Ipswich Original Pale Ale - Ipswich Ale Brewery

MbpBugeye

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- There is a moderate haze to this beer, its almost as if its stuck between being a cloudy beer and a clear one. There is a big white head with excellent retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is quite minerally, perhaps a touch of sulfur is included. There are lots of cereal grains present, offset by floral hops.

T- The cereal grains found in the aroma are the leading role here. The floral hops are the supporting act. The body of the beer is very earthy and minerally, especially in the finish. There is a modest bitterness rounding things out.

M- Lively carbonation, dry and crisp.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 19:51:04 | More by MbpBugeye

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Slight amount of haze in an brownish orange. Almost no head just a small puddle floating around. Nose contains a lot of malty bread, some small amounts of toast. Fruity hop character. The balance between rich malty bread and fruity hops seems off. A large amount of malt and toasty bread with some slight hop character. Hops were present more in the nose. Bready malts transition to a metallic tang and some bitterness that cloys at the back of your throat. Scratchy and tangy bitter, old fruits.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 14:17:40 | More by DrinkingDrake

yankeeheel

Maine

2.95/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a beautiful orangeish copper color with a small white head. Smells of bread and citrus. The taste was a huge letdown for me. It seemed quite hop dominated at the end. Not my idea of a traditional ale, but that's just me. Mouthfeel was solid with some malts and carbonation. It's an ok ale, just not one of my favorites. I'll stick with Ipswich's dark beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2003 14:13:28 | More by yankeeheel

Minkybut

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -24%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this ugly beer into a tumbler at 50 degrees. The color was a wierd cloudy orange with yeast, dirt or something floating around on the bottom. Nice head at first but then went away. Bready tasting with a yeasty smell and taste. Slighly hoppy and a little bitter. I will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2007 18:15:06 | More by Minkybut

Homebrew35

Connecticut

2.95/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours amnce two fingers worth of creamy white head. Crystal clear pale golden color. The most sticky lacing I've seen in a while remains half way through the glass. Smells slightly floral and some Carmel malts, maybe some bready yeast. Tastes sweet,carmel, earthy hops, medium bitterness to balance it. Light body, medium carbonation. The finish is neutral and watery tasting. Overall this is lackluster to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 05:08:28 | More by Homebrew35

Seanibus

California

3/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orange with a fluffy head. A waft of hops floats from the glass, and the aroma is clean and bready with a nice hop floweriness. The flavor has very light caramel and a cloverlike floweriness and some honey. The finish, however, is thin and suggests an extract brew. There is a tight bitterness at the end. The mouthfeel is clingy and aspriny dry.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 23:00:43 | More by Seanibus

zhanson88

Montana

3.03/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a lot of carbonation. A HUGE fluffy white head forms which takes forever to even slightly disappate. Kind of reminds me of an infected beer actually.

Smell: Not infected at least. A bit of caramel, a little yeasty, kind of grainy. Not much here.

Taste: Grainy, a bit of caramel, yeasty with a touch of citrus, and a hint of florals. Not bad, and it actually gets a good deal more flavorful as it warms.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light to medium bodied, plenty of carb, very nice. Overall, this is far from my favorite style, but it's a decent example. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 22:49:23 | More by zhanson88

jjayjaye

New York

3.1/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clouded tea color with better than a full finger light tan head that resists fading. Visible effervescence and suspended 'bits'. A good amount of lacing.

Reserved, the aroma is sweet and spicy malt over a cardboard smell.
Light in body, the mouth feel is helped along by the creamy texture from the head. The flavor took me by surprise because it didn't relate to the sweetness I smelled. The taste had the spice that i recognized, but it was roasted or smoky at the same time.

An average drinker. Really glad that i had the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2007 16:26:49 | More by jjayjaye

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is cloudy and murky. It's orange tainted amber in color. A medium sized white head sits on top and is very well retained. Floral and spicy hop nose. It's just a little too carbonated for my liking in a PA. The hops are noticeable, but I don't think the malt backing provides enough of a foundation. The hops are herbal and bitter. Pungent in a nondescript way. It's pretty average in my book.

Thanks to pbrian for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2002 19:29:00 | More by Bighuge

LarryV

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy, opaque orange amber color. Smell is of ripe apples with a subtle malt background. Mouthfeel is on the creamy side, nice. Taste is fruity followed by the hop bitterness which is very understated. Has a sour apple cider flavor that I just didn't care for. I doubt I would buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2005 22:08:35 | More by LarryV

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy golden orange color with a very thin off white cap for a head. As thin as it is, it does stay around until the end and leaves decent lacing.

Nose has light malt aromas. Biscuity and bready with a hint of sweetness. Not much hop presence, if any.

Taste follows the nose with a strong biscuity malt flavor. The bit of sweetness is still there as well. Finishes with a quick hit of fruity hops (lemon comes to mind) before a slightly bitter finish.

Crisp and clean with a medium body and medium carbonation. As mentioned, there is a slightly bitter finish, but nothing that lingers.

Drinkability is ok. Crisp and clean enough with a low enough ABV for multiple pints but the flavors aren't really interesting enough to stop you from reaching for something else.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 05:09:40 | More by ms11781

JDV

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle in trade from joepais. Thanks man!
Pours cloudy amber with a short lived offwhite head. Smell is slightly tart, and lighty musty, earthy hops. Taste is fairly bitter with grassy hops coming in at first and it finishes a little sweeter with some caramel maltiness. Moderately full mouthfeel with nice carbonation. Much more bitter and hoppy than expected of an EPA. Pretty solid and drinkable. Thanks Joe!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2008 22:18:01 | More by JDV

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clear amber with an average off-white head. Malty aroma is a little fruity and a little yeasty, promising if not outstanding. Flavor is mainly malty with some fruit and a hoppy-bitter undertone. Not too shabby. Smooth texture has about average body and fizz. Overall, fair to middlin’.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 03:03:56 | More by Cyberkedi

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle

Hazy, dirty orange in color. Small, off-white head.

Aroma was mild grapefruit and honey. Very mild scent overall.

Taste was more bitter than sweet. Grassy and lingering. Biscuity middle. Slight fruity flavor and a touch of caramel.

Medium in body. Medium + carbonation. Dry.

OK, pretty strong hops for style.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2007 16:01:51 | More by

muttyd

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a 12-pack of Ipswich Original, IPA and Summer Ale for only $11.99. Not a bad price at all.

Pours a hazy pale amber with a thick fluffy white head that persists throughout. Some floaties in the beer become noticeable as I hold it up the light.

Aroma is well balanced with grassy hops and pale grainy malts. Really delicate aroma with no character taking over the other. Flavor has a solid bready/biscuity malt backbone with just a touch of floral/grassy hops to give it a nice spicy character. Rather bitter throughout. Dry and slightly bitter-astringent. Medium body, well carbonated and slightly creamy.

Really like this beer, and it doesn't break the bank.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 01:07:11 | More by muttyd

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A weak fizzy head that fades to a whispy, semi-intact sheet after a moment. Patches of condensed lace with pretty good strength. A bright, yet quite cloudy nutmeg/cinnamon in color.

Moderate perfume-esque floral hop aroma with a rounded hint of malty sweetness. Hints of a mild orange and lemon tartness.

Floral hop character up front that's met with a sweetened, toasted maltiness; this combination makes for a bleach-like quality, especially with the lemon 'zest' added. An odd, bleachy and perfume-like bitterness followed by an astringent aftertaste. The combination of flavors seems unbalanced to me.

Medium bodied; light on the palate. Gasous and perfum-like.

Unbalanced in terms of flavor and texture. Flawed; nothing exciting about the 'original'.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2005 14:12:12 | More by NEhophead

wcudwight

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to swedejay53 for the bottle.
Nice amber/golden in color. Head retains better than Lindsey Lohan in rehab. Ok, that's not saying much. The head has good retention with some nice sticky lacing.
Aroma is kind of faint. What aroma I do get is pleasent though. Fruity, cucumber and honey suckle.
I don't have a lot of experience with English PA's, but this is very different than American PA's. The hops are more earthy in flavor with out the bold piney and citrus flavors of the american style. The finish is a little buttery. Still it's pretty tasty and very sessionable.
Mouthfeel is par for the style. Light enough to enhance the sessionalbility of the beer.
Overall a very drinkable beer that could be a fall back beer or a nice session ale to drink and just shoot the shit with a bud.
It's going to ease your mind, not blow it.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2007 02:50:04 | More by wcudwight

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Out of a twelve ounce bottle pours a orange copper color. With a rocky head about and inch thick that is a little on the frothy side that thins out slowly.

Aromas: The hops in this one come right out of the gate with subtle dried fruit notes behind it. Very minor hints of grapefruit.

Taste: With a lightly crisp mouthfeel but more on the smooth side. This one has a nice balance to it. It is a little sweet as if there are the slightest drops of honey.

Notes: This is a nicely balanced beer to be enjoyed anytime of year. One of the more underated beers. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 02:26:32 | More by horshack7

shangwang

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Received this one in a beer of the month club my sister signed me up for - thanks sis! I was familiar with the name Ipswich, but I don't think I had tried anything made by them until now. Poured into a traditional pint glass.

Color is a hazy reddish-amber, with an initial finger of foamy white head. That reduced to a thin centimeter layer that hung around for a while. Smell was sweet and malty, with a hint of hoppy bitterness. It also had a toffee/caramel candy quality about it. Tasted very malty with a tart fruity sweetness - maybe grapefruit? It wasn't a dominating taste, more of a subtle characteristic. Definitely agree with the other reviews that mention a tea-like quality. It finished with a piny, hoppy bitterness. Light mouthfeel with a little bit of zip but mostly flat.

Overall, this was a good ale. Fairly well-balanced with good flavor and very easy to drink. Doesn't push boundaries or blow my mind, but my guess is that's not the intent. Solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 22:22:59 | More by shangwang

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 1" off-white head. Body is an interesting raw sienna yellow color with a slight haze. Smells of malt and caramel. Taste doesn't quite match the smell, it's more standard BMC with a little malt, and definitely more bitter hops coming through in the finish. It's OK, I just don't think it stands out much higher than upper average.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:17:03 | More by MoreThanWine

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12ozer bottle bought as part of a mix 6-pack (that the proprietor was nice enough to allow me to make) from Holiday Spirits, Storrs, CT.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a scant 1/4" light beige head over the orangey amber brew, which has numerous large and small floaties throughout, even though great care was taken pouring. Head is gone quickly, leaving an uneven layer of bubbles, and lacing is average. Aroma is earthy, malty, with a tinge of hoppiness. Taste is also pervaded with earthiness, but the balance of this brew is appreciated. Mouthfeel and drinkability are okay, but could be cleaner, overall better. Will keep an eye out for another to revisit, in case of an off bottle...

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2005 16:15:55 | More by ppoitras

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought an Ipswich Mix pack after reading some of the positive reviews here. This was the first beer that I sampled. Poured from the bottle into glass with a two finger foamy, white head. Appearance was a nice golden brown. The aroma was floral with evident earthy malt tones. The taste hits upfront with the bitterness of the hops and the earthy tones of the malt. However, the floral, citrusy element of the hops is missing and only the bitterness is present. The mouthfeel was clean with a nice bite of carbonation at the end. Drinkability was decent, as the flavor was not overpowering and the alcohol content is not high, but the bitterness is not balanced well enough to have more than a couple these.

Overall, I was not overly impressed by this offering, especially considering the other reviews I saw. The flavor was decent but not in balance. Perhaps I would enjoy this better on draft.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 20:02:45 | More by Gosox8787

mooseisloose

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

BOTMC the gift that keeps giving.... This brew smells like a earthy ale a slight molasses smell with earthy hop undertones. Pours into my pint glass with a nice foamy two finger head. Color is a slightly hazy orange bronze. Head stands nicely. Taste is sweet and malty with some caramel. Hops kick in quickly with citrusy, grapefruity flavor and a sharp bite. Balanced and delicious. Mouthfeel is very good, good fizz but not overpowering. Nice lacing on the glass as it empties. This is a staple brew. Very good and a sessioner without a doubt.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 22:23:19 | More by mooseisloose

Truh

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Spotted the white whale with this one on 6/26/2004. 16-oz. pour in shaker glass at Matt Murphy’s in Brookline, MA.

Half inch frothy head which subsided to a full-coverage sheen by the end; lacing present. Mellow golden hue that poured somewhat hazy and I wondered if that was usual – I didn’t remember that it was for some reason. Hops are the first thing noticed in the bouquet, followed by an odd key lime presence. Great pale profile to taste, with just the weird aforementioned tartness. A little slippery on the palate, but that’s balanced by the acidity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2004 22:03:54 | More by Truh

Gusler

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer after its debarkation from the 12-ounce brown bottle sets in the glass a lightly hazed golden amber color with a frothy off-white head that is modest in size, the resultant lace a thin blanket to lie upon the glass. Nose has a slight hop floral spiciness backed by sweet malt, citrus crisp and clean, start is sweet with a pleasant grain profile, top is middling in its feel to the palate. Finish is patiently hopped and pleasing in its acidity with the aftertaste droughty and long lasting, Ipswich makes some fine session beers, just sorry my friends, who visit, only visit once a year, but I’m thankful they always bring back a six pack of beer for poor old Gusler. lol

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2004 16:46:26 | More by Gusler