Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind" - Smuttynose Brewing Company

sevenarts

New York

3.63/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Cloudy golden orange with a moderate white head and some lacing left behind.

S: Not much of an aroma: a faint hint of citrus/pine hops and a slightly stronger malt sweetness.

T/M: Much more powerful on the palette than the nose. A quick touch of caramel malt as it touches the tongue, swiftly followed by a wave of bitter hops. Pine and citrus flavors dominate, and it leaves behind a lingering and quite nice hop bitterness. It's not a hop bomb, it's actually quite well-balanced but has a good amount of hoppy flavor.

O: A fine, standard IPA, nothing mind-blowing but a really drinkable and tasty brew. Too bad the aroma doesn't match the taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 23:24:02 | More by sevenarts

pmcadamis

Illinois

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

A - Peach colored hazy brew with a small crisp white head and lots of really nice lace.

S - Big grapefruit and pine notes over a caramel tinged biscuity malt base.

T - Follows the nose. BIg malt backbone overlaid with tons of grapefruit and pine. Tastes like the prototypical IPA.

M - Medium bodied and chewy with a nice dry finish.

This is a totally balanced and tasty IPA. I would buy this again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 18:18:39 | More by pmcadamis

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best Before 2/20/13

A: Cloudy, golden-yellow with plenty of sediment floating around. Big, pillowy, frothy, white head. Leaves behind a ton of lace but little retention.

S: Light, fruity hops, bready malt. Inviting.

T: Big, fresh, American hops at the front being balanced by toasted malt at the back. Citrus, pine, all the hop flavors an IPA should have.

M: Fruity, flavorful, balanced, smooth. What more could you ask for?

O: An extremely consistent, well-crafted IPA. Can't beat it. Certainly an "east coast" IPA that has more malt and balance with a very different hop profile. Not a hop heads ideal choice but an easy and well drinking beer nonetheless. Great for when you want hops but not a hop smack. Key to this beer...drink fresh!

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:32:03 | More by Gatch

Keyportnick

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle dated 11/14/12 so I'm just on the cusp. Poured into a tulip

A- pours golden pale with a touch of haze from being an unfiltered beer. The head was a one finger very slight off white that didn't stick around but hangs on the side of the glass

S- Strong lemon citrus with sharp grass, mild sweet malt

T- follows the same as the smell, a little more bitter than expected

M- medium body, fades quick over the tongue with a assertive carbonation

O- I feel this bottle might be a little past its date.. I would like to get my hands on a freshy to try her out again.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:14:09 | More by Keyportnick

TheBigLebrewski

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was going to 'had' this and give it a quick rating; it immediately demands more.

Bottle into a pint glass. Bottle marked last June; five months of age and it's still fantastic!

Appearance and smell are biased by the beer's age. Thick orange-gold, low luminosity but somehow shining none-the-less.

Taste is incredible. Sharp, aggressive, and spot on. We're supposed to give a five to "cannot be better." Well, if I got this beer every time I wanted an IPA, I'd be happy every time.

Flavor covers the whole mouth and lingers long past the swallow. I'm very much enjoying this beer, and hadn't realize what a gem I'd open for a nightcap. My next trip East will demand as much extra room in the luggage as possible; thoughts of this will haunt me until I get this one fresh!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 07:37:44 | More by TheBigLebrewski

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a dismal head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is a pale orange color with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Faint citrus, caramel, and bready notes. I hope this beer tastes better than it smells.

Taste: This beer tastes better than it smells. Citrusy with lingering bitterness. Some sweetness and chewy notes too.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, crisp, medium carbonation, lingering bitterness, and easy to drink.

Overall: I have had this before plenty of times on draft. I find that draft is a lot better than bottle. Beer is best before 3/18/13, so I am not sure where the flavor profile went. Will drink it on draft from now on.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 05:09:34 | More by Flounder57

mehltres

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into my Harry Potter Butterbeer mug. Go ahead, laugh.

A. Nice golden straw color, cloudy. Some particulate floating around.
S. Clean and citrusy. Some grapefruit.
T. There is a brief moment of clean and then the sticky hop hits. Lots of citrus, grapefruit and lemon, a little pIne and grassiness with some floral notes. Nice balance. I am not getting much malt.
M. Nice medium body, good carbonation. A little alcohol burn at the end.
O. A solid East Coast IPA. Very well balanced and a good example of the style. A good go-to IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 23:05:11 | More by mehltres

kdawg978

4.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Delicious! Served from a bottle into a mug.

A - Copper color and cloudy, unfiltered.

S - Clean citrus smell, notes of orange

T - Not overly hoppy citrus in the front with malty bitter finish with slight alcohol.

M - Smooth creamy feel

O - I love this beer. perfect balance, not too hoppy but delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 21:06:30 | More by kdawg978

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at MacGregors in Amherst NY, poured into an 11oz glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head, Great Lacing

S: Floral, Earthy, Grainy Malts

T: Floral, Grainy Malts

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, a nice bitter IPA with a good grainy flavor, not a hop bomb but decent and drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2012 21:58:42 | More by merc7186

JEdmund

Kansas

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

A rusty-tinged orange color, a bit hazy, and a good looking creamy head.

Smells like a lot of citrus hops, but there’s also an abundant malt profile as well—slightly scorched sugar and toast. There also seems to be a slight herbal hop quality as well. Nice and complex.

Taste kicks off with a big hop bite that just hangs on through the finish. Body feels just right with ample carbonation and a generous mouthfeel. Hops kick off citrusy and herbal then end on a strong orange note. Malt isn’t as big as I expected based on the aroma, but for the style, they’re doing their part letting the hops be the star. Malts are fairly bready neutral, but there’s a slight toasted element to them as well. Again, complex and enjoyable.

Overall this is a solid IPA. I drink so many citrus bombs that I really enjoy having an IPA that also throws in some different hop qualities as well as a bit of malt to appreciate. Balanced yet plenty bitter. Happy to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:20:40 | More by JEdmund

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Beautiful orange goldish color with solid, foamy head in the glass.

Grassy and hoppy smell with a touch of citrus.

Wonderful citrus and hop balance with a bit of the alcohol shining through in the finish.

Amazing and easy drinking IPA. Exactly what an IPA should be. One of my favorites for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:31:40 | More by leprechaunandfatman

msondel

Massachusetts

4.84/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. This is becoming my go to beer in place of Sierra Nevada (still a big favorite of mine). It is readily available in the Boston area and has that nice lingering bitterness that you get from the hoppy beers. A little lighter in color than a Dogfish 60 or Sierra Nevada, but has that same great aftertaste. Looking forward to the next one in a few minutes.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 14:47:00 | More by msondel

DaveBlack

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A 2 finger, fluffy, white head tops off this golden beer. The head has good retention, and leaves behind a lot of lacing. The beer itself is slightly hazy.

S: Sweet toasted malts, kind of biscuity, with a heavy hit of citrus hops. It smells really well balanced.

T: It has a hefty backbone of caramel malts and toasted grains to start off, but this is quickly assaulted by the piney, grapefruit hops. The overall taste is bitter, the hops a little more earthy, which complements, rather than competes with, the malts.

M: Moderate with in both body and carbonation. Dry, dry, dry.

O: A fine example of a well-done IPA. The hops and malts play nicely together, and the flavor is great. Certainly an IPA worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 21:45:07 | More by DaveBlack

gcamparone

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Wakefield Liquors in Wakefield, RI.

A- Thick white dense head that exibits high retention that eventually (10 minutes) reduces to chunky white clouds of foam. Inviting! Heavy lacing.

S- Hoppy, slightly citrusy. Lightly toasted malt background.

T- Citrus and hops with medium bitterness, balanced by a nice caramel malt flavor. Some unexpected booze.

M- Low carbonation, medium body.

Overall a good IPA. Highly drinkable

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:14:53 | More by gcamparone

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a cloudy deep orange color with some gold highlights, moderate white cap that leaves a small amout of lacing which fades

S: Biscuits, grass, some citrus and a tad bit of honey

T: Immediate grassiness, followed by a biscuity malt, light dash of honey with a light orange peel makeing a late appearance. The fish is dry and clean with piney resin.

M: Medium bodied, sweet, well carbonated, smooth

O: Well done IPA. No wonder I like this underrated NE brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:17:31 | More by barleywinefiend

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A gently carbonated, tall of head and amber complexion brew. Though slightly hazy under beige head it presents no real problem to me. Good lacing is left in it's wake.

Aroma find a sweet malt bill buoyed by a citrus and floral hop bouquet.

Drinks hoppy with citrus and floral plus a hint of pine malts play well against hoppy bitterness and finishes with a bready or grainy finish.

Bitter aftertaste but not much this is basically a no frills session type brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 23:18:43 | More by micromaniac129

aleric

4.58/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The first time I had this I was on a canoe, and it was warm. Not the best experience, so I had to give it a redeeming chance.

A - Beautiful caramel color with some sediment swirling through the glass. 2 finger head of off-white foam.

S - Strong grapefruit scent mixed with hops. No perceptible malt, but I have a bit of a stuffy nose (oops)...

T - The grapefruit delivers! Slight pine on the finish.

M - Medium, crisp mouth feel.

O - A very enjoyable beer. I'll be buying it again soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 23:44:31 | More by aleric

patpbr

Ohio

4.16/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- a golden color that is hazy. A nice head that laces nicely down the glass.
S- Malty
T- Hops and citrus, pine. the hops are not as up front like many of my favorites.
M- Medium body and a dry finish
O- A well balanced, smooth to drink IPA. Its subtle in several ways and it is highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 01:32:53 | More by patpbr

yamar68

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to cosmicevan for this one!

Pours a hazy honey gold with a relatively short-lived starch white head that laces throughout.

Loads of dank resins on the schozz, earthy herbal qualities, caramel type malts, not too sharp or bitter smelling, tremendous balance, biscuity malt notes, a touch of citrus... I would likely mistake this one for an English IPA.

Takes a similar direction here - biscuit type malts and earthy hop qualities, a bit of light fruit and toffee/caramel, the finish is good and dry.

Highly drinkable. Very glad to have had the chance to try this one!

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 01:27:56 | More by yamar68

rarbring

Sweden

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An almost clear amber brew, an off-white head with little lacing and rather small curtains.

Smelling of tea, resin, grains and pine needles.

Sweet brown bread, toffee, pine resin and fresh grass.

Little carbonation, soft and oily texture, a big body and dry finish.

A deep hoppiness, an IPA with good base tomes.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:25:03 | More by rarbring

Baguio

4.8/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served: Bottle in short wide mouthed glass
Appearance: A wonderful freshly squeezed citrus 'hoppey' color not to mention a great marketing campaign. Cloudy and hazy which I like, some may not
S: Nice perfume of hops and citrus clean and crisp
T: a delight loaded with hops balanced by citrus (without the fruity taste) and crisp. an excellent IPA that leaves you with a great memory
M: just what you want from an IPA with an added level of smoothness
O: Outstanding! want to try on draft, only complaint would be the lack of lacing on the glass but maybe I'm enjoying this one too fast to develop lacing!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 20:08:23 | More by Baguio

EdwardLongshanks

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

The finest kind is an East Coast treasure, prompting lucid dreams of resinous pine hops, instilling such desire for this particular brew that one will use it as a measuring stick for any IPA. While not my number one IPA, it may be my number two. So consistent. So bitter. And I love that damn label!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 05:59:58 | More by EdwardLongshanks

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

Poured this into a pint glass, it has a nice traditional IPA colored body which is a nice orange color body with a nice 2" white foamy head that just hangs out. The smell is, you guessed it piney of hops with some citrus and pale malt coming through also. The taste just hits your tonuge like a blast of nice bitter hops with a nice grapefruit flavor closer to the back of the tongue. The mouthfee is great, nice and smooth, coats the tongue real nice and overall a damm good IPA, one of the better ones i have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 19:45:24 | More by chefhatt

dbell23

Tennessee

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

Poured into a tulip glass. Nice two finger head if poured aggressively. Dark golden hazy color. Good head retention and decent lacing. Looks like an ipa.

Smell is not overwhelming. Slightly hoppy with malt undertones.

Taste is really good and balanced. The hops don't knock you over at first but they are certainly there. Nice balance to start, a hoppy blast in the middle, followed by a lingering hop/malt finish. Great hop malt balance.

Mouthfeel is really good. Just the right amount of carbonation. Crisp with a fairly smooth finish.

Overall a really good ipa. No slap in the face but very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 21:32:06 | More by dbell23

RussBecker1

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a bottle to a pint glass.

A- Textbook IPA look. Golden haze sits with hints of orange and pale ambers. Small but thick head with substantial lacing swirling throughout the glass.

S-Very balanced, for an IPA, much more malt than to be expected. Earthy malts with a touch of caramel, followed by a nice influx of hops and maybe a bit of melon? Definitely some sort of mild sweet fruit that is nice. Not overpowering though.

M-Great mix of viscosity and carbonation. Able to stay crisp and refreshing while still coating the mouth well enough to give a nice lasting flavor.

T-A perfect example of a great East Coast IPA. Starkly different than most California products (especially stone) as the hops are not the forefront of this beer. In fact it does not have a technical forefront as the hops malts and citrusy flavors blend quite well with one another.

O-Smutty shows that the North East is no slouch when it comes to hop-head brews. Very very nice I will certainly have again

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 18:13:11 | More by RussBecker1