Slumbrew Flagraiser IPA - Somerville Brewing Company (Slumbrew)

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Semi hazed orange glow with an off white head. piney and resiny nose touch of alcohol some herbal hop and sweet malts. A very creamy and smooth mouthfeel.

Up front are these rich toasted grain flavors, earthy, nutty and whole grain breads, touch of sugared sweetness. This all rolls into an herbal a resinous hoppy backend with a nice bitterness that overrides the tasty malt component. Full bodied with moderate to low carbonation and lingering bitterness. I like, definitely different and sets itself apart from other ipa's.

Bitterness really lasts and sneaks up on you due to the rich malt body.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:44:35 | More by jtierney89

ktblue22

Vermont

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Overall, I wasn't really impressed with this beer, and I probably wouldn't order it again, but it was a well done average IPA for me. I gave it high scores on the appearance and smell, which were both really nice, but for me the hop profile was very very light and fell short of really coming forward as a flagship beer for this brewery. Caramel finish with a bretty-ness that I didn't find very appealing.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 20:52:11 | More by ktblue22

bmwats

Louisiana

4.01/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 650 ml bottle, into a standard pint.

A: Dark golden hue. Pours about a 2 finger, frothy, white head. Dry, cratering head, deteriorates slowly, and unevenly. Leaves a thick blanket of foam on the surface. Very nice spider web lacing. Head renews fully with each pour.

S: Papery, with a little pine. A little fresh grass and some floral components.

T: Very piny, with a slightly sweet floral component. That papery (from lack of better term) that comes out in the nose, comes thru in the flavor as well; adding a kind of earthy nature.

M: Bitter and piny in the front, sticks to the palette and lingers throughout; dry in the finish. Thick syrupy feeling body.

D: Better to sip and savor, but can disappear quickly.

Atmosphere is really strong. Nice dark hue, thick frothy head, and some very solid lacing. Nose is earthy and piny with some fresh grassy and floral components. Thick and syrupy with a slight sweet and earthy flavor to balance out the dry piny hop. Well-balanced. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:20:24 | More by bmwats

divineaudio

Michigan

3.44/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

bomber courtesy of valdieu2 into a tulip. bottled 7/2012.

a - pours a hazy amber shade with a two finger, sudsy, cream colored head. retention is good, taking quite some time to calm down. leaves thick rings of lacing in the glass.

s - floral, faint orange citrus, bread.

t - quite bready with sweeter citrus notes. orange, grapefruit, slightly floral. faint spiciness in there as well. has a resinous, bitter twang to it that hangs on the tongue a bit longer than it should. finishes dry.

m - fuller side of medium with plenty of carbonation. co2 profile is on the coarse side which detracts from the feel imo.

o - good beer but probably not gonna blow anybody away. maybe a bit past it's freshness window, but maybe not. either way, i'd drink some again if i came across it.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:54:31 | More by divineaudio

Wasatch

Utah

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

22oz. Bomber
Bottled: 04/2012

Pours a very nice cloudy orange color, nice carbonation, with a very nice one-finger creamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, a slight malt note, citrus, and some nice pine notes. The taste is very nice and hoppy, some malts thrown in, very nice touch of citrus and pine notes. Medium body, with a very nice dry/bitter finish. Overall a very nice IPA, really enjoying it. Thanks Bill!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 00:27:26 | More by Wasatch

Durge

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cloudy iced tea color with a decent white froth on top and decent lacing. The aroma is a malty caramel with pleasant pine hop evident. Very solid. The flavor brings a crisp pine-leaf hop that mingles with minty malt. Pretty simple but very well balanced while maintaining an aggressive, chewy hop bite. It has a nice musty bread quality as well. It’s a medium-plus body brew yet delivers an almost light, somewhat spritely feel. Carbonation is tingly polite and more than adequate. Very solid stuff!

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 15:05:33 | More by Durge

thatbentleyguy

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is my new favorite IPA brewed in Massachusetts.

Aggressive hop nose evidences the dryhopping with Galaxy.

Deep copper orange color, nearly opaque and unfiltered, with a healthy medium-fine laced head foaming up from the pour.

At 80 IBUs, it's a strong, resiny, citrusy hop wallop from the get-go, with barely a malt flavor profile detectable under there.

This is a brash beer, with hoppier character than many double IPAs. I'm a sucker for lesser-filtered beer (incredible mouthfeel in this beer!), so this is right up my alley. Truly an American "Flagraiser" that proudly represents our beer culture's deliciously hoppy perversion of the original British style.

Favorite IPA in the Commonwealth! though I'll bestow an honorable mention to Haverhill's Leatherlips and Wormtown's various IPA offerings!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 14:31:08 | More by thatbentleyguy

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fresh IPA. Serviceable. More like a pale. Light coloured body, middling mouthfeel. Some hop aromas. Decent drinkability. Resiny,some tropical fruit, apricot and grapefruit,a tad astringent but good malting in the secondary.Not bad but not worth seeking in a trade.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:22:21 | More by northyorksammy

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

In a pint glass the beer was the color of an old copper penny. Slightly hazy. There was a small tan head that still left a bit of lace.

Mostly a piney hops aroma. Some citrus. There was a nice caramel malt aroma.

Taste followed form. Lots of piney hops, some citrus. Caramel malt that was sweeter than I thought it would be.

This was a nice hoppy beer, very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 22:15:06 | More by lordofthewiens

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in 4-oz taster in shifts

A: dark copper orange; cloudy; no carb beads (but bubbles at the bottom of the glass); very nice thick head that holds
S: very fresh-smelling hops; lingers long; they did something right with their hops
T: I would have given this a 4.5 in this category if it didn't sour/go plastic in the aftertaste; before that though, whew, what a wonderful array of hop complexity; very nicely balanced against the malt; Columbus, Crystal, and Galaxy are credited, with the last one as the star (dry hopped)

Kudos to the new brewery in Somerville!

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:26:30 | More by Arithmeticus

tzieser

Arizona

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. bottled 04-2012.

a: bright copper color with a nice fluffy white head that never wants to quit. nice levels of carbonation too.

s: nice combination of floral and pine hops with bready malt aroma. well rounded. reminds me alot of Anderson Valley Hop Ottin'.

t: floral and citrus hop flavor followed by a nice pine bitterness. slightly sweet biscuit-like malt flavor throughout. perfectly balanced. hop bitterness is not at all overwhelming and finishes clean.

m: pleasantly smooth mouthfeel.

as others have said, it kind of reminds me of a classic (90s era) East Coast IPA with an intriguing hop profile. will buy again next time i see it on-tap. bottle was a tad expensive ($7)

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 21:57:36 | More by tzieser

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.23/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled April 2012:

Into a pint glass:

A: hazy orange body and yielded a small, lumpy and foamy white
head, there wasn't much carbonation rising or much lacing. However, the lacing that was there definitely clung to the glass.

S: centered around piney hops with a slight toasted breadiness and some peppery tones coming out.

T: combination of the piney hops and citrus. Malts were there, but take a back seat.

M: medium leaving a dry and bitter feel in my mouth. There wasn't anything harsh, just an all around decent smooth feel.

O: this was a very good IPA and fits the style very well. The ABV was hidden very well. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 13:14:06 | More by kangarooAdam59

Jason

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Bright orange amber with some chill haze, leaves rings of lace on the glass.

SMELL: Pomelo, blonde tobacco, evergreen, toasted bread, guava, alcohol, peppery

TASTE: Incredibly smooth, spruce, resin, bitter, citrus rind, spicy, rose water, dried grass, nutty, toasted grain, faint caramel, earth, semi-dry bitter finish

While it is undoubtably a hop forward brew it does not shy too far away from being balanced. East Coast IPAs rock on!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 01:25:09 | More by Jason

deepchills

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a bomber of Flagraiser IPA at Halls for $7.

Pours gold/amber with a chewy 1 inch head. A small head remained throught the tasting though the beer laced very little.

Resiny nose along with a big grass aroma which smells great. The grass smell is overwellming, but if you give your glass a few good, extra swirls, you will get some breads and malts with hints of fruit.

A lot more resin upon first taste along with a nice bit of hop bitterness. Quickly this turns into delicious tropical fruits and fresh grass. There's a lingering bitterness in the finish.

Easy to drink and taste great, with a wonderful, complicated nose. It will be back in my fridge again.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 23:09:15 | More by deepchills

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Flagraiser IPA opens with a musky, earthy hoppy aroma, dominated by vinous stems, grapefruit rind, rose hips, and grassy blades, with touches of pepper, mint, lemon, and anise. There is comparatively little citrusy grapefruit aroma in here, the brightness replaced by more bitter and plant-like notes that makes the aroma immediately intriguing. The hops are set off by a good selection of cherry, orange, and nectarine fruit esters, as well as sticky brown sugars and baking wheat breads. As a whole, the nose is good and well balanced, the hops obviously the showcase ingredient, but not overpoweringly so, and the malts adding just the right amount of sugars and breads.

On the tongue, the beer begins with a bitter hop blast that nicely reflects what the nose promised: stems, grasses, and grapefruit rind spritzed up with pepper, mint, lemon, and anise. There’s also a eucalyptus and orange extract burn in here, almost tangible in a heady vapor when breathing in with a mouthful. The fruit esters are harder to find here than they were in the nose, but some oranges and nectarines still come through, and a toast crust/biscuit combo provides a bit of grounding. The hops steal the show, however, providing an intriguing selection of some of the more bitter, darker notes, burning slightly on the tongue and soft palate. The aftertaste is surprisingly full of toasted grains and brown bread, but most of the hop notes transition, fading slowly. Mouthfeel is a dry medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a good IPA, and the 80 IBUs burn nicely in the mouth. The darker, more bitter notes from the hops provide a nice contrast to many of the “grapefruit spritzer” IPAs on the market. I did wish, however, for just a touch more sugar on the tongue, such as a continuation of the cherry notes that made the aroma wonderful, but didn’t make it into the mouthful. Still, this is great fare, and is solidly made.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 16:48:12 | More by jondeelee

pburland23

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my CBS snifter.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, light orange color with a finger of eggshell colored head. Not much in terms of head retention but does create some nice lacing.

Smell: Huge tropical fruit notes...passion fruit and grapefruit. Not picking up much malt. Comes across a little sweet and sticky.

Taste: The taste is much more balanced than the nose indicated. Biscuity malt is offset by tropical fruit hop notes and a little bitterness. The hops also provided some funky herbal notes with some tea-like flavors. Very well balanced taste.

Mouthfeel: Resinous and slightly chewy. Really fills the mouth. Carbonation is a little lighter than I'd prefer in an IPA. However, the drinkability is pretty good.

Overall: A moderately better than average IPA. The Galaxy hops provide a nice touch. I'm not sure if I've had a beer with Galaxy yet so that was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 17:39:23 | More by pburland23

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky copper color, with an off-white, yellowish head. Fluffy, with a lot of lace.

Aroma is citrusy, with some sweet caramel and a touch of pine resins.

Taste has a nice bitterness up from, citrus fruits, grapefruit, and a solid malt backing.

Creamy, slightly crisp with the carbonation, upper light bodied.

Not hard to drink, and if kept in stock fresh, I'd definitely hit this up often.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:54:25 | More by EgadBananas

gwalson

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's hard for me to review this beer, because I'm not particularly a fan of IPAs; I prefer the more malty side of the beer family. But, as a fan of good beer, I can appreciate a well crafted example of a style, and Flagraiser meets that criteria. The Galaxy hops imported from Australia give the beer a bold, piney flavor, while not overwhelming, as some high IPU beers can do. Fans of the IPA style should seek out this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 15:38:34 | More by gwalson

beagle75

Iowa

3.3/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy, light orange-amber color that is luminescent; with one finger of diminishing white foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Tropical fruit is over-ripe with esters, while pine foliage is complementary. Malt is detectable, bready in quality, coming close to balance with the cultivated West-coast hops. The smell diminishes somewhat after a few minutes as hop aromas dissipate.

T: Begins off-dry, with surprisingly mellow coniferous hop aromatics and moderate acidity that is a combination of citric and carbonic qualities. Grain emerges in the middle, tasting like slightly rustic crystal. Hop aromatics drop off quickly, replaced by bitterness that is moderate and clean. The finish sees no new action, although the neutral bitterness lingers on the palate.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, slightly acidic on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This IPA features an impressive pedigree of hop cultivars, notably Galaxy, but it is unable to channel them effectively in the flavor. It would be telling to know how much of the hop bill was devoted to dry hopping--while bitterness is one of this beer's defining features, enjoyable aromatic qualities are minimal. It tastes like too-old Ballast Point Sculpin, which I suppose is a compli-sult at worst for a beer that most seekers haven't heard of.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 19:24:51 | More by beagle75

eclipse54

Idaho

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 22 ounce bottle from FluffyMcTingle; thanks! Bottled 10/2011, and consumed via tulip.

Pours a rusted copper color with rich golden hues. There’s little head development, but what does appear is eggshell-white and fluffy; scattered lacing on the glass. The aroma is of piney hops, orange and grapefruit citrus, and ample caramel malt; some floral and earthen notes in there as well. It tastes of pine resin, earthen hops, lemon and orange citrus, some grapefruit, caramel malt, faint toffee, and grass. Mouthfeel is great. Carbonation is spot-on, making it lively on the palate and allowing a crisp, clean finish. Overall, a very good IPA that I'd happily revisit.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 03:22:54 | More by eclipse54

beerenjoyer1

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Nice light to medium amber color with a thin white foam that lasts throughout the glass. The carbonation is really good and seems to rise at a medium pace suggesting a thicker composition which is fine by me.

S - Smell seemed alittle light on the hoppiness with the malt making a presence.

T - What the smell lacks the taste makes up for in a nice hop flavor espeacially after the room temp gets to the beer alittle. the after taste is very nice and clean.

M - Great feel for the composition of the beer which is full with flavor and it does not expand in the taste as overly carbonated might.

O - I was not sure about this beer but I was pleasantly surprised with it. I will look for the Flagraiser IPA again.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 23:59:20 | More by beerenjoyer1

wagenvolks

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a Ranger Creek tulip. Bottled 12/2011.

A thick pour (for the style) lends an impressive tuft of off-white head atop a hazy, orange body. Listless carbonation sends a few bubble trails to the surface. Galaxy dry-hop still has enough legs to lend the aroma a juicy, tropical fruitiness. Malts play off the hops well with sweet caramel and toffee aromas.

The flavor amps up the bitterness with a raw, leafy (near-medicinal) hop bite that hits mid-sip and lingers into the finish. Tropical fruits flash again to add just enough hop flavor to keep things manageable, and the malty, sweet booze exerts a decadent balance. Mouthfeel is chewy, almost sticky on the finish, and the carbonation could stand to be a bit higher. Overall, a tasty IPA that I'm glad to see on the Texas shelves...now if we could only get some fresher bottles, as I picked Flagraiser up the day it was released here only to find it was at least 3 months old...

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 05:16:34 | More by wagenvolks

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass, bottle dated 01/12. Pours with no clarity, bright orange red, with a one inch sticky white head, very attractive lacing. Smell is tangerine, pine, pineapple, and grapefruit. Taste is mild citrus, with big grapefruit finish. Body is medium, perfect amount of carbonation, not dry, and very drinkable. If you like beers with a bitter hoppy bite, this is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 19:30:17 | More by SawDog505

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Mike for the random IPA. Beer is orange and mostly clear with a thin white head of small bubbles, moderate carbonation, and some lacing, served in a snifter.

Aroma is citrusy and fruity throughout a very nice aroma indeed, no malt.

Beer is medium to light in body, relatively hoppy with only a mild bitterness on the finish. I really like this beer, a decent IPA for sure, I'd even have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 20:58:19 | More by drabmuh

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 02/11/12 notes. Thanks to yourefragile for sharing this one. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a hazy deep orange color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of oranges, tangerines, citrus hops, and fruity malts. Ton of orange which I really love.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, fruity malts, light citrus hops, earthy notes. More caramel in the taste; nice, but not as good as the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. No bitterness.

o - Overall a very nice IPA. I loved the nose as I love oranges, but they didn't come through as much in the taste. Would like to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:54:31 | More by mdfb79