Jabby Brau - Jack's Abby Brewing

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour is a clear yellow color with a white head. A very good hoppiness to the nose. Citrus and floral hops dominate up front. Sweet biscuit malt comes through as the hops fade away. A nice mild sweetness on the palate which is complemented nicely by the citrusy and floral hop profile. Very light bitterness and just a very good beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 22:45:51 | More by womencantsail

MasterSki

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to gn0sis for this one. Served in a pilsner glass.

A - Classic looking American lager, with a few fingers of white foam that slowly settles to a chunky cap and splotches of lace. Transparent golden body with streams of bubbles racing upward.

S - Spicy and floral hops, with perhaps a touch of citrus in there as well. Some toasted grains and wheat, as well as light biscuit in the malt bill. Fairly potent aroma for a 4.5% brew.

T - The taste has a bit more biscuity Pilsner malt and bread to it, in addition to the floral and citrus hop flavors. Fairly present bitterness for a 20 IBU pale lager, but nothing excessive.

M - Super dry and crisp, with moderate carbonation, medium-light body, and some residual hop oils and resins.

D - This is pretty much what I want from an American Pale Lager. Drinks like a really clean blend of American and English Pale Ales. Crushable at 4.5%, albeit significantly more subtle than Hoponius Union. This might be a good way to win over lovers of fizzy yellow beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:35:48 | More by MasterSki

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains citrus, lager yeast, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready from lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. Then some citrus and caramel sweetness comes in. The hops presence is stronger than most beers in the style and creates a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, mild kick, very good representation of style, this is an excellent beer to session with for a very long time.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 21:17:32 | More by TheManiacalOne

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was offered as a style similar to a Saison. In reality, it is far closer to a Pale Ale than anything else. I am surprised that this is a lager.

Clingy ring lace from a good bar-poured head. It settles to a thin layer of minute bubbles. The liquid is quite clear with a golden color.

The aroma is citrusy hop, while the flavor is more blunt with some fruitiness up front and strong bitter finish. I also detected "bubblegum"--this was surprisingly attractive. The combination works. I describe the body as a cross between oily and creamy.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 22:16:18 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

Poured into a Squatters True Pint glass a very nice dark golden yellow color, very nice carbonation, with a nice one-finger white creamy head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, slight citrus note. The taste is malty, with a nice hop note. A very nice smooth session brew, many can be had. Almost half gone in a matter of minutes. Medium body, like the label sez, starts off hoppy, finishes malty, with some slight bitterness. Overall a very nice brew for a hot day. Thanks Bill!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 00:23:11 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up on Saturday 08/18/12 at the brewery so assuming it's pretty fresh. 16.9 oz. bottle bottled into my Bell's tulip.

a - Pours a somewhat hazy golden yellow color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks pretty good.

s - Smells of grains, bready malts, citrus hops, floral hops, grapefruit, tropical fruits, fruity malts, and some light biscuit malt. Very nice mix of citrus hops, fruit, and malts. I like it a lot.

t - Tastes of bready malts, fruity malts, grains, wheat, dough, biscuit malts, light citrus hops, eathy notes, and light floral hops. Not quite as much citrus or fruit as the nose, and more grain and bread, but still quite nice.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. No bitterness at all and crazy drinkable. Could definitely have a few of these and would want to.

o - Overall I thought this was a great lager; one of the better ones I've had in a while. Between this, Smoke & Dagger, and Hoponious Union, I'm becoming a huge fan of this brewery. Being able to get a 16.9 oz bottle of this for $2.50 at the brewery, I'd be there all the time if I lived in MA. Insanely drinkable and while not quite as hoppy or flavorful as Hoponious, easier to drink a few of and a great beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 23:45:58 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From their website:
"Deep golden in color, this low ABV lager balances Pilsner and Munich malt with an aromatic American hop aroma. This beer starts hoppy but finishes unexpectedly malty with very low bitterness. Impressively flavorful and drinkable for the lightest beer we brew. We dub this beer a "Session Lager," as we once again brew a lager in a beer style of its own. Uses local Soft Red Winter Wheat from Four Star Farms.
OG 11.5 Plato / IBU's 20 / ABV 4.5%"

Had on tap at Armsby Abbey.

Tap at abbey

Big creamy 1 finger head fades slowly with notches of lacing, brilliantly clear golden tan yellow color.

Nose is great, nice tropical fruit hops, light citrus, pineapple, light grapefruit, and hint of resin, then light fruity crisp lager, hint of soft pilsner malts.

Taste starts like a great pilsner, light toasty straw malts, soft and a light creamy malt, nice crisp lager, with light fruity flavors. Then perfectly balanced hops come through with a light but decent bitterness, light grassy and hint of citrus, and even a light hint of fresh hop resin. Finish is dry, clean bitterness, light crisp malt, maybe a bit too clean and quick if I had to nitpick.

Mouth is a bit lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall delicious, maybe their best yet. Perfect balance of pilsner with noble hop taste and american hop aroma. Crisp, clean, super sessionable, I need to get me a growler of this. I really hope this is year round now.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 23:10:46 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into my 2009 Pioneer stein, formed a 1" off-white head over the slightly cloudy golden brew. Head isn't going anywhere, with average lacing. Aroma is funky hops.

Taste starts with sweet, quickly overpowered by almost skunky hops, which carry through the close which has ample bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is easy. Says session on the bottle, and that works for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 22:24:19 | More by ppoitras

oline73

Maryland

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy amber color with a nice golden hue. There is a half finger of fluffy white head that fades to a nice layer on top of the pour.

Smell: The smell is rather mild with a bready malt note and some mild hops. Just a touch of sweetness from the grain.

Taste: I'm getting more here than I expected from the smell. There is a nice citrus peel hop profile, but I wouldn't call this a hoppy beer. Behind the hops is a very nice bready malt note. This is amazingly easy to drink.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the light side of medium with foamy carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: The balance of this beer is spot on. So easy to drink. I would definitely say this is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:13:11 | More by oline73

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a perfect pint. Big thanks to Dope for this.

3.5 A: Mildly hazed light orange color. Two fingers of frothy off-white head. Retention is average and a bit of lacing if left.

4.0 S: Quite hoppy. Herbal, earthy, and mildly floral. Grainy malts underneath with a light, neutral malt sweetness. Simple, but pleasant.

4.0 T: Good bit of hop flavor as well with more earth anf floral and a bit less herbal. Low bitterness. Grainy maltiness with a sweet finish.

4.0 M: Light to lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Clean and crisp, quite crisp.

4.0 D: Solid, hoppy lager. I can see myself putting down a few of these while watching some NFL games.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:07:20 | More by DavoleBomb

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear deep medium golden color with a huge fluffy white head that sticks around forever. Smells of bready pilsner and sweet Munich malts with a floral and earthy hop aroma as well as a spicy component that reminds me of wheat. The flavor is earthy hops up front with a bit of bready malt beneath it. Middle and finish showcase some earthy spicy wheat and hops. Medium to light body with a moderate level of carbonation and a slick almost spicy resinous mouthfeel. This was not at all what I was expecting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it just the same. Jack's Abby continues to impress me with their offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 23:55:38 | More by johnnnniee

mdaschaf

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jon for this one!

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow color with a foamy one finger head on top, just off-white in color. Decent retention, eventually leaving a thin cap on top. Sporadic lacing.

S: Some bready malt with light citrus, floral/grassy hops. A lot fainter than Hoponius. There is a bit of graint malt as well.

T: More light citrus, mostly grapefruit, a heavier dose of grassy hops and some biscuity malt.

M: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation. Extremely easy drinking.

O: Another great lager from JA. Could drink this beer all the time without a problem.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 23:54:15 | More by mdaschaf

tigg924

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, gold in color, clear, high carbonation

Smell: straw and citrus hops

Taste: grass, light honey-sugar, and a citrus hoppy end

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, light bodied, sweet start with a bitter lasting middle

Overall: Given the style, this one is very good. It is a nice and hoppy lager that I would look for again and an excellent value. That said, if I was not grading to style, my marks would be closer to a 3.5. While this is clean and very well done, there is just something missing that I cannot put my finger on.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 14:56:35 | More by tigg924

scottfrie

California

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into SN shaped pint glass. Thanks Michael!

A: Pours a bright glowing golden color with a thick, bone-white head that faded into a bubbly film leaving spots of tiny lace down the glass.
S: Light lagery nose with notes of yeast, doughy bread crust, dry grains and a hint of citrusy and tropical hops.
T: Very crisp flavors of lager yeast, creamy grains and clean and crisp hops. Flavors are light, smooth and crisp.
M: Light and drying mouthfeel, medium-light body with scrubbing and refreshing carbonation.
O: This session lager lives up to its name. I would enjoy drinking this all the time. Thanks again, SneezyAchew!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 03:41:49 | More by scottfrie

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. So happy to have Jack's Abby distributing throughout Massachusetts.

A - Pours a crystal clear straw hue with a nice two finger rocky white head that left great side lacing and a nice cloud.

S - Smell...isnt quite like others were describing this. Perhaps because this is a bottle and not on tap things have changed, but, I dont get any tropical hop notes like others said. Instead, there is a nice light grassy hop with nice rich, cereal/bready grains.

T - More of those light grassy hops, but there is a faint flicker of bitter hops towards the end. A super faint hint of pineapple towards the end as well. The middle though is clearly Jack's Abby. Very nice lager qualities here, the bready grains (wheat), almost biscuity, with some light sweet malts. Nice slight bitter finish.

M - Mouthfeel is pretty solid. Yeah, definately sessionable. Rather crisp and clean, with an enjoyable finish.

O - Overall, this is a good beer from Jack's Abby. I prefer their big, juicy hop offerings though. While a good beer, its no Kiwi Rising.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:40:41 | More by rudzud

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours medium gold with a good white foam head. Some lace.

Whoa, nice pine/citric note in the nose. A big surprise. Not over the top, but there. Some light toasted malt.

A little thin in flavor, with medium malt and some piney happiness. Seems thin but not watery. Malt, light bitterness, a touch of sweetness, and dries right out. This would be great with food or grill beer.

Medium body, actually a bit light. Decent carbonation balance here.

Overall, liked this the more I drank it. Worth a try. Surprising and different and very obviously well made.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:54:33 | More by OtherShoe2

homebrew311

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into SA perfect pint glass. Appearance is a pale straw color with nice clarity and fizzy appearance. layer of head retention which leave decent amount of lacing. The nose is full of cereal malts which present a very bready dry malt profile. Light grassy hops follow and make for a nice balanced nose, especially considering the style. The taste is what you would expect given the aroma, dry grainy profile up front with mild sweetness next, finished by light earthy hop character. Flavors aren't overly huge, but they are present and well balanced. Mouthfeel is light and refreshing. Overall, this is a very nice take on a style that I otherwise am not a fan of. This brew would be perfect for a session on a warm day. Worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 07:06:40 | More by homebrew311

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Love what I see from this brewery. Nice 500ml bottles, local and lagers, the type of beer I am admittedly not overly familiar with.

A- Tiniest bit of yeast haze to a light orange body. A frothy white head forms to a few fingers in size and has decent retention. A few webs of lace here and there.

S- Laid back mix of a good yeast bread, caramel biscuit malt and hops. Hops give me a good blend of spice, citrus and herbal/floral notes.

T- Good use of beer ingredients here, balanced. Some light fruit and bready notes from the yeast. Malt lends flavorful toast, caramel, fresh cracked grain and nutty notes. Hops round it all out with citrus juice, floral, herbal and spicy flavors.

MF- Creamy feel with very smooth carbonation. A nice light, bitter finish.

Packs a lot of flavor into a 4.5% lager. Good blend of yeast, malt and hop influence.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 02:32:20 | More by cbutova

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours straw color. Completely transparent. Very light. Head is loose, relaxed foamy sauce. Head leaves consistent crowns along the glass.

S-Sure doesn't smell like a Session Lager. Very hoppy. Nose reminds me a lot of Prima Pils by Victory. (which is a big compliment). A mixture of Noble and American hops. Hop forward (especially for a lager). Lager yeast and Animal Cracker malt.

T-Very delicious. Malt is more stressed on the palate. The mixture of plentiful and unique hoppiness and lager characteristics make this a delicious sip. Grainy and crisp. Wow, this beer is really delicious. Every sip increases my attraction to this beer.

M-Super light. Crisp and plentiful carbonation. The perfect feel for a Session Lager.

O/D-I have been dying to try anything from Jack's Abby. This is an absolute steal for $2.50 per half liter. I absolutely love this beer and may have to go and by six more of these just to have lying around.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 00:12:26 | More by VelvetExtract

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz bottle. No bottle dates. Poured into a Deschutes tulip.

A: Nice golden color to the brew. About a finger of bright white head. Lots of carbonation. Bubbles streaming off the glass bottom.

S: Smells like a hoppy lager. I definitely pull some light fruity and grassy hop notes, along with the traditional lager/pilsner malt character.

T: Love this brewery's bottle beer descriptions. They really are good. Hit the nail on the head here. You do get a touch of hop bitterness in the tip of the tongue, but that quickly fades and is balanced nicely by those traditional malts. It really smooths the beer and makes it highly drinkable. And much like the bottle reads, there isn't any bitterness on the close. A good break from IPAs all the time!

M: Light bodied maybe leading into low medium.

O: it's a nice beer and a good break from other more popular craft styles.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 15:40:39 | More by inlimbo77

Dope

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A somewhat pale, clear golden pour. Huge fluffy white head atop it. Retention is excellent and leaves great streaks of lacing everywhere.

S: Surprisingly nice hoppy aroma. Mostly citrus with a touch of pine. A bit of grainy, bready malt too. Light and crisp.

T: Just a hint of citrus up front, then some nice sweet grainy bread. Finishes with the lightest hint of pine. Simple but super clean, crisp and refreshing. Reminds me of a lighter Gumballhead (which is my favorite sessionable beer of all time). I would swear there's a little wheat in this too.

M: Light as you would expect, crisp and smooth.

O: Amazing beer for the style. Simple and pretty light of course but wow, great balance with just a hint of hops, a touch of wheat and it's just perfectly smooth. Drinkability is off the scale. If Budweiser tasted like this, the craft beer movement never would have gotten off the ground. Another great beer from Jack's Abby.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 04:10:00 | More by Dope

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle shared by Liam.

Pale golden orange colour, one finger of white head with a good amount of lace present here as well, good head retention also. Smell is of crisp noble hops, grassy and earthy notes mixed with a lemony citrus, toasted grainy malts as well. Taste is of toasted malt with a moderate earthy bitter hop flavour, more lemony and lighter citrus fruits, grassy more earthy hops in the finish and aftertaste. Medium carbonation, crisp medium body. Absolutley one of the best pale lagers I have ever tried, I could easily drink much more of this over, really good stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 13:54:07 | More by peensteen

taez555

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a very clear yellow straw colored body and a white head.

Nose is extremely fresh with just waves of fresh cut grain and some floral hops.

Taste is light bodied but immediately hits you with this HUGE fresh grain taste packed with just enough hop taste and bitterness to a little more over the top than the malt, but since it's already such a light beer to begin with it's not overpowering at all. It's just, right. Hops have a leafy and citric flavor to them. It's really an interesting mix of like that german hop and american hop flavor. Ends with a surprisingly long hop bitterness.

I'll be honest, I'm not a pilsner/lager guy and even when it comes to JA's beer's prefer their big 7-10%ABV hop monster, but this may be one of the most perfect simple session lagers out there. This may be the first beer I've ever tasted that both a BMC drinker and beer snob could agree on as a great beer.

Serving type: growler

02-05-2012 23:13:39 | More by taez555

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.29/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pale straw with a generous white patchy head. Excellent retention and a solid coat of lacing down the glass.

Typical grainy pilsner aroma with some floral hops.

Follows the nose closely. A little sweet bread up front along with grainy pilsner malt and finishes floral and crisp on the back end.

Light bodied with prickly carbonation finishing crisp and dry. Spot on.

Jack's Abby is rapidly becoming one of my favorite out there breweries. They have lagers dialed in. This one is flavorful, yet incredibly light and sessionable. Before I knew it my 16 oz was gone. Really digging something under 5% that has actual flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 17:55:52 | More by jmarsh123

Damian

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank on-tap at Meadhall, Cambridge, MA
Served in a Jack's Abby pint glass

The beer poured a crystal clear, golden amber color. A thin, flimsy film of off-white froth topped the liquid. The head was quick to dissipate.

The aroma was loaded with crisp, hoppy goodness. Orange peel was most noticeable. Some grapefruit pith came through as well. Slightly grassy with strong lemon notes.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was quite robust for the style. Pale malts appeared on the front end before the hops took over. The hop profile reminded me more of one found in an APA or an IPA than in a typical American pale lager. Orange peel dominated. Slight grapefruit notes. The finish was piney, bitter and dry.

The mouthfeel was creamy and slick with a fine, moderate effervescence.

This beer sure has a lot more going on than your average American pale lager. The boys at Jack's Abby have once again taken a pretty mundane style and created an extreme version of it. Nicely done.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2012 05:13:12 | More by Damian