Ipswich India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) - Ipswich Ale Brewery

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.89/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle from Total Wine Tampa FL for 2$

Appearance - Hazy brownish copper colour with a large size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, grapefruit, caramel

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel and malts mixed with some dry hops. There is also some grapefruit and something along the lines of rye. It ends with a malty fairly bitter dry hop bitterness.

Overall – It tastes like a good east coast IPA. Not a whole lot of fruity juicy notes, but some nice malts and a decent dose of hops. A beer well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 02:50:59 | More by spinrsx

smiga

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Best American IPA? Could be...

You know how wine drinkers inhale over their tongues? This is an IPA that makes you do that.

A: darker, cloudy ipa. A deep copper orange (like Dales Pale Ale). Big frothy head. Good lacing

S: balance of biscuity malts, and citrus, pine/grassy hops. Like a hike up the Central Coast of California.

T: Great interplay of lemon/ Pine balanced with malt backbone of caramel. dry and refreshing! Tingling. grassy/piney arc and finish. nicely bitter. Well balanced.

M; Chewy. Tingly. Refreshing. Good weight. All seasons.

O: An All-American IPA up there with Anchor Steam Liberty and Dales Pale Ale and Great Divide.

Fine quality. Earned a permanent place in my house. *whole foods NJ

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 01:14:43 | More by smiga

JohnnyJam

Arizona

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured From a 22 oz bottle with no expiration date int a pint glass and got 1 1/2 finger of head.

A: Pours a copper color that is hazy (the bottle says unfiltered). The head is rocky and off-white to even a light tan color: about 1 1/2 fingers that dissipates but covers the top of the glass to the end. The is some nice sticky laceing on the glass after every sip. Beautiful.

S: Some light citus and grapefruit along with some bread and malty aroma.

T: Very complex: biting hops but balanced with a slightly sweet almost thick taste. The hops always come through and the finish is hoppy and a kind of oily hoppy finish.

M: Goes down good. It is full-bodied almost thick and chewy.

O: A good price for an outstanding beer. I would like to try this on tap. Definately recommended. The best east coast beer that I've tried.

Serving type: growler

11-28-2012 23:49:54 | More by JohnnyJam

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber purchased at Total Wine in Claymont DE, great price.

Poured into a beer mug, 1 1/2 fingers head at the top with some lacing.

Pleasant appearance, though darker than most IPA's that I have had.
More of an amber/caramel hue.

Immediately noticed pine scent upon pouring.

Tastes great! Strong hops flavor in addition to a bold malt backbone.
Balanced carbonation for an overall great beer experience.

I would definitely pick this up again, and at the price point I am quite impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:36:38 | More by GiantMidget

AdamHart22

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had one in the bottle and one in a pint glass.

A - a nice deep amber. Nothing too special here.

S - not much going on here. Surprising lack of bouquet considering...

T - The taste is what you are looking for in an IPA with this ABV. Nice and balanced. Some nice roasted malt and barley is followed by a great citrus hit from the hops. More of a lemon and grapefruit than the typical piney taste of a west coast ipa.

M - My favorite part of this beer. Finish is super clean with a light pleasant bitter after taste. Makes this beer easy to drink and I expect easy to session.

O - An IPA that is eminently drinkable. If you are a fan of this style than you can't go wrong here.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 15:41:41 | More by AdamHart22

wspscott

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle in pint glass
no date

A: Dark copper color with an off-white fluffy head. Nice head retention and pretty lace.
S: Very muted, no sign of hops, a little sweetness is all.
T: Some bitter hops along with a medium caramel sweetness. A little bit of toasty malts to keep things from being too sweet. Definitely not a west coast IPA. No sign of American hops, I would call this an English IPA. I like the malt combination here, but it needs more late addition hops.
M: Very tingly carbonation with a medium body, a little drying almost astringent.
O: As an American IPA this is dissapointing. As an English IPA it is not bad. The website describes it as a cross between the two styles. Supposedly, there are Cascades in there, but I am hard pressed to find them, definitely needs more late addition hops. I wonder how old this is?

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 23:18:45 | More by wspscott

oberon

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap a few days back at Sticks and Stones here in Greensboro.Poured into a standard pint glass a pretty deep copper/bronze with a tightly formed 1/2 finger white head atop.Sharp sitirc hops over top of a hefty caramel/biscuit malt base,the aromas are quite full with the hops really coming out nicely.Citric and piney hops hit at the onset and meld nicely into a sweetish biscuit maltiness.It's pretty well rounded with a good hop profile in the nose and palate,top notch stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2012 16:12:50 | More by oberon

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: darker than most ipa. A deep copper orange. Decent frothy head. Some lacing

S: balance of caramell biscuity malts, and grapefruit, pine/grassy hops.

T: A mix of Grapefruit lemon and Pine. Pronounced malt backbone of toffee and caramel. Considering darkness and malt backbone leaves the palate quite dry with grassy/piney with lime. Havent had this in a very long time. Quite bitter, more than I recall. Well balanced.

M; Real nice softness and creaminess, slightly high carbonation that tingles the tongue. Chewy.

O: An English IPA with an american hop bill. Got a nice toasted, malt bill, with that Citrusy "c" american hop bill. One of new englands best breweries, they wont blow your socks off but everything has a certain amount of quality to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:32:54 | More by BigCheese

TonyC

4.85/5  rDev +25%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A nice local offering. Proudly brewed in Ipswich, proudly being consumed in Saugus.

A: A very hazy dark orange-amber color, with a very nice white head that settles into a decent lace after every sip.

S: A definite citrusy hops aroma that dominates.

T: A good upfront hops flavor that though it does dominate, but does have a sweetness to it. Very appealing to the palate, and leave you with a tang on your tongue.

M: Crisp and tangy, and very easy to drink.

O: An excellent beer period. Excellent with seafood, or a top quality steak, or with the simple fare of an Summertime BBQ, or just alone by itself.

This is one of my "Old Faithfuls". Whenever I am standing in front of the beer coolers at my local store, and can't decide on something, I grab an Ipswich.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 03:08:43 | More by TonyC

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Although the bottle was only purchased in Delaware last week-end, I can't tell how old it is and whether the beer's caramelized malt-forward nature comes from age rather than intent. As it ends with a delightfully dry and bitter finish, I am inclined to give Ipswich the benefit of the doubt and would purchase a second one.

Pours a hazy, orange amber with decent head and minor lacing. Bready aroma, very malt-forward. The taste has some citrus and floral elements underpinning that caramelized maltiness. The finish lingers and is enjoyably bitter.

Thought the Ipswich Oatmeal Stout was truly brilliant and wouldn't list this APA as highly, but as noted, would try again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 22:40:31 | More by hopsolutely

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass- pours a mahogany color with a one finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves some nice lacing and a little froth.

Smell seems pretty non-existent. I checked with my friend also and he didn't really smell anything either. I get a little bit of pale malt and a little bit of citrus hops.

Tastes good- pretty bitter, lacking in depth of hop flavor probably because the scent isn't there. A medium amount of piney hop bitterness, followed by a little bit of carmel malt sweetness. Long, dry finish.

Mouthfeel is ok- pretty resiny, which detracts from the score in this case, light to medium body with moderate carbonation. This is an ok IPA but nothing I'd get again. Part of a variety pack that was really worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 00:55:26 | More by Hopdaemon39

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lots of sediment leaves a hazy copper colored body with a nice sticky white head on top.

Good dose of herbal hop character with just a bit of orange in there as well. Nice malt profile in the background.

This one sits on the more balanced side of the spectrum with a nice bright hop flavor up front with a strong malt backbone to hold it up. Fruity and bitter with a slightly grainy character to it.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit bubbly. Overall, a tasty and refreshing IPA but not quite as hop-forward as many are these days.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 20:30:13 | More by Kinsman

curasowa

New York

3.05/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly hazy copper color with one finger of white head that fades slowly with a curtain of lace.

Aroma: A mix of floral and citrus hop notes over a somewhat pronounced toasted malt aroma with a hint of yeast and some dishrag.

Taste: A lot of toasted malt flavor right off the bat, with the body on the heavy side of medium. Oily hop flavor starts to build in the middle and overtakes the malt base, leading to a pretty harsh bitter back end that thins out quite a bit.

The Rest: Not the best IPA I've had. It's lacking a bit in the aroma department - just a general hop aroma without any real pronounced characteristics - and then a pretty harsh finish. It's like the bitterness of dry hopping without any of the associated flavor. It looks like I'm in the minority on this one, but this beer reminds me of something you get at a mediocre brewpub.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:50:15 | More by curasowa

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle - $3.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a clouded, dark dirty copper body with an inch of off-white head leaving sticky laceworks on the descent.

Smell: Malt blend presenting notes of bread, toast, and a bit of caramel. Hops throwing off hints of citrus zest and reserved resins.

Taste: Bready, toasty maltiness with a scant sliver of caramel. There's some sweetness, but not too much, really. Grapefruit and bitter orange hop flavors with a medium-plus bitterness. Small hint of earthy resins underneath. Bready yeastiness. Bittersweet finish with a bready flavor and touch of citrus enduring into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Decently drinkable, I thought it was OK. A beer that gets the job done.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 17:25:06 | More by ChainGangGuy

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 1/4" tan head over amber/brown liquid.

S: Honey, sweet caramel malt as well as citrus and grassy hops.

T: Grapefruit and pine hops with caramel malt and honey flavours.

M: Medium viscosity and a medium level of delicate carbonation. Some drying from the alcohol.

O: Quite drinkable and good value for the money. Picked up a bomber at Total wine for only $3.99

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:00:38 | More by DaftCaskBC

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Pours a dark copper with a small head that dies quickly. Very hazy in color. A speckled lacing is left on the glass. I was surprised at how dark and cloudy this beer was. I prefer a lighter colored IPA.

S - Strange combination of honey, pine, sourdough bread, and floral hops. A bit unbalanced and malty.

T - Tastes much better than it smells. It has a very floral and herbal front and a drying piney finish. The caramel and bready malts are present throughout, but they take a backseat to the bitter hops and pine. Certainly an "east coast" IPA with the malt presence but well balanced and enjoyable.

M - Fuller bodied than the norm for the style, but it works. Well carbonated and smooth.

O - I enjoyed this beer. Some of the characteristics remind me of an English IPA, which is ironic (or not, depending on how you look at it) because the bottle claims Ipswich to be the "original american ale." Very balanced flavor, but the smell was a bit off and the color was atypical. I may get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 02:40:38 | More by NoLeafClover44

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: rust body, finger white head,
ok lacing

S: herbal/floral nose, toasted grain
almost a British IPA scent

T: herbal/floral front, toasted grain/bready
middle, solid pine/earthy bitter finish

M: med body, mild slick/oily mouth

O: Nice beer, would like to try more
of their offerings. Would recommend.

NICE, WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 21:50:03 | More by BeerLover99

Dools9

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint, no freshness date.

A: Very cloudy, hazy dark orange amber color. Finger of off white, creamy head which retains to the bottom and leaves webby lace. Darker color than I expected.

S: Grapefruit, sweet bready/toasty malt, a slight earthy/piney herbal quality as well.

T: Grapefruit and subtle pine, caramel and bready malt sweetness, the malts are a bit stronger than the hops here, but its very well balanced and easily drinkable.

M: Medium bodied, smooth carbonation, nice creamy feel. Very enjoyable. Drinks like 4 or 5%

O: Very good, locally brewed IPA, nicely done. If you can find, its worth a try. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 05:12:07 | More by Dools9

Fubar1453

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Murky dark orange color, with a creamy off white head.

S:Hops and citrus, pretty standard.

T: A good amount of hops, and a little but of citrus, sticky hop feeling in the back of the mouth.

M: Sticky with right amount of carbonation.

O: A good local new england regional, it has one of the more unique colors to it, balanced taste and very drinkable. I would recommend you try it out.

RXII

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 23:36:22 | More by Fubar1453

musicforairports

New York

3.05/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz single, undated. Bought at a bottle shop in Adams, Mass.

Completely opaque orange-amber. Fluffy head and some lacing.

Smells nutty, earthy and citric.

Flavor has oily floral and earthy hop flavors, some orange-flavored citrus. Some sturdy bread and nutty malt as well. A bit sweet, with an off-putting note I can't put my finger on that reminds me of a homebrew.

Medium mouthfeel. Lightly creamy, adequately carbonated.

Wasn't too impressed with this beer. Reminded me more of a pale ale. I'd like to try it fresh, but it wasn't a lack of hop flavor that I found most dissapointing about this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 21:06:26 | More by musicforairports

Ilovesuds

New Hampshire

1.8/5  rDev -53.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Hazy, sediment laced burnt orange color. Nose is grapefruit and pine. Nice mouthfeel but so bitter on the back of my tounge that I couldn't finish the bottle (didn't want to). Another reviewer described this taste as "charred vinyl". Now I've never tasted burnt 33 LP's but I'm imagining this is what they taste like. Did I just get a bad batch? I don't get it.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 23:44:06 | More by Ilovesuds

Vixie

Illinois

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

Pours a cloudy orange color with a hint of red. Forms a bit of a white head which dissipates fairly fast, leaving some lacing.

The hops really stand out here, it's a bit grassy and floral. It does remind me a bit of being outside on a spring day.

Starts out a bit malty, with a bit of caramel and toffee notes. The hops then kick in, giving it a bit of an earthy taste. There is a bit of a floral character, and finishes with a touch of bitterness.

Maybe a touch more thin than I expected, but still decent.

First off, I am not a fan of IPAs at all, probably my least favorite beer style. That being said, this was probably the best IPA I have had. The hops are very much present, but don't overwhelm. The malt balances it nicely, making it much more drinkable than I expected. Glad I got to try this, it may make me rethink what an IPA can be.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:31:06 | More by Vixie

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Somewhat reluctantly trying another of these Ipswich brews. This one pours a clear sunset bronze topped by a finger of dirty cream-white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit peel, orange zest, buttery caramel, and deep-forest pine (you know the pine...). The taste brings in more of the same, but, yet again, there's that added swipe of charred vinyl near and through the finish. It does not mesh well with the lightly spicy hops, lemme tell ya. I was thinking that bit was a result of "unique" malt-roasting techniques, but now I'm starting to think it's either the yeast or the bottles. I just dunno here... The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta dry finish. Overall, this would be an okay, solid IPA were it not for that damn Ipswich vinyl character. Am I the only one tasting this in these beers?

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:18:49 | More by TMoney2591

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a SA sensory glass. Thanks to Eric for gifting me with this. This brew pours a burnt copper color with 2 fingers worth of yellowish tan froth. The cap slowly recedes leaving finger-like patterns of lace all over the glass. A light swirl revives a finger's worth of yellowish fluff.

The aroma of this brew has citrus and fruity hops mixed with a fruited alcohol quality and caramel malt sweetness about the nose. There is a spicy alcohol kick across the back which exaggerates the herbal quality of the hops. Some sulfur notes are evident as the brew warms up.

The taste is hoppy with a modest herbal bitterness. Under the bitterness is a caramel malt presence that hardly provides any contrasting sweetness. The grain aspect also carries with it a lightly musty aspect. The hops get a bit grassy as the brew warms up and a light young yeastiness evolves mid-palate.

The alcohol is fairly spicy and warming for 6.5%. It is medium bodied and modestly carbonated. Overall not a bad offering. Thanks for sharing Eric.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 21:48:19 | More by stakem

ToasterChef

Maine

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In honor of IPA Day, I'm reviewing a new to me beer. A chilled bottle is poured into a pint glass. A big foam tan head rests atop of a clear light brown liquid. The serving temperature has caused my glass to fog up, but wiping away the condensation reveals some spare rising carbonation. The settling head leaves behind some good lacing.

The beer has a good hop aroma. It's not too strong, but it is unmistakeably bitter. The hops are crisp and forest-like.

The beer has a tasty, solid flavor that is both true to style and very enjoyable. Floral hops mask a slight crystal sugar sweetness. The malts evolve into more of a brown sugar flavor, as the hops become more bitter, slightly oily, and piney. A bitter resin and a touch of alcohol linger on after swallowing.

Medium body and medium carbonation give the body a standard feel. The lack of stickiness and a coat that retains the bitterness well pushes the mouthfeel into the above average category.

I like this IPA a lot. I've had limited experience with Mercury and the Ipswich line, but this beer impressed me. I would certainly drink more of it—I'll go as far to say that I will purchase a 6 pack next time I'm in Massachusetts. If you are able to, you should give this beer a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 18:39:00 | More by ToasterChef