Gandhi-Bot Double IPA - New England Brewing Co.

kevanb

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz can poured into a stemless wine glass, many thanks to Treebs for the fresh can.

The beer pours a hazy copper orange color, hues of honey and straw with a 2 finger soapy white head that dissipates quickly and leaves just a spot of lace behind. The aroma is heavy on citrus, mainly grapefruit with bits of tangerine, grassy hops, wildflower and fresh meadowy earthiness, light pine and just a touch of sweet malt. Lots of bitter pine, fresh floral flavors and citrus goodness on the tongue. The grapefruit plays nicely with some lemongrass and other weedy, grassy flavors and the pine really ties it together with just enough crisp, almost spiciness from the hops. There is just a touch of sweet pale malt at the end, but this is all hops. The body is great, coats the mouth well, quite juicy at times that has an almost creamy texture at times but finishes wonderfully dry.

Verdict: A damn fine IPA from NEBCO, bitter, piney, citrusy, flavorful and most importantly, balanced. While I'm sure that this beer gets overshadowed by Heady and the Hill Farmstead IPA craze, this can easily hold it's own and is deserving of all praises and accolades.

Serving type: can

05-20-2013 02:31:05 | More by kevanb

Gmann

New York

3.73/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dirty golden color with a soapy off white head that settled into a sparse cap.

The aroma is of herbal/fruity hops. An onion and overripe tropical fruit profile; orange and pineapple. It seems that every hoppy beer I have out of a can has the same exact aroma, weird.

Big tropical fruit hop flavor. Lots of pineapple and apricot. This is followed by a grassy and piney hop which lasts through the finish. The malt is bready but takes a back seat to the hops. Resiny metallic bitterness in the finish.

Moderate feel with moderate carbonation. Starts sweet on the palate but ends very much bitter.

Expected more from this beer. More of an east coast dipa. Hop profile not my favorite but it packs a punch.

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 21:16:39 | More by Gmann

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

New England Brewing Co. - Gandhi-Bot Double IPA - 12fl oz can

Thanks to Hendry for being able to snag me four of these bad boys. Gotta love the awesome artwork on these cans.

Look - Pours a hazy darker amber brown with a massive soapy head. Super sticky abundant lacing. Moderate carbonation. East Coast DIPA for sure.

Smell - All of the hops. Pine, citrus (sour typical grapefruit version here), some floral, and even a smidgen of resin hop aromas with an almost spicy bite on the edge of it. Smooth caramel malts underneath. Perfect.

Taste - A phenomenal introduction blend of the somewhat darker malts with a nice pine/resin hop overlay. After this is immediately transforms into a glorious grapefruit bomb.

Mouthfeel - Rests sour citrus grapefruit hops on the roof of the mouth and the palate. Slightly boozy and a little warming to the face and stomach.

Overall - Wow. This is one for the books here, what a great brew! Highly recommend! Cheers! You can compare this brew somewhat to Heady Topper, but it has its own flair with the different malts and less of a floral hit.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 11:25:42 | More by JMScowcroft

Hendry

Vermont

4.68/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Ahh, the long awaited Ghand-Bot finally in hand! Props to J.T. & Drew @ Westmere Beverage on the outskirts of Albany,NY for the Heady Topper/Ghandi-Bot swap. Ghandi-Bot tends to disappear quickly from the shelves, and now I understand why. The artwork on the can is bizarre and likeable all at once, yet builds intrigue.

Pours a cloudy burnt orange with a fluffy two finger cotton head that remains for a few minutes before reducing to a tight permanent cap atop this pleasant looking IIPA. Lacing is relatively average in the tulip glass. There is a slight amount of chunky yeast in there, but that isn't a minus in my book.

Upon expecting a tropical fruit salad to emit from cracking the 12 oz. can, I found myself equally intrigued with the piney-ness and herbal quality to the nose: don't expect the nose to jump out at you like a can of Heady Topper. There is even a slight catty quality to the nose due to NEBCO's selection of hops, but I have to admit, this is the first time that subtle aroma gave character rather detracted for my tastes.

Whatever qualities that may be perceived as missing from the aroma are quickly redeemed in the taste of Ghandi-Bot. Piney, resinous hops: semi sticky & chewy, interesting yeast interplay.
Flavors are strong pine and herb with some grapefruit rind making an appearance, and the lively carbonation moves things along without making too much of a statement. Medium bodied and very smooth drinking, no notes of alcohol or warming.

The grapefruit kick is understated in the initial flavors, but plays out nicely in a long lasting bitter aftertaste that is almost slightly cidery. All in all, there is juicy, tangy yet slightly savory quality rather than straight out sweet. Fans used to the tropical infusion in a can (i.e.Heady Topper) should welcome the qualities Ghandi-Bot has to offer.

Highly recommended and worthy of the solid ratings it has earned. I still think Heady Topper is superior overall because of the massive tropical overload, but Ghandi-Bot has nothing to apologize for: go buy some if you can find it, this one sells quickly.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 02:12:24 | More by Hendry

mjtiernan

New York

4.41/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can poured into an oversized stemmed tulip

A: Orange red color, slightly hazy, not much head on it...just a ring around the edge with some spotted coverage on top.

S: Mostly citrus hop aroma with slight tropical notes and some biscuity malt. Slight aroma of alcohol as well.

T: Just great. Lots and lots of citrus balanced nicely with some cookie-like malt. Nice bitter finish.

M: A dry beer for so much hop presence. I would have expected it to be more oily. Nicely bitter but not a palate-killer, medium body and low-to-medium carb.

O: Very clean. All the ingredients shine through. Wonderful flavor and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 02:43:13 | More by mjtiernan

BTVflatlander

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a growler of Gandhi just this afternoon at NEBCO. At $15 a growler, it better be good.

Served in a Gandhi Bot snifter.

A: A tad more orange than some other DIPAs I've had, although there's that one I never pour.

S: Lots of hops, more citrus than pine, although both are present.

T: Bitter hops in the beginning, followed by bitter citrus. Not quite grapefruit, though. Very crisp. One of the few DIPAs I've had with a pleasing balance between hop and malt.

M: Heavy, classic high alcohol DIPA.

O: I must admit, I was not terribly impressed when I first had Gandhi from a can, especially since I paid $15 for a 4-pack. However, seeing that I've since come to appreciate a good IPA and DIPA, I decided to give it a try on tap. And, I must say, I was painfully mistaken. Gandhi joins the likes of Heady Topper and many of Hill's IPAs as some of the best-done IPAs in my book. I was astonished to learn that NEBCO has been in my former back yard for years and even more astonished that good old Connecticut could produce a DIPA to rival those of the Green Mountain State. I will undoubtedly be returning to Gandhi over and over again whilst in the 203.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2013 00:05:24 | More by BTVflatlander

Treebs

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to cosmicevan for sending a few cans of this my way. Served in a Funkwerks snifter.

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a frothy white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thick ring that leaves some sticky and soapy looking lace.

S: Grapefruit with some mild honey dew melon. A little orange with sweet bread malts. Nice citrus notes with a great malt backbone.

T: A little more maltier on the palate, but there's a nice bitterness that counteracts this. Grapefruit, some citrus rind, candied lemon and some mild resinous bitterness.

M: Medium to light bodied with a slightly bitter finish. Medium carbonation level with a slightly dry texture.

O: Really nice. Easy drinking, nice balance of flavors. Coming in a can is a plus for sure as well.

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 23:26:31 | More by Treebs

ItalianHopHead203

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hands Down the Best Beer in Connecticut!!!

Top 3 IPA's I've ever had!!!

Top two can beers I've ever had!!!

This beer was once a Connecticut only brew and now New England is venturing off into NY. Lucky Them!!!

Just enough availability to it that its still rare, but you can get it enough that its not impossible.

Serving type: can

05-09-2013 14:26:38 | More by ItalianHopHead203

MatthewPlus

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

A big thanks to ManMoosePig for this beer. in his FIRST trade. i suspect there will be many more.

12oz can poured into a J Wakefield snifter.

A- one finger head, slightly rocky, atop a cloudy deep goldenrod hue.

S- pine, citrus of orange, grapefruit, tangerine. resinous undertones.

T- Balanced malt backbone, leads to hoppy, floral/citrus balance. not as bitter as i thought it would be.

M- syrupy, less carbonated than i would prefer. medium/short finish.

O- i was a bit disappointed in this one. Very drinkable, but in relation to the stellar scores it has received, it fell quite a bit short. if it were available locally, i would buy it, but wouldnt rave about it.

Again, a big thanks to ManMoosePig. Beautiful box.

Serving type: can

04-27-2013 01:18:29 | More by MatthewPlus

beerpirates

Belgium

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into my CBS snifter

A - Pours a hazy, medium orange with a two finger light tan head. Good retention and lacing.

S - Citrusy, oranges zest , lemons, grapefruit followed by a slight sweet maltiness.

T - Same as the smell, but a bit more malty.

D - Slight bitter finish. Good carbonation and a slightly chewy.

O - This is a nicely balanced IPA with a nice bitter aftertaste that stays a long time !

Serving type: can

04-24-2013 18:32:18 | More by beerpirates

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

3.94/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to ThePorterSorter for this one.

Poured from a can into a goblet glass.

Appearance- Hazy light amber orange with just a very little bit of residual head on it. The head is the thickest around the glass, with a little bit of lacing on the glass.

Smell- Pungent hoppy tang with tropical fruit salad all over it. Like a pineapple-mango-papaya-tangerine smoothie. Big orange zest notes on the finish.

Taste- Sweet and fruity at first, but fades quickly into a dry hop/malt finish. Dry citrus essence at the finish with strong, bright tangerine zest hanging out on the palate.

Mouthfeel- A bit heavy and thick, but with a smooth and creamy texture. A bit of lip tickling fizz at first.

Overall- A very good representation of the style, I would get this any time I have the opportunity. A very versatile, year-round IPA.

Cheers.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 01:48:56 | More by SaisonRichBiere

MCain04

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Lucky enough to have a brother in the Connecticut area, as this is really hard to get ahold of. This can is about 2 wks fresh, served out of a 12 oz can and into a Bell's Tulip glass. Thanks BostonRyan

A: murky orange-brown opaque body, not the prettiest beer at the ball. Pure white head of about 1-2 finers, good retention and lacing.

S: Grassy and piney, just a tad of citrus and grapefruit

T: A lot of hops on the body with extreme levels of bitterness with a lot of piney taste, some citrus notes are present as well. One of the most bitter beers I've had. No alcohol presence.

M: Puckering sensation from the intense hopping, but underneath is crisp and smooth with a great finish, obviously dry. Carbonation is moderate and appropriate.

O: A lot can be said about this beer and the level of hops put forward. For the bitter-seeker, this is definitely a must-try. However, most will prefer a beer with more balance. I don't think the body is big enough to support the huge hop burden. That said, it's still a very good DIPA and one to try if you ever have the opportunity.

Serving type: can

04-20-2013 19:44:40 | More by MCain04

PHBoiler

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer twice over the weekend. Shared pours in tulips, then had one straight from the can. The scent is heavy grapefruit. So much hop action on the nose. Bright and pungent. The taste went from 3.75 to 4.5 for me from poured to can. I pour all my beers, but this was so much better from the can. The taste is more balanced from the can. Everything you could want from a IIPA.

Serving type: can

04-18-2013 15:18:37 | More by PHBoiler

vfgccp

New York

4.64/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A - Thick haze. Shade flat, but what's there lightly off-white. Deep white peach body.

S - Wow. Straight woody pine with undertones of agave, mango, and grapefruit. Incredibly fresh.

T - Stellar. The flavor profile throws a bushel of fresh hops front and center and clears everything else off the stage. Parsley, rosemary, bitter wood, grapefruit pith, with a touch of honeydew mellon sweetness.

M - Light, creamy frame carries an unbelievably rich flavor profile. Quick, clean finish.

O - A tour de force of clean, fresh hop flavors. One of the best IPA's I've ever had.

Serving type: can

04-18-2013 01:32:13 | More by vfgccp

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

one of the most drinkable double ipas ive ever encountered. thanks to a wonderful trade with thebrewo, I got to enjoy two cans of this bad boy. the pour on it is tinted red, orange, and bronze, with some small yeast floaters and an amazing bone white head that rises three inches high and holds up well above the rim of my glass. the nose is fresh oily hops, high alpha, fruity and juicy, citrus and pine both, only mildly bitter. there is a decent coppery malt balance, but hops are of course the star of this beer. the taste is a lot like the nose, with a very fruity and complex hop arrangement. I would love to know which varietals are used, but I can say that there is a hefty tropical fruit element, its pineapple or tartish passion fruit. a little bitterness creeps into the finish, but not enough to slow down its drinkability at all. love the feel too, fuller bodied but kept swift by its lively carbonation. super creamy, and less sticky and filling than many other beers of this style. I had two cans back to back, and was only done because I didn't have any more. im not sure if this comes in 4s or 6s or what, but I could drink these forever. its amazingly fresh and refreshing at the same time, unlike a lot of big india pale ales. thanks to thebrewo for hooking this up, its one ive been hunting for some time now, and it surpasses even its hype. bomb!

Serving type: can

04-15-2013 18:52:43 | More by StonedTrippin

ElijahRivera

New York

4.11/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Tap and Tea Room in Albany, NY.

A-Pours a dark gold to amber with a thin off white head that quickly dissipates. The lack of head could have been due to an improper poor, but the beer did seem to be lower in carbonation than I would expect.

S-Aroma is like sticking your face into a bag of fresh hops with all the juniper and grapefruit pith aromas that come along with that. Very strong, very pleasant.

T-Similarly, like biting into that same bag of hops. The first sip shocks your palate with a very strong showing of hop bitterness and aroma, then it drops off quickly as your palate becomes accustomed to the hoppiness. It seems to me that the flavor doesn't quite keep up with the aroma. Definitely a lot citrus and piney hops flavor up front then you get just a hint of the malts trying their hand at a balancing act they are losing and then the hops come back for a strong finish.

M-Very resinous, with some dextrins positively affecting the mouthfeel I believe. The mid to full body and uncharacteristically low carbonation are overshadowed by the almost syrup like quality the dextrins and over aggressive dry hopping imparted to this beer. It is more than I would normally expect from a double IPA, but I enjoyed it because it made Gandhi Bot stand out. However, the low carbonation was a negative.

O-This beer is all about the hops. The incredibly aromatic hops deliver the right amount of bitterness that is balanced in part by the malt and in part by the alcohol. Overall, this very smooth beer is definitely worth a try and would likely put up a decent fight against even your favorite double/imperial IPAs. I would definitely try this again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2013 17:49:18 | More by ElijahRivera

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a hazy golden peach/apricot in color with some moderate amounts of fine visible yeast sediment in suspension at the bottom of the glass, light amounts of visible carbonation, and some orange + golden yellow highlights. The beer has a finger tall foamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a couple of medium sized thin patches, a thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Very light aromas of caramel malts underneath moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit hops, tropical/pineapple/mango hops, and much lighter amounts of pine & floral hops.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of caramel malts with a light amount of sweetness. That is followed by fairly aggressive and strong flavors of hops - citrus/grapefruit, tropical/pineapple/mango, and pine. Moderate amounts of fairly aggressive hop bitterness in the finish which lingers for quite a while.

M: Just shy of full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly sticky with a light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: This is really enjoyable with nice hop flavors, though slightly aggressive, and well balanced with the malts - there is enough sweetness that is it not overly or unpleasantly bitter. Pretty easy to drink and definitely one I would like to find again. Alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 01:18:16 | More by dbrauneis

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

poured an orange hue (a bit hazy) with 2 fingers of white foamy head and excellent lacing left behind. HUGE floral hop bouquet in the nose, very sweet, floral, citrusy, pineapple, grapefruit. an excellent balnce of hop profiles.. west coast piney meets the citrusy grapefruit, with a pile on of northeast floral ipa style.. backed by a heavy sweet malt profile. this is up there with pliny, flower power, and heady. a resinous bitterness lingers for quite some time. the medium body pour is easy to drink due to the hops overpowering the booze flavor. low carbonation and a sticky feeling left behind, this is one of the better dipas i've had. nice and bitter.

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 01:01:17 | More by facundoCNB

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.26/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

We crack the tabs and pour a brew of murky pumpkin orange. It puts up a two finger head of tight, cake-batter bubbles. This retains well, leaving patterns of spots all down the glass. There is a serious chill haze, with generous sediment suspended throughout. Carbonation appears to be moderate. The aroma is equally bright with malts as it is hops. On the one side we get spicy, herbal, floral, and nectary hops, while on the other we get big bready malts, with light oat and cereal grain beside the classic pales and light caramels. There are additional notes of baker’s yeast, sweetly stinging booze, mild medicinal phenols, and Juicy Fruit gumminess mixing in. With warmth these all blend beautifully, making it harder to pick apart the individuals from the final whole. Our first impression is that the flavoring is nicely fruity, and the hops are dirty, earthy, and fully flavorful, but without making the bitterness overly intense. As we sip, juicy pineapple and nectarine sugars, herbal hops, gritty earthiness, and mineral start things off. Moving to the peak is the bite of ethanol, with a sweetening of the hops into more floral, and heavily syrupy nectary hops. The malts, phenols, and bubblegum esters take over, pulling us to a nicely balanced, but more bittered, finish with booze, dill weed, and those herbal, mineral and metallic earthy hops. There is a final wash of apricot and tropical fruit sweetness to the last drop. The aftertaste breathes of toasted pales and lightly wheaty malts, chalky yeast, fusel booziness, and bitterly earthy and herbal, but sweetly nectary hops. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium. Each sip gives nice slurp, sip, cream, and froth, but with a little thinness on the finishing pop. The mouth is briefly cooled and coated, but as the alcohol burns off it is warmed and astringently dried. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks quite nicely.

Overall, the best things about this beer are the nicely balanced aroma, and how easily it drinks. The hops on the nose are just so sticky, fruity, and sweet, yet so bittered, herbal, and earthy. These mix with the perfect level of bittered pales, caramel, and bubblegum. This beer is actually a nice change for the style, as many tend to overwhelm the beer with doubling a certain ingredient, thus tipping the balance out of favor. Here, the balance remains through both the aroma and the flavoring, leaving us with a tasty, easily drinkable treat from the beer-quiet state of Connecticut.

Serving type: can

04-09-2013 00:16:05 | More by TheBrewo

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can into a FFF teku.

A- pours a cloudy dark orange with a 2 finger off-white head. Big clumps and trails of lacing remain on the glass.

S- honey, orange, lemon, citrus rind

T- caramel, bitter citrus rind, orange, lemon, pine and some spice

M- medium body and carbonation. Frothy feel and dry.

O- good dipa but wasn't blown away by any means. Pretty dry with some sweetness to balance the citrus rind bitterness.

Serving type: can

04-07-2013 01:57:42 | More by kawilliams81

mnrider

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. Can

A: Hazed orange with a small white head. Small floaties are visible. Thin Lacing.
The color is great.

S: Strong tropical fruits. Pine and other citrics. Malts come through a little.

T/M: Citric fruits, an above average hop bitterness. Pine and resin with some yeast.
Malts taste sweet and go well with the other flavors. Alcohol is slightly noticeable
as expected. Medium bodied, slick at times. The finish has a linger of tropical flavors
and the bitter remains of the hops.

O: Excellent IPA. Not a hop bomb like many of the double IPA's that are out there.
Instead the tropical hoppy flavors are well balanced and easy to drink, without being
too bitter. For east coast IPA's this one has to be one the best. Hard to find but if you
see it you must try it.

Cheers!!!

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 18:12:34 | More by mnrider

lovindahops

New York

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Finally getting the chance to have a Ghandi bot! I have wanted to try this for the longest time

A- pours a hazy murky orange with lots of floaties when held up to light. Great white foam on the edges with sticky lacing racing up the sides

S- piney grapefruit and pungent mangos are at the forefront of this brew. Very tropical with sweet citric flavors exposing itself

T- incredibly citric and bitter simultaneously. A caramel flavor shows up in the background but moreover this is a strong citric hop push. Very sticky and pungent with heightened tropical fruit flavor. Even done herbal hop components too

M- carbonation is spot on and there is great flavor

O- Gandhi bot is a great DIPA. While VT with always set the bar for me, this is still an excellent hoppy DIPA with flavor I want

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 17:45:44 | More by lovindahops

Thickfreakness

New York

3.63/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- Pours a murky, mucky deep gold with an inch of bright white foam. Thousands of little islands of sticky lacing grabbing and gripping the glass.

S- Pink grapefruit, orange peel, mango, apricot, HUGE notes of pine. Subtle touches of sweet caramel malts and honey.

T- Basically the same as the nose. Everything grows and opens up as it warms up. Fairly underwhelming really. I've had much better for much less $.

M- Nice bitterness blended with fruitiness and sweet caramel malts. Doesn't really stick to the tongue but goes down nicely.

O- Not overly impressed by this. It's not bad by any means, but I was really hoping for more bang for my buck so to speak. Not enough depth for me. Pretty Plain Jane IMHO.

Serving type: can

03-24-2013 22:39:42 | More by Thickfreakness

Kendo

New York

4.53/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Numerical code on the side of the can says 3 01 09 A 2 BE - so I'm guessing this was born on January 9, 2013. Consumed on March 20, 2013.

A: Poured from the can into a Piraat tulip/snifter-type glass. Body is hazy golden-orangey. Glowing orange when backlit. Small (half-finger) ivory head on top leaves behind a little bit of lace at first, then some more on the glass after each sip.

S: Whoa Nellie - this is real nice. Tropical fruit salad - grapefruit, pineapple and apricot - along with a healthy dose of pine (resin and needles) over a bread-doughy malt. A touch of earthy spiciness too.

T: First impression: it's solid, though it doesn't quite live up to the expectations created by the nose. Apricot (reminds me, somewhat, of what a DIPA of Sculpin would taste like), grapefruit and grapefruit pith. Pine needles, resin and pine oil. Sweet oranges, honey and rising bread dough all provide a sweet counterweight to the hoppy profile - but make no mistake, this is appropriately a hop-bomb of a DIPA. A touch of heat from the booze is noted both as spiciness at the back of the sip and as heat heading down to the belly. Lingering palate-coating bitterness of the pine and grapefruit peel or pith variety.

M: Slightly oily in feel, call it medium-to-full in heft. Carbonation is modest, resulting in a slightly creamy, but more slick feel.

O: Really good stuff. In a summary description to a friend, I described it this way: "Like drinking apricot juice and crushed grapefruit concentrate (including the peel) squeezed through a filter of pine needles." Haven't had a "new" (to me) DIPA that really impressed me in awhile; this beer is an exception. East Coast DIPA is in da hoooouuuse!

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 01:26:22 | More by Kendo

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can purchased on a trip to CT in late 1/13, no canning date, poured into a 3Fs Teku long-stemmed glass, drank 3/19/13 over ~one hour.

A: 4.75 - almost perfect appearing DIPA to my eyes; golden hues predominant with a lovely hop haze, tight bubbles pouring off the bottom of the glass, whitish head totally resolves into glass lacing

S: 4.5 - lots and lots of tropical notes...grapefruit, mango, papaya...even some subtle vanilla and honey notes on the back-end...would love to know the three hop varietals in this beer (guessing Citra, Columbus and Nugget???)

T: 4.75 - subtle bitterness on the anterior tongue (unknown IBUs but I'd be put it in the 90s)...lots of tropical flavors fill the mouth and resolves into residual bitterness; slight malt flavors (honey, cookie) that doesn't predominant, minimal yeast flavors (likely Wyeast 1056)

M: 4 - solid carbonation, dangerously drinkable at 8+%; unfortunately, I find it a little thin in the mouth for an imperial IPA

O: 4.5 - definitely have a soft spot in my heart for NEBCo from my years in New Haven, and this is one of their best offerings up their with Imperial Stout Trooper and Wet Willy; I'd also consider it a top 5 east coast IPA that stands up to Heady Topper, Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve and DFH 90 minute. It's hoppy but not a hop bomb...instead, it's refreshing, smooth and balanced. If you like east coast IPAs, this is definitely one to fresh trade for.

Serving type: can

03-20-2013 02:15:02 | More by MNishCT77