Jabby Brau - Jack's Abby Brewing

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

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.21/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a golden yellow color with a fingers worth of head that fizzles down to a cap fairly quickly but retains that for a while

S: Some maltiness and lightly spicy and earthy hops stand out, along with a light fruitiness

T: Follows the nose. Hearty and husky malts with a touch of graininess starts things off, followed by the hops which are earthy and spicy. Finishes with a hint of wheat and grains

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: Another solid brew from JA. Doesn't look or feel like a light "session" beer, but given the 4.5% there is no arguing that it is. Plenty flavorful and very affordable. Get some

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 05:24:51 | More by BEERMILER12

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle from 4-pack. Poured into Founders snifter.

A- Pours a translucent yellowish golden with about a quarter finger of white head that has good retention and slowly recedes. About average carbonation.

S- Some lemon zest, grapefruit, oranges, very fruity but a little bit more malts then hops, definitely above average aroma strength. Very nice and appealing smell for the style.

T- Lemons, clementines, some light hops, pale malts, finishes with smooth sweet lemons.

M- Medium bodied, refreshing, easy to drink, average carbonation.

O- This was very good for a sessionable American Pale lager. Lots of flavor and tons of nice fruity flavors that balance very well with the pale malts. Definitely one of my favorite lagers and $11/4-pack of 500ml bottles you definitely can't go wrong. Definitely recommend trying this. Jack's Abby makes some great lagers.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 03:34:03 | More by jaasen64

pburland23

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got my first taste of Jack's Abby on draft over Easter weekend in Boston and I was able to pick up a couple of bottles to bring back to Pennsylvania with me.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Pilsner Urquell glass.

Appearance: Beer pours a hazy, unfiltered gold. Tight clusters of tiny bubbles cling to the sides of the glass. The head is a thin, bright white layer of much larger bubbles. The head recedes quickly leaving a little bit of lacing.

Smell: Nice dose of piney hops on the front of the nose followed by a faint scent of biscuity malts. Very enticing

Taste: The taste is not as bold and aggressive as the nose who indicate. The sip starts off with some nice hops bitterness. There's some citrus notes in the middle before finishing with some cereal grains.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and crisp. At 4.5%, this one is very sessionable. It's refreshing as hell. I'm enjoying it very much.

Overall: I'm really digging everything I've had so far from Jack's Abby and this is no exception. I love having a beer with so much flavor and so little alcohol. A great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 22:00:41 | More by pburland23

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gold in color with one finger of white head. Aroma gives off a touch of leafy citric hops and a very clean, dry malt. Faint corn. It's flavor is similar to the Aroma in that you notice notes of leafy hops up front which then gives way to sweeter malts that taste fairly short and dry. Smooth, especially as it warmed up. Typically one might think a session lager works cold, almost like lawn mower beer, but the malt profile brings macros to mind when cold. When at room temperature, it tasted much nicer, smoother, and more interesting. overall, the hop notes are a real nice touch for a session brew like this. Definitely worth picking up for the right occasion.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 02:54:49 | More by jbertsch

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

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

Poured from a .5 liter bottle into a pilsner- pours a clear golden yellow, visibly effervescent, nice 1.5 finger head, good retention, nice lacing.

Smell is very enticing- nice spicy hop character (piney- reminds me of amarillo hops) and a hint of wheat and yeast.

Taste is not quite as bold as scent led me to believe- round wheat/barley flavor with a TINY amount of hops floating above. A little lemon in the middle, succeeded by a an earthy yeast flavor. Not particularly bold but nice.

Mouthfeel is of course incredibly light- extra light body with moderate to full carbonation. A little resin-y but pretty negligible. Good session beer and you can't beat the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:12:43 | More by Hopdaemon39

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

Andrew041180

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a light copper with a thin head, which left light lacing on the standard pint glass. I am writing this review from memory.

S - I mostly smelled the citrus from the hops, very promising.

T - Very nice, it does indeed hit you with the hops right away, but then settles into a well balanced, non-bitter smoothness. You can certainly taste a grapefruitiness up front.

M - A little but lighter than I my ideal, but very smooth and easy to drink.

O - I only wish I could sit down with a friend and 8 of these bottles for an actual "drinking session". Haven't had one of those in a long time. Wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:35:13 | More by Andrew041180

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

davey101

Connecticut

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

500ml bottle into a large pint glass.

A - Pours a very clear light amber body. A bit darker than I was expecting. Soapy white foam with excellent lacing and retention.

S - Pilsner malt, grassy and herbal hops, and some faint fruits. Bready aroma. Very inviting.

T - Bready malts, grass, lemon rind, and piney hops. Very pilsner like with some hop bitterness. Mouth feel is medium bodied with a dry finish. Has a residual graininess quality to it.

O - A tasty and unique beer. Very sessionable and very flavorful. Craft lagers, they do work!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 06:20:51 | More by davey101

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

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in shifts in 4-oz taster.

A: dark yellow, decent head, dissipates pretty soon; carb stream ends quickly
S: beautiful whiffs of flora, tailing into malt
T: very flavorful for a session; strong citrus component; well hopped; bitter; not terribly sweet; coriander; hay, crisp

Very nice session beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 21:47:09 | More by Arithmeticus

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

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

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to hfs sniffer

A:golden honey orange with a white head semi translucent

S:some hoppy aromas and a little malt but not much else there

T: clean fresh hop taste with no bitterness extremely drinkable makes up for the lack of flavor so good for what it is

M:crisp and clean feel with carbonation that makes a good feel

O: real solid beer for what it is not great but for a session beer I'd drink the hell out of this over anything a big brewery can offer I like it I will be back

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 04:28:00 | More by Pinknuggets

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

Dools9

Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured this into a shaker pint. Bottled on date on four pack reads 9/5/12.

A: With an aggressive pour it produced a white, sudsy three finger head. Very well carbonated. Head stuck around for a bit and left great lacing. Color is clear, golden yellow.

S: Light bready malt aromas, some vague citrus, a little bit of earth, and a very distant musky aroma .

T: Tasty stuff. Bready, wheaty, toasty malt followed by a nice, light lemony, citrus hop flavor. Low bitterness, dry finish.

M: Light bodied, well carbonated, very easily poundable.

O: Easy drinking, sessionable and tasty. Another lager done right by Jack's Abby, too bad the macro lagers couldn't be like this, they could learn a thing or two from JA. Would like to see this in a 6 pack as apposed to the 4 pack pint bottles it comes in.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 03:11:36 | More by Dools9

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

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

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

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

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Pours a brilliantly clear gloden-amber. Rocky white head builds to a height of three inches. Great retention. Small patches of spotty and clumpy lacing cling defiantly to the glass.

S: Pilsner malt, bready wheat, faint and indistinct fruitiness. Citric hop scents provide some snap. Freshly squeezed lemons and freshly cut grass. Smells very fresh and aromatic.

T: Zing of moderately bitter hop oils at the outset. Grapefruit rind, mild pine, and some lighter citrus notes. Freshly cut grass and flowers. Dry grainy tastes give way to a big spike of coarse, bready wheat. Hops pop up again intermittently, but the back end and finish of this beer are primarily malt-driven. Finishes dry with coarse wheat and underlying pilsner malt.

M: On the lighter side in body. Semi-firm malt backbone. Slightly fluffy and foamy. Ample scrubbing carbonation pricks at the tongue. Not as smooth as it could be, but still good.

O: I feel as though the coarseness of the wheat, the high level of carbonation, and the slight lack of smoothness should detract from the drinkability, but they really don't . Not much, at least. Perhaps not quite as refined as the other Jack's Abby offerings, but still more than worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 01:04:43 | More by ryan1788a5

jondeelee

Massachusetts

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

Jabby Brau opens to a sweet, hoppy aroma, full of lemon, pine, pink grapefruit and grapefruit rind, and lychee nut. These heavily-citrusy hop notes rest atop a bed of brown sugar and light fruit esters, including more lemon, as well as apricot and crisp pear. A bed of floury baguette, toast crust, Grape nuts cereal, and rising yeasty wheat dough adds earthiness and speaks to a good amount of malts. As a whole the nose is nice, if a bit light, but promises a good hop selection and a balanced overall experience.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a blast of lemon, pine, and pink grapefruit hops, which quickly merges with a heavy grain base, this latter bringing brown sugars and, mostly, swaths of fresh wheat, hay, toast crust, wheat bread, biscuit, and cereal. Hops largely fade by the end of the mouthful, meaning the latter notes are almost exclusively malt and grain. This experience continues with subsequent sips: hops upfront, then malts take over the back end. The aftertaste is also heavily geared toward grains, though a few touches of lemon and pine remain, and the flavors linger on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-high, fizzing on the tongue.

Overall, this is a solid session lager, and while it doesn’t necessarily wow the tasetebuds, it does deliver a solid drinking experience, featuring a good range of hop and malt flavors, and thus provides a fantastic (and certainly far superior) alternative to Anheuser-Busch fare.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 19:09:54 | More by jondeelee

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

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