Pied Piper IPA - The People's Pint

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This is light orange,m on-tap at the brewpub. C-hop in the aroma. Light orange, there is lots of lace yet its watery. The bitterness of cascade is there, but does not come through boldly. Some sticky malts. Like an IPA of yore, its more like an APA. Hopheads may not get their fix.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2007 23:29:30 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up in a recent trade. I had been wanting to try some of the different wares from the brewery so this one suited me just fine. Taken straight out of the fridge and served in a pint glass. Consumed on 08/06/2008.

The pour was decent, light golden amber, with a decent amount of haze added into it. A nice head of about two inches came across the top and settled down reluctantly into a nice pillow of white maybe a quarter inch in height. Some nice carbonation coming up from the bottom and rich side glass lace was apparent.

The aroma was rather light. Some light piney hops were a definite influence here, but rather it was the malt that was the dominant force to be honest. Some bready tones, hints of biscuit and wheat all coming through, but it was rather light and unbalanced to be honest. The flavor was more of the same, it actually started out nice with a good touch of pine resin and some decent notes running through the middle of a nice bready malt. As it warmed though the profile turned south. As it warmed most of the hop flavor faded and left behind a rather dull, malt driven flavor that was just a touch off. Nothing really spectacular here at all. Nice body on it, with a good carbonation profile and a decent amount of feel to it. Easily session able, though the overall flavor was a touch off.

Overall about average for me. There was nothing really standing out about this one to make me say it was really good, but it was not really that bad either. A decent effort, but nothing I would care to repeat.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 23:04:09 | More by mikesgroove

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color with a very thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a very thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is sweet and hoppy with the sweetness consisting of caramel & citrus and almost over-powering the hops.

T: The flavor starts out with caramelized malt sweetness along with a faint fruity flavor (Hey! Look! I can alliterate.) of citrus. A hops bitterness flavor follows but it's very dull. Although the label of the bottle boasts "For hop lovers out there, this is your beer," I'm really not getting the type of hops presence that would make me think this beer is anything special. The after taste is slightly sweet.

M: Very smooth but not very crisp especially for the style, medium body, very light carbonation which is also uncharacteristic of an American IPA, slightly sticky finish.

D: A little bit tasty, goes down ok, decent kick, not filling at all, but I found it lacking in flavor for a beer of this style. I'd be interested to see how this is on-tap compared to the bottled version, but based on the bottle I just had, I don't think it's a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 00:37:09 | More by TheManiacalOne

jwc215

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to jcwattsrugger for bringing this 22 oz. bottle back from the brewery for me!

Pours copper with a white, swirling thin head. Some lacing sticks.

The smell is caramel with herbal notes - some tea. Smells like an English IPA, though it claims, on the label, to use Cascade hops.

The taste is of caramel/toffee with a tea-like herbal spicing. A tangerine/citric bitterness and fruity tartness come out in the finish, though only enough to balance the sweetness.

Rather on the bland side for an American IPA. At 5.1% and being inoffensive it is drinkable. Interesting that the Cascade hop character doesn't really come out the way it should.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 21:32:23 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a bomber for $5 while in Boston and think this is better than a B-. Sure, the beer is undercarbonation and has no head, but it's pretty tasty overall. The hops bring a big, smooth mix of floral and citrus rind flavors and aromas. There's a hint of a nutty malt backbone and a dry bitter finish (though the finish does fall a bit flat. It's not the biggest or most bitter IPA, but it's a fine beer to drink a bomber of solo. It's a little juicy, a little earthy, and all good. Sort of reminds me of a lighter version of Victory Hop Devil.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 23:52:07 | More by tempest

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looks a lot like a homebrew--decent large-bubbled head, lots of haziness, dark amber with a little orange in color. Some lace after each sip

Yeast aromas behind the strong floral hop smells.

Initial sip suggests a very smooth beer with an amount of malt that gives balance to this predominately hoppy beer. Long bitter aftertaste. Full body with a judicious amount of carbonation.

I am enjoying this beer; it is full of flavor and complexity. It is very smooth yet the hop flavors are fresh and spicy.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2007 21:57:48 | More by smcolw

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.48/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a two finger white head that fades quickly leaving some lace. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Hazy amber color. Nose is light grapefruit hops. Flavor is grapefruit hops with hints of caramel. Lingering dry, bitter finish. The label has the ABV at 5.7%. $5.45 for a 22oz bottle from Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 22:48:30 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

3.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bomber, with "brewed in June '06 " dating on the label, pours typical dark honey almond amber, with a tan head, clear, moderate csrbonation, w/o bubbles rising, minor lacing. Nose is slightly of pine. Malty early with honey, and light caramel, hops are moderate, piney mostly with some resiny qualities. So so IPA, more of just a Pale ale really, lacking much of a hop crunch to add more interest, easy drinking, decent sessioner. Nothing too exciting but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2006 12:58:30 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.42/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Found this on my last beer excursion at Colonial Spirits in Acton.

A: Even forcing a very hard pours yields a small under-carbonated bubbly head. It's a semi clear reddish-orange-brown color.

N: Some light hop aromas, citrus, grapefruit, a little sweet malt, and some fruity qualities. Not much else to it.

T: Hmm, again not much to it. It has some light malts, light hop flavor, some citrus hops, touch of spicy hops, and some fruit flavors. The biggest thing that stands out is that is seems like it was watered down by a lot. It is extremely light and watery. WTF!

M: Very light watery, almost no carbonation.

F: Finishes a little bitter and spicy, some lingering hop flavors and bitterness, but still pretty light on the finish. This beer is almost as if they took a decent recipe, then brewed it with some old hops, forgot to carbonate it, then added more water to get the abv down and lose the taste. Not impressed at all! I hope the other 3 People's Pint beers are better.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 02:25:31 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased at the Spirit Haus, Amherst, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1 1/4" dense beige head over the orangey amber brew. Vigorous carbonation rejuvenates the head for awhile, with nice frothy lacing. Aroma is sweet malts and citrusy hops, although a little on the sedate side. Taste is discernable malt sweetness, coupled with a substantial and lingering citrus hops character, that reminds you even after you swallow that you've just sipped an IPA, but in a nice way. A tap on the shoulder, not a punch in the head, so to speak. Mouthfeel is soft over the tongue, and a bit overcarbonated, but still very pleasing. Drinkability is good as well. An enjoyable IPA, and although probably not as hoppy as some would like, it works for me. Your milage may vary.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 22:18:34 | More by ppoitras

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.15/5  rDev -37%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22 oz bottle into a pint glass.

The intial pour is fairly soapy looking. A somewhat clear (although there are some yeasty chunks floating around) coppery amber with a finger of smooth looking off-white head. Retains with a thin, yet frothy look, leaving back some decent lace that sticks a bit. The aroma is fairly light in the nose for an American IPA, being floral and a bit herbal, with a touch of citrus and some thicker sweet malty accents underneath.

The taste is herbal and dirty feeling in the mouth, with a harsh bitterness to it, and a malt presence that just isn't getting the job done. The finish is just really unpleasant, with a astringent and bitter feel to it. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied, with a watery feel in spots, and an overall flat carbonation that doesn't do the flavors any favors.

I'm not sure what happened here (the reviews for this are just all over the place) but this for me, was definitely one of the poorer Craft IPAs that I've had in a while. An unimpressive nose, a muddled and harsh taste, and a weak body made for a tough time getting through the bottle. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 16:34:45 | More by Kegatron

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. Deep coppery orange, slightly hazed, with a short light beige cap. Though not much of a head developed during the pour, what was there stuck around for quite a while. Spotty lacing. Citrusy hop aroma, grapefruit and oranges with a bit of spice, plus some caramel malt. Overall the aroma was a little muddy. Moderate bitterness for an IPA, caramel maltiness, resin and grapefruit. Lingering bitterness and spicy hops. Medium bodied with lowish carbonation. Easy going down, nothing over the top or harsh. Decent, but the hop character didn't really pop in the aroma or flavour.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 00:39:22 | More by DrJay

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Transcribed from undated notes.

I did not get much more than a finger of soapy ecru head with low retention from my pour. Color was a hazy orangish-amber. Nose was very piney and even the label mentioned "... brew[ed] with a wall of fresh Cascade hops". Mouthfeel was medium with a decent hops bite on the tongue. Finish was likewise pleasantly hoppy, but nothing to get wildly excited about.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 21:10:04 | More by woodychandler

Brad007

Vermont

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark red color with a one-finger head. Kind of dark for an IPA.

Aroma has a faint hint of floral hops in the nose. Seems to be dominated by malt though.

Taste is full of floral hop bitterness upfront with a bulk of malt that dominates the palates. Not too bitter. Not too sweet.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering light hop bitterness and malt. Alcohol seems to show through more than it should.

Solid. Certainly not impressive but still drinkable enough. Reminds of something I could homebrew though.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 19:36:27 | More by Brad007

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this last night (16MAR06) on tap at the brewpub... quite good. (No official review, just a few thoughts...) Clear, deep copper color... thin white head...rim job... light lacing. Light sweetness with citrus hop aroma notes... Medium bodied and quite smooth... Good malt sweetness with a healthy, yet not overpowering, Cascade presence. Very tasty and quaffable... Prosit!

overall: 4.3
appearance: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4.5

*** ***

On cask at NERAX (02MAY02).... Copper in color, but very little head and lace. Got a little sweetness in the nose to start, then hops take over. Medium body and great tongue-smoothness. Nice going down! I really liked the flavor in this one. A real pleasing, subtle maltiness initially, then a very easy-going, smooth hoppiness rounding things out. Found this offering quity tasty! (Original score 4.30, same as noted above).

123

Serving type: cask

05-02-2002 04:59:57 | More by Bierman9

ngeunit1

California

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a fairly clear orange-amber color with a finger of slightly frothy white head. The head reduces fairly quickly to a ring and leaves behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is full of a lot of citrus (grapefruit) hops with some piney/grassy hops also mixed in. Also some lemon zest in the background.

T - Starts with a light citrus flavor with some nice grassy hops. Just a touch of malt at the start. Some bitterness comes through in the middle. The finish has some nice citrus flavor mixed with some very nice bitterness and a bit floral notes. Overall, very nicely balanced.

M - Medium to medium-light bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. Feels a bit too watery and thin. The finish has a bit of a dry kick which is kinda nice.

D - Very drinkable. Smooth and crisp overall. However, it is missing a little bit of substance both in that the taste could use a bit of a kick and the mouthfeel feels a bit thin. However, the balance of the taste is actually very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 03:54:27 | More by ngeunit1

maximum12

Minnesota

2.08/5  rDev -39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Thanks to gn0sis for a recent exchange of large, crush-proof boxes filled with locals. I've taken a bit of time off from Ahabism to delve more into some unkowns & while the results aren't always breathtaking, I've found some great session beers!

Pours on the amber side of the spectrum, clear, despite the 'sediment warning' on the side. Smell is cowering puppy tame, even after several minutes of warming there's only an air kiss of grassy hops.

Pied pIPA is a clever name, but as an IPA it's right in the average range. After reading the full bottle & realizing it was made with Cascade hops, I hoped it might be the brew to set me right with this particular varietal. Didn't work out that way. The hops are of the 'dirty' variety, they taste earthy, musty, & lack that hop kick that I desire. The malts kick it up a notch, but this tastes almost more like a bock than an IPA - sweet, a bit heavy, & with only enough hops to keep the concoction from getting out of whack. The aftertaste as the beer warms becomes even more cellar-floor-like. And it gets worse. And worse.

Well, I've been on a winning streak. IPAs are my favorite style, but this is far too sweet when cold, & the hops far too subdued, & the mustiness that arrives as it warms is deeply unpleasant. After several ounces, drain pour, my first in many months.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 01:28:53 | More by maximum12

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes. Poured a deep copper color with a finger of head that fell to a patchy coat. Nose was very nice. Big citrusy hop balanced over a very clean crystal malt base. The balance was remarkable. The flavor was a different story. Not forceful enough. It had citrusy sweet hop and a nice backbone, just not bold enough at all. The feel was moderate wit ha light to moderate carbonation. A touch more body would be nice. Overall, a refreshing beer. I'd like bigger flavor and body. Still a brew I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2005 23:40:54 | More by kmpitz2

laituegonflable

Australia

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another shout out to my mate Charlie from Vermont for the share of this one.

Pours a burnt orange colour with large cloudy haze and a lot of streaming bubbles. Head is voluminous, beige, sinks unevenly on top, made up of small but visible bubbles. Large clumps of lace around the glass. Excellent-looking IPA.

Nose is very pungent, quite intense with a lot of high-AA hops being given off. Lots of citric character, bitter like lemon zest, but so lemony fresh it's like sniffing detergent. A bit lacking in malt, it's just hopped to the max. It's alright, I like a good citric hop character, it's just overly simple I think.

Taste is also extremely hoppy to the max. A hint of nutty caramel malt on the front descends very quickly into a huge hop party with tangy lemon zest flavour, some pine resin, white pepper and a hint of pineapple on the back. It's almost like a cascade single hop but I don't know if they've also used cascade for bittering and if so, if it really works all that well, it's very gravelly on the bitter finish. I can get past that though as it's really just a hop bomb, and a decent one at that.

Feels a bit overcarbonated - foamy on the back and sizzling on the mid. Good body but yeah, too much bubbling.

Overall quite a tasty drop but needs some mellowing. Tempering of the hops could really make this a good session ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 03:37:49 | More by laituegonflable

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a slightly hazy nice copper color with an off white two finger head to it. Head retention was decent, and a fair amount of lacing remains on the glass. Nose is mostly of floral hops with some slight sweet malts lingering in the background. Taste is... well, I tried this at a tasting at first, and then a bottle when I got home and there is a somewhat soapy taste to it both at the tasting and at home so it wasn't my glass. Sweet caramel malts then move it. The middle to end is all floral hops that give a real bite to the end. Medium body, low carbonation, sticky feel and finish to it. It's nice to support a local brewer and not a bad offering from them.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 19:53:08 | More by Jayli

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours tawny orange, and thick looking, with some good bubbles and a beige head. Some retention and lacing.

Pine and citric notes with some toasted malt in the nose. Not super strong.

Nice hop flavor, with some citric distinction. The toast malt has some sweetness and a little fruit. Hops come back and give a nice bitter kick to the finish. Could use a little more malt development, but still pretty good.

Medium bodied, some good chew to it.

I liked this one. Good hoppiness with enough malt balance. Price is right. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 14:01:05 | More by OtherShoe2

albern

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was a drinkable, but slightly disappointing, IPA from a brewhouse I know very little about, other than they have lots of 750 ml bottles in the cooler to choose from. The beer is bottle conditioned, quite hazy, and has that dirty water brown color. There aren't yeasty bits floating about, but at the bottom of the glass, you will find some fine residue. The nose is better than the taste. There are some bready grains underneath, and some nice sweet malts to welcome you.

The taste is another matter. This beer is quite flat, not much head or retention. This beer is also quite watery. There is some leafy hop, and maybe a touch of the oily and estery characteristics, but not much. I found this to be a pale imitation of anything approaching good for the style. It was too light bodied, too watery, too leafy hopped, and just didn't have enough mid section to entice me to finish the 750 ml bottle. Kind of disappointing in my estimation. The ABV is wrong too, as listed by BA. This beer is closer to 5.2%, and definitely not above 6.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2009 22:44:20 | More by albern

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub.

A-Pours a clear orange with a thin white head.

S-Aroma is very light, really the only disappointment with this beer.

T-Malty sweet throughout with an earthy hop finish and a moderate bite. A little underhopped even if this is supposed to be an English style IPA.

M-Light to medium bodied with rather low carbonation.

D-For its flaws as an IPA, this is a very pleasant, drinkable beer.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2009 16:11:15 | More by sholland119

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one is a deep, murky amber color with a small, off-white head that is lacy and very sticky.

smells of wet grass, clovers, tangy herbs, mildly meaty, very herbalized with spiciness down deep.

The flavor is very herbal and semi-bitter leafy hops balanced with a mildly sweet, but tangy citric malt flavor. mostly herbal flavor's dominate...no fruitiness, no flower's...mostly green earth.

This is very crisp, light to medium feel, sharp at first, smooth later on.

"angel delight"

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2008 15:35:38 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

2.42/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Purchased at the Spirit Haus a week ago. If I see this one again I will need to give it a second shot or better yet if it is on-tap at the brewpub. Poured a murkey brown that had a slight orange tint to it. Not much of a head. Very flat in appearance and in feel. Medium body. Nose reminds me of my grandfather's bait bucket but with hops thrown in. Flavor is at first malty followed by the hop but the hops are lifeless. They are there but as if they were put in Alcatraz's hold for six week. No spirit to them. Gonna be tough to make my way through the glass.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2005 23:27:03 | More by MuddyFeet