White Rajah - The Brew Kettle Taproom & Smokehouse / Production Works

Hendry

Vermont

4.29/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a deep amber with minimal head, respectable lacing.

Aroma is mostly sweet malts with a hint of piney citrus in the background.

Flavors seem to be a tug of war between the tall malts and the hop selection, with the malts winning the battle.

Predominatley malty flavors with some piney/resiny bitterness.

Mouthfeel is lighter meadium,malts are sticky.

Overall decent, but far too much malt for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 04:39:23 | More by Hendry

Old_Jeffro

West Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

My first review!

A: Goldish-Copper and clear. Light white head with minimal retention. Some lacing. Minimal bubbles.

S: Sweet, floral with a metallic grapefruit smell. The grapefruit comes through stronger each time I smell it.

T: Tastes like it smells-good balance initially, then a crisp, late-arriving grapefruit taste that lingers well after a drink.

M: Very lightly carbonated, but not dull. Very smoothe.

O: Damn good IPA. Could drink every day.

Thanks to the beer guy at The Hills Market in Worthington/Columbus for this recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:03:27 | More by Old_Jeffro

TheRemyLeabeau

Ohio

5/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hands down my favorite IPA. I am also lucky enough to live 10 minutes away from the brewery so I have access to it 24/7.
The smell of this beer is redunk, its smooth and slightly hoppy with a taste that WOWs just like the smell. Its pretty consistent from batch to batch, although I have purchased a sixer or two that were a little hoppier than normal but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. If given the opportunity to try this beer i strongly advise doing so, you wont regret it!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:07:04 | More by TheRemyLeabeau

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Clear copper body, white head has some retention and some lacing.

S - Solid tropical fruit nose right from when I crack the cap off the bottle with mango and pineapple.

T - Smell doesn't really translate to taste. Grapefruit flesh, with caramel and honey-like sweetness. Touch of butter. Finishes with an ambiguous, mostly flavorless bitterness with some pine.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Finishes dry. Prickly bitterness across the palate.

O - Expected a lot more out of this one. Taste just didn't pull through enough and had butter off-flavor. I'll pass on it next time I'm in town. Maybe they should bottle date?

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 12:34:41 | More by garuda

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a hazy golden/orange in color with 2 fingers of bright white head leaving behind nice lacing. smells of grapefruit citrus, pine, grassy hops, caramel, honey, pineapple. a wonderful tasting ipa.. lots of sweet delicious citrusy grapefruit, tons of piney cascade hop flavor lingering for bitterness and pineyness.. a delicious sweet caramel/honey malt profile. this is a really great tasting ipa. medium body with moderate carbonation.. slight creamy mouthfeel.

an excellent ipa i've been meaning to try for a while now. definitely looking forward to the other bottle of this. wish we had some solid bottled ipa around these parts. flower power is the closest but doesn't even compare with the sweetness of this beer. perfectly balanced sweet and hoppy throughout the entire glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:20:50 | More by facundoCNB

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle courtesy of mgbickel pours a uber-hazed gold color with a small, but tight off-white head. Decent retention and good lacing.

Hops are tropical on the nose and the malt has an 'oatmeal-esque' creamed caramel aroma...interesting. Smells good, although the nose is not overly powerful.

Taste is balanced, the malts are more caramely than the aroma would indicate and the hops are somewhat restrained. The mouthfeel is quite nice, moderate heft with a pinch of sweetness and is oh so smooth. There is a bit of earthiness as it warms up that is interesting, plus it throws down a couple different layers of bitterness on the finish. Its good, for sure...probably my favorite so far from TBK.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:43:21 | More by twiggamortis420

patm1986

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thank you, misterhops for this long-wanted extra.

Frothy, creamy head. Hole-y like swiss cheese, the head leaves lace like a soapy brush.
Body is light amber, golden to the edges, and nearly transparent.

First aroma is like cream soda. Weirdly, sweet cream is present, then pine, grass, copper, wheat, calendula.

Taste is really, really balanced. For every inch of bitter, there is an immediate tug back to malt. This tug ranges from citrus, floral, earthy, to sweet, grainy, and milky. It really reminds me of cream soda.

The feel is very smooth, very rich. Not too much of a tinge either. It's just pretty darn balanced.

The name of the game is balance. This baby isn't a one dimensional player. I can see the beginnings or endings of a five tool guy. But enough with the baseball references. This is a game day beer. I could drink several of these without blowing out the palette. It's so darn creamy.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:24:08 | More by patm1986

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Big thanks to Sam for this one. One of the best beers from my favorite brewery? Yes please! 12oz. bottle into a Lawson's pint.

Pours a coarse, .5 finger white head with moderate to low retention. Beer is a clear orange-goldenrod. Lacing is spotty and sparse with average cling. Average.

Nose is outstanding! Notes of citrus, mango, grapefruit, papaya and cane sugar. Very appetizing.

Opens sweet. Grapefruit, citrus, papaya, passionfruit, and other tropical flavors. Big cane sugar malt backbone. End is citrus and sap hop bitterness with some piney notes sprinkled in. Finishes bitter with a juicy, sweet and hoppy aftertaste. Very, very good.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Spritzy and bubbly in the mouth and juicy going down. FInishes messy with a sticky, lingering aftertaste. Real drinkable.

Easily one of the best IPAs I've had in a long time. Which is saying a lot in a style crowded with so many top-notch offerings. Honestly, to be expected from Brew Kettle, one of the most under-the-radar brewpubs in the US in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 17:03:05 | More by SpeedwayJim

MatthewPlus

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

received a bottle in a trade- Thanks pschnei3!

poured a slightly hazy goldenrod in my CCB snifter. egg-shell head with good retention and moderate lacing.
Aroma is extremely enticing- lots of pine and citrus with undertones of honey and malt.
Flavor has a lot of "pop", very hop forward, but a smooth balanced finish. good bitterness up front, and a bit of honey underneath. lasting pleasant hop finish.
medium weight on the palate, not overbearing, decent carbonation.
Overall, i was pleasantly surprised with this beer. It's not quite at the level of elite IPAs (Heady, Sculpin, etc..) in my opinion, but is at the top of the new tier (jai alai, hop stoopid, etc...)
I would certainly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 14:45:42 | More by MatthewPlus

screamking

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into wine glass

Appearance-pours light apricot in color with a lean white head which goes away quickly. No lacing around the edges. 4

Aroma-lots of citrus, I'm getting lemon and grapefruit up front. Also, there are some fresh floral notes as well. For an IPA I would say its closer to middle of the road than to top tier. 4

Taste-lots of lemon and lots of pine. Has a stronger orange taste then grapefruit. Dried pineapple and brown sugar add to the sweetness. 4.25

Feel-solid medium bodied beer, mild carbonation on the tongue, solid coating on palate, very easy to drink. 4.5

Overall-maybe I have been having too many "great" IPA's lately, but this just seems slightly above average to me. It has all the typical characteristics of an IPA but nothing that jumps out and says I'm better then the rest. Is it a good beer...yes. Would I drink or again...yes. I just don't think I would go out of my way for it. 4.25

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 19:44:52 | More by screamking

sommersb

Tennessee

4.31/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Tasted On: 03-13-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Goblet
Purchased: Received in a trade

Appearance is a clear, orange/golden colored beer capped with a finger's worth of white head. Very good lacing and good head retention.

Aromas feature a big citrus and tropical fruit character, with some floral notes as well.

Taste is similar to the nose, with strong west-coast hop bitterness and just a hint of supporting malt flavors.

Crisp and highly carbonated in the mouthfeel, medium bodied and a finish of hop bitterness.

Overall an excellent IPA in the West coast tradition. Very pronounced bitterness, but still has some balance.

Thanks to buschbeer for the try!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:59:32 | More by sommersb

VitoFerrante

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Wow. This is a beer worthy of an awesome review. I am not sure how fresh it was, but my god, the hop notes were in-your-face. For an American IPA, that has it all. For the style, it really puts many others to shame, including its local rival, the venerable Head Hunter. This is a beer to seek out. I would buy this beer whenever I see it. They need to can this beer and ship it so everyone can enjoy it. Bravo TBK!!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 13:42:13 | More by VitoFerrante

sukwonee

Washington

4.24/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Scott for this bottle

A: Lighter brown (almost yellow) body with two finger head with good amount of lacing.

S: Some grain (???), some bittering hops, some malt... that's about it really. Very mediocre

T: okay - so this beer tastes great. In fact, it's quite awesome. IPA with nice tropical and citrous hops but also with good amount of malt. There is this... slightly off-grain-y taste. Not sure what it is but it didn't botter me as much in the taste than it did on the nose. Quite refreshing.

M: Good amount of carbonation, medium body for APA.

O: Definitely recommended. I just had Head Hunter before this and I can't decide which one I prefer over the other. They're both just okay for me.

As far as the the IPAs go, I would say VT > So CAL > OH for now.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 09:25:13 | More by sukwonee

HopsMathias

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle.
Beautiful yellow to slightly copper color. Just slightly darker than a traditional lager or pilsner. (The first beers I drank were yellow in color so it's what I always think of for beer.)
Nice light citrusy hops aroma.
The taste of hops is definite but not overwhelming. Slight citrus taste balances the hops.
The mouthfeel is light.
Overall a good IPA that is not overwhelming with the hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:47:04 | More by HopsMathias

Auror

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into my snifter. Bottled less than 1 month ago according to trading partner. Thanks kcbaby!

Appearance- Nice one finger head, which fades moderately slowly to a thick ring around the glass. Attractive honey gold color. Lacing is prevalent on the glass.

Smell- Mango, some piney hops, grapefruit, lemon, other sweet citrus smells. Not much malt or alcohol present. Very nice.

Taste- Sweet orange and tropical fruits at the start, pine in the middle on the tip of the tongue, and sweet malts take over for the finish. Tastes a bit hot surprisingly, mixing with piney bitterness that lingers. The sweetness cuts it a bit, but it's malt driven and kind of a straight sweetness without flavor.

Mouthfeel- Medium-heavy body (for style) with medium-high carbonation. I yearn for a bit more creaminess to the feel, instead it's a bit oily.

Overall- Pretty drinkable, but a little too bitter for my preference. Somehow it's also surprisingly malt dominant at the same time. I guess what I'm saying is there is prevalent hop bitterness, but not as much citrusy hop flavor as the nose would have me expect.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:20:16 | More by Auror

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes. 12oz bottle poured into a Riedel beer glass. Didn't see the date but the person who brought these to the tasting said they had just arrived on the shelves.

Appearance: Mostly clear amber colored beer (a hint towards the golden range of the spectrum, but still some orange present) with just a hint of haze. Very impressive thick white head with lots of lacing all over the glass.

Smell: Grapefruit, some papaya, and a hint of pine. Quite hoppy - not detecting much underneath all those aromatic hops.

Taste: Everything one would expect from an AIPA. Hop flavor up front, with pine and citrus, a solid malt middle, and then quickly going into a hoppy bitter finish. The bitter finish does not linger long on the palate though. Bitterness was grapefruit citrus.

Mouthfeel: Just right carbonation and thickness. Not as much hop oils sticking to the teeth as I would have expected.

Overall: It could be that by this point in the tasting my palate is getting tired even with good swigs of water in between beers, but this one I view as nicely balanced and drinkable, but not really "wow" outstanding in taste and flavor. Still, enjoyable and well done, just not as high as many others have rated to my taste buds and nose.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 13:37:30 | More by damndirtyape

davey101

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a SA perfect pint. Huge thanks to WesM63 for throwing this in as an extra!

A - Pours a burnt amber body. Two fingers of fluffy off white foam. Solid lacing and retention.

S - Clean citrus and tropical hops, touch of cracker malts. Very nice aroma.

T - Peaches, mango, and grapefruit. I feel like I repeat myself every time I review an IPA, but this is just a very solid and well balanced beer. Pleasantly bitter with a touch of malt. My only complaint is its a bit watery on the finish.

M - Crisp and well carbonated, medium bodied. High level of drinkability.

O - Been hearing a lot about this beer, and although I don't see it competing with the upper echelon of AIPA's, this is an extremely tasty and well crafted IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:15:12 | More by davey101

Smooth-Hoperator

4.4/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A) A very light, slightly hazy amber colored beer that is light enough to see through and that leaves a light thin white frothy head. This is not a very malty beer. The first time I tried this beer it left beautiful lacing all the way down the glass as I drank.

S) Pungent, citrusy, bitter, beautiful hop profile. This screams west coast style IPA.

T) While the smell is hoppy, it does not quite prepare you for the level of hops present after tasting this beer. The taste starts off light, crisp and citrusy with hints of what seems like orange and pineapple but quickly turns into a nice clean bitterness that will stay on your tounge until the next drink.

M) A very light and drinkable beer.

O) This is one of the best IPAs I've had. This is a very refreshing IPA because it's so light and citrusy, but will give you a large dose of bitter hops as well. The balance is very nice and really not too many negatives for this one. I would prefer a little more malt and body to this beer but it is pretty true to it's intended style. I look forward to trying one at the Brew Kettle Taproom hopefully in the near future.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:48:55 | More by Smooth-Hoperator

ChadQuest

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep glowing sunburst orange body that is translucent, white cap.
Nose is sweet citrus forward, like tangerenes and tangelos, a hint of mango.
Nice slightly bitter tropical citrus flavor, more tropical and bitter on the palate then the aroma was. Still on the sweeter side of citrus as the aroma was, but def more tropical aspects going on now.
medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation, a bit more would make it pop a bit better.

Really solid IPA, i could drink this often.

C/3 = Average

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:04:22 | More by ChadQuest

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.4/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - lightly hazed golden yellow with a white head that thinned down leaving thin trails of lacing.

S - blast of tropical fruits and citrus.

T - tropical fruit sweetness and citrus rind bitterness, tart and dry on the finish.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation and smooth drinkability.

O - very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:52:24 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

eclipse54

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 12 ounce bottle from JM03; thank you! Poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear orange and develops roughly an inch of fluffy white head. Solid lacing, but not a whole lot in the way of retention. Still, a good looking brew. The aroma is of sweet citrus - lots of grapefruit - floral hops, some tangerine, and loads of pine. If grapefruits grew on pine trees, then orchards would probably smell a lot like this beer. It tastes similar to the aroma, with lots of grapefruit and orange citrus in front of earthen, piney hops. A sweet, almost sugary comes through as well. Mouthfeel is bitter, crisp, clean and just dry enough on the finish without overdoing it. Carbonation feels spot on. Overall, a solid IPA that is undoubtedly worth a try. Loads of hops and citrus, just the way I like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 20:03:07 | More by eclipse54

WesM63

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a large tulip.

A: Pours a light honey-gold with a beautiful 2 finger off white head. Moderate amounts of retention and lacing.

S: Huge tropical citrus, a hint of underlying pine. A tiny bit of malty sweetness lingers.

T: Enormous tropical citrus, a hint of some sweet bubblegum with a tad bit of pine at the end.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Overall, this beer is outstanding when it can be found. Huge west coast IPA that's dangerously drinkable. If you find it, buy it, buy it all!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:23:10 | More by WesM63

yamar68

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

HUGE thanks to brew33 for this glorious extra!

Beautiful honey gold body stuffed with small gauge beads, topped with a finger of paper white, classic west coast style IPA head.

Juicy tropical fruit presence, subtle pine qualities, just insanely dense hops... swimming in hops... smells like Jesus.

Mmmm... great citrus with caramel apple and pineapple, reminds me of Columbus IPA in how it delivers a tremendous hop profile without burning the palate, which makes for an exceedingly drinkable beer.

Terrific.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 01:46:49 | More by yamar68

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - A very standard looking IPA. Clear amber and bubbles constantly floating to the top. This could be why I am not getting much lace but the head is a great 1/2 inch that settles to a thick lace ring.

S - Rich in tropical and citrus hops with not very much malt so it's fairly strong and bitter. Smell is great.

T - Kind if underwhelming actually the beer has a strong alcohol taste similar to other tropical DIPA's yet this is an IPA. It does go down smooth enough with sweet hops then balancing cracker like malts that seem to dry the palate with a mildly bittering finish. It's good but could use more balance...

M - Despite the cloying alcohol it goes down smooth. Oliy is a great descriptive Medium bodied and chewy.

Overall nothing really meriting a "world class status" but an above average IPA that could use more balance. Worth picking up if you like "Captain Lawrence DIPA"

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 19:52:29 | More by DrDemento456

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a standard pint. Thanks to mrfong07 for sending this one. No bottling info that I can find.

A - Pours a golden color with perfect clarity. There is little head beyond a halo but it does leave some sticky lacing on the glass.

S - Very fruity aroma with sweet tangerine, tart grapefruit, and intense pineapple. Tangy citrus hops come through. One dimensional, but delicious.

T - Starts with big tropical fruits and clover honey sweetness. Tart, almost sour, citrus pulls through hard in the middle. The finish is quite bitter with lingering weed and dank grapefruit rind. I don't detect much malt, as the sweetness is almost entirely fruity.

M - Tingly carbonation and a medium body. Easy drinking and refreshing.

O - With amazing tropical fruits and citrus, this is comparable to a great imperial IPA in flavor intensity and aroma. This is one of the best "single" IPAs I have ever had. A great example of the west coast style of IPA and I would love to have access to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 01:16:04 | More by NoLeafClover44