Triple Play IPA - Lawson's Finest Liquids

mountdew1

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Color was a nice medium amber. Head poured a very thin off white that mostly disappeared in 5 minutes leaving just a few tracings. Aroma was a mix of bitter piney hoppy, with some citrus mixed in the back end. Taste was almost entirely hops. Not to over powering, but long lasting. Left a definite taste in the mouth for a long period of time. Felt ok in the mouth. A bit of coating, with a fair amount of tingling on the tongue, despite no obvious carbonation. Overall a good beer. Not overly pushed to the limit, and balanced enough to enjoy over time.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 23:18:40 | More by mountdew1

HopHead84

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

5/10/2012

I had a bottle of this last Saturday but my palate was a little off, perhaps due to eating copious amounts of Mexican food and buckets of salsa, so here I am on my second and final bottle. Looking forward to a bright and hoppy Lawson's beer.

A: Slightly hazy bright orange with a finger of frothy white foam. Solid retention and lots of scattered lacing.

S: Blend of spicy grapefruit, orange, and nectarine with traces of guava and mango. There's a note in there that I can only describe as fuzzy peach skin. Malt imparts light bread and caramel notes with a lower level of sweetness.

T: The fruit is expressive, a veritable cornucopia consisting of sweet orange, mango, tangerine, grapefruit, and light guava notes. My first impression of the fruit is of sweet and juicy flesh, but in the late palate the citrus and tropical notes tend toward drier, more bitter, and more astringent rind and pith notes. Malt is sweet throughout but never obstructs the bright fruit presence. There's an insistent moderate bitterness throughout. The finish is dry, fruity, and bitter with a light astringency.

M: Lower medium body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is very dry.

Overall: Another damn good Lawson's IPA. This really grew on my as it opened up.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 03:37:01 | More by HopHead84

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to chippo33 for this one, in a weird but successful trade.

Pours a nice fluffy looking almost 1 finger head that fades semi slowly, with nice sticky lacing, over semi hazy yellow honey orange colored beer.

Nose brings plenty of hops, tropical fruit, pineapple, musty passion fruit, light musty resins, juicy tangerine, touch of pine, very light malty sweet balance, bit of nectarine, etc.

Taste drips with tropical fruit, juicy hops, musty passion fruit and musty hop resins, grapefruit, tangerine and clementine, hint of pine, light spicy and earthy hop flavors, a big bitterness. A slight malty base helps prop it up, but not by much, as slight malts add a touch of what could be booze but hard to tell behind the blankets of hops and bitterness. Finish brings more of the spicy hops, light earthy grassy hops, quite bitter that lingers for quite a while, hint of juicy malt, just a long bitter hop finish mostly.

Mouth is med to slightly heavier bodied, decent carb, hint of warming booze.

Overall good, but not as amazing as I expected. Great hops, but gets a bit too bitter and borderline astringent, the malts have no real backup, and the hops bring lots of bitterness with the awesome tropical fruit, etc. Great hops for the most part, a bit similar to Heady Topper but not quite, nice tropical fruit, nice musty resinous hops, etc.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 03:42:36 | More by jlindros

scottfrie

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Thanks a ton, Michael.
A: Pours a deep citrus golden with a large, oily, off-white head that slowly faded into a thin film and collar that left spotty lace down the glass.
S: I get huge notes of fresh citrus and tropical smelling hops. Papaya, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple and passion fruit fill the glass. Hops are bright, juicy and fresh smelling.
T: Follows the nose with sweet and lightly bitter notes of citrus rind, juicy tropical fruits, and a hint of pale malt, mint and biscuit dough. The finish has a note or two of brown sugar and maybe caramel, and the aftertaste is clean and bitter.
M: Medium body, full and even carbonation, with a slick mouthfeel that goes down smooth and refreshing.
O: An excellent IPA that is a hop bomb closer to a dipa than the regular. Lawson knows how to do hops right. Thanks again, SneezyAchew!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 22:37:36 | More by scottfrie

oberon

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass a dull copper color with a large blooming white that left a few broken rings of lace as it settled slowly.Big citric hops really jump out ya in the nose,pithy grapefruit and lemon notes over top of sweet alcohol and caramel.Fresh sharp grapefruit hops on the palate with underlying resiny notes,just great hop complexity mixed with some sweet induced alcohol.Wow there is a real citric punch to this beer,almost DIPAish except not overly sweet,a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 02:21:09 | More by oberon

libbey

Washington

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a NB globe. An awesome extra from youbrewidrink thanks a bunch Joe.

A: The beer pours a lovely clear copper orange with a nice 1 inch head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a nice trail of spotty lacing.

S: A nice initial blast of pine and grapefruit in the front end that finishes with a subtle candied malt presence on the back end. Smells really juicy. Nice.

T: The initial blast of hops is very tropical. Mango and grapefruit dance on the pallet and finish with a nice malt backbone. This beer is beautifully balanced and super easy drinking. Very good.

M: The beer is slightly under carbonated which leaves the overall mouthfeel a bit on the thin side. The finish on the pallet is nice and dry which I love in my IPA's with a nice lingering bite from the hop profile.

O: Overall this was an excellent IPA from Lawson and feel if the carbonation was bumped up a touch it could have reached into the upper echelon of the IPA realm. A fine treat and one I would certainly have again if the opportunity presents itself.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:28:45 | More by libbey

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lawson's Triple Play, courtesy of the sweetest bartender in the world (love you!). Served in my Lost Abbey snifter.

Appearance: Deep shiny amber color, nice lily-white head, good lacing. Good but not amazing looks.

Smell: Resin, oil, pine-tree forest in California. Citrus grove in Florida and juiciness galore. Beautiful, fresh hops all around.

Taste: Super hop flava! A blast of citrus, pineapple syrup, pomelo. Barely any bitterness, though, which is nice. A bit of graham-cracker-like sweetness.

Mouthfeel: A little too light here, with low carbonation and a watery feel. Nice spice feel as it goes down. Unlike most IPA's, this one is not overtly dry.

Overall: A nice IPA with hop-forward aroma but good balance. Perhaps too much balance? You won't find crazy hoppiness here, and I'm not sure the Simcoe and Citra hops are shining, but it sure is a damn nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 13:04:31 | More by DoubleSimcoe

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

slightly amberish copper with a touch of a hop haze and a pure white head that sticks to the glass very well, though it recedes rather quickly.

loads of citrus and pine and a bit of grassy hops in this very aromatic beer. a bit of sweet malt sits behind that.

juicy citrus hops with a touch of pine and some very subtle sweetened tropical fruits on top of a sweet caramelly malt body. Hops remain dominant, but this one is nicely balanced.

medium bodied with ample carbonation and lots of resin left on the palate.

very good IPA from Lawson's. doesn't quite compare to some other VT IPAs being put out recently, but it holds its own. I'd drink this again and again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 04:34:42 | More by silentjay

Sean9689

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber, thanks Keith!

A - Pours golden yellow, white head, spotty lace, thin cap.

S - Citrus, tropical fruit, pine, light floral notes. Really a nice mix of hoppy notes that attribute for some excellent complexity.

T - Citrus, grapefruit, grass, light pine. A nice amount of bitter hops without destroying the palate. More citrus then sweetness, which is actually my preference. Finish is bitter citrus peel and bitter hops.

M - Light, good carbonation, crisp and refreshing, oily finish.

O - An excellent IPA from Lawson's that was super-easy to drink and very enjoyable. The complexity offered up by the hop profile kept me interested and I was able to finish off this bomber with no problems. I will seek this one out again, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 15:37:05 | More by Sean9689

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Reservoir, Waterbury, VT

Served in a Lawson's pils glass, Triple Play poured a slightly hazy golden color with a small cap of foamy white head. Aroma is hop-forward with a distinctive sugary malt base. There was a great equilibrium of bready malts and hops in the taste; citrus and pine hop notes, with a nice balance of caramel and brown sugar, and neither aspect fully taking control. Medium body, lower carbonation, smooth and very drinkable. Not the best IPA in the world, but surely very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 19:34:35 | More by Rifugium

Brad007

Vermont

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hard to believe that I've never reviewed this.

Pours a light gold color with a one-finger head into my glass. Very nice colors for the style.

Citra, Simcoe and Centennial blend is impressive to the nose. The citrus notes are most appreciated.

Nice citrus notes upfront with a very nice juiciness. Bitterness expands inside of the mouth, incorporating some biscuity malt.

Carbonation levels are just right and plenty of lingering hops for the enthusiast.

Nicely hopped IPA. I love this.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 02:19:34 | More by Brad007

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in a trade, poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a crystal clear golden hue with a one finger off white head that fades to a nice quarter inch blanket, good and creamy.

S - Bright citrus aromas and fresh hops. Nice grapefruit and solid tropical notes consisting of light pineapple and good mango. Very ripe and inviting with a rather interesting bubblegum aroma on the end.

T - Yep, so theres the bubblegum people have mentioned. Undeniably the first flavour I get. That immediately gives way to grapefruit and pine resin with some nice lighter tropical notes to the end. Light pineapple and mango. Some light malt sweetness, this bubblegum aspect is really, really different but enjoyable.

M - Lots of hop oils in this, kinda feels more like a DIPA than an IPA. Would like some more carbonation on this but its still good.

O - Overall this is a damn good beer and lives up to some of the hype. Quite the enjoyable beer, I'd like to try it side by side with Double Sunshine for comparison

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:01:20 | More by rudzud

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to phingding for the bottle!

Pours dark straw color with a creamy 3 finger white head settling in at about a finger with excellent lacing.

Wonderful aroma. Some pineapple, mango maybe a bit of bubblegum. Loads of citrus too.

Starts off with the same mango/tropical fruit thing as the aroma. Big juicy fruit flavor up front. A little bit of pine starts to creep in before finishing with an all out, but still wonderfully smooth bitterness.

A touch low on the carbonation helping create a creamy mouthfeel. I'd still like a touch more though.

Another home run from Lawson's. I think I still prefer Double Sunshine to this, but it's a very hop forward yet not overly bitter IPA. I could drink this all day.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 20:42:19 | More by jmarsh123

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Scored this at the Warren Store and popped it for a nightcap at our room at the Crystal Palace B&B back in Bristol...

Poured it into an imperial nonic glass I just happened to have handy... It was a medium golden, a touch hazy, and had scattered, slow carbo present. A creamy white head sat atop the brew, the frothy foam leaving some nice lacing. Had a lovley aroma, with some apricot sweetness plus rindy citrus. Quite inviting. Pretty easy going over the tongue, the body was medium to medium-plus.

Some sweetness hit the palate first, with a little orange and tangerine zestiness present. Thereafter it was all rindy and resiny, the plentiful hopping really leaving a long trail of pleasing bitterness down the hatch. Grapefruit, some pineapple, and lots of piney action really hit the spot! Triple play? More of a home run in my book. Might have been a grand slam if it had left a little more coin in my pocket! Prosit!

4.48/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1451

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 18:37:57 | More by Bierman9

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pour is a dark hazed orange and scummy white ring. The nose is of grapefruit, pine and resinous hop. There is some pale and caramel malt up front to balance. The taste is banned and well integrated with an assertive hop presence dominating the back. Resiny, caramel malts, solid foundation, hops take over, lightly piney, fair bit of grapefruit and tropical fruit. Very nice fruity finish with a gentle bitterness ending abruptly. The body is easy to drink, well carbonated, faintly grainy towards the back.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 16:22:40 | More by cpetrone84

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked this up on my Vermont road trip last week!
7% ABV, 22oz. bottle
"A trifecta of hop varieties deliver a symphony of juicy tropical hop flavors and a wonderful bouquet of aromas. Brewed and dry hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial."
2011 National IPA Champion.

A rigorous pour worked up a massive three finger, off-white head that puffed up on top of a peach-gold body with little floaties. This is an unfiltered beer so I should have been more acreful with the pour. The head receded after a few minutes to a thin coat, and left sticky lacing all over the side of the glass.

Tropical aromas indeed! Ripe pineapple, lemon pith, mangoes, grapefruit and bubblegum. Mostly all hops in the aroma and not much in the way of malt showing through. But these three hops play wonderfully together and there could be no better IPA smell at the time of this review. All else are equal at best.

And a perfect taste to match. What makes this perfect in my book is the great balance that is struck between malts and hops. Sweet malts up front are quickly met with a finishing bitterness that is at once gentle (I'm guessing...60 IBU's?) and lasting, which keeps the palate wanting that next sip! Notes of juicy hops remain on the palate long into the aftertaste. This, folks, is an IPA worth seeking out.

The mouthfeel is decent. Full-bodied beer with a mild amount of carbonation. I kind of wish that the carbonation level was higher, as this beer feels more like a Double IPA at this point. Can we just call it a DIPA? (I'll give it a 5, like all DIPA's get)

Overall, I am very glad I got the opportunity to try this beer. It is clear why it won the National IPA Championship, because it has an insane aroma, it is well-balanced, and it hides the 7% ABV very well. This is the "finest" example of an IPA that I have ever had. I love the American hops, the well-designed nature of it all, and the aroma! Get this if you can.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 02:17:42 | More by MusicaleMike

gford217

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle thanks to caguiar.

Pours clear golden yellow with a small soapy white head that leaves a little lacing.

Aroma is just chock full of juicy citrus - oranges, pienapples and even some grapefruit. Some pine resin in the background as well. The Citra is definitely prominent.

Taste is just as good with a bitter grapefruit kick up front with some sweeter pineapple later, and there is a finish of juicy pien resin.

Mouthfeel is as full bodied as I've experienced from a 6% IPA. Coats the palate with hops and leaves a nice lingering bitterness.

This is one of the better IPAs I've tasted in a long, long time. It is better than the majority of DIPAs on the market. So full of flavor for such a low ABV IPA. Great, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 22:54:59 | More by gford217

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for this bottle go to Bill. Thank you very much for the opportunity! 22 oz silver foil capped bottle with no discernible freshness dating. Label reads 7% as opposed to the 6% listed here.

Pours a golden yellow with orange highlights. Head pools and puddles and has some lasting power. Minor streaky lacing lays a trickle of spittle.

Lemon and orange on the nose as well as some pine and pot. Bitterness is foreshadowed strongly here.

Orange/lemon rind up front moves into a strong pine bitterness. Malt is light. Finish is soapy and mildly abrasive. A tongue scraper of an ending. Big hops ooze all over the tongue and settle into my tasting places. Long bitter fade lasts well after the sip.

Mouthfeel is medium and supple. Really nice body with soft but solid foundation.

Overall, I found Double Sunshine to be an absolute world beater and one of my favorite beers of all time. This beer is not at that level, but it's none too shabby either. The mouthfeel on these Lawson's IPA's is really something special. If the abrasive and soapy qualities of this beer were toned down a bit, this would be even better. As is, it's still a really nice IPA that I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to drink. Cheers, Bill.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 00:23:29 | More by BarrytheBear

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big thank you to the Baron (readbaron) for sharing this rarity.

Appearance – Pours a nice looking deep golden sunset color into a tulip. About two fingers of slight off white head is achieved with a moderate pour.

Smell – Pine, hops, bittersweet grapefruit, slight floral notes. Okay…I’ll put this out there plain and simple. There was a somewhat strong onion aroma in my opinion that reminded me of Gubna (which I did not enjoy…). This oniony aroma alone was a turnoff.

Taste – Thankfully the taste is not like Gubna. Nice resiny pine and hops up front, slight bittersweet fruits mixed with a hint of tropical fruits. Overall more orange than grapefruit. Not much malty backbone though there is slight caramel.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, slightly creamy/oily, relatively dry finish.

Overall – I had Double Sunshine recently and enjoyed it much more than this. This is a solid IPA, but not something I would trade for to be perfectly honest. Double Sunshine…well, that is another story.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 01:31:21 | More by SpdKilz

Lostcarkeys

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this bottle at the Winooski Beverage Warehouse in Vermont, came recommended from one of the guys who works there. Having tried a few other of the Lawson varieties I was eager to try the 2011 National IPA Champion, I wasn't disappointed.

A- A slightly cloudy honey/amber color

S- Sweet ripe flavor that is quite inviting

T- A strong bodied IPA whose flavor is kind of what you might expect from "a trifecta of hop varieties" as advertised on the bottle. Crisp and refreshing finish with a slightly bitter follow-up as any good IPA should end

M- Begs another sip

This is another win for the man behind Lawson's, check it out if you can get your hands on a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 20:40:33 | More by Lostcarkeys

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

had this at the vermont brewers fest last month.

this beer pours a light yellow straw color with a big white head. the smell is extremley floral and citrus, very inviting. this beer tastes the way it smells hops hops hops with no malt extremley dry and well carbonate. this is wat ipas should taste like, i love it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 16:31:20 | More by rowingbrewer

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to shadesofgray for the share.

A - Golden IPA, slightly hazy, with a big frothy cap of off-white foam and some serious lace.

S - The nose suggests a citrusy hop-bomb with a bit of a sugar cookie malt underlying. Notes of curacao, orange blossom and mango sap are apparent.

T - The taste follows the nose with a lightly sugary malt supporting intense citric and dank hoppiness. Cannabis notes are strong in the flavor, especially towards the finish. There is a ton of citrus-rindy bitterness, and some sappy pine and mango notes, too.

M - IPA. Good. Refreshing.

O - I am quite impressed by this beer; it is an upper tier IPA, doubtless.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 14:59:10 | More by ktrillionaire

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber from Baconsausage... Thanks tucker!
Served in a pint glass.

A light, bright, slightly hazy yellow with a 3 finger white head. Nice thick head holds up well and leaves nice chunky rings behind.

Smells of pine, citrusy grapefruit and orange. Virtually no malt.
Nice dry beer here! Little dry crackery malt is a hop-showcase vehicle-- notes of orange peels, white grapefruit, and dry resiny pine. Great bitterness level, but there is a slightly soapy quality to the bitterness.

Body is nearly perfect; lots of carbonation, good bitter bite, nice medium body.

This is a great beer. I would be more than happy to drink this again!

Well done!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 18:50:10 | More by AleWatcher

jrallen34

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Ryan for this at DLD... dark clear gold with hints of orange, a nice white head... the aroma is lots of oily pine, pretty bitter... taste is more of the same lots of bitter pine... I prefer the double sun shine but this is still pretty good

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 14:40:06 | More by jrallen34

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle sampled at DLD '11 (thanks to whoever brought it!), poured into a wine glass.

A: Clear medium-to-light amber body; thin, fine head. Average-looking IPA.

S: Primarily fruity, tropical hops. Some caramel malt and piney bitterness as well. Ok, but not as amazing as I was expecting.

T: Clean, bitter, delicious. Tons of pine, light citrus. No real malt presence. Awesome IPA.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation. Just fine.

O: I'd heard nothing but the highest of praise for this beer, and was expecting great things. While it was indeed a delicious IPA of the highest quality, it just didn't quite wow me like I thought it would - the aroma was a quite subdued, and the smell of a great IPA is my favorite part of it. I'd certainly enjoy drinking this one again, and I liked it far more than the other Lawson's IPAs I've had, but I don't think I'll be going out of my way.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 11:24:37 | More by woosterbill