Ipswich Dark Ale - Ipswich Ale Brewery

argock

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Bukowski's Tavern (Boston, MA) in clear pint glass for $5.00.

A: Super dark murky brown with 1/2- to 1-finger beige head with average retention and a few lace rings circle the glass.

S: Big malts from much of the spectrum including mainly black, caramel, and chocolate malts. Hops are lightly herbal and woody without much character otherwise.

T: This is a malt-lover's beer with big dark malt flavors that hit notes of caramel, dark roasted, and licorice with an overall woody, walnut-like flavor. Hops are very light and mainly earthy.

M: Medium-to-full bodied with low carbonation and a malty-earthy aftertaste.

D: One of the most earthy, dark brews I've ever had. I enjoyed it because of the range of malt flavors it delivers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2009 19:36:50 | More by argock

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

Ipswich Dark Ale:
Beautiful appearance. The body is a very deep, ruby-accented dark mahogany brown. The creamy tan head has excellent retention, and it leaves almost solid walls of lace about the glass.

Surprisingly hoppy nose! I was expecting a much more basic ale, perhaps something like a dunkel lager but done with ale yeast - this is nothing like that. It's quite American with juicy, fruity hops bursting forth. Very nice! Beyond that it's pretty basic with a just lightly chocolatey malt base.

The flavor delivers the same hops found in the aroma, but they're more rounded with a grassy side as well. From there the malt steps in, and it's much more chocolatey than the nose suggests, and also very darkly caramelish. It offers a flicker of sweetness, and then settles down as the solid bitterness and leafy hop flavors rise. Well-rounded and very nicely balanced considering the citrusy hops present.

An impressive, hoppy brown ale!

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2009 21:14:38 | More by NeroFiddled

DavidSeanNJ

New Jersey

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

On-Tap served into a pint glass...

A- Dark brown "is that black?" liquid...thin head, not much lace. Not your typical looking brown ale.

S- Smell was roasty and malty with hints of nut and dark coffee beans.

T- Taste was full of character. Lots of roasted flavors, some dark chocolate and molasses, some hop punch, but tended to stray on the malty side.

M- Interesting- somewhat thin for a full flavored brown ale- easy going down, not heavy.

D- A sessionable brown ale. Good stuff, but wasn't BLOWN away.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2008 17:33:54 | More by DavidSeanNJ

dherling

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out a dark reddish-brown with a light tan head. Decent lacing. The nose is a balance between the bready, grainy smell of the malt, and the aromatic smell of the hops. There's a touch of nuttiness in there as well. The taste offers a bready, toasted flavor from the grains, but the green, fresh hop flavor takes center stage here. The hops have a bit of a grapefruit bite to them. I detect a slight alcohol flavor towards the end, but it's faint enough. Medium in body with a mouthfeel that stradles the line between dry and crisp, and round and creamy.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2007 23:41:31 | More by dherling

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a pretty, cloudy auburn color with a 1/2 inch head. Smells both malty and hoppy, yum. Taste is also well balanced malt and hop, some nuttiness, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a quality and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:51:45 | More by tone77

BigCheese

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bottled on 9/28, just over a month old.

A: Pours a deep mahogany, with a large/healthy/thick baileys colored pillow of a head. The big head lasts, one of the better I've seen in a little while. Leaves lacing everywhere. Not totally clear but appears filtered.

S:Toasted biscuit, toffee, herbal hops break through, rather light aroma.

T: Mix of malty sweetness and intertwined with a slight punch of hops. Lots of caramel, toffee, nuttyness, oatmeal, milk chocolate all come to mind. Finish is more bittersweet chocolate and medium roast coffee. some Grassy hops too, with hints of pine/lemon. definitely some bitterness not sure if its hops, dark malts or both. Hints of butter too, maybe a dash of diacetyl, which isn't uninvited.

M: High carbonation, light body but silky smooth, I suspect oats, quite drinkable.

O: Quite a pleasant brown ale. A bit darker than many brown ales, with a bitter/robust character. Sort of a brown ale/robust porter hybrid IMO. I like it, another solid session beer from Ipswich, simple recipes, superb execution.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 01:30:22 | More by BigCheese

Dools9

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle dated 8/14/12 poured into a tumbler.

A: Murky, dark brown in color. Very nice creamy two finger khaki brown head. Very nice lace and retention.

S: Very malty, lots of toasty grain, caramel malt, a bit of earth.

T: Light pine and bitter earthy hops give way to a wave of toasted grainy malt, roasted biscuit, and ends with a nice toffee sweetness. As the beer warms, some roasty chocolate malt comes through and the sweetness becomes a bit more more pronounced.

M: Medium body, lightly crisp, slick mouth.

O: Pretty enjoyable brown ale here, actually a bit more hop foward than expected.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 17:40:16 | More by Dools9

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled in 4-oz. taster, in shifts

A: decent head (dissipates quickly) with mix of bubble sizes; little carb action; dark copper color
S: caramel, malty aroma; persistent, inviting
T: bitter, dry flavor; complex; more hoppy than malty; prominent roasted malt (almost smoked), toward a stout; good balance of flavor with alcohol; hop flavor is in the darker, lower range

Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 03:02:17 | More by Arithmeticus

chinchill

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle served in a Unibroue snifter.

Appearance: Pours a near-clear, dark mahogany with a beige head that has moderate size and durability.

Smell: Roasted malts with spicy hop overtones and hints of raisins. 3.75

Taste: More hops here than expected, but the maltiness of the brown ale base is clearly present (albeit less pronounced) as well. Mildly bitter. Dark roast in the finish with some lingering pine/hop notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium+ carbonation. Slight crispness and astringency.

Overall: More hop-forward than a typical brown ale, this is better classified as a brown pale ale, and a good one at that.
Both aroma and flavor improve with warming.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 23:03:59 | More by chinchill

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: 1/2" tan coloured head that left a nice lacing over brown liquid.

S: Citrus hops, yeast, toffee malt

T: Citrus, floral and some pine hops up front with toffee and chocolate flavoured malt. More bitter than sweet.

M: Thin viscosity and a high level of fine carbonation. Some drying from the alcohol.

O: A pretty good brown ale that gets better as it approaches room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:52:13 | More by DaftCaskBC

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma has a malty core with subtle chocolate and citrus notes and just a hint of cloves. It pours a dark, hazy, warm brown with a fairly thick and persistent light tan head that leaves some good lacing. Malty flavor has woody, unsweet chocolate and caramel notes plus a fruity hint. Smooth, firm-bodied texture is fizzy and lively, leaving a woody, malty finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 20:19:19 | More by Cyberkedi

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

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

Appearance: Pours out a dark russet-toned body with a rather tall, beige head.

Smell: Roasty, toasty malts, chiefly, with hoppy edges of pine and pith.

Taste: Hardly toasted bread, a fair amount of chary roast, and some bitterish chocolate, though very little sweetness ever coming forward to the drinker. Bark-strewn pine chips and a bit of chopped citrus pith ahead of a medium level of bitterness. Drying on the back half with some lingering pine and roast.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Actually, I was surprised at how fairly hop-forward this was, and was a bit disappointed, as I'd hoped for something more on the malty end of the brown ale spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 19:24:54 | More by ChainGangGuy

Zorro

California

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

Hazy brown colored ale with a small tan colored head.

Smells sweet and malty with a chocolate cake batter malt aroma. Smells of chocolate and vanilla with wheat toast. No patent malt aroma at all and no coffee aroma either.

Starts out dry with a fair amount of bitterness and mostly a wheat toast flavor. Taste bitter with some small amount of sweet malt to offset the hops. Mild patent malt flavor, and that is about it. Pretty much a run of the mill brown ale.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall a pretty standard Brown Ale. Nothing here to make it stand out. Not sure I would ever try this again. I am near certain I would try anything new over this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 00:53:19 | More by Zorro

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

almost english porter-like in appearance. a deeep brown which shows some mahogany when held up to the light. nice, khaki head that leaves tons of lacing after it laces quickly.

roasted/candied nuts with some dark fruits, molasses (light) and caramel with some toast.

nice roasty, toasty, sweet flavor with a significant charred/smoke flavor that is not usual for the style, but adds a nice element to cut through the sweetness. roasted nuts and fruits are still there, and some cacao on the finish.

medium bodied with a gently prickly carbonation and a syrupy stickiness left behind with a toasted and sweet aftertaste.

I like it. usually a pretty boring style, the heavy roast brings in an element that helps distinguish this one from the pack.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 05:28:51 | More by silentjay

jman892

Massachusetts

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

A - Pours dark brown with some copper highlights. Sudsy head and decent lacing

S- Grassy hops are pretty noticeable. Has a very earhty aroma overall

T - Good amount of hops considering the style. A little bit of toffee sweetnes trying to come into the picture, but largely covered up by the hops. There is a bit of a soapiness character also

M - Stongly carbonated, medium bodied

O - A little bit more bitterness than I would normally expect from a Brown ale. A perfectly average beer for me

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 17:18:49 | More by jman892

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ruby, copper, and cola all mixed together for this beer's color. Great head and residual foam and bubbling. This beer looks great!

Very hard to pick up the toasted and almost roasted malt aromas. As well as a few bitter hop aromas as well.

Taste starts bitter toasted, almost roasted orange peel. Then maybe some toasty and roasty malts mix in the middle through to the finish. But still pretty bitter from start to finish. More like and AIPA that wishes it was an ABA.

Not bad, but doesn't fit the style at all in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 22:54:13 | More by scruffwhor

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a nonic)

A- This beer pours a dense brown body that glows a dark oak hue at the base of the glass. There is some microbubbles gliding up the sides of the glass. The thick sticky yellowish tan head last and last with creamy rings sticking to the glass with each sip.

S- The soft aroma of clay and lightly toasted malt has some soft green hop hints with a musky pungency to them. A bit soft in aroma but very pleasant.

T- Green hops have a nice full pungency with some wintergreen qualities to it. There is a nice dark biscuit malt flavor that comes through. There is a touch of tartness and grainy quality in the finish with a very soft bitterness that lingers as a green herbal quality.

M- Medium mouthfeel with a slippery texture that finish a bit creamy.

O- This beer has a nice rich flavor of hops with some soft bitterness and a nice character, albeit a bit soft, in the depth of brown malts.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 21:15:32 | More by rhoadsrage

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

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

A: Deep dark brown, with faint light tan head.
Update: The head is this and leaves great lacing. The head stays practically the entire time while drinking, excellent.

S: Malty, biscuity, yeasty, and a hint of cocoa at the end. Pine hop aroma.

T: Big malt flavor, but follows the nose exactly with great biscuity flavors. Also has a touch of dark fruit, and a slight hop bitterness at the end to give it a nice kick.
Update: Wow, when this is fresh, it's a fantastic take on the style. All the previous flavors are present, but there is a great, acidic, piney hop punch that hits you simultaneously with the malt.

M: Update: Let this beer warm up a bit. Has a near-Guinness mouthfeel, super smooth, creamy, but a medium body. Best of both worlds, great carbonation.

D: It's a very enjoyable beer, a tasty and interesting Brown Ale.
Update: This beer is a great take on the style. Make sure you let the beer warm a bet, reap the benefits. Buy this fresh and it's one of the best, older is great as well.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 04:12:31 | More by mostpoetsdo

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Working my way through the Ipswich line that we get 'round here. This offering pours a murky black-brown topped by a finger of beige foam. The nose comprises light roasted malts, light coffee, light toasted white bread, and dark greens. The taste brings in more of the same, with the toast and coffee coming in a bit more powerfully, some orange rind and pine sap coming in, and a harsh vinyl flavor coming in at the end. This same tobacco-like vinyl character was present near the finish of the Oatmeal Stout as well... The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly dry and sticky finish. Overall, it's hard to enjoy this beer, what with that vinyl taste. Maybe they just roast their malts in a strange way (thus explaining the similarities with the Oatmeal Stout)? Regardless, I could not drink this very easily...

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 20:29:27 | More by TMoney2591

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-When poured, this brew looks like root beer. Dark, brown with a pretty tan head. The head leaves some pretty nice lacing around the glass as well.

S-Deep sweet sugars. A Toffee hard candy smell. Almost get a bit of roasted nuts. A slight bit of chocolate. Sweet yet roasted. A pretty enjoyable scent.

T-Enjoyable but not as powerful as I was initially expecting. Come to think of it I am actually relieved by that, seeing how hot it is outside. This beer boasts a surprising amount of hop bitterness. I am surprised by the hop character not only because of the style of beer, but also because I am fairly certain this single bottle is not fresh at all. The roasted nut and chocolate is there too but less than in the nose. The is a pretty complex Brown Ale.

M-Lighter than I was expecting. Refreshing carbonation. Pretty dry too.

O/D-Another solid brew from Mercury Brewing Company. Their IPA is quite solid, the Original Ale is pretty tasty, and they might make one of the my top 3 Summer Seasonals. Great company providing great beers at a great price. This one fits right in with the family.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 03:08:11 | More by VelvetExtract

ferrari29

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into a Sam Adams pint shaped glass

A - Beer poured with a well carbonated body; bottom of the beer was light a light amber color and became darker, dark maroon, as you moved up to the top (probably due to the shape of the glass; no lacing stuck or formed on the side of the glass and the beige colored head held very well

S - Slight hints of herbal scents; mostly a roasted malt and burnt toast smell, almost of popcorn; grainy; slight skunk aroma; coffee at the end

T - Taste was slightly burnt, toasty; roasted malt, followed up by a semi-sweet flavor of creme and custard, especially after the beer has warmed up a bit; nutty taste

M - Beer's body was thin and slightly effervescent; beer has a very very bitter aftertaste

D - Alright for a dark ale, probably one of the better ones I've had in a long time; I would take this over most Brown Ales but you're being warned ahead of time of its overwhelmingly airy and toasty tastes

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 02:05:29 | More by ferrari29

shand

Florida

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic.

Pours a brown color with a finger and a half of off-white head that retains nicely. The aroma is full of caramel malts, supplemented by roasty coffee, chocolate, and some earthy hops. The taste is quite good, offering a nice, complex taste. The roastiness is the star of the show, but there's some nice smooth coffee, sharp hops, bitter chocolate, and a bit of caramel. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and briskly carbonated, and the drinkability is fairly good. Overall, an enjoyable brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 23:26:38 | More by shand

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass.

The color is a dark maroon to black with a slight finger of foamy off-white head and some nice lacing left on the glass.

The smell is roasty with some dark malt aroma and some brown sugar coming out a bit in the nose.

The taste is is velvety with some lightly placed milky flavor that goes into a brown sugar flavor. Some bitterness comes out toward the end then is melted back into a cocoa flavor that drops at the end.

There is a good sized feel to this beer. There is just enough of a grip that it doesn't get away but is really complex at the same time. A little over what I would call a session beer this classified as a brown ale and still has a roast flavor like a good porter. This one has teeth.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 07:05:26 | More by Duhast500

BlackBearForge

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ipswich Dark Ale pours a nice brown touched with amber color, a tad murky with a nice tan head that falls quickly leaving oily lacing that does not stick around.

The aroma has a nice chocolate malt vibe with a caramel under pining laced with a bit of earthy grassy hop character.

The flavor is all about the dark chocolate malts, dark toasted bread drizzled with caramel backed up with a substantial amount of what tastes like English style hops. There is a pleasant balance between the semi sweet nature of the malts and an impressive bitterness on the finish that makes this beer very drinkable.

The mouthfeel is medium, smooth and slick. There is a nice creaminess as well from the understated but very appropriate carbonation.

I've only had one other beer by Mercury Brewing and that's the Ipswich IPA which for a few weeks was my favorite IPA. An aquaintance mentioned he liked the Dark Ale better so I gave it a try, I do believe he may be right!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 02:49:12 | More by BlackBearForge

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a cloudy, deep brown color with a 2 finger tan head that reduces and leaves a 1/2 finger head. Decent foamy lacing left on the glass.

Nose is well balanced. Seems to be almost equal parts piny hops aromas to go along with a very pleasant roasted malt aroma. Hops hit first and ride along a nice roasted malt backbone.

The taste is just as balanced and pleasing as the nose. There is a huge roasted malt flavored bookended by two great hop flavors. Starts with a quick burst of piny hops that set the table for a considerable roasted malt flavor. Finishes with a lingering, resiny bitterness. Much hoppier than expected, almost blurring the lines between brown ale and well-balanced black IPA.

Has a medium body with medium carbonation. Crisp mouthfeel for a beer of the style. A lingering, sticky bitterness at the finish.

Very drinkable brown ale. Not too heavy, not too light. Not really all that complex, but definitely some simple flavors done extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 05:21:01 | More by ms11781