Sea Hag IPA - New England Brewing Co.

Tampavav

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was very Impressed by this beer.It is a Hopheads Wet Dream. The fact that it came out of a can and tasted fresher than any IPA that I have drinking lately with the exception of Cigar City's Jai Alai. "Which I Had Fresh from the Brewery. This IPA is worthy of a Strong "A"

Serving type: can

04-16-2011 12:14:26 | More by Tampavav

Ultra-Plinian

Connecticut

4.66/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. No freshness date.

A: Golden and inviting.

S: Wonderful Pine and Citrus

T: Wow. Great stuff, hoppy finish that leaves me wanting more.

M: Medium Plus Mouhfeel, round an inviting.

O: I will be seeking this out and getting whenever I can.

Serving type: can

03-14-2013 18:59:31 | More by Ultra-Plinian

counselor

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours an amber color with a fluffy white head that slims down a little asI drink the beer. Lacing covers th einside of the glass as the beer dissappears down my gullett. There is a smooth, malty mouthfeel and great body to this beer. the beer has great aromas of hops, resinous, piney and slightly grassy, strong but not harsh and long lasting after the swallow. I even detect some noble hops, not usual for an IPA, but very pleasing on the pallet. This is a very well balanced brew and quite drinkable. The cans are a bonus for portability and there is NO mettallic or other off tastes.

Serving type: can

05-30-2007 20:28:12 | More by counselor

jmerloni

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Beautiful, light orange-yellow coloration; somewhat hazy and unfiltered looking. Nice light white head that is even and laces intensely and evenly along the glass and maintains a spiderweb like lace on top of the liquid throughout the drink.

S - Piney, honey malts, bread. Maybe a little sage.

T - Follows the nose almost to the point, and I do taste the sage in there. This is nice. Extremely densely hopped and biting, yet flavorful. Some citrus to lemon flavor there as well. Really nice. Crisp.

M - Could be drier. The hops bang up your tastebuds and give them quite a pummeling. It's nice though. The body is light to medium and each sip is somewhat airy in the likes of Anchor Steam. Carbonated appropriately as well.

D - A really good East Coast IPA. Nicely crafted. I don't know how this only has a B on here. This seems to me to be clearly A-range. I will have to read others' critiques. Would get this again. Will get this a lot in the future actually; this beer has "Go-To" all over it. Very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 01:08:30 | More by jmerloni

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Woah... NE Brewing is killing it. They re-did the formula for this beer. I talked to Rob the owner and he said they changed the hop profile around. They must have changed up the malts too. Crisp, clean, hoppy, fruity... loving this ipa. It's now up there with the ghandi bot for me. Takes away the best ipa in CT from the Cambridge House.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:20:37 | More by DNICE555

tmoneyba

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Can from World of Beer, FL.

Poured clear copper color with an average fizzy off-white head that mostly lasting with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy sour citrus hoppy and malt aroma. Medium to full body with a slick texture and flat carbonation. Moderate to heavy bittersweet flavor with a moderate to heavy bitter finish of medium to long duration.

This is a standout brew.

Serving type: can

11-20-2008 02:46:23 | More by tmoneyba

droomyster

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is extremely interesting beer. Not your typical IPA by any measure. Pours an very hazy reddish orange with a big, frumpy tan head that's almost creamy and stays aloft to the end. Smells more like a pale ale than an IPA in that the hops and malts are equally prominent. Sea Hag's taste is completely bizarre. It has a prominent element that I can't quite identify and have never really tasted before...I've called beers "woody" before and have found plenty of "grapefruit" in hoppy beers before, but the closest that I can describe this beer that it tastes EXACTLY like grapefruit and sawdust. I'm burping the flavor of wood chips as I write this. Fascinating. Sweet malts are also prominent on the palate. This is an exceptional beer; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Serving type: can

02-04-2009 06:56:04 | More by droomyster

cjgator3

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into a pint glass. Pours an orangish amber color with a nice white head. The malt is 100% American IPA with malt and fresh hops. The taste is deliciously hopped with a nice bitter finish. Unlike some unbalanced IPAs, Sea Hag features a nice malt backbone that complements the hops nicely. Overall, this is a highly recommended IPA that I will definitely be purchasing again in the future. I have noticed that IPAs seem to taste better in a can, the hops seems to last longer and stay fresher than in a bottle.

Serving type: can

11-14-2007 05:21:11 | More by cjgator3

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A gorgeous beer. Features a creamy head that leaves tons of little lace dots and dashes as it lessens. The color is a hazy burnt orange, with plenty of bubble action through the hop-hazed sunset glow.

Aroma is wonderful. A clean pine scent is front and center, and I do mean pine, as in: standing in a pine tree forest after its rained. It's a beautiful thing. If you've never experienced that, then sniff some Bounce dryer sheets and you'll get the idea. Maybe there's not a lot of depth--I smell almost no malt--but I love hops and this aroma is bringing them big-time, and in an artful, respectful way.

While there's a toasty element here, the hops are where it's at with Sea Hag (btw, great name, great label). Not in any kind of extreme way, but they are up-front, brisk, grassy and fresh-tasting. Finish leaves a pine-meets-bleach flavor on the tongue. I've never tasted bleach (fortunately) but I can't help but compare some of Sea Hag's characteristics to the stuff (reminds me quite a bit of another canned beer, Surly's Surlyfest).

Body is thankfully on the medium scale, carbonation-wise. Springy and slick, with hardly any weight to it, it glides over the tongue almost too gently, disappearing all too quickly.

This can went down insanely fast. I generally savor my beer, but this was so tasty and felt so good and smelled so wonderful, it was all I could do to keep from drinking it in 10 minutes. So drinkable. More great beer from a can, please! I thought by now we'd be seeing more kick-ass breweries moving to cans. I'm still holding out for the mass conversion--I'm all for it.

Serving type: can

03-04-2009 22:55:03 | More by Metalmonk

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can bought as part of a 6-pack from Julio's, Marlboro, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" tan head over the ruddy dark copper brew. Pillowy head holds on nicely, with plenty of heavy lacing. Aroma is sweet and piney. Taste is pretty well-balanced, leaning towards the lightly fruity/mostly piney hops character. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both very nice, I will use this one as my "no glass" site option whenever possible. Just wish they had a bit more distro up here, easier to find Oscar Blues of CO as of late, which seems ironic.

Serving type: can

10-21-2006 19:20:14 | More by ppoitras

BenderR

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Sea Hag IPA, Very good beer...But not as good a their Gahndi Bot. Very drinkable, crisp, no after taste, refreshing, nice punch of alcohol. Looks great in a frosted pilsner glass! I like the six pack cans, affordable. Definetly will buy again, vert good IPA

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 17:34:13 | More by BenderR

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I drink a lot of India Pale Ales; usually when im at the liquor store, I get at least one example of the style, so as a result sometimes they can become a bit monotonous. To see this one in a can was interesting, so i figured ide give it a whirl. When i first poured it, the head was good looking, but I was not impressed by the color. After bringing it up to the light however, it shone a beautiful reddish color, with the head sticking to the sides of the glass. Aroma consisted of sweet grapefruit, tangerine and some faint caramel. Upon tasting, more citrics notes came up, grapefruit and pineapple come to mind. Hops were oily and resonant, but not necessarily bitter. Body was medium I would say, and mighty drinkable in light of the fact that it is so tasty. This is one of the best ipas ive had in a long time,. I had it on tap once, and enjoyed it, but to be honest having it out of the can is just as good, if not better. Im really glad to see this brewery in Massachusetts. This will be a brew I will be returning to soon. Cheers

Serving type: can

03-28-2007 03:26:35 | More by jamie2dope

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Im sampling a cold draft pint poured straight from my kegerator.
The beer pours a clear copper hue with soft fluffy eggshell white head foaming up several cm and fading gradually. Leaves windowpane lattice as it recedes.
Aroma is pine sap hops and some grassiness as well. Hop dominant on the nose for sure.
First sip reveals an average body with crisp fizzy carbonation.
Flavor is a bit of grainy malt and some caramel backbone but quickly rolls to a hop mixture of citrus notes and pine resin. The hops linger with some drying astringent bitterness. i dont detect alcohol anywhere and the beer is very easy to drink. I will enjoy this brew all summer for sure. Crisp, cool and refreshing, plus in cans it goes to the beach with you too!
Very nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2007 03:36:56 | More by sulldaddy

umustdrink

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Cloudy dark orange color. Eighth inch white head, good retention. Good lacing.

S - Very malty and not so hoppy. Rich caramel malts, slightly bittered. Smells a lot more like an amber.. a good one.

T - Very malty with some green bitterness. Lots more malts than hops, very distinctive. A very good amber.

M - Medium consistency with good carbonation.

D - I like this a lot but I would never call it an IPA. Recommended.

Serving type: can

12-30-2007 02:31:13 | More by umustdrink

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Prime 16 into a Harpoon 100bbl tulip.

A: Clear orange-amber body with a finger of solid white foam. Great retention but only light, spotty lace. Pretty good.

S: Holy hops, Batman! I've had dozens, if not hundreds, of Sea Hags before finally getting around to reviewing it, and this one is hands-down the hoppiest, and it's awesome. Everything's here, from grapefruit zest to pine needles to resinous, herbal nobility. Intense, complex, and amazing.

T: Starts off with citrus and herbal hops, then transitions to a bit of caramel malt before finishing with a wave of piney bitterness. Delicious.

M: Medium bodied with a good dose of initially spiky, finally smooth carbonation. Not bad at all, but a trifle rough.

D: A little harsh with the bitterness on the finish, but still delectable.

Notes: Wow, this particular pour from this particular keg just blew my mind. I remember hating Sea Hag when I first moved to New Haven a few years ago, but it turns out what disappointed me then was a single-hop Fuggles IPA necessitated by the hop shortage. Centennial is now the centerpiece of this one, and it's just delicious. Once the weather warms up this will definitely be my go-to outdoor beer. Great stuff, NEBCO!

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2011 15:56:03 | More by woosterbill

Genuine

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on cask at New York Pizza and Pasta Co. in Plainfield, CT.

This beer poured a beautiful dark amber, with a nice, off white/slight cream colored head. Not much carbonation to speak of, but then again, that is to be expected with cask.

Smell - Hops, hops and beautiful hops. This beer had a very nice citrus/piney aroma to it that was very welcoming.

Taste - I wanna say this is a slightly weaker version of Ghandi-Bot...their signature flavor is there, but in a lesser form - which is not to be taken lightly either. lots of flavor to be had in this brew.

Mouthfeel - medium for sure. Not watery or thin. Just the way an IPA should be.

Overall - This is another solid offering from NEB. I can't wait to have more.

Serving type: cask

08-26-2011 23:20:05 | More by Genuine

jwc215

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Wasatch for including this in a trade...

Pours hazed copper with a large, rocky, off-white head that stays around. Some foamy lacing sticks.

The smell is of spicy, grapefruity, citrus with a caramel backing.

The taste is of plenty of Cascade hops with a caramel maltiness in the back. Grapefruity hop presence dominates the caramelish maltiness. A slight tinniness (from the can?) peeks through at times. Finishes with a balanced bitterness.

It is full-bodied (or nearly so) and very smooth.

An incredibly drinkable hoppy brew. Hops stand out above the caramel backing and the two work very well together.

Serving type: can

02-09-2008 22:47:27 | More by jwc215

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed on 6-10-10
Reviewed cold from a can to a glass

A - Cloudy orange/copper color, 3 fingers of foam with great head retention

S - Hops, orange peel hints of malts at the end. Some caramel sweetness shows as the brew warmed

T - First taste was a smooth orange citrus taste then quick to follow hop bitterness, a bit of piney aftertaste

M/D - Great tasting medium bodied IPA. Not overly done in the hops department. Blended well with the orange peel and the little malt that was present. Got this in a trade as an extra, would like to get it again, very worth trying if you can. I for sure recommend this brew

Serving type: can

06-13-2010 21:48:19 | More by FreshmanPour77

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Darker gold with a fluffy head.

S-Some hop bitterness. Malt makes an appearence as well. Balanced but not very strong.

T-Balanced again. Mildly hoppy and quite malty. Pretty generic taste except for that less than delicious copper taste that may be coming from the can.

M-Basic, dime a dozen. Nice feel. Decent bitterness and carbonation,

D-Great brewery. Pretty nice little IPA. Readily available too.

Overall: 3.63

———

New recipe; perhaps my favorite brewery, so I needed to re-review this.

A-Pours a pumpkin orange. Head grows and fades. Head is now a thin skin. Leaves great lacing though. Lightly hazy.

S-Nose is an upgrade! Big, juicy, ripe hops. Smells like signature NEBCO. Pineapple, grapefruit, clementine and apricot…all the fruits I want. Light cracker and caramel backing.

T-Is the new recipe an upgrade? Yes, yes it is. I still think the nose is a bit more impressive but boy, is this an improvement. Juicy, fruity, hoppy and enhanced. Like a primordial version of their new world-class hoppy brews (FBD, Coriolis). I digress…

M-Bitter, dry, light resin. Great bubbles and sessionable.

O/D-Big friggin' improvement here. Wow. I honestly wasn't impressed with the original recipe. This is now one of my go-to IPAs in the area. NEBCO, thank you. My grade of this beer changes drastically.

Serving type: can

08-19-2010 18:46:50 | More by VelvetExtract

Boto

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ Ct River Brew Fest: This one poured a darker, orangish amber color. There was a good off-white head with some lacing. The aroma was mainly piney hops, with hints of some others as well. There is a good medium malt body behind the hops. The pine hops are the most prevalent in the taste, but it is fairly well balanced with a few others. Not overly done. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2006 15:32:39 | More by Boto

medic25

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Good looking can; the humble container gives little clue that there is actually a quality micro inside. Poured into a pilsener glass, the color is a rich amber with a short lived white head. Nice hoppy aroma. The flavor is predominantly hoppy, but is well balanced, with hints of pine. This is a very drinkable IPA, and I'm glad to support a local brewer.

Serving type: can

11-20-2006 03:15:01 | More by medic25

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark orange color with a head that is more tan than off-white, it looks tasty. It smells hoppy without being piney or fruity. The flavor is much more malty and chewy than I would expect from an IPA but I like it a lot. The weird thing about this beer is it feels like a low ABV barleywine in my mouth with a chewy toffee flavor, the hops are there but this is just weird. I wonder how fresh this can is but I guess it doesn’t matter since it tastes good. This IPA is not what I am used to but I sure am enjoying it, recommended.

Serving type: can

09-05-2007 16:07:41 | More by ArrogantB

Wasatch

Utah

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to ampzilla for this brew.

Poured into a SA glass a cloudy golden orange color, nice carbonation, big two-finger foamy off-white head, lots of sticky lacing follows. The nose is hoppy, slightly malty, good scent of citrus/pines, and some caramel. The taste is hoppy, citrus/piney, and caramel. There is also a slight sweetness, and chewy. Medium body. Very drinkable, a very nice/tasty IPA from this brewery, highly recommended.

Serving type: can

10-28-2007 22:18:01 | More by Wasatch

unclejimbay

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a golden caramel color. Ok head with respectable lace collar.
Smell is caramel, malts, citrus hop aromas.
Taste is a solid malt backbone with a nice crisp punch of Cascade hop flavor/bitterness.
Mouthfeel is medium/thin body, medium+ carbonation.
I enjoyed this brew very much, reminded me of good old SNPA, one of my favorites. I would drink this again for sure.

Serving type: can

02-10-2010 16:21:15 | More by unclejimbay

sitarist

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to Pabs311 for turning me on to this one!

Pours a honey golden color with a small off white head, moderate spots of lacing.

Smells sweet and kind...candied tropical fruits, hints of pine, baby powder, and a bit of funk...nice balance of all components...I cant stop taking deep whiffs of this...Mmmm.

Taste like candy, spice, and everything nice... candied tropical fruits up front, mildly peppery on the finish...never too much.

Fuller bodied, with a nice long lasting creamy finish, the flavors lay on my tongue ( this beer was shipped to me so Ill leave it at that! ).

I can drink a whole growler of this, and will tonight...this beer highlights the connection between hops and cannabis.

"Cannabaceae...we are all family!"

Serving type: growler

08-13-2010 00:59:59 | More by sitarist