White Birch Hooksett Ale - White Birch Brewing

Durge

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This Belgian IPA has a deep aamber-copper color with a huge mound of oatmeal colored foam on top that collapses to a solid avalanched of head with oodles of chunky lacing. Perhaps a bit much. The aroma brings a nice blend of light fruit and clove with yeasty edges and dusty spice/bread. The flavor follows with a more serious backbone of malt and pineapple, maple and licorice yeast. Great combinations in a pretty substantially constituted brew that hints at it's 7.7 ABV. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and some grassy hop bitterness all make a contribution in this near full-bodied brew. It offers plenty of tasteful carbonation for a foamy, fairly luscious feel. A bit more of a mouthful than I typically look forward to in this style, but it's hard to complain. a class brew that will satisfy the tastebuds and complement the finaest cheese or pate, when you run out of pizza. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 03:46:34 | More by Durge

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on March 2011 (batch 3), but it says on the side "this beer is not intended for cellaring" in bold letters. Also this is my first Belgian IPA. So uh . . . here goes:

Into a chalice:

A: hazy golden orange brown colored body with a light one finger white head that appeared for less than thirty seconds. Some slight lacing appears and trickles down the sides of the chalice. It was too hazy for any carbonation to be seen rising.

S: balanced between the hops and citrus. Some caramel comes out but it is mostly faint along with the alcohol tones

T: dominated by the hops yet some citrus came out trying to match up to the hops. The caramel is way more subdued in the taste than how it was on the smell.

M: medium, slight silkiness - possibly creamy, with a light carbonation felt

O: ok, so this may have not been a fresh batch, but interestingly enough, I thought it was still a good beer. Also, since this is my first Belgian IPA, I still can't really beat on this or rave about it. Well, I would have it again and hope that I would have a fresher batch.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 00:19:36 | More by kangarooAdam59

SLeffler27

New York

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy, dark, golden amber that shimmers in the light. A scant, rocky, ecru head leaves little lacing on a tulip glass.

There are lots of aromatic hops here with a big presence of lemon-lime citrus and some alcohol fumes.

The flavor is dominated by the hops, yet bitterness is well balanced. It is refreshing to find a hop-forward beer that leaves the enamel on one’s teeth. Caramel comes out with warming as does some sweetness.

A medium to full body with silky texture and light carbonation. Slightly warming alcohol with a light, sticky residue left on the lips.

The bottle reads “Batch 1, February 2011”. This is a disturbingly easy beer to consume, either with food or contemplation.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 21:05:04 | More by SLeffler27

Gavage

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours an orange color with a 3" meringue like head. Thick lace sticks to the glass.

Smell: caramel and Belgian yeast aroma is easy to detect.

Taste: caramel, bready malt, apples, some pepper spices, and a belgian yeast flavor is well balanced. Bitterness is moderate.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp from start to finish with some slight dryness late.

Overall: an easy to drink ale. Nice flavors, but not overwhelming. Solid beer with decent flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 20:51:53 | More by Gavage

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz Bomber
A) Pours with a finger thick beige head with great retention. Tight and sticky lacing on the drink down. Murky copper-amber in color. Some sediment.
S) Bright floral notes. Sweet citrus notes - apricot, hints of peach.
T) Malty sweet up front then a bold and bitter hop finish. Toasty. Subtle nuttiness. Grassy and leafy in the finish. Lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.
M) Fizzy, yet creamy. Medium body. Strong tannins and dry in the finish.
O) A delicious IPA. Didn't pick up on any Belgian characteristics but the "Belgian" could also be in the un-obvious characteristics.
I'd definitely would drink another one.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:49:51 | More by u2carew

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into tulip glass, color is opaque amber with light tan head. The hed presents nicely, lasts long and laces well.

Smell is somwhat sweet, light caramel, quickly followed by the hop bitterness in the form of some citrus and line pine.

Taste is underwhelming, very sweet and bitter, followed by some astringency. Flavors are caramel and overly sweet, hop notes are citrus; i don't really pick up any off or belgian type phenolic flavors, the astrigency seems to have covered it up.

Mouthfeel is very cloying and bitter on the tongue, the bitterness does clean up some of this.

Overall, note really much of a belgian IPA, overly sweet and bitter.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 20:07:17 | More by mvanaskie13

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm excited to drink this - (what else is there to do over winter break) - I've only had a couple Belgian IPAs before, and this is the first time I've tried anything from White Birch, a brewery from the great state of NH.

Poured this bomber into an oversized wine glass. Rich cloudy auburn with a nice, off white head that settles down to an uneven covering. Retention around the rim at first, turns into a bit of spotty lacing. Go ahead and pour this guy aggressively if you like a nice plume.

This smells really good: fig/apricot/plum (that sort of fruit)-like; yeasty, a little citric but sweet in the way that the inside of an orange juice carton would smell. The end of my first glass betrays Fig Newtons and alcohol.

A little less fruity than it smells, a little more bitter. Still plums, though. The bitterness is balanced well with the sweetness. The "Belgian" shines through in the backbone. The alcohol makes an appearance. Goes well with what I'm snacking on: some Danish blue and crackers. Finishes dry, leaves a nice aftertaste.

I really liked this beer. A solid change of pace from my go-to East Coast IPA. Not something I would go with on the regular, it's a little boozey-tasting, but it's a really good cheese-and-crackers type brew if you're in the mood.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 03:14:35 | More by NardiByNature

srandycarter

California

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Murky bright apricot, near white small head, leaves fast to disk. Small gathering of cling lace.

S - Sweet, somewhat spicy, piney and delicious.

T - Nice malt center, surrounded by flowers, pine and some citrus.

M - Nice med body, good carb and balance.

D - Deceptively drinkable for the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 03:48:59 | More by srandycarter

trlittle

Rhode Island

3.23/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up after driving through hooksett for the past few years, and having heard some interesting things about White Birch.

A - Quite murky orange-copper color. Very little head.

S - Nice hop aroma, quite citrusy. A few malty notes.

T - Where was the beer I just smelt? Not nearly as flavorful as anticipated. Malts took over here. Still more of a hop flavor, but definitely not as much as I was expecting. After all, the label calls it a "hopfest".

M - hangs around for a bit. not as much carbonation as I usually like, but it really doesn't hurt the beer. Not much to say here.

O - Did not live up to my expectations, though now I'm wondering why I had them in the first place. Not a bad beer, just not a great one either.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 03:38:19 | More by trlittle

MrELovesBeer

Vermont

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The wife and I have finally made the move to Vermont and we're diving into the world of New England beer that's a LOT easier to get here than ye ol' Brooklyn, starting with White Birch Brewing which has been up there on my list of tries since hearing Bill Herlicka talk on Beer Sessions Radio. I snagged a 22oz of Hooksett and cracked it open along with a dinner of pan fried tilapia, kale, and roasted sweet potatoes. This is a beauty out of the bottle, hazy orange and a lovely pillowy head. Got a lot of toffee and orange pith in the scent. Big hop wallop on the tongue with a serious lingering bitterness that gets more aggressive as the beer warms up. This paired quite nicely with my dinner, bringing out the spices in the breading and the sweetness of the fish while at the same time cleansing the palate after big bites of garlic in the roasted potatoes and the kale. A nice intro to White Birch; I'd keep this one in mind for similar dishes but probably not one I'll have without food.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 00:40:42 | More by MrELovesBeer

MasterSki

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Extra from AshleyMiller - someone actually reads me profile! Served in a Glunz taster. Batch #6, April 2011.

A - Murky dark orange body. A half-finger of tan foam settles to a thin cap, leaving fingers of lace.

S - Citrus, tropical fruits, toffee malt, lightly phenolic yeast spice, and a hint of alcohol. Smells largely as promised - a Belgian beer with (faded) American hops.

T - Unfortunately, this tastes like a mediocre homebrew. Cardboard, apples, toffee, and a soda water finish with moderate astringency. Was this dry-hopped for six months or something? In any case, not horrible - it's actually in my Top 5 White Birch offerings.

M - Fairly dry texture, chewy medium-full body, lower carbonation, and White Birch's usual immaculately hidden (if not excessive) alcohol.

D - Started out promising, but the taste took a serious left turn. I'd actually consider trying this again if it was fresh, but probably not at White Birch's typical prices.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 18:26:29 | More by MasterSki

Sean9689

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Opposite of thanks to Alex for this one. Poured into plastic cup as to not taint the Narke tulip.

A - Pours a mirky orange color, thin collar, wisps.

S - Hops, yeast, sugary sweetness. Too sweet for a Belgian IPA...not really sure what they were going for here. That said, this is White Birch, so who knows what they're thinking.

T - Bitter hops, light citrus, funky yeasty malts. The sweetness isn't as bad as it is on the nose, but it's still too sweet. The bitterness is nice, and I would prefer less sweetness and more yeast and hops.

M - Too much body, good carbonation, creamy bitter finish.

O - I didn't really like this one at all. My pour was enough to let me know I won't be trying this again. I don't think I'd call this a Belgian IPA, but who knows what this beer could have originally been styled after. No thanks!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 17:46:28 | More by Sean9689

AgentZero

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

As usual, thanks to Alex for this.

A - Golden amber colored beer with a small white head and not much stick on the sides.

S - Some citrus with a bit of yeast with some caramel sugar. Yeast is slightly harsh and phenolic. Hops are more of the earth variety and not particularly sweet.

T - This may be the best White Birch beer I've had, or if nothing else, the best one I can remember having. belgian IPAs are usually not great, an this is not great. Kind of herbal, bitter, generic malts, phenolic yeast, and gritty. That said I don't want to spit it out, so I'd say it's a winner for WB.

M - Gritty, medium bodied, moderate carbonation.

O - This was passable, which is amazing considering the source. Yeah, it's not good, but still better than expected.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 03:36:28 | More by AgentZero

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 4, March 2011, 6.5% ABV for this bottle

Starts with a four-finger head. Leaves a dome as it recedes, leaving some larger spots. The brew is cloudy with orange-hued amber color

Beautiful combination of malt and hop. Lighter pale malt predominates, but there is an excellent floral, but mildly spicy, aroma hop. Smells delicious.

Creamy malt that leads to the beginning of a mildly bitter flavor. But when you swallow, wow, it becomes very, very bitter with a peppery punch. In a word: complex. Each sip brings out new flavors of stronger spices. There is no apparent alcohol flavor and I do not detect any of the typical Belgian yeast. (There is a slight yeast, raw bread flavor.)

This is an exceptional IPA--excellent in every attribute.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 23:02:51 | More by smcolw

gestyr

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 7 Bottled June 2011 ABV 7.7%
Poured into tulip glass

A: Pours a hazy orange-amber with a long lasting head that leaves lacing

S: Wow! Citrus hops. Very nice hops aroma followed by caramel and malt. Some hints of fruit

T:Very tasty. Hops Cascade hops flavor with a strong malt backbone with a minty, almost candycane like sweetness.

M: Medium bodied. A satisfying mouthfeel with the right amount of carbonation.

O: I liked this very much. It is complex without being complicated, refreshing and will fill the need for American Hops in anyone.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 22:26:03 | More by gestyr

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Pinocchio's, Media, PA

Poured a slightly hazy amber color with a huge puff of off-white head...took a few minutes to settle before the bartender could actually serve me a full glass. Active and fizzy with carbonation. Citrusy hops in the nose, and plenty of fruit notes. Good taste, citrusy, piney, lots of hops, overlaid on a sweet malt base; fruit salad and a touch of spice detectable. Medium-bodied and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 03:24:36 | More by Rifugium

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

batch 5, 7.3%, into fantome tulip.

A- Creamy, large-bubbled head that lays a nice ring around the glass. Settles out to a thick donut on a hazy orange body. Really nice pour.

S- Lots of Belgian yeast and fresh hops. Clove is heavy.

T- Bitterness is right up front, a bit of orange peel and some pine sap. Malt is nice and sweet and compliments the hops. Yeast backs off compared to the nose.

M- Chalky, as mentioned. Full-bodied, candy malt sweetness and a nice bitter finish. Almost gritty.

O- Pretty good stuff, I enjoy a good Belgian IPA and this is no exception. White Birch should focus on hoppy beers, they are tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 01:12:37 | More by ShogoKawada

05Harley

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on April, 2011
Batch 6, bottle #1105

Purchased @ somersworth Village Market, Somersworth NH

Price - $7.49/bomber

The appearance is a dark shade of orange with a fluffy two inch white head. Awesome long lasting retention leaving behind thick lacing and creamy foam burgs sitting on top. A very good looking beer to say the least.

The aroma is sweet and full of fruit with orange peel, grapefruit, apricots and tangerines followed by a piney resin. A faint hint of yeast is noticeable.

Flavor dominates up front with sweet citrus fruit followed spices, caramel, wheat and a hint of funk which adds the Belgian stamp. Surprisingly complex and well balanced.

The mouthfeel is lite and soft at first with moderate to high carbonation. Then comes the noticable warming sensation due to the alcohol content followed by a bitter finish thanks to the hops. Crisp and refreshing and not too dry. A little too much carbonation though for my liking.

Overall a complete surprise to me and very drinkable for 8.0%. This is definitely one of Bill's stand out offerings IMO, good job. I'm looking for more of the recent batch on the shelves...

**Beware
Drink this as fresh as possible. I've had several since this review and they weren't the same beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 01:00:41 | More by 05Harley

rtepiak

Poland

3.3/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

batch five was only 7.3 abv... bottle is four months old about.

a strong, gone orange, belgian strong. orange near amber pour. not as brisk as a belgian IPA but still quite drinkable. should be had with food. looks great but doesn't have much of a character. nose of booze and orange candy citrus... palate of orange blossom. a bit of a tanin rich palate. on par with a lot of the other belgian IPA's from the area. smuttynose in particular. i would say its a food beer only. something for the autumn if not winter. some heavy tanin quality that come out only as mineral inconsistencies. wanted this fresh... wouldn't recommend having it any other way. and i had the deproef tomme beer which was similar but more along side... more cannabis notes in this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 03:47:23 | More by rtepiak

djura

Serbia

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got it from U.S. Bottle 0.6L

A- When i pour it in the glass,there was so much foam,you can't believe it! Color is exceptional,light ruby,amber,strawberry color,with hugeee darker foam,lasting for very long. There is some carbonation.

S-On a first nose huge smell of elder-berry,hops and malt.

T/M-Refreshing taste,very good,but with huge,lasting long in the mouth,bitterness. Bitterness is very good balanced with malt sweetness.

O-You could drink it all day!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 19:39:31 | More by djura

jsled

Vermont

2.53/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

P: Cloudy gold/amber. Low head, low carbonation.

A: bitter, citrus

F: bitter. hoppy. malty, with some residual sugar. slightly chalky.
unpleasant piercing bitterness in aftertaste. indistinguished malt doesn't
meld well with bitterness.

M: slightly heavy and thick/lingering.

O: meh.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:30:32 | More by jsled

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is hazy dark amber-orange in color and poured with a finger high off white head that left wispy lacing on the surface.
S: There are aromas of citrus in the nose along with notes of yeast.
T: Similar to the smell, the beer has notes of grapefruit flavors with some initial malt sweetness and a light amount of bitterness from the hops. Notes of spices are evident in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is rather easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Note: Batch #1, Bottled February 2011

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 13:39:17 | More by metter98

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy copper-peach colour with a VERY TALL, creamy, frothy, foam head that recedes nice and slow. Very good lacing down the glass.

S: Caramel-like malts, pine hops, some clove and coriander, orange and grapefruit, and a bit of brown sugar. Nicely balanced aromas between the malts and hops.

T: Quite similar to smell, with the balance between malt/sweet and hops/bitter present in taste too. Picking up a dry apricot taste in the finish thats very appealing. Alcohol noticeable in the finish, but not overly powerful considering the ABV. Don't get me wrong, I like the overall taste to this but would like a bit more complexity besides the straight malt and hop tastes.

M: Resiny and oily with above-average carbonation for the style. Mouthfeel works well for this in my opinion.

D: Would pick this one up again down in NH, however, was looking for more of a complex taste. Perhaps my hopes were a little too high in advance, but nonetheless a delicious offering from White Birch.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 02:46:57 | More by Digimaika2

Klym

California

4.45/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a lost abbey tulip and shared with Cavery. Big props to alelovinruskie for providing this as an excellent extra to cavery in a recent trade.

A: Pours somewhere between an amber and a dark brown with a frothy, slightly off-white head that leaves pretty killer spotty lacing that really sticks there. Very much looks somewhere between a great belgian IPA and a great barleywine.

S: Hops, yeast, a little pine, a little molasses, a little dark fruit, a little citrus spritz and just a squeeze of some tropical fruits with some sappiness to it all. Really nice smell.

T: What an awesome brew. Great light-hearted refreshing, hop heavy IPA taste profile and feel all anchored by a savory and well-balanced dark fruit centric barleywine with unique light notes of bark, sap, and nuts building a bridge between them. Love how middle of the road this is between deep and savory and crisp and refreshing. My only knock is that sometimes the hop bite goes a little too far in the aftertaste and starts to get a tad medicinal.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation, just as it should be. Alcohol is as unnoticable in the mouthfeel as it is in the taste, with the bite from the hops mainly affecting the roof of the mouth and sides of the tongues.

O: What an unexpectedly awesome beer. I really recommend people try this, I think this thing could really create a cult following. Would love to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 03:23:19 | More by Klym

Cavery

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A pint provided by AleLovinRuskie (thanks!). Acquired in a recent trade, and shared with Klym.

Bottled April 2011
Batch 5
Bottle # 1808

Poured into Lost Abbey Tulips.

A: A very luminous rustic orange body with super sticky large to medium bubble foam. The lacing shows the remnants of the 2 1/2 finger head. Sprawling islands of cobwebs patch the sides of the glass. This thing looks like an absolute champion, even with some months behind it. A slightly red character to the body makes for a bit of a memorable departure from typical images in style.

S: A really rich powdery bakery of a nose. Rustic breads with handfuls of dried nectarines, apricots, and pineapple slices. Love the nose on this thing, the marriage of baking flours and dried fruits takes me to French Patisseries. Loving this nose, crazy bakery flavors that take me to another place. The malt sweetness is so married with tropical dried fruits that I just marvel at the swirling sweet complexity.

T: The taste is very mellow, with slight notes of alcohol glazed toasted breads. Darker french bread crusts crack and leave those bready bits that linger on the palate like a teasing of breads that have since left the bakery. I sense a little bit of this flavor character might have passed, but the leftovers are delicious. I get a very specific lentil like sweetness that dances a bit with brown sugars to make for a great topping on toasted breads. I really like the balance on this thing, even if some of the complexity has passed, the balance hasn't. A brief hop linger passes with the breads.

M: A soft melting cotton candy in the mouth, really there is truly a melting sensation to the feel of this beer. I love how it feels alive and fluffy, then gives into a gradual decay. The carbonation does a consistently slow release that dissolves like a piece of fancy dessert in the mouth. I really like this once again, and am impressed that this has held up so well.

O: I REALLY need to try this fresh. This is so good despite the age, and I can't help but feel extremely compelled to get a fresh bottle of this. I haven't had a balanced offering like this from the east coast before, and would love to have some more birch in my fridge. This beer drinks so easily, and is weak in no area. It would be very easy to have a mediocre offering and put some blame on the age, but this has held up so well. I'd love to try it with more alive hop character, but man what a backbone this thing has. This is a must revisit for me, and a must try for anyone reading this.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 03:21:12 | More by Cavery