Smuttynose Big A IPA - Smuttynose Brewing Company

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a very hazy orange-gold color with lots of yeast particles floating in the body. I like the head on this one - a three finger offwhite shade that looks wonderfully creamy. As it recedes, it leaves behind nice rings of lacing. Floaties aside, this looks fantastic.

S: This one seems to be balanced betwen grapefruit peel/spicy pine hops and biscuity yeast/malt interplay. As it warms up, the malt profile gets stronger. Dare I say it smells like a bigger version of Finest Kind? Err, not quite, but the aromatic qualities are very suitable for what I want.

T: Bitterness hits in a big way past the midtaste. Before that, this starts off rather sweet, with hints of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and sugar cookie. Bold midtaste flavors of grapefruit peel, pine, black pepper, and even coriander gives way to a finish featuring an earthy sourness to it that I'm not sure what to make of. At first, I thought "argh, yet another IPA that eschews hop flavor for generic bitterness" - except after a few sips, distinct hop flavors do appear, quite vividly at that. Not all of them work for my tastes (never been a fan of pine-forward IPAs), but I admire its moderate complexity and permuting hop qualities. Cut down the pine bitterness a little bit, amp up the grapefruit qualities; and we could be looking at something really fantastic here.

M: It definitely feels like a 'pine-and-crystal-malt' forward DIPA, with its heavy texture and tongue-tingling coarseness on the finish. However, I really admire how easily it is to sip given it's a touch harsh. Maybe it's balanced more than I thought? The finish and aftertaste are VERY dry and mildly boozy, which might not work for everyone. The carbonation never gets in the way of the texture of the body, but the dry, coarse texture could be toned down in order to give the grapefruit hops some more breathing room. Becomes a touch boozy as it warms up.

O: This one definitely grew on me. Really, it's just like a bigger Finest Kind - the first sip doesn't impress, but repeated swigs will allow its greater qualities to show up and catch the seemingly disappointed palate off guard. Well worth considering if you like big, bitter DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:23:49 | More by ThisWangsChung

Gkitt

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-20-2013 14:45:10 | More by Gkitt

hopley

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +25%

05-18-2013 21:06:20 | More by hopley

HawkIPA

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%

05-17-2013 02:12:57 | More by HawkIPA

HarmonMW

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-15-2013 19:53:46 | More by HarmonMW

Rec5194

New York

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

05-15-2013 02:04:54 | More by Rec5194

jkane101

New Jersey

4/5  rDev 0%

05-15-2013 00:43:08 | More by jkane101

andrewschirmer

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +18.8%

05-14-2013 00:50:54 | More by andrewschirmer

Snellgg5

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-11-2013 22:19:12 | More by Snellgg5

TLA

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev 0%

05-11-2013 01:06:09 | More by TLA

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

05-10-2013 22:55:17 | More by mikeburd1128

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

05-10-2013 19:18:07 | More by ShanePB

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

05-08-2013 13:49:09 | More by ncstateplaya

blknikon

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%

05-07-2013 23:41:05 | More by blknikon

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

05-01-2013 22:49:47 | More by mendvicdog

Travcofarms

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -25%

04-30-2013 08:23:01 | More by Travcofarms

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a dollar store wine glass. Appears bright copper with lots of various sediment particles in the glass. Wasn't sure if this one is bottle conditioned or not, as it did not say so on this bottle. Nice firm lacing of white foamy head. Seems to last quite awhile.

Smells of faint citrus hops. Pretty tame, yet I'm not sure how old the bottle was. Didn't see a born on or best by date. After some warming up, I get lemon meringue.

Tastes initially sweet with waves of lemon and sweet pale malt. Hop nectar rings true to the tongue. Hops aren't overwhelming and seem balanced by the malt. I also get some orange peel and a little resiney hops. Decently bitter.

Seems a little sweet, maybe due to the hop resins. Even still, wish it were a little more dry. Feels medium as I could see myself switching up to another offering after a few.

Overall, an okay IPA. There's so many IPAs out there these days that this one just doesn't stand out for me. It's pretty solid, but I think it could use some fine polishing.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 21:57:09 | More by jwhancher

Ryan_Shannon388

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-28-2013 21:47:52 | More by Ryan_Shannon388

nheinzie57

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

04-27-2013 18:55:45 | More by nheinzie57

whiterapid

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-26-2013 04:18:34 | More by whiterapid

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

04-22-2013 10:28:44 | More by browniewithnuts

DavidBart

New York

4/5  rDev 0%

04-22-2013 02:55:45 | More by DavidBart

HollyHops

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

04-18-2013 01:15:09 | More by HollyHops

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a glass of Smuttynose Big A IPA at Somerville BBQ & beer institution, Redbones. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance (4/5): Big A IPA pours a clear, golden-orange and is topped by a small one-finger head of foam (I'll blame the bartender for the lack of head...for some reason bartenders even at very good establishments think head on a beer is bad. Annoying.). This baby leaves a ton of sticky, resinous lacing behind as it goes. A very pleasant looking double IPA.

Smell (4/5): Right away you smell big grapefruit and piney hops. The hops are backed up by a sizable sweet bready malt that makes this beer maltier (not to say truly balanced–it's a double IPA, after all) than most big IPA's. A touch of lemon adds freshness and resinous hop oils lend a dankness to the beer. This baby's fresh. Nice smelling stuff.

Taste (4.25/5): At the front of the tongue, sweet malts come in and warm up the palate before the piney, grapefruity hops explode with a very satisfying bitterness and citrusy dryness. Sweetness competes with bitter all the way down, though, making Big A an impressive balancing act between malt and hops. The finish is hoppy but the malts are still there giving you a nice sweetness. Much different than your typical West Coast hop monster. I like this a lot.

Mouthfeel (4/5): Big A has a sticky, almost chewy mouthfeel in the beginning before settling into a dry finish. Medium bodied and medium-light carbonation round out the mouthfeel. Good, not stellar.

Overall (4/5): Smuttynose Big A is a very solid double IPA from New England that definitely separates itself from the herd of West Coast-style imitators by injecting a healthy does of malt sweetness into the flavor profile and not going whole-hog with the bitterness and dryness. I particularly like the transition in the mouthfeel from sticky, hop oily at the front to dry in the finish. Good stuff, as I expect from Smutty.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 15:27:50 | More by hagbergl

barczar

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Best by 4/13.

Pours a hazy golden apricot with a frothy 2 inch cream head that dissipates slowly, leaving sheets of holy lacing.

Nutty, bready caramel malt, citrus fruit, and resin form the initial aroma. Earthy hops become evident. Fairly malty, but with good hop presence, as well. Tangerine and lime balance resin well.

Flavor reveals underlying notes of tangerine, grapefruit and mango, with slightly sweet caramel malt hitting mid palate, then being knocked aside by bitter, resiny hops. The finish is decidedly bitter and earthy.

Body is a touch full, with moderate carbonation, a fair amount of astringency, and substantial alcohol warmth.

Good citrus character, but a little too resiny for my liking. Flavoring hops could be more complex. Malt backbone and hop character are fairly balanced in extremes.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:20:24 | More by barczar