Ipswich Whipple House Old Ale - Ipswich Ale Brewery

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

2009 bottle kept in the cellar. Split with angrybabboon for EBF at home.

Appearance: Rich deep copper/brown. Lighter when held to direct light. Head is a dirty off-white. Pours with a solid inch high head but drops to a small, loose, bubbly cap and collar. Spots of lacing. Decent carbonation.

Smell: Light whiskey. Some vanilla and oak. Sweet caramelized malts. Cooked and biscuity. Some solvent and fusel alcohol. Apple skin. Touches of grape. Sweet and chewy. Caramel, toffee.Breast, like rich brown bread. Deft use of whiskey, at least at this point. Light yeast in the back.

Taste: Mild caramel. Some backing bready elements. Light with some minor pale malts. Bready caramel malts. Oxidation has crept in. Some apple and metallic notes. Sherry. Light bread crust. Cooked. Some corny and vaguely grassy elements. Wet. Damp. Light vinegar backing. Very clean.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a slightly above average carbonation. Clean .

Overall: Old, but not not useless.

A decent take on the style. Relatively light and drinkable. A bit too much age, but still worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:17:10 | More by Goblinmunkey7

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.01/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this, the official "extremely large" beer for our substitute Extreme Beer Fest

Consumed 2/9/13

Appearance: Brown with some deep amber - impressive clarity around the edges - pours with a light tan head, very impressive carbonation given how old this is - keeps a nice ring, decent cap - leaves some nice streaks of lacing

Smell: Rich caramel, with some earthy malts - cooked, caramelized grains, with some amber malts - lightly toasty, with a touch of roast - some earthy fruits, figs and plums - mellow but interesting

Taste: Caramel and dark fruits - toasted, caramelized malts - sweet in a nice way, with caramel and molasses - medium, earthy bitterness - nicely balanced - fig and plum skins - dry raisins - something reminiscent of wood - light oxidation, and it works well - a touch of alcohol

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, potentially the easiest drinking Old Ale I've ever had

Overall: I might be able to drink 1.5 liters of this

Despite being an Old Ale, and being aged, this doesn't taste particularly old. It's unexpectedly drinkable, unlike some other Old Ales I've choked down. I actually wish I had one of these in my closet,

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:12:38 | More by angrybabboon

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage on tap at Deep Ellum. Dark brown/black in color with a minor head. The aroma and taste is all about FIG, FIG, FIG....the strongest fig aroma I've ever got from a beer before. Dates also come to mind in the aroma. While notes of oak and prune also rear their heads on the palate. Nice, firm, heavy but smooth mouthfeel with soft carbonation. Real nice drinking. Would go well with nutty cheeses and candied fruit. Definitely try this one if you like fig. What do you know...another great brew from Ipswich!

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 16:48:29 | More by jbertsch

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle is roughly 2 years old, gifted to me less than a year ago and cellared since then. Normally i don't review aged beers but this in an exception...

Dark brown pour with thick bodied head on top. Holding it up to the light reveals ruby red highlights around the edges of the glass. The center stays opaque and does not let the light pass through.

The smell of rich caramel greets my nose, with a dark fruity aroma hiding in the background. Sweet and full-flavored sensations from inhaling deeply, hints of oak and plums ride the caramel.

Flavors of dark candied fruit - plums? on top of the sweet caramel malt body. Woody flavors show up now and again. A body thinned by aging deftly carries the intense woody sweetness through the end of each sip, warmly satisfying as it washes away.

This Old Ale is refreshingly different from palate-crushing barleywines and DIPAs, and smoother than acrid or hopped up Imperial Stouts. A very easy sipper, my glass was empty before I knew it and I was eagerly pouring another. The bottle aging seemed to concentrate the sweeter caramel notes and intensified the plum flavors without overwhelming or tiring out my taste buds. I am very grateful to have gotten my hands on this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 17:32:04 | More by neophilus

beer4colin

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ Union Brew House , 12 oz pour in goblet.

A: minimal head but what there is laces nicely on the glass. Medium brown color very inviting.
S: very sweet aroma, caramel.
T: this is nice - a treat for the taste buds. There is a lot going on: plums, no plums baked with honey. I am trying to savor it and let it warm a bit. I know this will open up and morph into something very different by the bottom of the glass.
MF: medium body that barely coats the mouth. Feel the alcohol though riding the tongue on the finish.
D: I'd love to try. Those magnums are huge and too much for one man. But this is meant to be shared.

I am the luckiest man in the world to have a local pub that ALWAYS hangs such great offerings! UBH!!

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2010 22:23:24 | More by beer4colin

ManVersusBeer

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Sunset and served in a tulip.
This brew smells like plums looks like plums and tastes like plums. Glad I enjoy plums.
It is very dark, touching on black, with no head, but some web-like lacing. Prunes and sticky malt hit the nose with a mild carbonation that works well with the style and complements the bourbon soaked honey figs and subtle sugared dates. At 9%, Whipple is perfect for sipping all night long on a dreary raining evening by the fireplace. It is super delicious and the hearty lingering of candied dried fruit really make this great.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2010 01:33:46 | More by ManVersusBeer

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

$6.25 for 11oz. @ American Craft, Brookline MA

Dark purpley brown with ruby highlights. Pristine white head skims, collars and leaves a few lacey fingers. Aroma is seductive and sinister. Dark fruit and chocolate with some bourbon slithering through it all. Chambord-ish dark fruity alcohol.

I could pull out flavors all night like dark fruit, burnt caramel, rich, decadent chocolate, bourbon, black cherry,currants, black raspberry, blueberry, snozberry...suffice to say it's complex and indulgent. The bourbon, chocolate, and dark fruity malt give an impression like those whiskey filled chocolate candies.

Why can't this be bottled in something smaller than 1.5L?

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2010 19:48:02 | More by donkeyrunner

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at American Craft in Brookline. Served in a 11oz glass. Dark brown color, with ruby colored highlights. No real head or lacing noticed. Smelled boozy and fruity, just the way I like it. Taste was excellent. Hint of the whiskey barrel aging, but not overpowering. Just enough to notice. Very fruity flavor, such as figs and cherry. Big notes of alcohol on the palate. Reminded me a lot of a well brewed Belgian Quad. Serving size was appropriate, as it packs a punch. This is a beer that I could easily drink a few of and not get bored. Glad I was able to find this on tap, as the 1.5l bottle is out of my price range.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 16:51:29 | More by morebeergood