Be Hoppy - Wormtown Brewing Co.

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 2" custard head of decent lifespan. The body is a hazy raw sienna yellow color. It smells of malt and citrus hops. Taste again has the malt, plus citrus and grapefruit hops and even a little subtle melon to it. Although not the hoppiest IPA I've had it certainly is above middle of the pack. Finish is pretty long. Nice product.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:36:47 | More by MoreThanWine

ricchezza

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy, hazy, sunglow shade of yellow with a thick white head.

Smells like a freshly peeled orange. Tastes the same. Very orange-based citrus hop aroma and taste. Very hop forward, yet not in total excess. Certainly a hop-head delight. This was bottle conditioned and I lazily decanted yet tasted no yeasty notes as I finished off the glass.

Highly recommended for self claimed “hop heads” and IPA fans.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 17:42:26 | More by ricchezza

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. brown bottle. Bottled on date Nov. 2011
Served in a SA perfect pint glass.
Pours a hazy gold color with a full 2" white head and lots of webby and trailing lacing.
The smells are surprisingly mild considering the name. There are plenty of Pale Ales with more hop-forward noses. That said, the citrusy, floral and resinous hop smell is very pleasant. A faint peppery spice is noticed as is a bit of an alcoholic fuminess.
The flavors are where this IPA shines best. Juicy grapefruit, lemon zest, tart orange and spices explode in the mouth with a West Coast-like abandon, yet there's a subtly sweet caramel malt
and very light Graham Cracker-like breadiness that tempers the hop bite in a very pleasing way. A little alcoholic heat warms the back of the throat and can be noticed on the breath rather quickly.
Although this is an edgy and hoppy IPA, it's a fairly fluid and wet brew that invites a few large gulps.
Tasty, drinkable IPA...nice!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 01:36:54 | More by BeerResearcher

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up today during my first beer run of 2012. I guess that New Year's resolution is working for me. Bottled November 2011 and poured into a Sam Perfect Pint.

A: Pours a cloudy light gold with some yellow at the bottom. Lighter than expected, but not a turnoff. Big, fluffy, stubborn white head, even with a slow pour. Sticks around for a while.

S: Hops and more hops. I'm picking up nothing from the malt, which is fine by me. Mostly floral hops with some grapefruit. The San Diegan in me is enjoying this.

T: There's that grapefruit I was smelling. Some bitterness, but a lot of citrus going on. I'm picking up even more citrus as it warms up and I'm liking it.

M: Good amount of carbonation, but I wouldn't say this is the best aspect of the beer. I'm going to need a big glass of water after this one, especially since I'm prepping for a long night of beers.

O: I really enjoyed this IPA and it made me feel like I was back on the Best Coast for a while, even though I look outside to snow everywhere. It was a very good start to the night and is something I would certainly revisit.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 22:59:08 | More by Andrew61923

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

A - Clear, golden-yellow with a very bubbly, fluffy, white head. No head retention and no lacing.

S - Strong fruity, floral hops with a hint of toasted malt.

T - Smooth, mostly balanced IPA. Very nice hoppy, fruit flavors and a malty finish. On the more bitter side of the style; a hop head's IPA.

M - Slight carbonation and great drinkability. Smooth with very pleasant lingering flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 22:07:56 | More by Gatch

Durge

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the Ale House in Amesbury, MA this IPA is cloudy, yellow-ish tan with a solid white froth on top and mad lacing. The aroma offers skunk cabbage herbal hops with wheat cereal nuances. The first mouthful suggests a brisk herbal hop bite with some citrus accents and lots of biscuit grass brightness. This is medium bodied with a brisk feel full of vigorous but tiny carbonation. A titilating but fulfilling feel that goes down pretty readily if you like a skunky flavored hop specialty brew. No complaints here, quite a decent IPA choice and not a typical one.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 01:58:29 | More by Durge

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Large four-finger head. Light golden color and hazy. Plenty of ring lace with extensive web lace in between. A dome of froth is created as the head settles.

Grapefruit rind aroma. Light floral smell, but it is all hop.

Pale malt start. Strong bittering hop takes over quickly. The swallow is not harsh, but there's plenty of biting, peppery hop finish. The body is relatively thin for the style. Long aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 01:30:32 | More by smcolw

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After having multiple discussions with someone who's opinion I respect about how some IPAs (and which ones) hold up over time and which ones don't I was given this bottle to try, which I have had fresh on tap and in the bottle. This one has about between 3-4 months on it.

Bottled in August 2011. Sampled on 11/26/2011. 22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours an extremely cloudy, but bright golden color with a thick finger of creamy foam sitting on top. As the beer warms it ends up being just a bit hazy so perhaps it was a bit too chilled at first. Nice lacing sticks to the glass with each sip.

The nose is a somewhat subdued when the beer was cold but some nice citrus notes, mainly grapefruit, come out when the beer is allowed to warm. There is a nice, slightly resiny pine aroma as well. Some light bready malt notes are present as well.

The taste is a step up from the nose. The grapefruit that was in the nose is here, along with some other citrus notes. The more prominent characters are some earthiness and bit of grassiness that weren't in the nose. They come on strong through the middle before a good piny bitterness takes hold. Nice bready malts make a nice base for the hops to play off of.

Surprisingly lively carbonation. It gives the beer a crisp and lighter mouthfeel. The flavors are so clean that the light body works here. A nice bitterness comes on at the end but it doesn't stick or linger.

This is a beer that has held up exceptionally well over a 3-4 month period. It's not at the optimal point it was when it was extremely fresh but the hop flavors and aromas are still potent and give the desired affect. If I had not had this beer in the past and someone told me it was fresh I wouldn't bat an eye.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 02:26:00 | More by ms11781

Damian

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank on-tap at Prezo Grill & Bar, Milford, MA
Served in a pint glass

Pale, golden amber and slightly hazy in appearance. A fluffy, bright white, one-finger crop of froth topped the liquid. The head was short-lived however. Tiny streaks of lacing trickled down the glass.

The nose was outstanding. Tons of peach and apricot notes. Lots of tropical fruits, including mango and papaya. Amazingly fragrant and bright. Slightly citrusy and a touch floral.

The flavor profile was a bit sharper than I anticipated. Strong tangerine notes. Good dose of orange peel and grapefruit pith. Quite dry and bitter on the finish with intense notes of pine sap. For a 6.5% ABV beer, the alcohol was very well masked.

The mouthfeel was creamy, slick and smooth with a fine bubbled, medium effervescence. Unfortunately, the body was somewhat thin for the style.

This was my first stab at a beer by the Wormtown Brewing Co. and I was definitely impressed. I love the fact that more and more of these quality nano breweries keep popping up around Massachusetts.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2011 06:00:26 | More by Damian

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I am a big fan of Wormtown's beers. I got this growler at the source after having some lunch at the restaurant the brewery is connected to. (Cash Only by the way and this growler was $15)

Pours a nice golden color with some very solid carbonation and lacing. It just looks quality and if you go through the ratings for this brewery on BA its hard to find a beer that doesn't have an A, A- or B+ minimum.

Aroma is big citrus and pine with some definite marijuana smells hitting the senses hard. One of the more "green" smelling IPAs out there and man does it really tingle the nose.

Flavors are an excellent combo of citrus, pine, bitter fruits, pineapple and grapefruit. Love it. So many great flavors all coming together nicely with nothing off-putting whatsoever. The carbonation is right on and leaves you thirsting for more after each sip. A growler of this is trouble and you keep dipping into that 1/2 gallon for "just a little more".
If I'm the brewer of this beer I'm sleeping very comfortably at the end of a long day because I know I've done a great job brewing a style that all beer nerds are very critical of - and you know what - that brewer is right! Awesome job Wormtown. One of the best small breweries in Massachusetts for sure.

Serving type: growler

11-11-2011 03:24:34 | More by indiapaleale

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single at Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" eggshell head over the almost clear golden amber brew. Head fades gradually, with slow-falling, lasting lace. Aroma is moderately of skanky green hops, in a good way.

Taste begins with a medium sweetness, then kicks back into the hoppiness that was indicated in the nose, and comes on with the bitterness in the close. Hop burps are immediate. Mouthfeel is quite smooth, and drinkability is easy. Nice IPA, with hops flavor, not just bitter face. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 23:58:34 | More by ppoitras

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear gold (with a bit of a coppery sheen to it), with a finger of bright-white foamy head. This retains with roughly a rich ½ finger or so of froth, which throws up a sudsy cascade of lacing that slowly drips down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells leafy, and a little flowery in the nose, with bright citrus undertones and definite herbal textures that work their way in as well. A touch of fresh pine and some tarter lemon character starts to emerge as this warms. Sweet neutral grains add some support underneath the hop flavors but it’s that fresh (and slightly earthy) bitterness in the nose that shines the brightest here.

The taste starts out similar, with vibrant and flavorful citrus flavors up front, but then bitterness and resins spread out into the mouth with a bit of a harsh and unrefined feel that carries itself into a fairly dry and piney finish. A biscuit-like sweetness from the malts and some softer tropical flavor (that strengthens as this warms) does hang on the edges of the profile and do their best to balance this (and even hang some light sugars in the finish) but there is a lot of aggressive to this, especially from those pine resins here. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with some sharpness on the edges of the feel that then gives way to more of a creamy slickness that rides down the middle of the tongue. There is a touch of warmth from the alcohol that adds some extra boldness to the hops but I can’t really say that it inhibits the drinkability of this in any way.

This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It had that type of bright and flavorful citrus flavors that I love to find in my hoppy beers but then also had some more overly aggressive character as well that really kept this from reaching that next level for me. If I had to pick though, I’d definitely say that there is more to like than dislike with this one though, as that combo of vibrant hops and easy drinking body left a favorable impression on me.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 14:37:49 | More by Kegatron

eclipse54

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 22 ounce bottle I received from FluffyMcTingle; thank you very much! Bottled in August, 2011 according to the back of the bottle.

Pours a slightly hazy gold/yellow color that really glistens when held to the light. I was happy it wasn’t completely translucent, as I find those slightly less appealing (not sure why really). About an inch of pillowy, pure-white head rose above the liquid and lingered for some time; scattered patches of sticky lacing clung to the glass. Smells of pine resin, bittering hops, some straw, and bountiful citrus notes (lemon, orange, and a touch of grapefruit). While they seem very well balanced, they are a bit muted, and don’t jump to the nose very much. You really need to dig for them. It tastes similar, with the citrus flavors right up front to greet you before the hops, pine, and grains take over. A faint caramel background rounds it out nicely. The finish is crisp, and slightly dry in the mouth. Overall a very good IPA that I’m happy to have tried. I’d gladly drink this time and time again.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 00:16:41 | More by eclipse54

GbVDave

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into 3 pint glasses. Thanks to Steve and HeatherAnn for the assist! Extra special thanks to jayli for the hook-up!

A: Pours a bright golden hue with a slight amount of haze. 3 fingers of bright white foam cling to the inside of the glass for quite awhile before leaving a sticky and lacey mess on the sides. Perfectly carbed.

S: Bright citrus hop aromas. Lemon, tangerine, lime, orange, and grapefruit. The hops are quite dominant but a subtle toasy malt presence makes itself felt.

T: As above with some pine. Loads of hops that were all over the place. Not bad at all, just very busy. Could've used more of a malt counterpoint.

M: Sticky and slick with a suprisingly bone-dry finish.

O: Nice suprise with this one. Interesting how the hops led out in a million different directions and then were reined in by the finish. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 18:41:16 | More by GbVDave

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a nice hazy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger foamy white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, with some nice malt notes, slight citrus. The taste is hoppy, malty, nice little touch of citrus. Medium Body, nice bitter finish. This one surprised me, pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:23:13 | More by Wasatch

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a slightly hazy light golden color with a one finger of white head. Head recedes relatively quickly and leaves nice wisped lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is floral hops, pepper, a touch of pine and a nice solid bready, malt backbone.

T: Taste starts with a nice peppery, floral note before a nice balanced bready, malt fills through the middle with hints of grapefruit. Finish has an underlaying grapefruit flavoring that compliments a strong pine presence.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, oily feel with a rather dry finish.

O: Goes down easily, tasty, not too filling, mild kick, nice representation of style. I haven't had an IPA with much floral notes lately, so this was a nice change of pace and very nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 00:21:03 | More by Jayli

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 fl oz brown bottle served in a tumbler.

Bottled in August 2011.

Slightly cloudy, pale straw in color. A bit of noticeable carbonation. Dense, bright white foam of a head. Condensed and spotted lacing with good strength.

Bright pine and citrus hops; both seem to be a bit thin and a touch solvent-like. Some medicinal notes along with a moderate earthen must.

Lemon, lime, and pear citrus qualities up front; again, a bit thin in spots. Spruce and pine that overwhelm the palate which leads to an overpowering, bulky bitterness. Touches of peach and melon in the aftertaste, along with the bitterness.

Medium in body; thin in spots, but remarkably gritty. As with the taste, the texture is just out of balance.

Intensely hoppy; however, the various hops don't quite marry. Lacks a refined touch.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:35:40 | More by NEhophead

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: A slightly cloudy golden pour. Huge, huge offwhite head with the most ridiculous lacing and retention I've seen in a beer to be quite honest. There is a solid inch of head left after about 5 minutes of sitting. It never actually fully goes away either. I usually reserve 5s for the top stouts but this one is up there too.

S: Smell is strong but not as huge as I expected when cold. Very bright grapefruit with some pine. There is a nice sweet caramel smell to it to back it all up. The caramel comes out stronger as the beer warms.

T: Pretty much pure grapefruit up front. Some mild pine flavor kicks in the middle and helps follow through to the aftertaste. Caramel malt doesn't balance very well but serves to sweeten these flavors a bit and accentuate them nicely instead.

M: Pretty slick and oily. Carb is decent but more would probably help this beer. This is the only (slight) downside to the beer and would be an easy A rating if not for that. Drinkability is surprisingly high. The bitterness isn't too harsh since it is sweetened up a bit.

O: Great IPA. West coast style citrusy hop-forward for sure. Great to see another east coast brewer *cough maine brewing lunch cough* making a fantastic west-coast style IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 03:33:20 | More by Dope

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

This was bottled FIVE DAYS AGO (8/13/11), only 1300 bottles and change. Had Be Hoppy first over a year ago and never really revisted it while at Peppercorns, as there are so many great seasonal releases. When I heard that this would be released in bottles, I wasn't that thrilled either (bring on Sweet Tats I say!). That was, until Ben said he was tweaking Be Hoppy just a bit for bottling (believe he said he was going to run it through a second dry hop for aroma purposes)! Now, I had to get my hands on a few bottles. As always, really enjoy the label art.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a crystal clear light gold colour with a super creamy two finger head that leaves HUGE side lacing as it recedes. It never fully dissolves, just slumps to become a nice white blanket. Best non stout/porter appearance for a wormtown beer I've had.

S - I was on the fence with this, but as it warms, it becomes something magical. Its so fresh, the hops are so prominant and so bitter. Great cascade and simcoe hops. My goodness. With just a faint malt backbone.

T - Boom. I feel like thats all I have to say when writing this review is "boom", but, I suppose I will describe it a bit. This is a delicious west coast style IPA. Great bitter pine and citrus hops (grapefruit anyone?). Pine resin and oils, slight sweet malts. This is all about the bitter hops.

M - Like with regular Be Hoppy, I woul dlike to see a bit more carbonation with this. Its low, and combined with the oily pines its just a bit much. That being said, I want to keep drinking this. Alot.

O - Yeah, love this beer. Love this beer alot. I'm a sucker for a good fresh IPA, and this is one of the fresher ones I've had. Love how the extra hopping made this really pop from the bottle. Still can't get over the head/lacing on this sucker. Wish every Wormtown offering could be like this.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:26:56 | More by rudzud

9InchNails

New Jersey

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

On tap at Peppercorns.

Golden body with a nice creamy head with great head retention.

Very sweet aroma with a bready malt with a citrus and pine hop.

Very sweet malt up front, citrus in the middle with some pine and a nice bitter ending. Very tasty brew!

Medium body, leaves the mouth feeling dry. Carbonation is noticeable but not prickly. Really smooth and feels really nice.

This is a IPA that has to be tried if you come to Peppercorns or the Wormtown Brewery next door. I wish this was in a six pack that I could get by me. Incredibly well balanced with the malts and hops.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 03:37:02 | More by 9InchNails

beer4colin

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ UBH.

A - A hazy straw pour with little head. Light lace clings.

S - Very citrusy and the aroma tells you that you will have a mouthful of hops.

T - Surpringly a bit laid back - atbthe start. No mistake, lot of hops here with a pretty bitter finish. A bit metallic after is a retraction.

OA - A very good IPA, better since it is local. Next time I am in Worcheshire I could grab a growler.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 20:10:11 | More by beer4colin

krantul

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

An IPA just as I like them.. moderate to high bitterness, enormous citrus/floral bouquet, well-balanced hop flavor, all packaged into a very pale, dry beer: maltiness is very restrained, with none of sweetness that I generally find very conflicting in this style. Extremely drinkable.

This is a great American IPA that is worthy of notice, certainly one of the very best being made in New England right now.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2011 18:26:51 | More by krantul

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Hazy orange/amber with a puffy head thaat slowly dissapates.

S-Big grapefruit and pine scents combined with subtle malty undertone.

T-Very delicious. Quite hoppy and bitter. Both citrus and pine. Caramel malt. Good tasting IPA

M-Nice and smooth. Decently carbonated.

D-Very drinkable. So fresh from the growler.

One of my favorite, if not my favorite IPA from Mass.

Serving type: growler

11-10-2010 23:11:03 | More by VelvetExtract

taez555

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Horseshoe Pub in Hudson MA.

Pours a crystal clear yellow/orange body with a bright white head.

Nose has a nice mix of citrus and malt.

Taste is light to medium bodied. Very clean and easy drinking. Lots of citric and grapefruity hops but amazingly well balanced agaist a smooth bready caramel malt. Hop bitterness is nicely in check.

A very nice MA MOR IPA. Perfect session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2010 16:19:57 | More by taez555

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this beer at the American Craft Beer Festival. Served, on tap, in a two ounce tasting glass.

A old gold body and an eggshell head

S lemon, pine resin, floral

T lime, some malt balance, pine

M medium body

D great tasting change from a standard American India Pale Ale. The citrus flavor is light and I nice switch. I would drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2010 03:24:27 | More by jneiswender