Private Stock Imperial India Pale Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright amber color, with a large off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, fruity citrus and caramelized malts.

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

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

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a solid 2IPA worth drinking for while.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:00:15 | More by TheManiacalOne

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Most Gansett beers are decent for being almost macro style and cheap. This looks like their attempt to break into big beers, so quite curious how it will be.

Pours a large creamy 2 finger head that rises quickly but starts fading at a med pace despite some decent bubbles streaming from the etch at the bottom of the glass, decent foamy lacing, crystal clear tan amber orange color.

Nose smells a bit like a brewery in process, some fresh malts, light malty aromas, just a touch toasty, before the hops just overwhelm, sweet candy like hops, a bit of citrus, light chewy and spicy like, some boozy aromas as well.

Taste starts with cereal malts, toasty malts, little grainy and doughy like, overall semi sweet with some warming booze. Hops are dominant, quite spicy and salty tasting, little earthy and mineral like that leads to being quite astringent. Quite bitter, mouth smashing bitterness, some pine kicks in, with a hint of citrus and orange juice. The finish is still sticky sweet, with a really long piney earthy spicy super astringent hop lingering with a bit of salty tasty from the hops as well.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, some warming booze, fluffy carb, tongue raping astringent bitterness.

Overall... well it started OK, but that astringent bitterness just destroys. It attempts to balance with the sweet malty and booze base, but the hops just don't back down, they just keep coming and berading my tongue. I can barely stand it, and I used to be a big time hop head. this has to be above the 120 IBU mark, and the hops just get so spicy piney and astringent... oh and salty.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 23:35:21 | More by jlindros

Brad007

Vermont

3.21/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a mild copper color with a one-finger head into my glass. Medium range for color. Still having a hard time processing the idea of Narragansett making a DIPA.

This errs on the pine side of things. A bit of buttery malt but otherwise, it's like a pine tree in a glass.

This is reflected in the taste as well. The pine gives way to a dull, thin mouthfeel that leaves a lot to be desired. At least it's not heartburn city.

More on the mouthfeel. It could be fuller. At least the alcohol isn't overpowering.

Not a bad stab at the style. It's a big step when you look at what they produce (hint: not usually "bigger" beers).

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:17:02 | More by Brad007

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to vonschplieffen for sharing.

A: Clear deep copper body under two fingers of dense cream-colored head. Good retention and lacing. Beautiful, albeit overly dark for my preferred interpretation of the style.

S: Sweet caramel malt paired with sweet fruity hops. A bit of herbal resinousness. Heavy but not bad.

T: Al the sweetness promised by the nose, followed by profound bitterness. Heavy, overbearing, and boring all at the same time.

M: Creamy, nicely carbonated medium body. Good.

O: It could be a lot worse, but this is not a whit better than average for the style. Might be ok as a $10 sixpack of tall boys, but as a $6 bomber this is definitely not one to revisit.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 23:49:13 | More by woosterbill

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.7/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bottle served in my KTG snifter. Pours a translucent burnt orange with a half inch, creamy, off-white head. Copious tiny bubbles are present effervescing in solution and adhering to the bowl of the glass. Head eventually settles into a fairly consistent skim. Some spots of lacing are present during the tasting. Nose expresses citrus zest, an earthy/spicy character and a kiss of tropical fruit. Taste consistent with nose - malt is a bit more evident; however, the earthy/spicy character overshadows the citrus a bit. There is also a slight metallic quality that presents itself towards the finish. As the brew warms, an oniony character is also revealed. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a prickly carbonation and an acidity level that stimulates the salivary glands along the sides of the cheek, leaving a residual tingle after each quaff. Overall a decent DIPA at a decent pricepoint for a bomber. That said, the hops profile doesn't overly do it for me. I tend to gravitate towards the citrusy malt bomb side of the style and while there are some complexities here for sure, it's not really in my wheelhouse.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:23:11 | More by Jwale73

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours crystal clear. Light amber in color. Head is big, frothy and persistent. The head really lingers. The foam is off-white and voluminous. It leaves thin lacing islands and continents.

S-Wow, Gansett is not playing around. This is one of the hempiest aromas I have come across. Cannibus all over the place. Really dank and dingy. Hops present themselves in an herbal and earthy fashion. Very cool. Cooked vegetables. Light maltiness. Hops are quite unique.

T-Dirty and earthy are the hops…uh oh, here comes a light, lingering metallic note. It subsides a bit thankfully. This brew taste like the Spring. Starts off dirty and herbal and it slowly blossoms into a fresh floral-hop finish. Hemp, bitter pine and more cooked veggies.Dirty oranges. Also a lick of leather. Buttered biscuit malt. This is not the direction I thought they would go with this beer. It is coarse and super-rugged.

M-High dryness and high bitterness. As it warms, the beer sweetens out and it subdues the bitterness a bit. Medium bodied. Light alcohol. Soft carbonation. More of a sipper.

O/D-Gansett proves here that they can deviate from their protocol and make a legitimate 22 oz. worthy of some attention. I am not in love with the flavor expression via the hops, but I am in love with this beer's individuality. Really dirty and herbal. Pretty cool too.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 04:08:08 | More by VelvetExtract

portia99

Massachusetts

3.09/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours a crystal clear medium deep amber with some reddish tint to it. A finger of cream colored foamy head with decent staying power and some foamy lacing on the glass.

S - Well, not getting much aroma at all out of this. With a struggle, I get some mild caramel malt and some orangey citrus aromas...all at a very low intensity level.

T - A dirty and earthy bitterness up front...not super intense, but heavy feeling and a bit medicinal and lingering. Some light bready malt, more earthy grainy flavors.

M - Heavy and medicinal bitterness. Medium body with a middle/high carbonation with a lot of tingle hitting the tongue.

O - After sampling a couple other recent 'Gansett offerings, I had high hopes for this, but have to say I'm let down by this one. I would call this more of an English style DIPA...earthy hop and malt flavors, hops are almost entirely for bittering with little in the way of other flavor additions. Overall flavor is heavy with the brightness and crispness of a dominant hop citrusy/floral/spicyness that typically is found in the style. It was worth a shot, but nothing special here to bring me back again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 17:51:39 | More by portia99

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Into a chalice:

A: amber colored body with a slim two finger foamy white head that quickly dies to a filmy top of a head. Minimal lacing is left.

S: initially hoppy but as it warms up the malts combine a lot nicer to the hops and show a really nice blend of sweet to bitter, resinous, piney and citrusy.

T: initially bitter, but tones down to a great complex combination between sweet and bitter between the hops and malts, nothing showing exact certain flavors, but a great combination.

M: medium with nothing harsh on the tongue. The warmer this beer gets, the smoother it feels on the tongue. Its not as drinkable, but hey, its the style, so don't knock it that its not that drinkable. It leaves a dry and bitter aftertaste and finish.

O: not bad, not superb, but hey I'd come back to this depending upon what else was at that location when I need a beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:57:15 | More by kangarooAdam59

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Narragansett IPA pours a clear, bronze color with a big fluffy white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly leaving behind a nice netted pattern of lace.

The aroma is loaded with hops. Mainly pine with some orange citrus mixed in. A fair amount of biscuit malt is also present.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is smooth, oily with a mild carbonated fizz. The flavor is a nice balance of sweet caramel malt, biscuit, and bread along with pine and orange citrus hops. It finishes mildly bitter and dry with a lingering orange citrus when gone.

This is a very drinkable, well balanced IPA that's a little thin on the body. I hope this becomes a year round offering by Narragansett.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:52:49 | More by WanderingFool

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.26/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours an amber color with almost no head

S: Quite hop forward, with piney and lightly citrusy hops dominating. Also get some sweet malts and light spiciness

T: Woah... almost a little too in your face with pine and resin, and not in a good way. Smooths out a little, but the pine and bitterness lingers for quite a while. Also get a quick hit of malts. Really pine forward though

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Prickly carbonation

O: Definitely a one-dimensional IPA that, for the time being, is getting dominated by in-your-face hops that actually seem quite artificial (which conceptually sounds really weird in an IPA). Not sure if the bitterness will ever give way (in this sense, the term 'artificial hops' makes more sense). A nice attempt for 'Gansett, but they should stick to their guns (lagers and seasonals) which are all solid examples for their respective styles. Not bad, but it doesn't get the best score for execution

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 07:48:25 | More by BEERMILER12

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 1/14/13

Appearance: Medium amber, with some nice golden and orange hues - clear, with low low carbonation - nice, off-white head - fades to a wispy cap, nice ring, leaves a few streaks of lacing

Smell: Aggressive, floral hops - loads of oily grapefruit, with a load of flesh, rind, and pith - orange, as well, with some grass - nicely balanced with malts - oily and straight-up bitter - caramel malts, very cooked, lightly biscuity

Taste: Leafy, oily bitterness backed up by a nice malt base - oily, aggressive grapefruit - flesh, rind, and a ton of pith - grassy, herbal, floral, with some mint, and some hoppy spiciness - very bitter, asprin-like bitterness - balanced by some solid malts - caramel, cooked grains, some amber - lightly sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium body, perhaps a bit heavier because it's very oily - smooth, low carbonation

Overall: Private Stock? Why doesn't this taste like malt liquor?

I have a soft spot for Narragansett, and I was looking forward to trying this since I heard about it. Then, the "craft vs. crafty" mess started in late 2012 (and continues)... and Narragansett beers have been blacklisted. Craft or not, I believed this beer could still be good. And now that I have drank it, I feel vindicated. This is a solid beer. Far from a top tier DIPA, but it's unique and worth drinking. Think you are too good to drink Narragansett? Suck on this. (And enjoy it.)

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 07:04:14 | More by angrybabboon

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle. Pours a translucent brownish orange color with almost no head. Some lacing. Aromas of sweet floral and citrus hops with some malt and breadiness. The taste is more of that mix of sweet floral hops and grapefruit peel. Floral bitterness at the finish. Some bread and malt flavors with a slight hint of booze. Fairly drinkable with a good amount of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is slightly lighter than expected. Bit disappointed this one doesn't come in a Tall Boy but that's not a big deal. Overall, pretty good Imperial Ipa.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:48:07 | More by PicoPapa

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Perfectly clear amber with stronger orange leanings. Head has decent retention and stays at a small slightly bubbly cap and collar. Minimal, spotty lacing.

Smell: Floral, sugary sweet hops. Loaded with caramel malt sweetness. Some biscuit undertones. Hops are aggressively loaded with citrus flesh and an underlying aspirin bitterness. Vaguely minty. Oily and so very sweet. Oily and bitter as well.

Taste: Aspirin and grapefruit zest mixed with piles of flower petals. Straight up pithy bitterness builds with each sip. Some solid backing maltiness. Caramel malt sweetness, touches of biscuit. Some cooked malts as well.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy. Mediumish body with a lightly moderate carbonation. Slight dryness on the back.

Overall: I want my 16oz can!

A decent DIPA. A bit heavy on the bitterness with minimal complexity, but a solid drinking beer. Big and slightly burly, but the can would make this a gem.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:51:08 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Etan

Illinois

3.36/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

22oz bottle into a Maine Beer Company tumbler.

A: Pours out a brassy caramel color with a fine off-white head.

S: Herbal, burnt and leafy, grapefruit sweetness, caramel malt, buttery yeast. Smells like we're dealing with non-American hops here, maybe German.

T: Taste brings crisp and green hop bitterness, soapy yeast, bready and dry malt, very slight caramel and citrus sweetness.

M: Mouthfeel is full and creamy, medium-bodied.

O: It seems like the hops used in this beer would normally be used to give a crisp bitterness to more sessionable styles, rather than being in an imperial IPA. The beer is drinkable but the hop profile is mostly just bitter.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 23:16:10 | More by Etan

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.56/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle was poured into a nonic.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a thin layer and left some nice lacing on the glass. It is a copper color with great clarity and bubbles coming up the middle of the glass.

Smell: Caramel and bready malts followed by citrus hops.

Taste: Same as above with lingering bitterness. There seems to be a weird combination. Of hops here and a little phenol alcohol too.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium bodied, medium carbonation, lingering tingly bitterness, and a little creamy.

Overall: Pretty average Double IPA here. The beer could be a bit cleaner in my honesty. Still an enjoyable beer though.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:59:47 | More by Flounder57

AmitC

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a snifter.

Color is amber with a lot of clarity. A good, about two fingers thick off white head with good retention. Excellent lacing on the sides.

Aroma is of piney and flowery hops. A bit of malt for an IIPA. Strength is good.

Flavor is almost the same. Some bitterness upfront with a more balanced middle and some lingering bitter finish.

Medium bodied feel with a little oily touch. Moderate to low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 05:37:03 | More by AmitC

Greenlabel

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +27.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a 22 oz bottle at Julio's. When opened, the initial smell was a fresh, hoppy aroma. Very attractive pour- coppery color with long-lasting white head. Taste well balanced betwen malt and hops. I note that some German ingredients were used and, to me, the result was more like an English IPA than, say, a West Coast style. The 8.6% ABV was hardly noticeable as the bottle was being consumed. Overall, a very pleasant drinking experience.

I have no idea as to what Narragansett intends to do with this product (which is brewed at Buzzards Bay rather than Genesee or Cottrell) but I'd strongly vote for it coming to the market in a 4-pack or 6-pack of cans. I'll definitely purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:39:46 | More by Greenlabel

greenengineer

Massachusetts

1.48/5  rDev -57.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Bomber poured into my new Notch 0.5L shaker.
A -deep amber color, foamy head, clear not cloudy.
S - not what I'm expecting, fake apple flavoring, not a lot of hops.
T - I think there's something wrong here. Initial malt taste turns to bitter, and in a nasty way. This is not going down well after the Wormword IPA I just had. I think something has gone wrong, not sure I want to finish the glass.
M - boy that went downhill fast. A little thin.
O - don't like it, going down the drain. I feel queasy.

I'm hoping I just got a bad bottle. Not drinkable. Sorry, I really hoped for something good here.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 01:20:14 | More by greenengineer

Rukasu

District of Columbia

2.33/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

22oz bomber from Whole Foods FB - Washington, DC

A - Clear dark amber with a white, dense head that lingers in the glass throughout the session.

S - It's kind of got a savory scent, hints of soy sauce/ponzu sauce, faint citrus, but an underlying skunky funk. Sharp alcohol burn on the nose.

T - Super intense, punchy hops right on the front hit you like a truck but really, really bitter with little complexity makes this beer a really endurance test to get through. Little else is allowed to show through, no citrus, mango, pine hints one might get from an IIPA. Faint biscuit dryness at the finish.

M - Heavy, heavy, heavy. Extremely drying on the tongue.

O - Way too bitter. This certainly caught my eye in the store and growing up in MA/RI, I was intrigued that Narry was venturing into more experimental styles, but this one is certainly a miss. It has potential but they need to go back to the drawing board and tinker with the recipe.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 02:37:53 | More by Rukasu

MartiGras

Massachusetts

4.66/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm going to stray from the normal ASTMO rating system on this one.
Poured the beer from a 22oz bottle, which is a funny thing to see from the normal 16oz tall boy cans. The aroma the beer gave off was pretty unreal, and I wasn't expecting this from a Gansett. The beer poured a real nice dark amber, with a little reddish hue. In my opinion, this is how a beer should look. From what I could pick up, I got a sweet burning wood scent, and a little bit of whiskey. If you've ever had the chance to smell the inside of a wooden whiskey barrel, you'll know where I'm coming from. The taste took me a few sips to actually lock down. As with all beer tasting there is no right or wrong, its a personal thing. Believe it or not, I picked up a roasted molasses taste, accompanied by some sweeter notes, mixed with a little of that whiskey taste (obviously the higher alcohol). The mouth was surprisingly lighter than you'd expect from a higher ABV brew, which made it even more enjoyable. Overall, this beer is a great sipping beer. A 22oz bottle will get you where you need to go, in a enjoyable fashion.

Hi Neighbor!!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 20:38:45 | More by MartiGras