India Pale Ale - Westbrook Brewing Co.

metter98

New York

4.09/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that only died down a bit, leaving a thin head covering the surface and some lacy webs of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of grapefruit hops are present in the nose along with some faint hints of caramel from the underlying malts.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except that the caramel malts are a bit more noticeable towards the finish. Overall, it has a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and rather crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems to have a good balance for a hop-forward IPA as it has very nice citrusy aromas and flavors but has enough underlying malts to keep things from being too hoppy and bitter.

Serving type: can

05-22-2013 02:40:11 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poure out as a nice yellowish gold color with a white head on top. The retention and lacing are pretty good on this beer. The smell is hoppy with a decent amount of malt in there as well. The taste has a very good malt and hop balance. The mouthfeel is smooth, very drinkable and refreshing. Overall it's a solid IPA. I would drink it again.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 23:54:33 | More by Knapp85

Freethyhops

Alabama

3.81/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz can. canned 4/13/2013(less than a month old).

A- produced a nice frothy white head leaving good lacing. semi-hazy bright orange color. spot on for a nice hoppy IPA.

S- super bright resinous hop aromas coming out of this brew. great blend of pine and orange peel. maybe a little one note, but it's very inviting nonetheless.

T- falls off a bit from the strong hop aroma. the bicsuity malt backbone shows up strong and fades into the bitter hoppy finish. I'm wanting a little more of the citrus from the nose but it really doesn't show up as I hoped it would.

M- nice bitter bite that isn't overly harsh. nice slick, slightly low carbonation helps it glide down. very smooth drinking IPA

O- The aroma and appearance had me ready for a top class IPA but the flavor didn't really follow through. at around 12 bucks a 6pack there are many better options in the IPA department at a much better price point. I'd definitely like to try some more from Westbrook as this is a nice solid brew, though.

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 01:54:19 | More by Freethyhops

chinchill

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An East Coast/West Coast showdown tonight, with a Westbrook IPA (12 oz can; date stamp shows it was canned only 3 weeks ago) up against Green Flash Hop Head Red (12 oz bottle; marketed as a “red IPA”; also very fresh according to date stamp). Perhaps giving the underdog a slight advantage, I start with the Westbrook. The Westbrook pours an attractive, hazy, orange-amber with a bone-colored head that has moderate retention and size. Lacing is quite nice for an IPA.

Aroma: IPA credentials are intact with the powerful aroma of floral, herbal and citrus hops, and a hint of spruce. Some malt presence too, giving it a nice baked bread background.

T: A rich floral-piney-citrus hop mix. The claimed IBU of 60 seems right; despite the aroma and hop flavor, this is not overly bitter.

M: Medium body with soft but medium-high carbonation; lively but not harsh; dry finish.

O: A solid West Coast style American IPA with a mix of floral, piney and citrus elements. Clearly more complex and appealing than the Green Flash. Recommended.

Serving type: can

05-07-2013 22:36:11 | More by chinchill

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the can into a Dogfish Head Ale glass. Dated April 17th 2013.

A slightly murky and cloudy peach amber body, with some small pin head sized carbonation that rises slowly. Head on the pour makes off white color and barely a finger tall, but settles to about a three millimeter tall puck.

Hop angle on the nose comes with some minor dark earth and pine. Some grassy character as well. Some minor orange and juicy tropical notes hit as well but it's quite buried.

Palate surprise quite a bit. Slightly warming juicy character, but a real good fruit and tropical hit with a quick bitterness in the mid palate. Finishes with a good malt sweetness and minor thick and oily finish. Fruit hop angle starts to warm and dominate nicely.

Overall a bit of a sleeper IPA, but very drinkable and surprisingly enjoyable and easy drinking also. Would easily drink again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 02:06:00 | More by smakawhat

BWED

Pennsylvania

3.66/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a tulip from a 12 oz. can

A- Bronze/burnt orange, with a half finger off white head.

S- Very woody and bit of pine hop aroma, backed up by a slight caramel sweetness.

T- Some more woody hop, quite bitter, with some dull malt taste in the background. A little off.

M- Medium body, a decent amount of carbonation, and a looming bitter finish.

O- This beer was very promising in appearance and smell, but the taste seemed to be a bitter overload. A little too much was going on. Solid, but the bitterness just wasn't a pleasant as most IPAs.

Serving type: can

04-29-2013 16:39:41 | More by BWED

HopHeadRyan

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Decanted from can into my great lakes tumbler...

Was fortunate to come across this one while in South Carolina for a wedding...picked it up at the local Piggly Wiggly near Isle of Palms. PW had a very impressive beer selection of local, regional, international, and of course macro...they even had 6 or so beers on tap mostly local/regional...very nice job PW...

Back to Westbrook IPA...

A - hazy orange, creamy 1/w inch head, some good lacing...i love a cloudy unfiltered ipa!

S - initial crack of the can is of piney, grassy, herbacious and citrus notes...a beautiful combo...with some breathing the nose does dissapate a bit but leaves a nice sweet citrus and yeasty-bread aroma...very complex for an IPA

T - mimics the smell almost exactly with a creamy-yeastiness that you get from the unfiltered quaility...very great flavors happening here...

M - very nice smooth and creamy mouth feel, light carbonation, medium-light body.

Ovearll - An excellent IPA...a bit pricey but worth it...give this a try if you are in South Carolina or nearby! A great go too IPA and a refreshing one for spring and summer months! Cheers!

Serving type: can

04-24-2013 18:20:40 | More by HopHeadRyan

bum732

Maryland

4.46/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

S: Very fresh-cut grass like, resiny hoppiness, intense, candy-like grapefruit, pine with a prominent malt aroma in the background.

L: Hazy dark burnt orange. White creamy head that dissipates. Ok lacing.

T: Big malt backbone followed quickly by a grassy, fresh hoppiness. Medium, grassy bitterness, quite smooth. Grapefruit peel and fresh cut grass hop taste with some pine. Has a very bisquity maltiness, but not heavy or masking the hops. Finishes dry with some resin.

M: Medium full body, refreshing, medium carbonation.

A very unique IPA, but i loved it. Loved the grassiness with the grapefruit/pine, almost had a negroni taste to it. Malt backbone elevated the without being dentrimental, rare in an IPA. A must try.

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 01:39:24 | More by bum732

Immortale25

Florida

4.06/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Bottom of can says 03/01/? Helpful.

A- Pours a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch of white head that retains for a good while before becoming a very bubbly 1/8 inch head. Very sticky sheet of lacing slides ever-so-slowly down the glass.

S- Sweet, almost flowery bouquet of citrusy hops and biscuity malt.

T- Taste is very malt-forward lending more of a sweet breadiness than bitterness. The hops are there with some grassy bite but it's not pervasive like in a lot of extreme American IPAs. More notes of caramel and crust than citrus or pine.

M- Pretty standard with a nice amount of medium carbonation plus a tad dry finish. Medium body.

O- While it's very drinkable for a 6.8% ABV, I could probably think of a few session IPAs I like better than this. But thank you BlackBelt5112203 for the bonus beer!

Serving type: can

03-28-2013 23:22:45 | More by Immortale25

csparace

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Smell (4.00) – Wheaty with a good hop presence. Hints of lemon and grapefruit. Mostly a wheat presence. Maybe some caramel?

Appearance (4.00) – Pours from a 12oz can into a very large wine glass. Dirty, hazy lemon color. Looks like a lemonade gone bad – or like even kind of like iced tea. Lacing is not too great, possibly due to the temperature. Lots of sediment.

Taste (4.50) – Hello lemon. Mix of hops, lemon, and wheat. I served it a bit cold so the hops are really down played. Front is mostly hoppy and has a great crunch to it. Finish contains the lemon and has the hops smooth out.

Mouthfeel (4.00) – Good crunch, great carbonation, very refreshing. Drinkable for the amount of IBU it has.

Overall (4.25) - Pretty good IPA. I'm always in pursuit of some intense hops and this one certainly delivers . Its not the most complex beer, but it does have some stuff going on.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 04:45:56 | More by csparace

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.19/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured this American IPA from a 12 oz can into a pint glass. Poured a hazy straw color, produced a thick off white head, excellent retention and thick rings of lace left on the glass. The aroma consisted of toasted malt, sweet caramel, lemon citrus and floral hops. Medium bodied, a foundation of pale malt, toast, caramel, lemon rind, and heavy dose of grassy hops. Well balanced, complex hop flavor.

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 22:31:33 | More by GossageBrewery

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks rbradley for the can!

Pours gold/orange with a small off white head. Retention is lacking a bit, but good lacing down the glass.

Nice malt/hop interplay in the aroma. Smells bright and citrus with pronounced grapefruit, but after smelling it a bit longer, a little caramel sweetness also crept up on me.

Bright grapefruit up front. A hefty caramel sweetness hits mid-palate before finishes semi-dry with some more grapefruit and pine notes. Pretty well balanced IPA. Doesn't lean far on either side. That said, the caramel did start to take over a bit once it approached room tempature.

Light to medium bodied with good carbonation. This one is well balanced and goes down smooth.

Solid IPA and bonus for canning. Not overly complex, but a solid drinker. My only nitpick is the level of sweetness once it warms up. At around 50 degrees or so was awesome. By the end of the glass it was merely good.

Serving type: can

02-07-2013 18:56:34 | More by jmarsh123

AdamToomey

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Great Divide snifter at around 45 degrees...allowed to warm throughout.

A - Pours a light gold; shades of amber give it depth and complexity. It looks like a nice glass of caramel. Head is minimal but lacing throughout.

S - The real highlight of this beer is the aroma. Nice and subtle grapefruit aromas give way to a sweetness from the malt. Hints of spice in the background...peppery even. As the beer warms, the sweetness from the malt starts to take over.

T - A nice balance here between the malt profile and the hop bitterness...nothing too overwhelming. That being said, also nothing exceptionally rememberable. Grapefruit and caramel malt dominate the taste profile with hints of spice...same as the nose.

M - Feels a little light in my opinion. Not sure why. The carbonation seems about right for the style but the beer seems to go straight down the hatch with little for my taste buds to remember it by. Nothing sticks here.

O - Overall, the beer is good...not great...not bad...just good. I would buy it and drink it again; however, I would know when doing so, that I was buying a solid version of the style but nothing above and beyond.

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 07:23:42 | More by AdamToomey

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Sixer from Charleston Beer Exchange. Pours golden with a nice head. Nose carries some citrus and pine. Fairly hoppy and bitter through the flavor. Quite crisp and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

01-09-2013 03:13:45 | More by Thorpe429

Kromes

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A hazy, unfiltered orange color with a finger's width white colored head and lacing down the glass.

A very nice, crisp citrus, peach, and pine hop aroma with toasted malt notes in the background.

A big dose of sweet toasted malt up front with a bitter bite and some fruity citrus and pine hop flavors. It finishes with the same lingering bitterness and flavors. It finishes rather dry as the sweetness fades and only the bitterness remains.

Light and a slightly lower than normal carbonation. Feels a bit thin to me.

A good IPA. The light body makes the beer more drinkable. This is my first beer from Westbrook and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to trying a few more.

Serving type: can

01-03-2013 23:07:38 | More by Kromes

siege06nd

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Stella hybrid...

A. Pours a golden orange with a finger of eggshell head. Lacing is thick and fluffy. Retention is great. Lots of floaties and sediment in this one, however, though that is likely due to being in colder temps in my car.

S. Lots of orange zest and grapefruit with a healthy dose of herbal bitterness and bready malt. Very well rounded nose with a thick, complex profile.

T. Follows the nose, but a little more refined. Citrus zest, grapefruit bitterness, and sticky pine resin are tempered by some sweet biscuit malt. This is very even and balanced, with a significant malt presence. It is also very well done.

M. Moderate carbonation and a little creaminess. Well integrated flavors with an oily, bitter finish.

O. A really nice IPA. It is unique in that it presents a malt backbone that is more pronounced than its counterparts, which in turn lends more heft to the beer as a whole. To me, it is vaguely reminiscent of the British IPA style, and I mean that as an absolute compliment. Will definitely revisit.

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 21:48:21 | More by siege06nd

patre_tim

China

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Slight haze to a relatively clear copper brown beer. 2 finger head is creamy and has a slight beige tinge to it. Good lacing.

S: Smells of pine, heated hops, citrus, floral, very fragrant.

T: Wow. Very balanced in my book, with the above scents and a malt and sweetness to balance it. Not overpowering palat wreaking as some, thought the bitterness grows more bitter with a pause. Sweet floral and pine, red grapefruit and allspice come through. The flavours are complex but there is no pauses or separations, you get them all at once, followed by the bitter linger. Very delicious.

M: Medium body with a slight syrupy bitter cling to the mouth. Low to medium carbonation.

O: Love it, and feel its wonderfully balanced. A great IPA! Got it on my trip to the Carolinas to visit family, drank it with family in Canada.

Serving type: can

12-26-2012 00:57:18 | More by patre_tim

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

New to Atlanta, picked up a 6 pack today dated 11/27/12. 3 weeks old = fresh

A - A slightly darker shade of yellow, maybe bronze. Lots of head and lace left all over the glass. And TONS of sediment floating around in this unfiltered brew. Impressive

S - An even balance of bitter and citrus hops. The hop aroma explodes out of the can, but is not as strong out of the glass. Strong malt presence evident as well.

T - A very well balanced brew with some nice citrus notes, but a bitter aftertaste. Apricot, bread, and a ton of grapefruit.

M - Medium bodied, high carbonation. Oily.

O - A good IPA for sure, and glad to have this brewery in GA. Looking forward to try some more of their offerings

Serving type: can

12-22-2012 02:15:16 | More by BeerDawgs

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz canned Nov 27, 2012. Served at around 45F.

Pours lightly hazy amber, on the dark side for an IPA, with a one finger off-white head that leaves some lacing and recedes to a small cap.

Aroma is apricot, a touch of citrus, lemon, some resinous hops, good amount of malt, particularly sweet bread dough, some caramel. Good strength, but rather malty and the malts and hops clash a bit.

Flavor generally mirrors the aroma, apricot, light citrus/lemon, resinous hops, sweet bread, caramel, moderate sweetness, mild to moderate bitterness, minimal alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy, moderate carbonation.

This really, really reminds me of a hoppy Amber Ale, not so much an IPA. And it’s pretty fresh too, just 3 weeks old. A letdown.

Serving type: can

12-19-2012 02:55:58 | More by elgiacomo

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into a fine stemmed tulip glass.

A- very hazy golden-orange color with a solid 1+ finger head that leaves some lacing as it fades. There is noticable sediment in the glass.

S- what a powerhouse of aroma going on: strong caramel malt, potent citrus, peach, mango, etc. You can name just about any fruit grown in the southeast and it's smell just may be in this IPA. Remarkable.

T- there is citrus, lemon and grapefruit rind, the hops build a great taste. And so do the malts, caramel sweet with a bit of dry bread or biscuit flavor.

M-medium body, silky, not thick. Beautiful balance between malts and hops. The 65 IBUs are right on; bitter hoppy finish without the burn.

O- I applaud Westbrook's effort here. This IPA stands on it's own, up to some of the most highly regarded IPAs in my judgement. Well done.

Serving type: can

11-30-2012 22:23:58 | More by NiceTaps

Netdigger2

South Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is my go-to year-round IPA. Always fresh from Greenville Beer Exchange and they just started dating the bottoms of the cans.

Pours Hazy gold with a foamy white head. Decent Lacing

Smell is slightly floral and spicy- hints of tangerine citrus and pine.

Taste is a collaboration of peppery, piney, citrus and light malts. Very hop forward and easy on the palate. It beautifully melds a bunch of American C-hop flavor characteristics without palate-wrecking bitterness.

Medium-high carbonation- lighter mouthfeel.

VERY refreshing IPA. South's closest thing to Heady Topper!

Serving type: can

11-25-2012 02:17:48 | More by Netdigger2

superdedooperboy

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12-ounce aluminum can poured into a Duvel-branded tulip glass. Served at approximately 45 degrees F.

Pours a deep, hazy gold – and by hazy, I mean nothing gets through. The head rises all the way to the top of the glass and beyond, a fat, rich, rocky froth that slowly recedes and leaves behind huge, boulder-like patches of lace on the walls of the glass as it empties.

Loads of citrus and tropical fruit on the nose – grapefruit and tangerine take center stage, mingling with notes of mango, papaya, passion fruit and pineapple. It’s an extremely enticing aroma, and perhaps one of the best aromas in any IPA in the Southeast – if not more far-reaching than that.

Fairly light-bodied and moderately carbonated, with a touch of prickly carbonation in the mouthfeel. The palate is, similar to the nose, a citrusy affair. Tangerine and grapefruit mingle with grapefruit rind up front, melding with candied mango and a peppery spiciness in the middle, where a supporting base of biscuity malt peeks through. More fruitiness folds into the back of the palate, followed up by grapefruit rind and a powerful dryness that lingers well into the finish.

An absolutely outstanding IPA that—dare I say it!—may dethrone SweetWater’s take on the style as this reviewer’s choice of Number 1 IPA in the Southeast. Superbly drinkable and explosively flavorful, this IPA showcases hops almost like no other – and it comes in a highly portable, easily recyclable, UV-impenetrable container to boot.

Serving type: can

11-08-2012 23:55:36 | More by superdedooperboy

macrosmatic

Florida

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

Thanks to dogdoc for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. can into CCB pint glass.

A: Very hazy, orangish amber in color, with a nice white head and a relatively low amount of visible carbonation.

S: Pine resin hops, caramel malts, some citrus notes.

T: Follows the nose. Malt is bready & chewy, and a little more dominant then I would prefer. Pine & citrus rind hop flavors. Hop bitterness in the hang.

M: Nice ticklish body between the carbonation sensation & hop bitterness, no particular alcohol presence.

O: Solid IPA. Doesn't really have any qualities to make it stand out from the crowd, but very drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: can

10-14-2012 17:28:31 | More by macrosmatic

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had a few of these on tap at The Salty Dog the other night and really found myself enjoying them. I knew I had to grab a sixpack and review it.

Can into nonic pint.

A glowing fireball of orangey gold with perhaps some light amber/auburn hues if the light hits it just right. Thick, foamy, sticky, three-fingers of off-white head hold a surpriaingly nice retention and leave some thick curtains of lacing behind. This really looks great.

Smells great too-- a dry biscuity malt underneath a pleasant citrus hop attack. Lots of citrus hops, with a little floral and pine to boot.
The flavor follows suit... Decent bitterness, but not overwhelmingly bitter. The hops have been used for aromatics and flavoring, and done so quite well if I do say so. The finish dries out a bit which is nice, but as it warms I detect a slight booziness.

Feels is good-- medium, malty, little oily, dry bitter finish. The malts do a great job balancing the hops, and while I find this beer hoppy, I wouldn't say it is the hoppiest... But it also isn't overly malty-- it just found that perfect balance.

The only complaint is that the ABV is pretty high... A bit too high to be a good session beer, but this is quite good nonetheless.
I'm truly surprised that this beer doesn't get more praise.
Well done Westbrook. Well done indeed.

Serving type: can

09-26-2012 00:56:18 | More by AleWatcher

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to instantmessenger for passing on a couple of these in a trade in support of The CANQuest (TM)!

From the CAN: "A base of pale, Munich, and Carapils malts is just enough to contain the massive hop flavor and aroma packed into this delicious IPA. A blend of Ameri[CAN] hop varieties is added four times in the kettle and again in the fermentor [sic] for a complex and layered hop experience."; "Best served at 45-50 [Deg.] F in a tulip or English style pint glass."

I employed an inverted Glug following a Crack that revealed yet another brimful craft CAN. I had about two fingers of dense, tawny head with good retention that slowly fell, leaving sticky lacing behind. Color was a hazy orangish-yellow with lots of floaties in evidence. I may be getting to this one either a) too late or b) just in time. Nose was solid, very piney, quite minty. Mouthfeel was medium and the hops were present, definitely pine, albeit somewhat muted. Finish was semi-dry, still hoppy, but I CANnot help but wonder what a fresh one might be like.

Serving type: can

09-23-2012 20:53:39 | More by woodychandler