Chinooker'd IPA - Lawson's Finest Liquids

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I snagged a bottle of this on 01SEP12 at The Warren Store and quaffed it yesterday while enjoying the end of summer...

Poured into an imperial nonic, it was a clear, medium to medium-dark copper color. Had a healthy light tan, creamy head, starting at about 1" and slowly falling back. Carbo below was steady, and the lacing left behind was solid. Smell was of sweetish malts and fruit, with some rindy bitterness mixed in. It was a good medium for the body, and quite smooth and even going down.

Flavor? Started nicely with sweet citrus fruit, like orange, tangerine and apricot. This slowly melds into some rindy grapefruit, along with piney, resiny action at the finish. These fruit notes lingered quite nicely. Very tasty and enjoyable! My only regret is how the tickerati have inflated the prices for Lawson's. Prosit!!

4.35/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1499

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:18:28 | More by Bierman9

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from tap into pint at Three Penny Montpelier, VT.
Pours a hazy burnt orange with thick foamy head. Crazy hop forward aromas. Very piney, cotton candy, and almost vanilla aroma. Taste is a bit sweet/candy hop, but bitter pure hop notes. It definitely is bitter but well balanced and very flavorful. Really well made brew and just full of great flavours.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 01:36:21 | More by DrinkSlurm

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 8.15.12.

A - Pours a cloudy, medium orange with a one inch fluffy near-white head with good retention.

S - Strong pine and grapefruit. Really citrusy and inviting.

T - Pine and citrus with a strong earth-grass finish.

D - Good carbonation and a medium body.

O - Smells wonderful, the earhty finish is a bit strong, but still really nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 06:07:36 | More by HuskyinPDX

Etan

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle sent to me by Valdieu2. Thanks!

A: Glowing opaque orange body with a nice white head, tinged with orange.

S: Pineapple and grapefruit, hefty pale malt, grass.

T: Raw pine and hop leaf, nice dose of grassy bitterness, fresh grain, and a bit of sweet fruitiness in the finish.

M: Light-bodied with fine carbonation.

O: A solid piney, bitter IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 01:09:58 | More by Etan

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased at the Lawson's bottle release this past Saturday (2 days ago) at the Waitsfield Farmer's market. Poured into snifter. Drank back to back with Double Sunshine.

A- Pours a slightly brownish gold (darker then Double Sunshine) with about a quarter finger of white foamy head that quickly recedes and leaves nice layered lacing. About average to slightly below average carbonation.

S- Pine hops, evergreen, a little bit of grapefruit, some lemon, but mostly sappy pine. Definitely above average aroma strength.

T- Very piney hops, almost like you are drinking a liquified fresh evergreen tree, most piney beer I've had. Pine is balanced with a little bit of grapfruit citrus, a tiny bit of lemon, finishes with a very piney taste that lingers for a little bit.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, very drinkable.

O- This was a very good beer. I like piney hops, but this one was a little bit over the top. Very good otherwise. Compared to Double Sunshine- the appearance was actually slightly better, smell was about the same (nice hop smell, but a little bit too piney), the taste wasn't as good (definitely way too piney- like drinking a fresh evergreen), the mouthfeel was about the same if not better. Overall it was very well done, just a tiny bit too piney for my tastes. If you like piney IPAs, I'd recommend trying it out. I definitely enjoyed it, however the pine was a little bit too intense- wish it was mellowed out with a little bit more citrus, but I think this is what they were going for.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:47:47 | More by jaasen64

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

bomber picked up outside of Burlington, VT from a trip 2 weeks ago. no bottled on date, but tastes very fresh.

A: a beautiful bright orange hue. super bright white head is fluffy. retention is thick and lasting.

S: super pine. gotta love chinook, such a distinctive american hop aroma. sweet. some malt makes it by, but this one is all chinook aroma.

T: tons of citrus and tons of grapefruit. a little soapy? just enough malt to keep all that pine and citrus in check. oaty at moments. theres a little bit of a lingering bitterness that lasts for a while. lingering pine flavor with the bitterness.

M: such a gentle foamy carbonation, unlike anything i have ever had before. im assuming this is a bottle conditioned brew and one that is definitely on the softer side. a big medium body.

D: wouldnt hate for a touch more body here, but that is literally my only complaint. and its not even a good one. really solid IPA showcasing a classic american hop. very tasty shit and wouldnt hate having a bunch of this in my fridge at all times for my daily IPA urge. just makes me want to seek out more brews from lawsons.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 03:36:14 | More by Jimmys

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from July 20th; fairly fresh. Poured in to HF stemmed tulip.

A - Medium orange/yellow colour; translucent. One finger of cream coloured head.

S - Big pine, grapefruit and orange peel aromas with a touch of bready caramel malt sweetness in the background.

T - A massive bitter punch up front with grapefruit, pine, earthy and spicy flavours present. Barely any malt presence at all.

M - Medium body, light carbonation. Loaded with sticky hop oils.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 15:57:33 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Pahn

New York

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into Duvel tulip. No bottled on info that I could find, but I bought it a week ago at the Warren Store, and Lawson's beer doesn't sit around on shelves for long.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1.5 inch fluffy, bubble-popping white head that dissipates steadily. Pours an almost translucent orange and leaves tight lines of lacing.

Smell: Herbal, a little pine, some orange. Slightly smoky and marijuana-like. Grapefruit becomes a strong player with time and warmth.

Taste: Very bitter, with lots of dank, herbal hop flavor up front, cut through by a big toasted malt backbone. Pine aftertaste.

With some time, a little bit of bright fruity hop flavor comes out, though the dominant hop flavor profile is sort of "dark" herbal flavors highlighted by weed. Fair amount of orange, but less grapefruit than expected (comes out with time, but is never that large a player).

There's an insistent bitterness and toasted malt backbone that are just perfect (especially the latter) for the flavor of this brash hop. Really expertly designed beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. So smooth and creamy, it's almost like milk, but juicy and bitter enough for that not to be a remotely bad thing. Crisp, tingly dry finish.

Overall: Masterful, as expected from Lawson's. For my tastes, I could use some more sweet fruit and "brighter" flavors--similar to my complaint with Oskar Blues GUBNA. It's not objectively too bold, but I would appreciate some more delicacy and sweetness.

Even so, there's lots of hop flavor, great balance, and a real succulent quality that you only find in the best IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:08:22 | More by Pahn

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cracking this in honor of IPA day.

Pours a fluffy looking 1 finger white head that fades semi slowly as it's reinforced with streaming bubbles up the sides of the glass from the etch at the bottom, lots of lacing, over slight hazy bright golden honey colored beer.

Nose erupts with hops, even from opening the bottle, a big beefy bittering hop, with lots of pine, a bit earthy and slightly grassy, a big chewy hop aroma like fresh hop pellets exploded in my nose, and fairly spicy hop. There is a hint of citrus fruit with touch of grapefruit in the background of the hop with a very slight musty resin. It also has a slight fluffy malt base.

Taste starts with a big earthy kick, lots of pine comes out at first, with a light spicy and earthy hop flavors. Hops also bring a light citrus and grapefruit, with quite a bit of bitterness, a mouth crushing spicy piney hop flavor that leaves a bit of resinous flavors. I can even taste and feel the hop oils caressing my tongue. There is a light fluffy malt base with hints of reddish toasty malts under that trying to hold up the big beefy hop flavor. I'm glad it doesn't have much booze or it would be too much to really drink. The finish is crushing with bitterness, a super long spicy earthy and piney hop finish that just goes on forever, and some hop oils bring a light resin that also lingers.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, good carb.

Overall pretty good, a different take on IPA than most of the ones these days, and complete opposite side of the spectrum than Double Sunshine. This is big and beefy with lots of high alpha acids from the big Chinook hops, with flavors that come on the other side as well, pine, earthy, spicy, etc, with just hints of the citrus and grapefruit. The bitterness lingers for quite some time but still stays fairly drinkable surprisingly. The bitterness begs you to take another sip to get more liquid to cover the bitterness, until the next tide of crazy bitterness washes over and makes you come back for more again, the never ending cycle that I love.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:40:30 | More by jlindros

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks alex

Pours a faintly hazed golden color with some darker copper hues. Thick crop of beige head bubbles up, leaving patchy lacing stuck to the glass and a cloud of film resting on top of the brew.

Powerful, pleasant hop aromas with citrus and pine. Resin-soaked bitterness and light fruit sweetness strike a great balance. Bready malts with a dash of caramel and soft alcohol-induced warmth.

Potent bitterness up front with piny resin and juicy grapefruit tones. Earthy and hoppy throughout with a sold caramel malted backbone. Hints of bread crust and light fruit sweetness. Finishes bitter and warm with sticky pine tones.

Slightly fuller medium body, nice carbonation, sticky and lingering on the tongue. This was one of the first Lawson's beers I've had the opportunity to try and I definitely want to experience more.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 12:46:53 | More by xnicknj

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bright golden body with a nice touch of creamy white head. Always liked chinook for use in my homebrews and this brew just reaffirms why I like that hop so much. Aroma packs a nice bit of resiny goodness with just a touch of fruitiness to round it out.

Perfectly hoppy on the palate, without going overboard on the IBUs (perceived bitterness at least). Citrus notes greet you while the pine grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go. Just enough malt in there to make the beer drinkable.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth. Overall, an exceptional IPA that may have cracked my top 5 today.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 00:33:26 | More by Kinsman

rickards9

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Small pour at the Vermont Brewer's Festival on 7/21. Waited about 30 minutes in line for this sample.

A- After waiting in line to get to the Lawson's table, this beer looked like heaven. It was my first sample of the night and knowing Lawson's reputation, I fully expected it to be the best.
S- Grapefruit. So much grapefruit.
T- I hoped it would follow the nose and give me a strong citrusy flavor. Unfortunately, this tasted exactly the same as how mowing the lawn smells. If you're a goat and enjoy eating grass, this is probably for you. It was way too piney and grassy for me, especially after getting my hopes up with the aroma.
M- Just fine, nothing special about it. Not over-carbonated but certainly not flat.
O- I'll give this a 3.5 just because the aroma was so wonderful. The taste wasn't my preferred style for an IPA but I definitely respect the craftmanship that went into this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 20:35:58 | More by rickards9

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a bright marmalade color. Head is about a finger high and off-white. Moderate lacing. Body is lightly translucent.

S-Smells full of bitter piney hops. Citrus hops are quite expressive as well. Not much complexity bit the intensity is clearly there. Malt is leisurely; because this is all about the abrasive hoppy nose!

T-Big, bold flavors of pine, grass and flowers. Citrus is also stressed. The hoppiness is strong and satisfying. However, I feel that it is missing a certain unspecified component that I cannot precisely point out. Malt is subdued. Bitterness is nearly endless.

M-This beer has the hoppiness of a DIPA but it still has the body of an IPA. Nice and bubbly. Moderate resiny quality. Bitter for days.

O/D-Great, bitter IPA. Not overly complex but it hits all the necessary buttons with ease. I actually enjoyed this more than Lawson's Double Sunshine. Just an exceptional IPA, but there are more than a few that can sit at the same lunch table with Chinooker'd.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:27:41 | More by VelvetExtract

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this at Hunger Mountain Co-Op in Montpelier, VT. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice crystal clear golden hue with a good two finger white creamy head that leaves tons of thick side lacing.

S - Barely any nose here. Super, super light grapefruit rind and pine with some slight malt sweetness.

T - Some nice malty sweetness intermixed with very strong bitterness. There is a slight floral flavour, no real citrus for me. Maybe even a slight, very faint earthy onion like taste right before the beer get VERY bitter.

M - Mouthfeel Is nice for an IPA. Solid carbonation and a very nice bitter finish.

O - Overall this was a good beer just the lack of nose really didnt help this one out. I dont mind the lack of malts or the bitter finish, thats fine, just with I could get a flavour aside than bitter.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 03:35:23 | More by rudzud

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz, gold foil topped bottle. Thanks to Tucker, Ashley, and Josh for hooking me up with bottles of this.

Pours a hazed, but clear dark copper with light carbonation supporting an initially frothy white head that recedes to a nice layer of bubbles with some rings of lace. Pine, mint, earth and fresh leaves dominate the aroma with some sweet malt undertones, but predominantly hoppy. Medium thick, chewy and resiny body sits under an intensely bitter and pulpy beer. Much more hop forward than some of the other Lawson's DIPAs and lacking much sweetness from hops or malt. Pine, mint and earth dominate throughout with some light citrus rind in the finish and a pile more chewy earth. A nice change of pace IPA, distinct from most of the other VT ones currently available.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 23:59:12 | More by yourefragile

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This bottle opened thanks to a trade with Emily, a new BA!

The beer has a pretty, mostly clear look that is a healthy orange hue with some gold highlights. Decent ring of head retention and some nice sticky lacing.

The smell is kind of weak, I barely get a aroma even with a swirl of the glass and getting my nose in there. What's there is a nice herbal smell with grapefruit and dry grassy aromas. Some sweetness.

The taste is great, really nice and fresh hops bursting forth. Some nice malt base that has a nice grainy support to the tasty grapefruit and herbal qualities of the chinook. The feel has great oily qualities and a huge lingering finish that is both dry and juicy, bitter and semi sweet.

A very nice complex brew, but the aroma needs work. Maybe chinook is a weak aroma hop? Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 00:08:01 | More by Dreadnaught33

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.98/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a DFH signature glass. No bottle date present but this was picked up for me about 2 weeks ago in VT.

A: Pours a hazy bright orange color. Half finger off white head. Some sticky lacing bits are left on the glass after swirling. Nice carbonation coming off the bottom.

S: I got lots of piney, resiny hops. But there are some sweet caramel malts in there for balance. The Chinook hop usually gives you nice pine and also some mild citrus, if memory serves.

T: Piney hop bite on the tip of the tongue. It's not overly Abrasive or anything though. Then you get alot of caramel malt and other grains. It's a nice balance, although I like HOP bombers that are not balanced, and wished this one was more like that. Nice crisp bitter hop finish on the close. You are left with that resiny hop flavor in your mouth.

M: Medium bodied IPA, true to type.

O: Very nice single hop IPA. First beer from this brewery and look forward to trying more of them, IF I can that is.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 16:22:58 | More by inlimbo77

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From 22oz bottle to snifter on 2/4/12
*From notes

-- Thanks, Eric --

A: A slightly cloudy orange. A good pour yields a white .5 finger head. Lovely lacing and a nice, tight collar.

S: Herbal hops and a bit of freshly squeezed tropical juice add flair to the highlight of this IPA.

T: Dry. Very dry, in fact. The chinook is front and center, and this beer showcases it in all it's glory. And for someone like myself (who isn't a big chinook fan), this brew does a pretty decent job of finding balance. There's quite a bit of bite on the mid to finish, and a really green, almost earthy quality to it.

M: Just average. It's a bit thin and flabby oveall.

O: Lawson's Chinooker'd is an above average stab at a single hop varietal AIPA. Not my favorite hop, and therfore not my favorite IPA. For what it is though, it's well put together and easy to drink. Recommended for those chinook hop fans out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 20:39:16 | More by Rhettroactive

drabmuh

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Michael, long time huge want of mine here. Wow, thanks.

Beer is sort of amber / copper with a mild haze, nice white head, some lacing, moderate to light carbonation.

Aroma is strong, piny, earthy, nice.

Beer is more bitter than most IPAs and I like that a lot, the forward is a medium bodied beer, not heavy, not sweet. The hops are dominant throughout, it is probably a little too bitter for the level of hop flavor but overall it is an amazing little beer. I'd definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 15:08:08 | More by drabmuh

Wasatch

Utah

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to Hojaminbag for this brew.

22oz. Bomber
Gold Foil/Capped

Poured into a DFH glass a very nice cloudy golden orange color, nice carbonation, with a pretty nice one-finger thick creamy off-white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is mostly hoppy, with some nice malty blend, very nice citrus and pine notes. The taste is pretty hoppy, malty, with a nice citrus/pine note combo. Medium body, kinda chewy, with a nice dry/bitter finish. This is a very tasty IPA. My first from Lawson's, hopefully I can get some other's to come my way. Thanks Ben!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 12:25:36 | More by Wasatch

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by yourefragile. Thanks Michael.

The beer is clear and appears golden to copper in color with a quarter inch of white head. Prominent hops in both the aroma and flavor, though a bready, grainy, malty character causes the flavor to come off as a bit muddled and unbalanced. Malty grapefruit with minimal alcohol presence. Overall, a good beer, but not among my favorites from Lawson's, a superb brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 18:39:18 | More by Huhzubendah

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of youbrewIdrink. Thanks Joe!

Pours cloudy orange with a 1.5 finger white head leaving excellent retention.

I get a distinct cat pee aroma which is usually indicative of other hops, but nonetheless getting them from Chinook. A little bit of pine and some sweet bready malt.

A little bit of dank piney hoppiness opens up the palate. A touch of the same sweet bready malt from the nose, but more subdued. Finishes with a grapefruit bitterness and somewhat dry.

Fairly light with medium carbonation levels although there is a little stickiness here.

Not a terribly complex beer, but still pretty tasty and probably better than most non-Citra single hop profile beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 23:56:53 | More by jmarsh123

billab914

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by IrishColonial. Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tasting glass. It poured a bright orange/amber color with a thin, white, sticky head to it. Great looking beer, loved the color.

The aroma is very juicy with lots of grapefruit and citrus rind showing through along with a little bit of a sweeter, peach and mango flavor. I get some bready, pale malts to it as well. Very nice hoppy aroma to it.

The taste is very dry with a lot of citrus rind and grapefruit bitterness coming through. Again, I get just a little of a sweeter, juicy, pineapple like flavor to it but the dry, bitter, resiny hoppiness is the real star of the show though. Pretty nice hoppy flavors to it though overall.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being moderate. Overall I thought it was a very good beer, but I preferred the bight, juicy, tropical fruit hoppiness of Double Sunshine over this one. It was a very flavorful and easy drinking beer overall though.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 17:33:47 | More by billab914

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by yourefragile. Served in a SAVOR wine glass because I already packed my Lawson's glass. Damnit.

Pours a nice light copper color with a good white head and some ringy lacing on the way down. The nose carries a hefty kick of piney hops with some nice resin really pushing through. The flavor focuses more on the fairly-extreme bitterness, and the actual flavor of the hops gets a bit lost in the background. Light-medium body with a dry and very bitter finish. Excellent brew, but not quite to the level of Double Sunshine.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 03:59:36 | More by Thorpe429

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chinooker'd IPA has an orange body and a rocky tan head that leaves behind a few tendrils of lacing after showing off solid retention.

The aroma is aggressively hoppy, with citrus, pine and a lot of resin.

It is definitely safe to refer to Chinooker'd as a hop bomb. Every sip of this stuff is an absolute attack of hops on your taste buds. Loads of citrus, especially grapefruit mixed with a ton of pine. I think that pine might be single strongest flavor in this one. Layers of resin and leafy hop flavor come next, followed by a ton of bitterness. The malt barely makes an appearance, balancing things out with just a hint of sweetness toward the end.

The mouthfeel is oily and biting, with a full body.

Chinooker'd is a great IPA that you will want to have more than one of, which won't be a problem if you visit the Mad River Valley. Definitely try this one when you find it pouring somewhere.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 16:48:35 | More by Hojaminbag