India Pale Ale - Sprecher Brewing Company

brakspear

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After a trip to the Pacific Northwest and imbibing a great swath of Cascade laced IPAs, the Sprecher variant on this style is a shock....but a very pleasant one.

A beautiful redish amber with a creamy white head that leaves sheets of lacing in the glass...gorgeous.

The aroma is very subdued, particularly since it is dry-hopped twice according to the Sprecher website. None of the grapefruit blast I have grown accustomed to from Pacific Northwest beer, but a hop spice is evident, lingering over a deep biscuity base.

The flavor is well-balanced, hop bitterness is there, but it is the deep malt that makes its presence known. Not sweet or cloying because the bitterness subdues any malty sweetness, perhaps it is the Munich and Biscuit malt that gives this IPA its unique character. The hops (Northern Brewer, Fuggle, Willamette & Chinook) are present, but blended well.

The mouthfeel is rich and smooth. The more I think of it, I would put this beer in the category of a strong ale, along the lines of Stone's Arrogant Bastard, but not as citrusy.

This is a potent beer, but a very good one. A nice branch off the American IPA tree.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 00:21:00 | More by brakspear

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had a small glass at an IPA tasting at the Acadia Cafe in Minneapolis. What the heck is going on here? This beer is way too fruity. It tastes more like a hefe with banana and bubblegum flavors. That's it, I'm sticking to Sprecher's German beers from now on. This beer was drinkable and had the right malt, but it seemed like something was way off in the hops and yeast character departments.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2009 18:26:04 | More by tempest

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, amber body with a well-formed, lasting, off-white head.

Smell: Toasty pale malts, slightly grainy, with a hint of caramel.

Taste: Caramel maltiness, a few grains, and some discarded breadcrusts thrown in. Mild sweetness. Light lemony citrus. Medium hop bitterness. Drying finish with some of the alcohol creeping in.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A decent, drinkable beer, sure, but it lacks a well-defined hop character. Up the hops, baby!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2008 20:57:40 | More by ChainGangGuy

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears a transparent ornage toned amber with a small, fluffy, off-white head that slowly fades into a small cap and thick collar. Plenty of streaky lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel malts, floral, herbal, and orange hops.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some spicy bitter notes pulling up to match the aromas.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet, with light bitters, toasted grain, and yeast.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2008 18:16:55 | More by weeare138

ommegangpbr

New York

2.93/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

From notes taken at the Hop Devil Grill:
Into a pint glass it looks... like an IPA but nothing noteworthy after that. Amber copper colored, some head and some lace.
Perhaps this was a bit too cold but not much odor was forthcoming. Some hops and some malts but mostly muted; warming didn't do much to help.
The flavor that sticks most in my mind is that of smoked grapefruit and it's just not doing it for me. The flavor lingers in the mouthfeel with an overly bitter citrus presence. The unbalanced bitterness makes this not so drinkable to my palate.
I'd consider trying this again but overall I have not been too impressed with Sprecher's offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2008 04:59:13 | More by ommegangpbr

Franchise

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was a member of the mixed 8 pack from Sprecher. It pours a golden color leaving a thick off-white head. The nose is medicinal, bitter herbs, lemon and honey, faint tropical fruits. The taste starts medicinal in nature, honey, malty, but backed by a strong bitterness that balances well and finishes sweet.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2007 19:28:57 | More by Franchise

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A very long-lasting and creamy head of ivory rests gently atop a slightly hazy orange-amber-copper body in Sprecher's India Pale Ale. Short walls of lace and wide, jagged patches of lace are left behind, as well as patches of tiny spots along the edges of the spot that you imbibe from.

Caramelish and toffee-like maltiness combines with an apricot-like fruitiness and some leafy, herbal, and grassy hops in the nose.

It's medium-full bodied in the mouth with a decidedly dextrinous, malty edge, and a very-fine bubbled, moderate carbonation that leaves a gentle tingle on the tongue as it passes smoothly over.

The caramelish and toffee-like malt dominates at the start, and it's even slightly wort-like before the grassy and leafy hops and spicy alcohol kick in. Some of the apricot, or dried-fruit-like fruitiness found in the nose appears for a second, and then a solid bitterness rises from beneath, leaving it to slide into a lingering, bitter and grassy finish.

It's not complex, nor overly hoppy; just a well-done, straight-forward English-style IPA that's got a pretty good drinkability despite its slightly higher than usual strength (for an English ale, that is).

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2007 02:37:10 | More by NeroFiddled

Rennpferd

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz bottle into a clean pint glass.

It poured a beautiful golden/copper hue with roughly one inch of clean white head that slowly shrank down to about a quarter of an inch of head. Very little carbination or activity could be detected after the pour which eventually leaves a slight lacing that floats near the glass.

A very light smell of hops, not very impressive.

A very tart hop flavor that reminds me of the taste of white pine needles. It is subtle and smooth. The beverage is medium bodied and goes down easy.

Though not the best IPA that I have had it is pretty good. I would definately drink this beer over many others.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2007 06:10:06 | More by Rennpferd

Golden2wenty1

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got 2 bottles as part of Sprecher's "Beers of the British Isles" sampler at Woodman's West here in Madison.

Pour: a beautiful apricot nectar hue of orange-amber, crystal clear under a finger or two of khaki foam that fades to a spotty skim.

Nose: English hops - the herbal, buttery variety; light fruit syrups and citrus, caramel malts

Taste: again, this is an English IPA and the hopping shows the milder, herbal/buttery notes that I've come to expect from the style. Malts are all toffee and caramel and balanced by golden syrup and apricot nectars. The booze is quite noticeable at 7.7% and adds a metallic twinge to the finish but is not overly distracting.

Feel: full-bodied, but light and crisp on the tongue

Drinkability/Overall: This is clearly in the English IPA style and should be judged as such. Not always my cup of tea, but this is a balanced, well-made rendition. Solid all-around as are most Sprecher beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2006 02:27:30 | More by Golden2wenty1

Zorro

California

2.58/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sampled through the kind efforts of jj21 and the Simply Beer BIF.

This beer is clear darker shade of amber with a distinct orange red cast to it. Light head formation it is off white in color.

Smell is sweet and fruity with a strong aroma of melons, kiwi fruit and menthol. Sugary sweet malt scent with just a little brown sugar and caramel in it.

Taste is sweet pineapple and muskmelon at the very beginning. One of the sweeter IPAs out there this is much like DFH 120 in that respect. This does become slightly bitter as you drink it but it is one of the less bitter IPAs. This beer becomes quite candy like and closer to a barley wine than an IPA really. In my opinion this is just too sweet for the modest amount of hops added.

Mouthfeel is OK.

This beer just isn't my cup of tea; it is just too sweet for the style. I could accept the sweetness in a barley wine but in an IPA with a very modest hop level it is just too much. Buy the Stone IPA instead, your tongue with thank you for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2006 05:34:45 | More by Zorro

Westsidethreat

California

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to UncleRandy for this 16ozer.

A: Gorgeous toffee peach color, hazy as hell but cleared over time. Head was a brilliant roasted marshmallow but fell really quick, quite a shame.

S: Much maltier than your standard IPA. Raisins, caramel with just a hint of citrus.

T: Interesting. Caramel malts are stealing the show in this "IPA" leaving a noticeable but not forefront hop performance. Hops are leaning heavy to the English varietal, not a lot of west coast flavors. As the beer warms, the bitterness becomes more apparent but the caramel increases two fold. Has raw cinnamon roll dough thing going on. Finishes very sweet and leaves a cider like taste in the mouth.

M: Medium body and fairly smooth. Just a touch of fuzziness.

D: If thats an IPA then I'm the governor. Regardless, I liked this beer but I think Sprecher missed the mark as an IPA. Very much should have been labeled something else. I think English pale ale would have been closer but the caramel still throws a curve into it. What ever, I enjoyed it and thats really all thats important. Does get a bit cloying after a while. 16oz is about as much as I could handle in a sitting. This beer would be very interesting with another 2% alcohol added, push it into the old ale spectrum. This beer would actually age fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2006 20:51:41 | More by Westsidethreat

Mdog

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy orange with a fast fading head.

Smell: Bready.

Taste: I think this is more of an English IPA than American IPA. Low bitterness, bready, spicy, earthy, piney taste. Not citrusy and the pine is low compared to American IPAs.

Mouthfeel: Not too heavy and not too thin.

Drinkability: Seems to be quite sessionable, the alcohol is masked quite well.

I haven't had a bunch of English ales and IPAs but this really doesn't seem to be an American IPA. It is an interesting beer but I like citusy hop bite more than this beer's flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2006 01:53:56 | More by Mdog

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I have tried Sprecher's IPA many times and have always been very disappointed. I heard from Chris at Murray's Wine that this is a new recipe and I have to agree it is and they have improved upon the old IPA a great deal.

A - Pours a hazy amber/copper with a 2 finger off white head with a nice amount of lacing.

S - Still a lot of malt sweetness up front but a definite floral spice hoppiness to balance it out nicely.

T - Sweet malt up front followed by a spicy floral (more floral than spice) finish. Big improvement in my mind to the malt bomb the IPA used to be.

M - Medium bodied and slightly creamy. Sweetness in the middle but a nice dry finish.

D - I still feel this is more of an English IPA but it is now a very hoppy English IPA versus the malty IPA I am used from Sprecher. Still not one I would seek out but a definite improvement in my book.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2006 23:20:52 | More by brewcrew76

dirtylou

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16oz stubby single, $1.89 at Woodman's - West, abv actually listed at 7.7% on the label

appearance: poured into great dane imperial pint glass...fabulous presentation...big amber-copper body with a beautiful beige cream head and fantastic retention. very impressive pour from sprecher

smell: pretty strong aroma...clearly well hopped but the emphasis appears to not be as citrus oriented and instead has nice pear/apple/white grape aromas, obvious caramel malt base

taste: This is a different kind of IPA but honestly I really like it and it is easily one of my new favourite sprecher beers. Taste is rather fruity with a big pear flavour you dont normally see in an IPA, green apple, white grape, light citrus flavors, well hopped, caramel malt base that balances this one out quite well

mouthfee: again, great. medium body, quite cream and the head retention makes every sip a pleasure

drinkability: high, I very much enjoy this beer

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2006 04:12:29 | More by dirtylou

karengarys

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours hazy rich amber, leaving a bit of a foam ring with a slow pour. Very attractive.

Smells sweet floral, hinting of the yumminess soon to come....

Taste is nice and rich and hoppy. Complex, I can't describe everything, but the pine hop is right there on top of it all making a point of itself throughout the drink. Underneath is the complexity, like a very very subtle sweetness and spiceyness. No, it is not sweet nor spicey, there is just interesting things going on.

Mouthfeel is fairly rich. There is a nice and creamy pillow on the tongue on the way down.

Finish is clean, but the pine hop stabs at the back of the throat. It leaves a slight bitter aftertaste. I recommend washing it down with another....

This has a reasonabally hefty body. Not syrupy like some super-IPAs, but somewhat thick. It has a lot of character and richness here.

This is a very good IPA. It boarderlines the expensive $8 bomber style IPAs at a fraction of the cost (considering the 4-pack is $8).

Give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2006 01:02:12 | More by karengarys

blackie

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance: 16 ounce bottle. The pour creates a .25" off white head. The beer is a deeper type copper color.

smell: Some hints of fruit that differ from most IPAs I've had...dates, figs, and other dark fruits. Sweet and richly scented, probably some esters, lots of malt, dark sugars. Slight alcohol scent. Moderate hop aroma, needs some more. The malty smell is great but the lack of enough hop aroma really hurts the whole.

mouthfeel: Carbonation is in the middle of the low range. The body is medium and somewhat slick on the tongue.

taste: Expected big maltiness, sugary dates. Hop characteristics are lacking again. Grassy hop aroma at first and then a moderate, dry bitterness that lingers along with some slick sweetness into the finish.

drinkability: Plenty flavorful but needs some work on the hop usage. Presently, the sweetness throws the whole thing out of balance, but would be nice given more hop character. If this beer was listed as something else, maybe a strong ale, maybe an English IPA, I would have rated it higher. I couldn't imagine having more than one or two.

The code on the neck of the bottle is defaced and hard to read. Obtained this bottle as a bonus in a trade with JahNoth.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2005 06:34:51 | More by blackie

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 ounce bottle. Slightly hazy copper color with a huge off-white head. The aroma is juicy, fruity hops. The hop smell is very nice, but turns out to be only mildly hoppy in flavor. Pretty good malt presence. Definitely a balanced ipa. A little bit of an aspirin-like metallic flavor. The finish is a little spicy. Medium mouthfeel. Alcohol is higher than average. This is a decent IPA. My only complaint is the distracting metallic flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2005 06:04:11 | More by beveragecaptain

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a solid copper color with a light head that falls to a very patchy coat over top. Nose is rather fruity and light buttery diacetyl. No real hop aroma in there. Flavor is more like I expected. Still fruity and buttery, but with a solid bitter that hits. Its a peppery spicey bitter. I'd like more aroma and hop flavor. The feel is moderate with a moderate carbonation. Overall, I find it a bit lacking.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2005 01:33:12 | More by kmpitz2

clvand0

Kentucky

2.9/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours an amber color with a small head that falls fast and leaves no lacing on the glass. The aroma is sweet with tons of diacetyl and hints of fruit. Not too impressive. The flavor is much the same - sweet with diacetyl and a lingering sweetness that isn't pleasant. Hops aren't present. Mouthfeel is moderate and the drinkability is just ok. This one might be too old.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2005 01:30:40 | More by clvand0

TastyTaste

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16 0z. brown bottle, another weird bottle from sprecher. Nice mostly clear body, some suspension visible. Head is full, and with fairly good retention, hasn't settled in about a minute. Nice hoppiness in the nose, also fruity. There is some diacetyl present, but not a lot, and doesn't distract from the beer too much. Taste is still very potent, with a good kick of alcohol, and a huge hops shot that follows throughout. The diacetyl from the nose doesn't make itself present in the taste. Very solid IPA, doesn't dissapoint at all, despite the age.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2005 14:37:11 | More by TastyTaste

maxpower

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy copper color with a large frothy head that leaves a good lacing in my glass, citrus and piney hop aroma. Hoppy fruity and caramel flavors with a nice hop bite, medium body with a creamy soft mouthfeel, finishes with a clean and pleasant bitterness, a decent english style IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2004 20:45:20 | More by maxpower

bditty187

Nebraska

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Coppery-bronze in hue with an amber-gold highlight, it is an attractive color. There is no animation, still a head of two fingers formed on a harder than normal pour. The head was off-white in color. Head retention was good, it started to fade after a few moments, and it turned into a loose cap that remained during the whole consumption. Lacing was unorganized but very common. This is an above-average looking IPA. The nose is soft and airy, the hops are not very pronounced and I can detect some grassy aromas that turn mildly citrusy. The airiness allows for a light mineral twang to be seen. A thoughtful sniff shows the malt, at the back, clean with a bit of toasted-caramel. Rather fruity throughout. Still the nose is weak for an IPA, even if they are going for a traditional offering. The bouquet is too boring to be inviting. The palate is raw, not very bitter yet unrefined. This is not a good combination, frankly. There is flavor but it is too disjointed and not well crafted. Upfront the hops are noticed but they are hardly noteworthy. In the middle it becomes fruity and the caramel malt backdrop develops. The finish is bitter, raw, and too hot, candy-like. This IPA is adequate but flawed. It is nothing I’d seek out again nor would I want to drink many of these. Also, once this beer warmed to near room temperature a cigar/tobacco smell (pronounced) and taste (slight) developed that didn’t strike my fancy. Medium in body, modestly low carbonation, natural and fitting. The mouthfeel is decent. Overall this IPA is nothing special, the lone bottle I bought in Milwaukee with be enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2004 12:17:57 | More by bditty187

zerk

California

2.78/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a deep copper with a quickly dissipating head that disappeared completely. Aroma is malty with caramel and toasted malts coming through... some herbal hops in the aroma but much more malt than hops. Flavor begins quite sweet with caramel, some floral notes and a lingering, tropical fruit flavor... sweet to the point of cloying with very little bitterness to balance it out. Mouhfeel is sticky with a full body and medium carbonation.

This is an English IPA, which is a much more subtle style than its American cousin, but I found it a little too sweet to really like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2003 03:46:34 | More by zerk

jeffboo

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This IPA is pretty much in the English style. It has a very nice amber color with a good creamy head. Earthy English hops in the nose with some fruity aromas. It has a medium body with a good hops/malt fruity flavor balance that finishes bitter and dry. The flavors remind me of caramel apples with earthy hops. The flavors are clean with some alcohol noted in the finish. Might be a tad too sweet for me and I prefer a more citrucy hop flavor but still a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2003 20:32:24 | More by jeffboo

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark, rich, reddish hue, with a solid, frothy, creamy head.
Aroma: smooth, light, creamy, soft.
Taste: some small, light hop bite on the palate, still very tasty, though. Juicy, sweet malt, ably steps up to match the hops, sometimes a fault in other IPAs, sometimes a flaw, this time it works, excellent fruit factor, quite a mellow, but snappy brew.
Nice and rich, tasty, but lacking in a hoppy bite, rather mild, sweet, yummy, fruity, but would require more, shall we say, Oooom-Poppa-Dop! to really lift my top!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2003 00:17:31 | More by feloniousmonk