High Roller IPA - Big Boss Brewing

alpinebryant

Connecticut

2.96/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A: Moderate white head and a slightly hazy amber copper color

S: Aroma is bitter and of mostly caramel with some citrus.

T: This does have the signature garlic flavor that some hops have as noted by another reviewer here. I forget the blend, but Simcoe comes to mind when it mixes with another hop? The garlic is light while the caramel is pronounced and bitter.

M: Medium body with a stinging carbonation.

O: Overall, not particularly impressed. Its just not the way I like my IPAs right now at this point in my life. Lots of caramel and a not so fragrant hop profile. There is some citrus, but it is muted and overcome way too easily by the malt profiles in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:04:54 | More by alpinebryant

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Very little head even when poured aggressively, just a few bubbles, hazy golden orange color

S: Interesting, smells like hops but has that slight cooked onion/garlic aroma that some hops can add

T: One dimensional hop flavor, I made a beer that had a similar off flavor although this is much less intense, short bite without much flavor, decent backbone of malt is appreciated but not really detected in flavor, off flavor isn't obvious but just strikes me a certain way

M: Medium dry, medium carb, light body makes it easy to drink

O: Meh, maybe I'm sensitive to that type of hop, but I wasn't crazy about the flavor and the other categories couldn't bring it up

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:36:24 | More by dpodratsky3

KajII

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a murky burnt orange with an average (1-2 finger) white frothy head that slowly diminished, reducing to a medium puddled film and medium collar with very good sheets of lacing.

The aroma was of a grain malt, floral and grassy hops and a soapy yeast with notes of caramel, citrus (grapefruit and orange peel) and a light fruity ester (pineapple I believe).

The taste was lightly malty-sweet with a touch of caramel and a good fruity presence from the start, progressing into a slightly bitter hoppy taste with a hint of grapefruit and a seriously bitter citrus peel ending. The flavor lingered on the taste buds for a good long while, with the bitter citrus peel taste hitting you right in the back of the throat.

Mouthfeel was a few steps beyond light in body and dry in texture with a solid medium carbonation.

Overall this is a nice fruity, bitter IPA that I found to be balanced very well, making it a smooth and easy to drink brew...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 21:50:28 | More by KajII

nimrod979

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle. No bottled on date marked.

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy orangish-coper. One finger white head with some decent retention and some spotty lacing here and there.

Aroma: Earthy mild floral hops. Reminds me of an English style rather than American. toasty grainy malt.

Taste: Taste backs up the aroma. Definitely feels more like an English IPA. Plenty of dry biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation. Lingering grainy and maltiness. Not much as far as bitterness in the finish.

Overall, wasn't entirely impressed with this. it was okay.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:12:25 | More by nimrod979

brewdude1982

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Good carbonation but then again I had it a a place 2 miles from the brewery. Odd taste and not very hoppy. As far as an ipa I NEED more. Medium body. It's ok but I would pick another ipa if more were available. The lacing is better than others but not amazing. I want more hops from a beer that calls itself the high roller. I hear that others from them are better but I have yet to taste one that I can back... And I live in the city it is brewed in.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2012 02:41:38 | More by brewdude1982

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a clear looking golden color, The head was white and had a pretty good retention and lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer has some light hoppy aromas but nothing too dominant. The malts come through more on the nose. The taste of the beer is malty upfront with a decent transition to the bitter finish. The hops do leave behind a nice subtle lingering flavor in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is drinkable, nicely carbonated and medium bodied. Overall it's a pretty standard IPA, I've had better and I've had worse.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 20:06:29 | More by Knapp85

5thOhio

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brownish copper color with an off-white creamy half inch head that dissipates to a thin yet creamy film on the top. Good delicate lacing.

Forgot to check the aroma until too late. All I could get were light hops and a fresh fruit nose. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation.

Taste is rich hops, pine with light citrus follow up. Some malt in the background. I'd love to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 01:12:33 | More by 5thOhio

daliandragon

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Back in the day these guys were called the Edenton Brewery and they made good beer, especially IPAs and pale ales. Then, about five years ago they closed up shop for a year plus and returned as Big Boss. This is the first IPA from Big Boss that's been put in a bottle.

Murky medium brown with a thin cap of head and minute lace. Nose is salty, spicy citrus hops and a touch of underlying malt.

This is full of flavor, particularly of the pine and grapefruit variety. Some malt earthiness and bread but the hops are in charge. Light alcohol tinge at the finish, but it's actually pleasant. Tight, oily texture that really helps draw out the aftertaste, which is a nice touch.

This one has grown on me and I expect it to be among my most commonly chosen local IPAs over the next few years, along with Aviator HogWild.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 00:39:54 | More by daliandragon

wedge

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had this many times, but this is my first bottle experience...

Orange colored liquid with some suspended sediment with a tight bubbled, nice looking head. Mild grass and citrus peel aroma blends with a little caramel sweetness. Oily hops, bitter pine sap, grapefruit rind, and some malt. Nicely bitter and medium bodied.

Much better on tap; I had one last night and it was fruitier and more aromatic. I don't know how old the bottle is (there are dates on the label, but nothing is notched), but that might be a factor. Still, not bad at all and I'll likely revisit this in the bottle sooner or later.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 23:04:00 | More by wedge

SteveMi

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Originally tried this during a craft beer festival. Reviewing based on 12oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Golden orange in color with a good, long lasting white head.

S - Malty sweet smell with citrus (orange and grapefruit maybe?) pushing through.

T - Hoppy and citrusy as one would expect from the smell. It's hard for me to put my finger on it but it is balanced differently than many of the other IPA's I've tried.

M - Slightly lighter feel than the average IPA. Maybe it's the extra citrus but I feel like it's a little drier as well.

O - A fine choice for an IPA. By taste I would have thought this to be a lower ABV beer. Good in bottle, good at the festival and I can only assume it's better on tap. No complaints.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 18:16:10 | More by SteveMi

Brushkanna

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer is a nice mahogany brown, a bit darker than many IPAs, and pours with a nice full head

A good nutty malty smell

Not a hop heavy IPA, I enjoy the darker malty flavors, Northwest hops with pale and caramel malts give it a nice spicy taste it is a somewhat different IPA

Feels good going down

I really like this beer and the company has great labels. After having it at a restaurant I bought a six pack the next day.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 14:16:34 | More by Brushkanna

oline73

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a slightly cloudy amber color with close to a finger of fluffy white head. There is some good retention and very nice lacing.

Smell: Very mild overall. There is a hint of malt with some citrus peel hops.

Taste: A nice balance of malt and hops. A touch of sweetness with some citrus peel hop bitterness. I'm also getting some sweet citrus fruit, maybe apricot.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with light and fluffy carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: I enjoyed this beer, the balance and the contrast between the bitterness and the sweet citrus notes were very nice. I would have another.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 00:04:00 | More by oline73

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle opened on 5.8.12.

A - Pours a golden, clear orange with a one finger yellowish head that slowly fades.

S - Very malty, carmel and sweet.

T - Sweet malts and carmel with a hoppy orange finish.

D - Good carbonation and a lighter body.

O - Sweet and oranges and carmel. A bit on the sweet malty side for me. I like my hop bombs.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 04:51:11 | More by HuskyinPDX

oberon

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice to get this beer now in Greensboro.Poured into a nonic a hazed burnt orange with a great one finger tightly formed head that left a broken ring of lace as it settled slowly.A nice mix of grapefruit hop notes and caramel malt in the nose,the hops win out but the malts make for good complexity.Not very bitter on the palate but you do have some sharpness from the grapefruit rind-like hops that are balanced with a bit of tangerine-like hop and slight resiny flavors ,a sweetish caramel base holds up well.A very well made local ipa in my mind,true to hoppy form but with a bit of a change up.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 21:33:07 | More by oberon

cwoods

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

S- Bottle into pint glass

A- Orange haze that screams drink me.

S- Hops, malt, citrus, pine and something else that I cant put my nose on right now.

T- The beer has a nice hoppy bite, pleasant citrus tang, pine tart, carmel malty, sweet.

O- I really love this beer. Its even better when its really fresh on tap at the Big Boss Brewery. Its actually my favorite IPA from a Raleigh, NC brewery. Im stocked its now bottle and available year round. Its a must for any IPA lover.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 21:08:10 | More by cwoods

ChrisSimpson1968

North Carolina

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

Pours hazy copper amber into the glass with a bold off-white head and great lacing. Grapefruit and citrus nose, with hops that mimic young underdeveloped pine notes. Slightly grapefruit citrus flavor with pine accents and a well-hopped back. The finish is a lingering pine-pepper, and the mouthfeel is creamy-oily with a mild spice astringency.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 21:03:25 | More by ChrisSimpson1968

tdm168

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery's tasting room

Pours an orangish amber with a thin lacing of head. Nose is mostly citrus with a faint floral aroma. Taste is of a grapefruit citrus with flowers. There is a nice contradiction in this beer between sweetness and bitterness. This beer has nice carbonation and is lighter bodied, though a little watered down.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 11:51:50 | More by tdm168

ChristianBlack

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy yellow-golden with a thin white head. Fine duration.

Mild malty aroma, some doughy notes and a little hay.

Moderate carbonation, fine mouthfeel.

Flavor is crisp, nicely hopped with notes of hay, flowers and grass. Nice malty sweetness.

Overall, it was pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2011 18:26:51 | More by ChristianBlack

atsprings

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the brewery's Tavern served in a standard pint glass a nice hazy orange with a nice frothy khaki head. Aroma is a nice amount Earthy citrus hops in front of sweet caramel malts. The taste is a wonderful amount of fresh citrus hops with a nice sweet malt balance. The beer is on the light side of medium with just a hint of carbonation and slight dryness. This is a very tasty cask beer, one I will try to rarely miss when it's available.

Serving type: cask

06-24-2010 21:48:05 | More by atsprings

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle acquired in trade with OldGrowth (thanks!).

Poured a medium and slightly hazy amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, pine, and a little on the fruity side. Tastes of citrus, bready, caramel, and light pine. Semi-sweet with a lighter bitter finish.

Notes from 10/25/06

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 16:25:48 | More by hopdog

tastybeer

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks straight up copper amber with a good sized white fluffy head. Aroma is nicely malted and fresh with a good healthy amount of juicy pine, citrus, and grassy hops to IPA-afy it. Sweet malt balances the dank hoppy smell well enough to hold up. Taste is dry and hoppy. Plenty of bitter hops and a pleasant amount of aroma and flavor hops. Very piney hops. A yummy resinous coniferous forest comes to mind. A touch of dry grape-peel feel mingled in the bitterness. Easy drinkin.

I'm left with hoppy lips and plenty more growler to go. Not bad at all.

Serving type: growler

08-27-2007 23:55:54 | More by tastybeer

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured amber with a decent head. Nice but nothing special. The smell has a light grassiness with some floral hop smells on the finish. Somewhat light but quite pleasant. The taste is quite balanced. A firm malt foundation supports some grassy, citrusy hops. A little grainy and could have some more bitterness or juiciness for my liking, but solid. Mouthfeel is substantial, but features more graininess as well. Solid regional ipa, but not a lot to distinguish it from its bretheren.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2007 14:31:48 | More by Georgiabeer

blackie

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is the regular Big Boss, dry-hopped in the cask for about a month.

appearance: Poured by Mr. Wynn himself into something like an ~8 oz. tasting glass. The beer is topped with a creamy, tan colored head. After the initial recession, a pretty layer of bubbles persists atop the liquid. Moderate lace is left behind as the glass is emptied. The beer is a hazy, deep amber in color.

smell: Fresh, juicy-green hops as well as some darker, muddled(?) hop aromas blended with moderately sweet caramel grains. Loads of tropical fruits and tempered citrus all over the place. Strong and flavorful, but mellowed and well blended by the cask aging. Big fruits, big hops...I'm diggin' it.

mouthfeel: Light, ultra-smooth carbonation. The body is medium, and seems to bee more full thank usual...presumably from the lowered carbonation. Smooth and creamy all around, as a cask should be.

taste: Very similar in character to the standard Big Boss, only much more mellow and complex. The dry hops seem to manifest themselves in the form of a bigger, juicier hop flavor...though I won't stand by that comment. Great balance of grainy caramel with the bevy of tropical fruits provided by the hops. This one might be a little more malty, or at least taste that way, compared to the standard. Soon after swallowing, all the grain sweetness disappears; and a building, near mouth-puckering bitterness begins to take over.

drinkability: Quite easy to "put back" the two downsized glasses I ordered.

I hope to see more of the same in the future. Maybe a year-round cask? Maybe Coffee Stout on cask? Is anyone even reading this?

Serving type: cask

02-02-2007 00:23:56 | More by blackie