Wachusett Larry - Wachusett Brewing Company

HopHead84

California

2.55/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

6/12/2011

Bottle courtesy if bring. Snifter. Enjoy by September 2011.

A: Dark orange and transparent with a frothy white cap. Scattered lacing.

S: Heavy on the malt right off the bat (caramel). Dank pine and a little onion. Faint grapefruit. Pretty muted and malt heavy.

T: Lots of caramel with a whisper of grapefruit. Some pine. Moderate bitterness. Malt heavy with little hop expression.

M: Medium in body with medium moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is sticky and a little heavy.

Overall: I'm not sure if this is an older bottle or if the beer is normally like this, but I'm not impressed. Not at all hoppy and far too much malt.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 04:38:54 | More by HopHead84

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.55/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap in a shaker pint. Hazy light amber topped with a half-finger of foam. This soon becomes a skim, but the lacing-to-head ratio is pretty impressive.

Big caramel nose with tropical fruits and touch of an odd savory note. Onion maybe? Boozy and smooth with a thickish body that seems to blunt the bitterness. Lotsa caramel here, but some interesting tropical flavors peeking through- melon, mango, grapefruit rind. A touch of pine. A little too heavy for its own good. Not bad, but thick, malty DIPAs just aren’t my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 12:36:09 | More by PDXHops

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.73/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a bright orange with a 3 finger foamy head. Leaves lacing down the glass.

A little bit of pine and citrus with a strong malt backbone.

Starts off with some heavy caramel and a bit of citrus hop character. The sweetness stays throughout, but is overpowered near the end by a piney resin flavor.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are low-medium. A tad bit creamy.

Not terribly impressed by this one. Leans too much toward malt for the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 21:35:48 | More by jmarsh123

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

2.75/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

On tap @ Pour Judgement. $6/pint.

A- Really pale pour, not what I remember, pretty good head though. Lacing is spotty.

S- Nice piny hops with a twinge of onion which again I do not remember. I thought this one was much more floral when I had it before.

T- Nice pine bitterness, but there's a bit of the gubna in this one. This beer is not how I remember it, dirty lines? Old keg? better in the bottle? Onion/garlic and a rough, harsh bitterness. Hop profile seems to hav shifted away from the tropical fruit notes I enjoyed in the bottle.

M- Pretty potent lingering hops, moderate body.

D- Low. I did not care for this one on tap. I did not finish this beer, which is very rare. I will have to try this again in bottles to see if my plate has shifted drastically or if this was just a fluke. As it stands, I'd suggest getting bottles of this and checking the freshness date.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2010 15:23:32 | More by ShogoKawada

Arbitrator

California

3.03/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass. A generous gift from ClownShoesDreams, with an attached post-it: "Some folks think this beer is better than GUBNA." LOL! Thanks, Gregg!

A: Pours a murky, soft amber-orange body with glowing ruby/pink tints against the light. The head is a long-lived finger of off-white head; it retreats into a broken collar with some scattered bubbles on top of the brew. A little lace from the head, nothing during the drink.

S: Not a particularly vibrant nose, but it's easy to appreciate an orange peel and tangerine note as well as floral hops. Malt is restrained; it lends a bready and caramelly scent to the beer.

T: I enjoy the citrus notes here, though they carry an earthier/bitter bent to them than I usually experience -- as above, I liken it to orange peel over pulp. It blends nicely with the floral hops here. It's maltier than I expected from the nose, but not into American barleywine territory. Definitely an East Coast DIPA, though.

M: A little higher than medium viscosity. Medium bodied in flavor, with a slightly watery finish. There's a light harshness in the finish from the hops.

D: Fairly easy to drink, and quite an enjoyable flavor. I would never put it in the same class as Pliny the Elder or HopSlam, but it's a pretty close competitor for Leafer Madness or Hercules. If it were available locally for cheaper than those, I'd buy it.

And yes, it's better than GUBNA. But then, most beers are...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 19:50:07 | More by Arbitrator

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had this on-tap at American Craft in Brookline today. Review from notes.

5.0 A: Hazy medium orange color. One and a half fingers of super creamy off-white head. Excellent retention and lots of lacing. Awesome!

3.5 S: Lots of citrus hops and some herbal going on here. Malts are in the background. Orange and mango most apparent. Some pine as well. Overall, aroma could be stronger.

2.5 T: Malts are bready, which I don't really care for in an IPA. Hops aren't too bold either, but still pleasant nonetheless. Orange and mango again, but not as strong as in the nose. Grapefruit and a touch of pine show up.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good carbonation and reasonably creamy.

3.0 D: Decent overall, but nothing special.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2010 02:11:08 | More by DavoleBomb

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From a bottle to snifter. Thanks for the hookup Mike.

Pours a nice burnt orange color. Beautiful thick 3 finger head. Piney citrus comes through the nose. Cutting through all of that is the malt. Plenty of it. I'm worried now. Taste is on par for smell. Nice pine and floral citrus followed by caramel malt. Gross. Malty beer drives me nuts. The best thing about this is how well it is carbonated and carries in my mouth.

I really was excited to try this. Pretty much fell flat for me. Why is it there are some imperial ipa's that seem borderline barleywines? I don't feel I was duped but this was just pretty awful.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 06:18:12 | More by TheDudeRules

ejyoung

Arizona

3.08/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Well, I was looking forward to this one but it left me disappointed.

A: Looks nice - great copper color with a three finger off-white head that falls into basically nothing besides a thin white ring around the side of the glass. Some lacing.

S: Some grapefruit and pine, but it smells pretty sweet overall. Biscuit, peaches, and caramel play a big part. The alcohol is also noticeable in the aroma.

T: Lots of malty, caramel sweetness. Hop flavor is minor compared to what I was expecting from a DIPA. It comes through at the end with some grapefruit and citrus zest.

M: Very sticky sweet. Carbonation is a little low.

O: I can usually put down a DIPA pretty easily, but I'm struggling on this. The sweetness is just way too high. I'm hoping this is just a bad bottle, but I was told it was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 02:41:04 | More by ejyoung

davey101

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bomber into a shaped pint glass. Best before December 2011. Purchased in a gas station cooler...

A - Dark amber body with a lot of carbonation. Dirty soapy light khaki head.

S - Piney hops with some savory elements...I can pick up some dank onions. Floral and malty with just a hint of grapefruit. I really prefer fruitier IIPA's.

T - Very dank and dark. Lots of biscuity malts and caramel. The hops seem fairly faded and in the background but threes still a decent amount of bitterness. Pretty average. Mouth feel is medium with a good level of carbonation.

O - I was not impressed with this one. I've always heard good things about this local IIPA, and it took me a while to finally grab one. This just isn't doing it for me, very average and boring.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 21:21:37 | More by davey101

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.18/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A ton of thanks to Actonbrewer! Dated best by April 2012, poured into stemless chardonnay glass...

A- Deep orange color, pretty damn hazy in the glass. Very dense and stable, light cram colored head. Nice spotted lacing left on the sides of the glass...

S- Nice oranges, citrusy aroma, some balancing toffee malt, and just a minimal hint of soap. Also notice some ripe bananas and red delicious apples.

T/M- Very balanced beer. Doesn't come off as 85 IBU. Toasty malt, slight sweetness. A few hot fusels on the palate. Hops are a tiny bit fruity, but mostly earthy and grassy. Medium body, yet approaching full; with an appropriate level of carbonation to keep it slick.

O- Decent, not amazing, but overall very balanced. Would definitely drink again, just not for a hop kick. Easy drinker, yet dangerously masked alcohol... Win/Win!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 05:56:44 | More by TheGordianKnot

BigPlay1824

New York

3.25/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: Golden color with a slight orange hue, pours with aggressive head that is frothy and white and lingers a bit, leaves tons of lacing
S: grapefruit and orange with a sweetness similar to cane sugar with a bit of depth
T: hits heavy at first and then kicks in with a slight bit of funk, moves into a bit of darker citrus kind of like roasted grapefruit, ends with a slight alcohol tinge
M: very thick on the palate, thicker than i like to see in imperial ipas, medium carbonation tingle, light alcohol burn
O: not the best ive seen, a little thick, harsh, and heavy, still drinkable but not something i would have again

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 21:22:10 | More by BigPlay1824

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to nevins for this one.

APPEARANCE: Big, full inch-thick head with a variety of bubble sizes sits atop a light copper beer. Brilliant and clear, Larry Imperial IPA looks a bit like a light beer, kind of odd for a DIPA.

SMELL: Wow, the smell does not match the look at all. This is certainly not a light beer. Strong malt, floral and...is that black licorice? I think so. And mint? Does anyone else get this. Either way, potent smelling beer.

TASTE: I'm not a fan of licorice so I tend to focus on the flavor whenever it is present and after taking a sniff, my palate is on guard for it. Of course, it is the first flavor I recognize, but shockingly it doesn't bother me too much. Larry is apparently a very malty man and that helps balance out the initial shock to the palate. The malt, in turn, is balanced out by the 85 IBUs that provide a nice, bitter backbone and tail end of the sip. This is a very complex beer.

MOUTHFEEL: Sparkly and very lively, the Larry has quite a bit of carbonation.

OVERALL: I can certainly appreciate a beer like this, but it isn't really my thing. The licorice was a bit weird, and I applaud Wachusett for taking the approach they took to this beer, but I probably won't be hunting down another.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 08:47:35 | More by StoneTSR

gibby

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bomber at People's Liquor in Warwick, RI while here for a wedding.
Poured into an over sized wine goblet. Nice bright amber color with 2 finger creamy head. Smell is ok with just a bit of pine and citrus. Taste is kind of disappointing, bit of pine and citrus again with a big bready malt presence. A bit too well balanced for my double ipa expectations. Mouth feel is good but nothing spectacular. Its a well balanced, no hint of alcohol double ipa. Not bad but not great either. I think it may have been better when very fresh but I am glad I got to try it while up here.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 15:14:56 | More by gibby

Nugganooch

California

3.38/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice little extra from Charliedvrs - Cheers bro!

22oz to pint
*Notes from 08/29/11

A: Larry pours a nice looking lazy golden light amber color with a perfect 2 finger white cap. It just pockets away at a slow pace with spider webs of lace all the way down.

S: Aromas seem quite muted for a DIPA. Light floral nose and some pale malts. A little fruity ale yeast and clean water. Touch of alcohol.

T: Big chewy caramel malts are dominant. A bit juicy with fruits and some spice notes. There is some decent hop bitterness across the palate that is peppery apricot. Sugary sweet toffee caramel body. Slightly warming.

M: Medium body - Creamy texture. Slightly sticky mouthcoat.

D: Average drinkability for a DIPA.
More on the sweet side for my preference and those chewy caramel malts can become a bit filling. Not totally out of whack balance wise. Some decent hops going on in there. Always up for trying new DIPA's

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 21:09:14 | More by Nugganooch

azdback

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Sam Adams Lager glass. Cloudy orange color. Head is three fingers and a frothy white. Lace has stuck around very nice.

Orange citrus smell. Some bread smells. That's about all I'm getting from this.

Tastes of bitter citrus hops. Kinda like an orange sweetened yellow grapefruit. Some yeast flavors come through. No alcohol. A tid bit malt sweetness at the end.

The mouth is for the style what it should be. This one is very easy drinking. Not watery or empty at all.

Overall this is not a bad IPA. I don't know the price on this cause it was an extra from masterhomebrewer, thanks again, but if was reasonably priced I would buy this one on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 05:44:21 | More by azdback

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big thanks to Todes for randomly giving me this bottle. Awesome.

A - Pours gold-orange, translucent, short-lived head.

S - Vegetal, dank, woody, resiny hop, perhaps reminding me of (the dreaded IPA boogeyman) GUBNA.

T - Tastes good, hoppy, bitter and strong, with a big pale and caramel maltiness to back it up. More of a balanced flavor. Not writing to Mother over it, though...

M - IPA. Mehhhh territory.

D - A middling effort in an overcrowded style, in an overcrowded market, in an overcrowded locality. I feel another mehhh coming on...

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 06:19:10 | More by ktrillionaire

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a nice 2 finger head. Nice lace coating the glass. Citrus rind and grapefruit aromas. Bitter hops balanced with a malty backbone. Decent double ipa. Medium mouthfeel. Not sure why all the hype around this one though. It's not bad but nothign mind blowing either.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2010 18:40:45 | More by kbutler1

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - golden wheat/light tan in color, with more than three fingers of foamy rocky white head

S - as an IPA should, grapefruit hoppy aromas with piney/floral complements, some background honey sweetness

T - sweet honey in the first few moments of the taste, then the grapefruit/pine explosion into a full blown IPA, nice layering

M&D - thinner than i expected, yet smooth and easy to drink, not the best example of the style, but a nice beer nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 18:20:00 | More by sinstaineddemon

Treebs

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into my Founders snifter. Got this guy as an extra in a trade (Thanks Gushue!).

Best by: September 2011

A: Pours a wonderful amber with lighter hued orange edges. Nice 1 finger pure white head with not very much retention, even with a vigorous pour. The ripple-effect from the lace was also very nice on the drink's way down.

S: The smell is not as pungent as I would like, but I'm still picking up hints of grapefruit and some pine-like hops.

T: The light bitter fruit hits you up front then fades back down to mellow oaky bitterness. The finish is a little less than stellar with sort of a woody and light pine finish.

M: Medium to light bodied with an oily finish that leads to semi-bland finish. The palate is struggling to cling to some semblance of taste, but it's failing.

O: While the brew was very refreshing and an excellent kick start I'm afraid it fell a little flat at the end.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 01:29:23 | More by Treebs

Gmann

New York

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with lots of carbonation bubbles racing to the top. The head is short and dense, settles into a light cap.

The aroma is sweet. There is a buttery caramel characteristic from the malt. The hop aroma is of tropical fruit, mainly pineapples. Some orange as well. Not a huge fan of this hop profile.

The taste mirrors the aroma. A sweet caramel malt mixes with a candied tropical fruit flavor from the hops. There is some light grassy and piney notes in the end but it doesn't really make the beer bitter. Again, not a big fan of mixing a caramel malt profile with hops that give tropical fruit notes, it gets too candy sweet for my liking. The light bitterness does help.

Moderate body with fizzy carbonation, a hair slick on the palate with a light bitterness in the finish.

The beer is well made but its just not in my wheelhouse. It drinks fairly easy.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 17:10:11 | More by Gmann

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

GLASS: Snifter
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 55 degrees
Thanks go to ShogoKawada for this one.

This pours up a beautiful, slightly hazy, golden orange color, somewhat like a sunset on a warm summer evening. Just over a fingers worth of fluffy white foam makes up the head which fades down to a total surface covering film of about an 1/8 of an inch thick. It leaves nicely thick and quite sticky lacing down the sides of the glass.

The nose is a very good balance of hops and malts. Nice notes of caramel and a slight hint of brown sugar are here. They are only slightly outshined by the floral and citrus hops notes. Lots of grapefruit, lime and oranges, with a light undertone of pine.

This is a totally understated and muted beer. There are some light hints of malty sweetness and of hop bitterness, but it's all just kind of bland and lifeless. Good citrus and floral notes, when you look for them, along with a touch of caramel biscuit malts. Nothing to get excited about, sadly.

It's almost full-bodied and has a light-to-medium level of carbonation. This helps it maintain a good smoothness and gives it a small touch of creaminess.
Regretfully, the finish is similar to seltzer water.

Okay, as far as DIPA/IIPA's go, this one is quite drinkable. But, that's because there just isn't much to it. I prefer my DIPA's to be a touch more bold, either in the hops or malts area, it doesn't matter. Just give me something to latch on to.
I'm very glad to have had this one, especially because of some forum comments that made me believe that this would be one that I'd really like. Unfortunately, I won't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 05:00:32 | More by coldmeat23

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to nonstick for this 650 mL bomber.

A: The DIPA is an auburn orange-brown color with a translucence that amplifies the steady stream of carbonation in the center of the glass. Each pour generated a small quantity of head.

S: The nose is very syrupy, very rich and thick-smelling. Excessive amounts of citrus and tropical fruit lie behind the thickness, as do full caramel malts.

T: It took me a while to come around on this double IPA. At first it struck me as treacly and syrupy. As it warmed, it matured and took on a fuller, hop-driven flavor. Tropical fruits, lush, mix with the citrus hops in an enticing combination. The ale is bitter so much as it is boozy, more heat than hops in each sip. The finish is malty with a wall of hops hanging around.

M: The mouthfeel is oily, accentuating the citrusy side of the hops. Everything feels muddled together, resulting in the thickness that hangs around.

D: Larry is a good IPA, thick and rich at times (often to the ale's detriment). I have another bottle in the fridge but I likely wouldn't crack the 2nd bottle right away, too much at one time.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 01:27:26 | More by akorsak

juhl31

California

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks nevins for the extra! and thanks abbey road for the accompaniment

-golden/orange/copper in color with a soapy white head

-i don't know why, but my first nostril whiff was corn. that quickly left and a decent hop character showed up. a bit floral, a bit grassy

-there is some hop flavor, but not a ton for an iipa. a good malt background rolls through the second half. some grapefruit in there alongside caramel and butterscotch. a bit soapy in the aftertaste. bitterness shows up at the very end

-carbonation is there and slightly strong on the buds. a bit dry for an ipa...not oily

-the back end of this beer is very interesting. it opens up to a different beer. this is a fine ipa, but not a go-to for me

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 02:21:51 | More by juhl31

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Good looking pour. Hazy, cloudy, deep amber. Rocky white head, good retention.

S: Citrus and orange peel; discernable bready malt presence. Citrus notes are bright and festive in the nose, enticing.

T: The nose is somewhat deceiving, this is a bitter bomb. Citrus in the aroma is replaced by resinous pine and perceivably generic bitterness. Bready malt is present in the finish, along with some slight alcohol despite a relatively low ABV. Decent taste, but I dont think this is competition for other top tier IPAs in my opinion.

M: Smooth, approaching creamy. Medium bodied I suppose, ample carbonation.

D: A high level of bitterness throws Larry's balance out of whack, even in the presence of some bready malts. This beer is also a bit boozy for a 7.5% DIPA. Pretty good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 00:16:07 | More by zoolzoo

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear and vibrant burnt orange color with a sticky two inches of light beige head. Keeps an uneven, mostly full lace and coats the glass with quite a bit of patchy webbing.

Smell is very fruity, with aromas of orange, mango and peach in particular. Has some sweetness to it as well, giving it just a touch of an over-ripe fruit quality. There is some booze here too, which is somewhat surprising at only 7.5%.

Tastes pretty much just as I described the nose: quite fruity, with a modest sweetness and some alcohol burn in the back. It's very orange-y although not in a pithy sort of way, but instead in a sort of Tang-kind of way. There is a tropical quality to the fruits as well - mango again comes to mind. The alcohol is somewhat bothersome to be honest and again is surprising given that this isn't in the 9-10% or higher range. A good smack of hop bitterness lingers into the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation, but it has a sharpness and a hint of burn to it that detract from the feel. Not overly smooth by any stretch, and the hot alcohol is probably what's causing that sharpness.

This is decent, but really nothing special. It's different, with an interesting mix of fruity qualities that are somewhat unique among the DIPAs I have tasted (= many). The alcohol makes it drink a bit messy, however, and there's an overripe, almost rotten fruit quality here too. At the end of the day it's not bad, but it doesn't come very close to being special either.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 01:06:19 | More by number1bum