Latitude 48 IPA - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

drizzyny

2/5  rDev -45.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

In my opinion, this is a traditional pale ale. It's not an IPA, much like Longhammer is not an IPA. It's darker, more malty, and very well balanced. The balancing by Sam Adams is actually becoming a detriment for me. My wife hates IPA's and yet liked this one. Point proven. Not bad if you like pale ales, but a misnomer. Sorry, Jim Koch - I used to love ya, but I had to leave ya. We'll always have Boston Lager...

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 21:53:10 | More by drizzyny

tjsmith910

Florida

2.1/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

a very pretty dark amber & thick head with amazing lacing throughout. A nice look for a beer. but that is where it ends for me. IPA's are suppost to follow basic hop rules par say but this beer just was not worth my time. to much on the hops, no flavor at all. pure bitterness. very heavy and a mouth feel of terrible. Not the worst IPA but damn close in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:30:57 | More by tjsmith910

brewyou2

Oklahoma

2.38/5  rDev -35%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I will review this beer only to say that I personally have not enjoyed any IPAs that I have tried. sorry, can't get past the insanely bitter hops. if anyone has any suggestions for me feel free to let me know, I strive to enjoy every beer this world has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 03:59:04 | More by brewyou2

LeRose

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Average is the best I can come up with, and I don't think it is spot on for an IPA. Too much malt flavor, pretty lager-like seemed to me. Looked good - nice translucent golden color. DIdn't find the big impact from hops that I expected, so a bit dissappointed with it overall. It's an OK average brew n my mind that I wouldn't go out of my way for, but wouldn't turn down either.

Reviewed from notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 20:30:49 | More by LeRose

SerialHiker

Illinois

3/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Amber in color with medium transparency…Poured forming nice head, but that thinned after about a minute…some carbonation bubbles in the middle, but not too many…(3/5)

Smell: Classic IPA aroma…overall, pretty average…can definitely tell it’s a complex blend of hops, typical of sam adams…(3/5)

Taste: While there are multiple hop varieties in this, the flavor is very tame…nothing really stands out, though as a blend the taste is enjoyable…hoppy opening with slight bitter after taste…(3/5)

Mouthfeel: Average heaviness, average carbonation…does leave a hoppy aftertaste…(3/5)

Overall: Though I like the concept of drinking from multiple hops grown near the 48th degree latitude, this beer is pretty basic…there is little that would stand this beer out amongst the growing field of IPA in your local beer store…I’ve bought this in six pack a couple of times, but only when it’s on sale…good to try once, but certainly doesn’t stand out…(3/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:45:44 | More by SerialHiker

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I am in perfect agreement with the other reviewers who basically are saying that this beer is set up nice, but it never blows you away. The description implies a lot when they say its "brewed with a select blend of hops from top German, English, and American growing regions all located close to the 48th latitude within the “hop belt” of the Northern Hemisphere." great marketing, but I prefer a more complex hop profile and fruitiness in the flavor. This is a little bland to me. I live in a small town where the bars don't have anything great on tap - if this was there I would order it in a second compared to your standard BMC, Guiness, Stella, etc. But where there are just so many great IPAs out there to buy- I just had a Ithaca 'Flower Power' tonight for example, this comes out to be about average. The bar is way up there. Very good for a mass production type of brewery I must say though.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 01:05:58 | More by Neorebel

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.38/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big off white head slowly settles into a nice lacing above a clear copper colored beer.

A light aroma of citrus hops blended with with a light caramel aroma.

Nice citrus hops bite in the taste of this beer, and after the initial hops passes there is a slight maltiness that seems to mix quite well.

A dry aftertaste that bring with it a slight bit of hops and malts with this medium bodied IPA.

A decent enough IPA seems to be better now then when they first released it, either that or the field has got watered down out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 00:44:18 | More by LXIXME

Crossmd

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured 42 degrees Fahrenheit into a tulip glass.

Pours a red-amber with a nicely retained two finger head. Nice lacing.

Smells of caramel, some dirt and breads, and just a hint of hops. Very interesting for an IPA, well layered and rich, not typical though. My interest is piqued.

Taste is a round blend of many of the smells with a tiny hop kick at the end. Really giving a lot of leeway to the malts for an American IPA and this to me makes it feel really kind of dirty. I want that huge hop presence that i was expecting to come clean everything up and it really just dries down into a little bit of a muddled dirt and malts.

Structure is good, just slightly effervescent and a nice roundness to the mouthfeel that makes it feel well crafted.

Overall, a solid effort, not within the style so much that I think of when American IPA is mentioned, as there's no citrus hops, no pine in the nose, etc. I won't be picking this up again probably just because of the identity crisis that it's got going on, but I can see this appealing to a good number of people.

84.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 22:21:59 | More by Crossmd

Spiekerbox

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Clear reddish with a light brown head. Way too clear in my mind for any beer. Head leaves lacing and pours relatively thick.

S- Bread is the first thing I get followed by the hop aroma that would remind me of a pale ale.

T- Balanced for the most part with pine hops being the most prevalent flavor. Some sweetness and bitter but not very bitter. A somewhat sour-bitter finish that doesn't seem right.

M- Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy texture and a slippery finish that slowly fades after drinking.

O- Not bad for a Sam Adams IPA, but nothing exceptional either. For the most part it is what I expected for a mass-brew IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 01:22:41 | More by Spiekerbox

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 2" white head packed tight with a few curious giant bubbles in it. Slightly hazed lovely mahogany color. Smells very nice - caramel and burnt sugar. Taste is really quite mild for an IPA and although good does not come anywhere close to what the smell foreshadowed. Personally I think this is a C beer dressed up through hyped carbonation and color crafting to make it appear B or even A.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 08:34:46 | More by MoreThanWine

Alextricity

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this and poured it into a Samuel Adams pint glass.

The first time I had this, I didn't care much for it. I got it again in the Sam Adams Brewmaster's Collection, and I like it more this time around.

Appearance: As I originally thought, a LOT like a Boston Lager, with a similar head, and similar spotty, sticky lacing in areas.

Smell: Roasted malts, and a bit of hops. Pretty nice.

Taste: I still stick by my original review -- a tad bitter. Other than that though, I enjoy it. Roasted malts, earthiness, and some hops, especially with the bite at the end. I even feel like I got a bit of a coffee flavor on one of my sips.

Mouthfeel: Foams up nicely, giving almost a creamy texture. Pleasant.

Overall, I like Latitude 48 IPA more than I originally did, but I still wouldn't buy a six-pack simply due to its emphasis on bitterness over flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 19:01:41 | More by Alextricity

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before April 2012

A- Dark copper pour with red highlights. Finger width off white head that quickly drops into obscurity leaving a thin ring. Lacing is spotty.

S- Sweet biscuits, with a definite German and English hop presence. not getting the American hop wallop but that could be because of the age or the hop selection itself. It's a mix between a Pale Ale, an IPA and a Pilsener aroma.

T- Slight metallic taste. German and English hops with a floral aftertaste. Sweet and biscuity.

M- Thin to medium bodied. Good carbonation.

O- I guess it's just "not bad" I'd love to know when this was bottled. Considering it's marked retired but the best before date hasn't passed.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 20:58:50 | More by korguy123

atr2605

New York

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a light amber with an off white head with good retention
S-citrus, malt background
T-pine bitterness with hint of citrus in the background. Low malt profile keeping focus on the hops
M-medium bodied
O-pretty decent IPA. Has a good balance while still keeping it hop forward. Wouldn't seek it out but would drink it if it was available

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 22:49:05 | More by atr2605

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle in a mixed 12 pack into a tumbler pint. I was excited to still see it available. Clear, vibrant, caramel coloring with a thin, filmy, clingy, white head. Aromas of resiny, wet hops and rich, sweet caramel and toffee. Flavors are sharp and bitter initially, with rich, wet hops shining through, balanced with a sweet, roasty toffee backbone. Rich and bitter balanced aftertaste with a rich, slick finish. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 16:47:10 | More by GarthDanielson

obrike

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

One of the SA IPA Hop-ology beers in the mix pack.

This one poured a very pretty dark amber. Lovely thick head with great lacing throughout. A good-looking brew.

Getting some sweet biscuity malt upon the first whiff...some buried flowery hops as well.

Taste follows...certainly a big malty sweet kick. The hops are secondary on this one; the sweet biscuity malt dominates the palate...a bit of flowery, earthy hops, but not a bitter blast. Folks seeking a fairly smooth, non-puckering IPA may certainly enjoy this one a bit more than those looking for a west coast hop bomb.

Not a bad release from Sam Adams, but it certainly does not hit the IPA home-run...just a solid base hit.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 04:31:10 | More by obrike

PorterLambic

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark orange-amber color with a 1" head of light tan. Decent retention. Drops to a clumpy, thick film with some pretty good lacing.
Smell is not all hops, there is balance. Hops is present, of course, though there is malt along with a green grape and caramel notes. Biggest problem here is the scent is weak, well balanced but hard to pick up.
Taste is hops first with lighter malt, citrus, evergreen and some woodiness. Decently balanced but not as well as the nose. A fairly complex IPA, though.
Mostly full-bodied, warming with a somewhat restrained carbonation, for the style at least. A drinkable beer that tries to let you know not to drink too fast. Only 6% ABV but feels like 8% in many ways. Better than the other way 'round.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 01:02:20 | More by PorterLambic

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was surprised that this beer was not yet listed at beer advocate
Apparently this is different from the deconstructed one. This time it is a blend of all the different types of hops, which were used separately in the prior versions of Latitude 48 .
The beer poured a clear amber gold, with a bubble white head building about two fingers high. It leaves nice lacing on the glass after dissipating.
The smell is full of fruity hop flavors and announced a rich hop character.
Tasting the beer, the front is filled with the more flowery and citrusy flavors, being followed fast with a short malty balance in the middle. The finish is all hop again, this time the more bitter version. It leaves you prepared for the next sip.
Nice version of an IPA, for my taste a little on the bitter side, but good job!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 03:20:44 | More by Hopfenpeter

bluHatter

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: 5 fingers of foamy head. Beautiful lacing, deep red/amber color. It looks very pretty.

S: Amber hop aroma. Crisp and clean. Some floral notes in there.

T: Very hoppy, very bitter, but with a sweet, clean finish.

M: Just the right amount of carbonation. Nothing overbearing, but enough to give it body.

O: A really nice hoppy IPA. If you love hops, as I do, you will like this beer. Sam Adams wins again.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:41:31 | More by bluHatter

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is as much malty as it is hoppy, and has an overtone of honey-sweet apple. It pours a dark, slightly hazy coppery amber with a thick, fluffy and persistent pale tan head. Flavor has firm hoppy and malty notes with an undertone of caramel and subtle bitter and apple notes, plus just a touch of sweetness that balances the hop bitterness. Tasty! Firm, lively texture has a decent amount of fizz and leaves a hoppy, fruity, slightly malty finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 20:12:15 | More by Cyberkedi

burnstar

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light copper with a big and very persistent head. Great lacing. Smell is very nice citrusy hops. Lemon peel. Could be a little more intense though. Taste is bitter and citrusy hops throughout. A bit of sweet malt in the background. Bitter hoppy aftertaste. Nice. Mouthfeel is somewhat light and watery. It's nice to see Sam Adams doing an IPA. Overall this is a good, if somewhat typical IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:45:23 | More by burnstar

WunderLlama

Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle poured in to a Sam Adams glass ( what else?)

Red russet / dark amber with a faint, consistent carbonation. Thick two finger foam quickly settled into a nice white capped layer with decent lacings on the glass

Hops with a pine aroma

Clean hoppy bitterness as expected. Medium to medium heavy mouthfeel. Hoppy bitterness aftertaste on the back of my tongue.

In fairness to the label, I should have enjoyed this more than three months ago. Hoppy IPA beer brewed in an American IPA style. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:09:02 | More by WunderLlama

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dull brownish amber with a nice frothy white head, like most of the Sam Adams beers.

Smells of nice spicy hops with a sweet fruit character.

Tastes nice and hoppy, heavy on the hops, not very complex however, more bitter than anything.

Nice smooth, thick mouthfeel, overall a very good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 21:40:08 | More by GodOfBeer

cherotr

3.85/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass; perfect tan color, big head, leading to lots of lacing

S- standard ipa aroma. nothing over-powering.

T- a good amount of hops. pepper, grapefruit? lingering bitterness.

M- creamy, very smooth, lightly carbonated.

O- good.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:46:19 | More by cherotr

Luigi

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a rich amber color with a two finger head.
Head retention is very consistent leaving a good lace around the glass.

The aroma is well balanced. Citrus, some piney notes, mixed with a slightly sweet malt.

The flavor pretty much emulates the aroma. Bitter dry hops hit the palate at first after being balanced with a bread like malt. Finishes bitter yet clean.

Slightly carbonated medium mouth feel. Lighter finish on the the tongue though.

Overall this is a good IPA. Nothing extreme just a decent balance that I would enjoy as long as the brew is available.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 04:36:04 | More by Luigi

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smelled fairly bold with floral, pine, and a multitude of other hops on the nose.

First taste was pretty good. Fair amount of bitterness, then finishes crisp with a bit of bitterness on the aftertaste.

Fairly light on the palate. Hops makes the likelihood of pounding a few of these unlikely.

Overall, a solid American IPA. Nothing too special, but then again, still pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 01:04:30 | More by boilermakerbrew