello

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark opaque brown with a thin head. Dissipates to a nice lacing that sticks to the sides.

S - Very heavy pine and a light citrus, it is all hops on the nose.

T - Surprisingly much different from the aroma. Sweet roasted malts, light at first, becoming heavier on the swallow. Nice hop bitterness in the finish, with the roasted malt still lingering.

M - Medium body and carbonation, good for the style.

O - A very nice IPA, good malt flavor that isn't overpowered by the hops like in many other IPAs. Went very well with the meal I had, nice winter offering.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 01:37:56 | More by JustinAniello

TrevorGW

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Asgard in Cambridge. Dark brown, not much head.

Great clean aroma. Straightforward malt and hops. Bread and pine intertwined for a nice soft smell.

Taste is perfected balanced and wonderfully assertive. Caramel and toffee hints are kept in check by some smooth pineapple notes from the hops. Dry finish is spot-on. The clean and bright flavor masks the somewhat high ABV.

Full-bodied and still quite refreshing.

A really great example of a Double Pale Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2009 18:30:14 | More by TrevorGW

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had a Big Man Ale at the Cambridge Brewing Company. It poured to be amber in color.

The aroma was of citrus (lemons/oranges) and earthiness (pine). This beer has high drinkability-could definitely drink more than one in a session.

Big Man Ale is worth a try if you go to the CBC!

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2011 02:51:02 | More by Chincino

dashirey

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Received from Dr. Dogbeer in the Growlerhog edition of Growling at the Moon. Thanks!!

A - Beer color is somewhere between copper and brown. Looks like a glass of iced tea. The pour from the growler creates a pretty fluffy head that leaves a good amount of lacing.

S - Some malt and some more hops. Not a bad smell, but nothing extraordinary either.

T - Overall very balanced from start to finish. I really enjoyed the beer and the taste, but just like the smell nothing jumps out and says look at me...or in the case taste me.

M - Medium bodied with carbonation that stings the tongue a little at the end, but generally good.

D - Despite not being blown away by the taste or smell. I really liked this beer and it was easy to drink. I would drink this one regularly if I had access to it.

Thanks again!!

Serving type: growler

01-29-2009 02:26:53 | More by dashirey

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

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

soundbarrier

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour: Nice pour from cask at the CBC in Cambridge with a medium off white head.

Smell: Great bouquet with nice hoppyness and malt combination. If you like ales you will not be disappointed.

Taste: Great hoppy taste with a smooth finish. Fruity on the palate but not overpowering. Good beer to drink while eating.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean with little aftertaste.

Drinkability: Great taste, had it both on tap and from cask. Tasted great on both. If you have the chance to try it you should.

Serving type: cask

12-17-2007 01:51:34 | More by soundbarrier

ThaFATkid

California

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to wobblymailman for this one!

Served in a snifter from a 22 oz bottle labeled batch 01 NOV 2012

Appearance - is a darker amber brown with a light white head.

Smell- right off there is a sweet malty scent that is masked with a some what of a alcoholic ester and with a hop overtone.

Taste- is relatively mostly of a sweet malt character with a big hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel- more of a medium to light medium feel.

Overall- a sweet malty ipa similar to trying a ipa that has "aged" but in a good way (not that you want a aged ipa) less hop smell and more malty taste something that would be suggested for someone just getting into craft beer. A great beer nonetheless! First from CBC

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 05:15:52 | More by ThaFATkid