Smuttynose Big A IPA - Smuttynose Brewing Company

joefeidt

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well carbonated. Pours a three-finger head that slowly dissipates. Attractive hazy amber color.

Nice citrusy smell.

The taste is explosive and the hops pummel the tongue with bitterness. Almost medicinal, it tells me this one packs a punch. Very earthy notes too.

Mouthfeel is chewy as it coats and lingers. My tongue is almost numb from the hops assault.

Overall this is a big bad a** IPA that is one heckuva tasty beer. Well named, sirs. If you like your IPAs hoppy and assertive, you'll like this one. Good work, Smuttynose. Me gusta mucho.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 00:14:57 | More by joefeidt

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clearish copper/orange with nice 1 finger, egg shell white head.

S - This actually reminds me a bit of an old ale, some dark fruits, still some citrus of course, but actually a decent amount of raisin, fruit, and resiny pine hops.

T - Good amount of pine and fruit present, but a lot of malty backbone as well. Again, a bit of that dark fruit seems to bring up the back.

M - A bit sticky, but the alcohol is hidden pretty well in this one. It sort of sneaks up.

Overall - I admired the balance, it wasn't the most fantastic DIPA I've ever had, but certainly one of the more balanced ones. Certainly does the trick.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 01:37:27 | More by BeerBuckeye

AaronHomoya

Indiana

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

Poured a light amber color and extremely hazy, as others have noted. Kind of unusual looking, but I like it.

Huge piney hop aroma that hits you. Grapefruit and caramel malt are also clearly there. I love the big, layered smell this has. A little unusual too.

The taste is of course similarly big. A lot of sweetness upfront, both from the caramel malt and the citrus hop flavor. Pretty strongly bitter in the finish, but in a great, balanced way. A lot of grapefruit in the finish.

Pretty hefty, oily mouthfeel. Overall, a unique and very enjoyable IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 14:42:48 | More by AaronHomoya

cradke

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy orange and caramel. Completly fogged through. Small head that quickly dissapates. Almost looks like cider

Smell:Hops. Hops. Hops. Some clean pine notes with some background citrus

Taste: An orange hop bomb. The hops start fast with notes of pine, grass and even a little hay or tea. The finish is quite strongly alcohol. It almost tastes like it's approaching a barleywine.

Mouthfeel: Viscous and quite carbonated.

Overall: Unfortunatly, I think this beer is a little past it's prime. Still, the hop notes are phenomenal. There is quite a bit of alcohol at the rear that adds some balance but might be a little too much.

Serving: Bottle into snifter

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 04:02:47 | More by cradke

J23hc

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass, 2 finger lasting head, dark orange, lots of sediment, head becomes lumpy after a minute or so, leaving spots of lacing. Good balance of malt and hop in the aroma definitely sweet clementine notes. Taste is full, lots of sweet malt supporting a spicy hop note that lingers. The burpback is malty sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:41:21 | More by J23hc

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy orange/straw yellow, finger white head,
great lacing

S: big grapefruit, grassy, pine, floral

T: grapefruit, floral, pine, malt, slow bitter
long finish/chalky mild oily finish

M: med body, mild/sticky oily mouth

O: Interesting, but not my thing.

NICE, NOT A MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 21:38:38 | More by BeerLover99

berliner07

New Hampshire

4.6/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is such a fun treat. Massive hop character on the nose. An interesting blend of hops, creates a flavor profile that is extremely unique up front. Then the rich mouthfeel and malts kick in. They are SUBSTANTIAL and delight the palate. This beer is like a ride. So much flavor. Taste buds experiencing a journey. Thanks Smutty!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 12:34:46 | More by berliner07

Bendurgin

Maine

3.23/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a chalice over at the Portsmouth brewpub. Pours a golden straw color with a finger of fluffy white head with some sticky lace. Real nice head retention here.

Bitter hops in the aroma with a some grapefruit in the background. Not much going on here but this is bitter and fruity all around with a little bit of toasty malts in the background. Maltier on the pallet than I would like. Toasty malts on the profile with a bitter pine hop finish. A little bit of grapefruit in the background.

The body is medium with sharp carbonation. Overall this isn't bad but let's just drink Finest Kind and be done with it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 04:29:26 | More by Bendurgin

jegross2

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle served in Sam Adams glass.

Appearance: A very hazy yellow-orange with a cloud of sediment. I presume that this one is bottle conditioned. Looks like orange juice with pulp (albeit with a different color). Pours a 1/2 finger head that subsides into a thin foamy lace.

Smell: Has a noticeable marijuana and sweet oranges aroma.

Taste: Very sweet-citrus (orange) flavor with a pinpoint, crisp bitterness at the end. Has a piney-bitterness that comes out at the end and discreetly lingers in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body with medium carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

Overall: Very drinkable IIPA, alcohol presence definitely does not show. Not the best of it's style, but certainly one I would order again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 05:27:07 | More by jegross2

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a tuliped glass

Appearance: The beer is a golden hazy yellow and orange with a one finger head. A decent amount of carbonation coming up the side of the glass. One finger head has reduced to a thin layer and left lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: Piney and citrus right upfront. Some bready and sweet malts are in the background. A little booziness of alcohol in the rear is noticeable too.

Taste: Same as above. Super piney and citrusy. Bitterness all over, but dies quickly.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium to full bodied, medium carbonation, slightly chewy, and easy to drink. Boozy alcohol is still nice and not overbearing.

Overall: This is a good imperial from NH and many more will be enjoyed. Would be nice to have more maltiness to battle out the bitterness in the taste though.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 03:47:30 | More by Flounder57

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle purchased from Piccadilly in Champaign, IL.
Bottled in July 2011
Poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a 1cm head of off-white foam, composed of medium-sized bubbles. Still manages to create a creamy, thick-looking head, quite impressive. Head fades gradually to a thin ring around the glass with some islands, leaving lots of lacing. Body is a copper color with orange highlights.

Aroma has grapefruit and herbal components. Pale malt scent is noticeable, but very muted. Ethanol increasingly detectable as this warms. Not really impressed here.

Taste opens with brief, bright malt sweetness that is quickly overrun by strong hop bitterness. Bitterness continues to persist through all palate sections: front, middle, and back. At times, citrus and pine notes, along with some fruity esters, are caught through the maelstrom of bitterness, but only briefly. Aftertaste is of lingering grapefruit rind, bitterness, and pale malt sweetness. Ethanol becomes increasingly detectable as a component in the back as this warms.

Body is medium to medium-heavy, with moderate carbonation to keep things moving. Has a creamy mouth feel and dry finish. Ethanol easily felt on sides and back of tongue, throat, and nostrils.

This is a fairly one-dimensional, unbalanced DIPA. Whatever malt profile there is, is covered-up by the hop bitterness. The hops don't come across as particularly expressive because of this bitterness. The ethanol flavors, and then burn, mean any lingering complexity is going to be torched, too. Overall, this seems like a fairly amateur brew by someone with good equipment.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 21:33:38 | More by falloutsnow

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Smoke and Barrel in Adams Morgan. This one lived up to its designation as a "Big Beer."

A: The beer poured a light golden, with a thin head that quickly dissipated.

S: Aromas of big, piney hops dominate the nose. Light citrus tries to poke its way through, but is largely unsuccessful.

T: Bitter, bitter, bitter hops. Bitter hops upfront, bitter hops midway through, and bitter hops at the finish. Nice piney/light citrus mix, but the flavors are somewhat hard to pick out because of just how bitter the hops are. Definitely need to enjoy some water between sips, less your palate be overwhelmed. Minimal alcohol burn.

M: Moderate carbonation, the beer feels nice.

O: "My mouth has been abused tonight," remarked my mate who was also enjoying a Big A. Couldn't put it better myself. If you're in the mood for a total hop onslaught, enjoy. If you're looking for a balanced IPA, definitely go elsewhere. I wouldn't seek it out, but I would probably order again under the right circumstances.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 19:28:28 | More by Hophead717

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into tulip.

A - Light peach and yellow hues. Hazy with a creamy white head.

S - Earthy citrus and pine aromas. Subtle but nice.

T - Hoppy grapefruit and pine flavors are dominant throughout. A bit of sweet malt is evident, but is mostly masked by the strong, bitter hops. Leaves a nice lingering pine resin flavor on the tongue. Excellent.

M - Medium bodied with a sticky and juicy mouthfeel. Leaves a nice dryness in the mouth with a touch of warming alcohol.

D - Extremely satisfying DIPA. I wasn't sure if I had a fresh bottle and was pleasantly surprised with the huge hop element in this beer - left me wanting more after every sip.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:26:16 | More by mooseo

jhtipton

Spain

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from twelve ounce bottle into a chalice with an incredible head which settled into a mountainous lacing quarter inch head. Nice deep golden cloudy gem. Smell is great piney citrusy with some grassy overtone. Taste cuts right through the Partagas series p that I have been smoking. Citrusy and quite hoppy and sweet but bitter enough to get my attention Perfect for a warm Spanish evening. Body is medium. Not too syrupy and still carbonated enough to keep me interested overall a great east coast IPA that rivals its west coast cousins. I will seek this out again. Thank you Bierkraft. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 17:29:35 | More by jhtipton

hmf05

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange with a two finger head that sticks around. Aroma is citrusy highlights of grapefruit and orange. I also get a nice caramel maltiness. Taste is exactly like the smell. This is a very well balanced DIPA (more so than "finest" kind). Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is medium as well. Overall, very solid DIPA. If you like balanced IPAs/DIPAs like I do, you will enjoy this brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:58:51 | More by hmf05

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Churchkey in DC a while ago. This was a huge surprise in how much I enjoyed this beer, lives up to many big DIPA's in terms of taste.

A: A creamy looking orange color with gold highlights and a ring of white head, plus some nice lacing. Hazy overall.

S: Not a strong aroma, says on the menu even thats its dry hopped but I almost think it's not at all. Almost funky when I really get my nose in there with maybe a glimpse of grassy hops. I'm not into this and quite unimpressed.

T: What? The taste is packed with flavor, where was that in the aroma?! Tons of fresh citrus and fruit salad with some nice sugary sweetness. Very complex and layered, some alcohol there but it just seems to add complexity to the hops as a malty bold sweetness. Grassy weed like notes. Incredible example of the style.

M: Excellent feel. Very bitter and dry end, smooth and sweet over the palate.

O: Throughly enjoyed my pour of this. The aroma needs serious work, but it is tasty and feels amazing. Never had such a big swing in aroma- T/M.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2011 22:41:20 | More by Dreadnaught33

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

If you've read my reviews you'll know that I'm not a "pour" guy. However, this is a nice amber, which I expect from most IPAs, but it has that smutty-signature unfiltered detritus-ridden haze.

Lots of sweet fruit on the initial sniffs but it dissipates over time. What I'm mostly left with is a "fresh" sort of smell, mildly floral.

Tangy and tart but with ripe sweets. Spicy hops too. Sweet and spicy, always a good combo, add a tart twist and I like. Good hops work.

Medium sticky, fades with spicy/bitter after-feel. Solid, quaffable mouth. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 23:38:50 | More by CheezyBlaster

crzyc

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into tulip glass

A: Nice one inch head, lacing is medium. Golden body, nearly amber in color or honey.

S: Not much aroma, some hops.

T: Sweet hops, fruity / pine or pineapple flavor. Bitter finish.

M: Great full body mouthful. Carbonation is normal.

O: Outstanding IPA. This is one of my favorites that I have tried this summer, going to revisit when I have had more of a variety.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 21:27:20 | More by crzyc

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: light orange hue with plenty of haze and two fingers of frothy ivory foam. Nice.

Smell: aroma of earthy and floral hops which, combined with a relatively light, sweet malt aroma, leads to a bit of a soapy character. I actually find the floral qualities quite nice -- it almost says "Belgian" to me.

Taste: big, earthy, funky hops sit atop a relatively neutral, if strong, malt character. Bitterness is gargantuan -- despite its 9.6% octane, there is absolutely no balance here. I feel like I've been punched in the face by a 19th century pugilist in boxing briefs.

Mouthfeel: medium body; this beer is more attenuated than similar beers of the style. Carbonation is moderate but the body is relatively creamy nonetheless. It works.

Overall: this is a very solid strong IPA. If it were available here in the Pacific Northwest more readily, I would surely buy it pretty frequently.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 06:26:19 | More by flagmantho

tdexterc

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- light amber body, slightly hazy. Solid 2 finger head with good lacing.

S- not as potent as I expected, but still a good citrus scent.

T- grapefruit hops are most prominent. In back there are some hidden sweet malt highlights. Also a slightly astringent alcohol taste but not offensive.

M- nuclear bomb strength bitterness annihilates the palate. Now that is a DIPA.

Great example of a bitter DIPA. Jumped on this with a good price on tap

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 22:34:21 | More by tdexterc

Mrmarmot

New York

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Dogfish Head Perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy. Aggressive pour leads to a huge fluffy 3 finger head that takes about 4 minutes to disappear leaving strong, sticky, bigtime lacing. Lots of little floaties.

Smell: Lots of citrusy hops up front, Then some piney hops. Not huge on the nose but really nice.

Taste: Definitely hoppy For a IIPA, it's really nice but not The Best i have had. Citrus hops up front, bitter back end, some malt mixed in for balance but the bitter hops. Definitely a bready/yeasty flavor mixed in here given the floaties.

Mouthfeel: Bitter and a palate killer. Alcohol is well hidden here.

Overall: A solid IIPA. Not one that blows me away but one that I would definitely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 14:15:45 | More by Mrmarmot

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice orangish amber with 1/4" of foamy head. Nice retention. A lot of carbonation rising to the top. Spicy citrus and floral hop notes in the nose. Bready, biscuity malt character with citrusy hops up front and then a piny hop wallop in the finish. The piny bitterness stays with you after the swallow. The alcohol adds warmth to the beer, but does not detract from the overall taste or enjoyability. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp. Despite the ABV this is a drinkable beer.

Hop heads, check this one out. If you're not into overly intense hops or piny hop bitterness, beware.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 23:34:21 | More by tdm168

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

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

Picked this up at Buy Rite in Jersey City recently since this was one of the few Smuttynose beers available here that I had yet to try. After having a few sips of this, there's no doubt that this deserved to be in a big beer series, since this was both strong both in taste and alcoholic content. Additionally, this was more than a hop bomb, which is a good thing when there are so many beers of this type available!

The pour to this was off-apricot with a moderate head and some of the best lacing that I've seen recently. The alcohol was present not so much in the aroma, but in the taste. It balanced out well with the sugar, pineapple, and metallic hops while the mouthfeel was quite oily as the beer had a resin consistency similar to SNPA. There was enough malt here to counter everything , except for the boozy aspects of this beer.

The dry hopped aftertaste didn't detract or add from the strenth of this beer, and there's a good reason why there were only 4 of these available in a pack. While this isn't the best IPA that I've had, this one is quite aggressive and will please any hophead or lover of extreme beers. This could almost be considered a Belgian IPA, but some of the flavors are more American and regardless of that, this is another solid offering from Smuttynose.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 16:32:36 | More by JerzDevl2000

jm1229

California

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle opened on 9/5/11 and poured into my Goose Island pint glass.

A- Pours a hazy orange with two fingers of head. Good amount of lacing sticks to the glass.

S- Very malty smell with a nice background of hops (mostly pineapple). Some pine and orange too, but definitely a sweet ipa.

T- Follows the nose, unsurprisingly. Really sweet malts cover the palate. Some leeway for the hops, but they're certainly an afterthought. The alcohol is somewhat noticeable, but it doesn't feel like 9.6%.

M- Really creamy- coats the entire palate. Like I said, some heat in this one.

O- I'm a big fan of the other Smuttynose beers I've had and it would be pretty unfair to blame the beer or the brewery for my personal taste. As it stands, I'm a hop-bomb lover. Overload the hops and I'm there. As for this IPA, it's better than other east coast IPAs, but I'm going to side with the west coast style every day of the week.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 03:25:19 | More by jm1229

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap at the Portsmouth Brewery and served in a pint glass. The beer pours a light, golden-yellow coloring, with a light foam head that has great cling to it. The aromas have a citrus tang and smooth hoppiness. The beer's flavors are boozey, with heavy hops throughout, and a blend of citrus and caramel malt sweetness. The aftertaste is all hops and spice, with a slick and quick finish. Delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2011 03:09:03 | More by GarthDanielson