Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind" - Smuttynose Brewing Company

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Cask pour served in a true pint, the beer is a bright, slightly hazed honey-gold coloring with a frothy, bubbly, off-white head of about a half an inch. Aromas are flying off this brew, with a hoppy, citrus, and pepper blend that has a strong resiny overtone. Flavors are more subtle with the cask serving, with a roasty undertone giving rise to the wet, resiny, cedar hops profile that fuels the tastebuds. Light toffee backbone boosts the grapefruit highlights amongst the bitter and rich hops. This tastes great on cask. Bitter and resiny aftertaste, it's like chewing on a cedar and pine air freshener. The body is light and extremely smooth from the cask pour. The finish starts creamy smooth, then shifts quickly to a drying bitter end. Delicious!

Serving type: cask

03-23-2012 17:10:16 | More by GarthDanielson

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.78/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This one was served @ Beervana, got a few pours before the fest started. This was a cask dry-hopped with calypso hops. I am not the biggest cask beer fan but I guess if the beer's good it doesn't matter.

A- Hazy orange glow with a pale, thin head.

S- Pungeant, sharp hop aromas. Stanky.

T- This one is scathingly hoppy- in a good way. Really like chewing on raw hops. Minty, grapefruit, orange peel. Choking on the raw hop goodness.

M- Mouthfeel is very soft, bitterness is intense.

O- One of the best cask experiences I've had. Dry-hopping a beer like FinestKind really pushes it over the edge and makes for a fantastic beer. I'd seek this out again and again.

Serving type: cask

11-11-2011 12:57:44 | More by ShogoKawada

KDawg

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this was from cask. Poured a nice medium orange color with a good foamy head.

very good complexity on the nose with a lot of hops, loads of citrus', and fresh picked oranges. Good depth with good hops to the aromas as well

fuller bodied with a real smooth feel and lots of hop and citrus tones.

I really liked this more from cask than from what I've had in the past. The aromas were really good and the feel was very good. This was a real quality IPA

Serving type: cask

09-24-2011 02:12:15 | More by KDawg

ToasterChef

Maine

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in my Uprising Chalice at Novare Res' First Anniversary Party. Reviewed from my notes. This Smutty IPA was aged in a Lagavulin Oak cask. It has a golden orange color and a pure white head of soapy bubbles. It had a grassy aroma that makes one think of being outside in a field. There is a full-bodied malt taste at first followed by a very sharp hop taste; it's bitter and strong. I imagine these flavors are enhanced by the oak cask cask and a higher serving temperature, so the bottled Smutty IPA may not be as forceful with it's hops, but this cask was certainly nice. It had a medium body and left a bit of a coating in my mouth. I couldn't really taste the oak or any hints of Scotch whisky, but they were probably there, my palate just isn't refined enough to find them.

Serving type: cask

05-22-2009 12:49:32 | More by ToasterChef

timmay41

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask today at the Moan and Dove (Amherst, MA). Dry hopped with cascade!

A: Pours a cloudy brownish/orange hue with softer yellow tones at the top and bottom of the pint glass. By the end it mellows out to a more yellow color. One-finger bubbly head that's pure white. It settles to almost nothing. Offers some nice lacing; clings to the glass like ocean tide foam on the sea shore.

S: Big hop wallop (to co-opt the phrase), along with floral and citrus (grapefruit, orange rine) scents. Some wheat or grass clippings in there too.

T: Huge hop bite--really bitter. It's pungent yet very drinkable. I expected this to be less aggressive, as it's cask-conditioned, but the dry hopping reshapes the taste on this offering.

M: Pretty bitter on the aftertaste but pleasantly so, with a little malt build up. Not as flat as other cask offerings.

D: I think there are a couple better candidates for American IPA session-ish beers (Mayflower, Greenflash, sometimes even Ipswich), but don't get me wrong--I'm a hophead and this beer rocks.

Serving type: cask

02-25-2009 22:51:01 | More by timmay41

maddogruss

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Currently on cask at the Cloverleaf Tavern.

A: Pours a hazy, golden body with a thick, silky white head with excellent retention and lacing.

S: A nice, balanced, smooth, malt and hop smell that seemed pretty balanced.

T: A nice, bitter hop taste that seemed to be a combination of Cascade and Fogles hops with a pretty good, malt backbone to balance. The Cascade hops were quite evident in the aftertaste.

M: A pretty full-bodied and smooth mouthfeel that was complimentary to the taste.

D: A good taste for an IPA and an amazing mouthfeel. Definitely a very drinkable beer overall.

Serving type: cask

10-30-2008 02:15:43 | More by maddogruss

wwheeler

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This Smuttynose IPA was from a cask that was dry-hopped with simcoe hops at the Moan and Dove.

Poured a dark orange color, with little to no head. Right from the start the sweet aroma of the simcoe hops fills your nose. Slight bitter IPA taste, but the hops make their presence known from sip to swallow.

Throughout the entire beer, I was thinking to myself that I couldn't believe how much a difference the dry-hopping made in the cask Smuttynose IPA. In March I had a cask of the IPA that wasn't dry-hopped, and I wasn't at all impressed. But this dry-hopped version was great.

Serving type: cask

05-31-2008 12:18:40 | More by wwheeler

madmanjf

New York

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this cask-conditioned, gravity keg pour

(A) Orange appearance and cloudy. Initial head good, retention low due to natural carbonation. Initial appearance is intriguing with the orange glow

(S) Very floral hop aroma. The sweet inviting kind, not bitter. I was there when the wood pin broke the seal and this aroma was evident long before the first pour.

(T) Not overly bitter, but definately has the hop bitterness one would expect from an IPA. The natural carbonation isn't too intense so the bitterness is gentle

(M) For myself, there was an odd lingering aftertaste that was somewhat dry and blank.

(D) Very drinkable except for the lingering aftertaste. It wasn't a huge issue though. I had 3 20oz imperial pints.

Serving type: cask

10-31-2007 15:57:54 | More by madmanjf

Shiredave

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

"Cask" ( keg) conditioned and served from a bar top cradle minutes after the spline was removed and the tap hammered home, at The Beech Tree Grill ( by Dave) in Po-town.
Hazy, bright orange tinted beer with a thin clotted white head, which persisted right to the end.

Intense citrus aroma - sharp grapefruit and blood orange with a hint of honey sweetness. Very Left coast.

Flavor was sharp up front with powerful hop character and little malt to balance. Served a bit too cold, some grain sweetness came thru as it came up to temp.

Again, flavors seemed out of balance but the freshness and soft carbonation made this hop exstavaganza very tasty and highy drinkable. Long, hop finish is firmly bitter but not overwhelming or puckery.
Excellent session IPA for the Hop Head - fresh tasting with a wonderful soft mouth feel from the subdued, natural carbonation.

Serving type: cask

10-31-2007 03:05:47 | More by Shiredave

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a cloudy light amber color; displays nice head retention and lays down sheets of lace

Smell: Grapefruit and pine

Taste: Bready base is quickly joined by grapefruit juice and pushes forward to a lengthy, bitter finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with gentle carbonation

Drinkability: NIce balanced IPA that drinks superbly on cask

Serving type: cask

03-17-2007 20:18:00 | More by brentk56

Truh

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got some choice cuts with this one on 5/29/2006. 16-oz. cask pour at Redbones, part of their new Monday night cask offerings. Dry hopped with Cascade and Amarillo.

Huge froth, more than an inch, which wasn't a surprise considering its serving style. Very little stick. Initially cloudy gold hue that clears out to be just a smudge on the glass; some quiet carbonation floating around. Citrus and pine crank on the nose in a sick-good way with some lemon zest traces. Lots of lemon rind and a biting pine essence on the mouth, but not disturbing. As it warms more, a great deal of the hop character reveals itself.

Good stuff. Have always liked the bottle version, but this was like Jimmy Walker, dy-no-mite.

Serving type: cask

06-08-2006 19:38:30 | More by Truh

dheacck11

Connecticut

2.93/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Slightly hazy pale golden orange with a 1/4 finger of dense white foamy head. Nice lacing.

Nose is pretty non existent. Just a hint of lemon. Nothing spectacular.

Taste is pretty hopforward, with dry, straw flavors. Little bit of lemon and orange in the mix, but finish is lots of super dry hops. Mouth puckeringly bitter from the hops.

Feel is a little too thick for all that hoppiness.

I am skeptical that this beer may have been infected, as the tastes are so far from what I expected. Though as time passes drinking it, it does balance a little more. I think it's just not for me. Too much dry hop. Not enough fruit and juice, nor stickiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:00:51 | More by dheacck11

Andrew041180

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured from a 12 ounce bottle approximately six weeks old. The beer is a light copper color with a slight haziness. The beer poured perfectly into a standard pint glass, with the head just barely coming over the rim of the glass. The head retention is incredible, and leaves nice lacing on the glass.

S - Not overwhelmed by the smell. I couldn't pick out anything in particular.

T - Again, not overwhelmed. It's definitely a well-balanced IPA, but I'm only getting a hint of the citrusy flavors that I expected, and a lot of bitterness that doesn't seem to add much.

M - Matches the appearance. This portion of the beer is solid, but weakened by the fact that I didnt' really want to keep the beer in my mouth for all that long.

O - A bit of a disappointment. I'd had it before, but after reading the reviews here I had hoped that my palate would be more welcoming of this East Coast IPA. Unfortunately it was not to be. Good beer, some great aspect, but didn't meet expectations for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:49:28 | More by Andrew041180

napier51

North Carolina

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

I know it is one of the finer IPA's...I am not a 'hoppy' guy but I can drink this if served to me...impressive for an IPA....Smuttynose rarely disappoints me. It was refreshing and had a citrus after-taste. Probably more bitter than I like but that is the nature of IPA's. I will probably buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:18:00 | More by napier51

lsummers

California

4.19/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a solid bright orange. Can't see through this at all. Vibrant and inviting.

Smells of grapefruit and some spicy hops. Definite orange/lemon zest.

Taste really is grapefruit and some zest. There's a peppery note that leads into a slight caramelized brown sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel is mildly carbonated and slightly viscous. Perfect combination for a great lawn mower sipper.

Overall, this is a great ipa that's stands out from the crowd. The color, smell, mouthfeel blend excellently.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 17:26:41 | More by lsummers

ElderBeagle

Maryland

3.81/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Wow very cloudy yellow with chunky precipitates floating around all over. Definitely different than what I am used to.

S: Good citrus, grapefruit, and also grain smell.

T: Very dry IPA. I taste the usual cirtusy hops, but man this reminds me alot of a grassy alfalfa flavor as well. Its honestly not very refreshing like a West coast IPA.

M: Medium to full body

O: Full disclosure I had a couple of these after moving furniture for several hours so I was quite thirsty. It was not what I wanted at the time (not thirst quenching). Nonetheless, this is a different IPA and not quite like any other I have had before. I suppose this is an East coast IPA, which is not a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:25:48 | More by ElderBeagle

Cobrito

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle, best by date of September 2013.

Simply put, the Smuttynose Finest Kind IPA is a standout East Coast IPA for those who love the West Coast style. It's pale golden, unfiltered, and the flavors are beautifully integrated, as indicated by the unique aroma and taste. It combines fruity and vegetal qualities nicely. Perhaps the best thing about it is its long-lasting, gloriously bitter and hoppy finish. Unusually pungent for an East Coast brew, Smuttynose is one of the few East Coast breweries to really get an IPA right. A must try for all true hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 18:42:26 | More by Cobrito

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle best by middle of may

chunky golden orange look, smell is like a hoppy wheat beer. lots of tropical fruit in the nose, taste too. sweet and savory marmalade syrup malts, bitter pine and earth hops, and some slight roasty chocolate flavor. leaves a depth of flavor on your tongue.

Very sweet, bitter, and fruity.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:20:25 | More by jimmah120

CorvetteMike

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

First introduced to this IPA on vacation in Florida.

a: Golden orange color with a 2 finger white head
s: Slight yeast, and malt smell
t: Smooth good taste with some bitterness to it
m: Medium body with slight lingering bitterness
o: Good IPA would recommend this brew. Will buy again in future

Lucky to have another good New England beer

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:22:40 | More by CorvetteMike

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, with a best by date of 04/30/2013. Snagged this six pack on sale from the local beer store for $7.99. Haven't had this beer since sometime last year, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit! Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Semi-aggressive pour yields two fingers of off-white head comprised of tightly packed microbubbles, which falls into a thick white foam. Body is a bright golden orange color with plenty of bubbles rushing to the top, and plenty of sediment floating around the glass. Nice rings of fluffy lacing present themselves as the beer drinks.

S - Nose is comprised of a musty yeast & malt type of smell. Some fruity apple. Some bitter hop presence, but not the typical citrus fruit hops that I'm used to smelling. Some acidic qualities to it also. An underwhelming nose.

T - Again, some bitter hop presence, but not the usual citrus fruit hops. Has a strong malt presence, paired with a bit of sweet green apple skin.

M - Feel is of hop bitterness with a dry finish. Some sweet green apple sweetness, and maybe a touch of mineral water aftertaste.

Overall, a nice take on the style from Smuttynose, the first beer of theirs that I ever tried. A bit more of a malty IPA than I remember, but sometimes it's nice that not every IPA in the world is a citrus hop bomb. Drinkability is high with this one, with a rewarding 6.90% abv. Definitely a sessionable IPA.

Smuttynose IPA "Finestkind" ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:20:55 | More by mfnmbvp

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.19/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Smuttynose Brewing Company - Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind"

Look - Pours copperish amber almost clear (slightly hazy but not what I would call unfiltered) with a good soapy head. Good lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Malty and bready with faint citrus hoppy overtones. Not aromatic like I wanted or expected but can't win them all.

Taste - Quite a pucker bitter hopt and malt blast, has some bite. East coast style for sure. Crisp and refreshing.

Mouthfeel - Sticky, malty, and rests quite comfortable with citrus hops standing. Not boozy. Mouthfeel is like a DIPA.

Overall - Interesting, from pale ale to IPA to DIPA in one sitting. I found it to be a little overrated in regards to the ratings on here, but I would still recommend this brew and I think it is great.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 11:22:51 | More by JMScowcroft

secondtooth

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a murky golden-amber, with a lush and extravagant head of white suds. Lace is thick and extensive.

Nose is citrus and floral/herbal hops.

Flavor is bitter on the acidic citrus/grapefruit hops, with a nice dose of sweet and sticky malts to balance it out a bit. Finestkind isn't a hop-bomb by any means, but it is a solid American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 23:08:53 | More by secondtooth

smiga

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Unfiltered, cloudy. Golden orange color with haze - dusk. Original.

S- Smells citrus cross of orange and grapefruit, not over done. inviting. laid back. seaside.

T- Taste LEAPS! Big Wow. Lovely sides of tongue bitterness. Sweet and bitter at once, creamy citrus. A bit of tropical fruit & apricot. Malt is balancing but in background. Lovely stinging, salty, swimming kind of beach sunset IPA. A top East Coast IPA.

M- Great mouth feel & finish. Weighty. Oily. Resinous. Imperial IPA mouthfeel, but not alcoholic.

Food - went great with salty tomato pasta with ham and mushrooms. Would be great with seafood. I got this in the sampler and want to upgrade to get all their IPAs. A great food beer, a great find.

SOUNDS LIKE... you gotta get this one fresh. Check the date as the reviews are great when fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:33:33 | More by smiga

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

3.19/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Well this beer poors a perfect hazy peach color with lots of floaters....

S- Grapefruit, maybe just a small amount of just about everything else, really blends well.

T- Is Perfect a flavor? Well no but grapefuit, citrus and pine are and they are all represented well.

M- Just enough body to keep ya goin. Dry enough to keep you wanting more, but wet enough to make you refreshed

O- If you are a IPA fan and have this in your area drink this instead of whatever IPA you are drinkin right now, Torpedo used to be my #1 but that is no more...

Edit, April 013...

Man I did not want to do this... But I am sick of repicking this beer up... I used to love it... There were floaties then, seems to be semi filtered now, no floaties, just hazy. Had it at different freshnesses over the last couple years and it has just not been consistant...

Smell is malt ya I said it MALT at first, minor citrus in the back

Taste is bitter hops, bitter grapefruit, and muddy malt.. Odd aftertaste...

Mouthfeel is average for the style

Well I have purchased this for the last few years... It seems to have changed a lot in the last couple, I guess it is time to stop buying it. I know they changes something, it used to have floaties fresh and now it does not at 3 months...

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:13:19 | More by nickapalooza86

claspada

New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From notes, pours a dark golden color with a small amount of white head that recedes to leave some spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with a solid citrus and grapefruit hoppiness soon followed by an emerging pine hops presence. As it warms I get some herbal/floral hops with some lesser sweet pale maltiness and toasted white bread.

The tastes follow the nose with a brief blanket of malt sweetnes soon oversome by a big resinous pine and astringent citrus, grapefuit punch. Floral bitterness flavors in the background.

The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is quite heavy towards the bitter, dry end; more resinous than I expected.

Overall this is a good IPA but just not the flavor profile I look for in my IPAs nowadays. These intense grapefruit and pine flavors were fine when they were novel, but now I would much rather prefer a more aroma forward or balanced offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 19:14:52 | More by claspada