Ipswich 20th Anniversary Imperial Pale Ale - Ipswich Ale Brewery

glid02

Georgia

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

Bottle purchased from Wine & Cheese Cask in Somerville.

Pours a hazy golden-copper color with a slightly off-white head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells of grainy pale malts with good amounts of light citrus and herbal hops. Also present are hints of floral and heavier leafy hops.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Moderately dry pale malts up front are joined quickly by bright citrus hops and deeper herbal hop flavors. Midway through hints of breadiness come into play before being overtaken by leafy hops that carry through to a moderately bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with smooth carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a solid beer, though nothing exceptional. Worth a shot on a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 23:14:15 | More by glid02

bootdown21

Connecticut

2/5  rDev -46.7%

03-23-2013 18:21:46 | More by bootdown21

dancaplette

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

02-02-2013 12:36:23 | More by dancaplette

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy amber color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, citrus and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with strong flavors of caramel and citrus. Then a hearty but not too heavy malt character comes in. The hops presence is strong but not over-powering and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:50:31 | More by TheManiacalOne

tkelley

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this 22 oz bottle in a bottle shop and snatched it up right quick. i'd had the 20th Anniversary before and knew they weren't making it anymore. I was saving it for quite a while, but decided on a whim to open it up tonight. It's probably 1-1.5 years old. Glad I did. Poured into a snifter.

A - Great orange color with a thin white head.

S - Hoppy even though it was in the back of my fridge.

T - Again, good and hoppy. Nice citrus notes, more orange than lemon. High alcohol kick in the back. I really like the flavors here and I wish they would make this a year round or seasonal offering.

MF - Very smooth. I think the long time on the shelf/in the fridge did this one a lot of good. Very drinkable.

O - Again, I really like this beer. It is very well crafted but not overly complicated. It's all in the name - American Strong Ale. It has strong hop flavors and smell, strong alcohol... just a really strong offering overall. I doubt I'll come across this one again, but if I do I'll snatch them all up.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:03:54 | More by tkelley

RichH55

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.7%

07-02-2012 23:39:47 | More by RichH55

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-15-2012 01:29:06 | More by Chico1985

raythealeman

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +6.7%

04-06-2012 01:47:31 | More by raythealeman

DSlim71

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-12-2012 22:23:08 | More by DSlim71

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Very slight haze on an orange/copper color. Head is white and rocky. Drops to a thin vestige of a cap in short oder. Carbonation is solid and on point.

Smell: Loads of pale malts. Some caramel malt sweetness. Biscuit aromas run rampant. Earthy citrusy hop component. Very mild, but still packs a nice depth. Very earthy and grassy.

Taste: Pale malts and biscuit dough. Gritty, almost dirty, citrus rind from the hops. Grapefruit rolled in fresh dirt and grass clippings. It's intriguing. Malts are sweet and doughy with just enough body to counteract the hop presence. Nice level of balance. Lingering touches of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with a lingering grassiness that dries things up a bit. Body runs on the lighter side of moderate. Carbonation is stronger than I would like, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall: I had this when it was only a month old and I thought it was oxidized and lackluster. Now that it's many months older, I wonder what I was thinking. It's what it says it is, an imperialized version of their Original Ale with some interesting dry-hopping. Take it for what it is and it's pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 21:16:07 | More by Goblinmunkey7

redfox405

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

03-04-2012 20:28:24 | More by redfox405

PJKSR02

Connecticut

4.85/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow: If you like a genuine, raw, local brew, this was it! It's an IPA with a hops flavor that lingers with a spicy aftertaste. There's a whiff of estery alcohol, but that is balanced by the hops aroma, and overall mouth feel. Can we ask for a 21st anniversary redux?

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 23:54:39 | More by PJKSR02

jongullotti

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

02-17-2012 23:39:32 | More by jongullotti

rusty3335

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +20%

02-09-2012 17:25:31 | More by rusty3335

rondufresne

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%

01-25-2012 01:26:08 | More by rondufresne

calmstock

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

01-16-2012 04:42:28 | More by calmstock

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice orange/amber color, minimal white head, fades fast with little lacing on the glass, leaves a thin cap on top for a good portion of the drink.

Smell has a strong piney grapefruit aroma, the grapefruit really shines through as the star, the aroma kind of reminds me of the 1260 Triple IPA.

Taste starts out with a musty like hop presence, the fruity grapefruit comes into play, minimal hop bitterness though since it's more of a citrusy/fruit hop than harsh bitter, malt helps smooth things over with a touch of sweetness, carbonation is soft and lends a creaminess, slightly syrupy and thick but not overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 22:50:38 | More by deltatauhobbit

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ipswich Anniversary IPA pours a cloudy dark amber, with a small creamy head on top. The foam dissolves to a thin sheet on the surface leaving behind spots and lines of lace on the glass.

The aroma is piney with some light fruit and bread mixed in. Lots of pine.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is oily on the palate, slightly chewy with mild carbonation. The flavor is nicely balanced. It begins sweet with caramel, bread and yeast. In the middle hoppy pine and citrus notes move in. It finishes moderately bitter and dry. Once gone the pine and bread notes linger on the palate.

This is a well balanced tasty beer. It reminds me of a British bitter with its fruity notes and earthy hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:24:59 | More by WanderingFool

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +20%

01-06-2012 20:10:40 | More by BigCheese

Zorro

California

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Heavy chill hazed amber colored ale with a small white colored head.

Smell is sweet and syrupy with a strong malt and wood smell. Toasted bread with orange marmalade.

Starts out sweet with a bit of a salty flavor and a stout bitterness in the finish. Some sour hop flavors mostly lemon and a little rye. All in all though this is a little under-flavored.

Mouthfeel is syrupy and thick.

Overall this is OK. Not something that I can highly recommend, but it doesn't taste bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:20:27 | More by Zorro

LtCracker20

Connecticut

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

A- Pours slightly opaque orange/amber body with a 2-finger white head that falls half way then sticks for a while. OK lacing.

S- Floral and piney hop burst up front. Some sweet maltiness follows (just a touch). Nothing really makes a lasting impression.

T- Piney and citrusy hops in the flavor followed by a little caramel malt. Flavors don't last too long, but aren't bad.

MF- Medium to full bodied with a lower carbonation level then, say, Arrogant Bastard.

O- Not a bad beer at all. Almost could be a break-in beer for someone who doesn't quite know the style yet.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 22:12:24 | More by LtCracker20

Durge

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ran across this at La Boniche in Lowell, Massachusetts. This specialty ale looks hazy and copper colored with a nice off white head and great splatters of lacing. The aroma is a mellow caramel malt with musty herbal hop. The flavor lines up well with the nose as I get a woodsy caramel/toffee and a nice grainy malt over herbal hop. The body is solidly medium with a somewhat glassy feel with modest carbonation. A hoppy farmhouse ale that I enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 03:08:04 | More by Durge

jhartley

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +33.3%

11-30-2011 23:52:27 | More by jhartley

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

11-19-2011 19:13:21 | More by PEIhop

Lawnboy33

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

11-14-2011 18:11:45 | More by Lawnboy33