Gandhi-Bot Double IPA - New England Brewing Co.

mikey711

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pours a hazy orange with some rising carbonation. Huge head on this one, but the lacing did not stick. Head retention was good.

S: It seems i am in the minority, but i am not picking up as much citrus as others who have reviewed. I am getting a lot more grassy and herbal notes, with some pininess. The only citrus that i detect is a little bit of grapefruit and maybe some mangos

T: Again very grassy and earthy in quality with some mango grapefruit and pine. also quite a bit of sugar was noticable as well. A bit of scallion seems to be present as well. Maybe i am just used to more intense citrus notes or my palate is off but i am having an entirely different experience than others. I also feel that there is way to much a a sugary character present.

M: Possibly the most remarkable aspect of this beer is that there is no heat present. There is a bit of a rough quality to it, but the body is nice.

D: I really hope i got a bad can because i had high expectations for this beer and really wanted to like, but it missed the mark for me. This is one i would gladly review again to proof myself wrong, but i did not get the citrus aspect that others seemed to find. For now though, this will have to stand

Serving type: can

04-30-2010 21:53:49 | More by mikey711

rmalinowski4

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into my founders tulip. Received from angrybabboon in the noob bif round 6.

Pours a orange yellow with a one finger off white head. As the head recedes, it leaves lots of lacing on the glass.

The smell is pine, orange, tangerine, pineapple, and maybe some mango. The fruit smells over ripe, almost rotten, and the pine is overpowering.

The taste is pine up front, followed by some tropical fruit. The back end is all bitter pine, which lingers for quite some time. Way too much pine for my liking, totally hides the malt backbone.

The mouthfeel is thick and covers the palate, the carbonation is low.

Overall, this is different than anything else I have had in this style. The taste is not to my liking, too much pine and the fruitiness tastes like overrite fruit. I have been wanting to give this a go for awhile, thanks to angrybabboon for the can.

Serving type: can

10-30-2011 03:20:37 | More by rmalinowski4

brewerburgundy

California

3.05/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz can, Duvel tulip, no freshness date. Thank you very much for the can Jayli via Secret Santa 2011.

Quite light in color, the oranges only come out in low light; otherwise it's more shades of hazy yellow, banana, goldenrod. The head is light too, creamy and sticky.

Just to be clear, this is obviously not fresh. The nose is short on vibrance; bitter orange, pear, alcohol, and crystal malt. This must be very old because I have a very hard time believing this is a four point something rated IIPA otherwise.

The flavors are somewhat better, but do the same things. One of them isn't being a good IIPA. Orange oil, bitter alcohol, crystal malt, and the ultimate effect is rather like Earl Grey tea with, you know, Bergamot oil. The bitterness is great.

Full with a slick and slippery feel with a medium carbonation. This part is good.

I was so excited for a well rated IIPA and I would still love to try this fresh. However, with no date no one knows for sure how old their can is, which is a major drawback that might keep me from ever buying it myself. Date yo shit, breweries!

Serving type: can

12-30-2011 23:45:37 | More by brewerburgundy

amphion1065

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can into a pint glass - I really wish they'd kept the tallboys, but you can't win 'em all. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a clear, straw yellow with a one-finger white head. Great lacing and head retention.

Grapefruit is very present in the nose - it's a pretty classic IPA aroma. There's a sweetness here that doesn't seem to be coming from the citric hop profile, and I swear I can smell malty syrup.

Maybe I'm not so crazy, because this is a very malty DIPA. There's some bitterness in the finish, but my overwhelming impression is one marred by this sweetness. A touch of soapy astringency, but the hops are really lost in the mix. It honestly seems a little old, but I know that this can is fresh.

The mouthfeel is a little too thick, this could use more carbonation.

I'd love to hype this somewhat-difficult-to-find local DIPA, but I just can't. The flavors just didn't work for me, and I couldn't see myself shelling out for a four-pack of 12 oz. again.

Serving type: can

08-19-2011 00:53:27 | More by amphion1065

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from an undated CAN into a Dogfish snifter

A- pours a cloudy shade of yellow with a two finger white head. Nice head, bad body

S- nice citrus aroma, but very, very weak. Disappointing

T- mild citrus, mild pine, just....mild overall

M- medium bodied. Not bad

O- expected a lot. Didn't get much. Very disappointing

Serving type: can

01-24-2012 23:22:47 | More by bigfnjoe

largadeer

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Can shared by westcoastbeerlvr. Thanks.

Appearance: Cloudy golden amber topped by a lasting head, this looks solid.

Smell: Pretty nice hop aroma, floral and herbal with a grapefruit undertone. There's a bit of malt shining through, but not much sweetness.

Taste/mouthfeel: Rather herbal and quite bitter. Grapefruit flesh and rind, noticeable and fairly harsh alcohol. Herbal and floral hop flavors with a light crystal malt presence that provides a little sweetness. More acerbity than I like in an IPA, this is a real tongue bruiser.

Serving type: can

11-03-2010 21:04:27 | More by largadeer

hawks10

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

16oz can poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint...

Pours a hazy dark copper with one finger of soft off-white head which leaves a little bit of lacing...

Aroma is somewhat muted, good amount of caramel malts overshadowing a rather weak piny hop aroma. Not much to it, rather disappointed...

Somewhat thick with a decent amount of sweet caramel and toffee malt. Hops come out and add some bitterness but not much flavor...mildly piny and earthy but they fall pretty flat. Honestly this one is reminding me more of an American Barleywine than a DIPA...

Thick and resinous, sticky. Decent carbonation with medium to thick body....

Kinda let down with this one. I don't think the hops and malt had any semblance of balance and I struggled to find any pleasant flavors or aromas from the hops...is this a Barleywine or an IPA??? Really not sure...

Serving type: can

06-27-2010 23:51:51 | More by hawks10

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

from notes

A - decent cloudy yellow body, small head, good lacing

S - fruity sweet hops, no balance from malt

T - quite bitter, very mild malt sweetness.

M - drying, a bit thin, not bad

O (D) - fine, inoffensive, but not great tasting, which is its primary fault

Serving type: can

03-27-2011 17:57:34 | More by ColdPoncho

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: clear yellow with a lot of head that dies back a bit. Lots of lacing on the glass

Smell: lots of citrus hops with some floral hints

Taste: fairly hoppy. A bit of bitterness to it but definitely not much of a dipa... More like a slightly hopper ipa.

Mouthfeel: not really that great on the palette. A bit thin for a dipa and no malt backbone really to speak of

Drinkability: fairly drinkable but the bitterness gets to me

Serving type: can

01-07-2011 04:18:06 | More by Urbancaver

jibbyvonjibb

California

3.4/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden color. Slightly hazy. Small head.
S: Grassy hops. Earthy. Not too citrusy. Fairly mild in general.
T: Pine. Pineapple. Citrus. Fairly dry in finish with lingering bitterness.
M: Medium-low body. Medium carbonation.
O: Not too bad. Pretty drinkable. I wish the hops were more vibrant.

Serving type: can

05-03-2012 03:37:55 | More by jibbyvonjibb

Arbitrator

California

3.43/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Chilled can into a glass. Courtesy of portia99. Thanks, Bill!

A: Pours a murky (essentially opaque), copper-gold body with a finger of off-white head. Retention isn't so hot, but the beer has amazing register marks for the first few sips. After the head dissolves, the broken film on top of the brew lends a nice accent to the unfiltered body. I prefer my IPAs clear...

S: Orange pith, pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit. The pure expression of citrus is tinged with a strong note of pine and some spice. It also smells of dried leaves, such as after raking.

T: Great citrus character here, which I adore. Flavors of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple are wonderful. There is a small crystal malt sweetness, but it's not enough to overcome the tongue-bruising bitterness that makes this beer its home. It's not unpleasant, but it is pretty harsh.

M: Bitterness lasts long into the finish. Not much booze is felt, though there is a slight warming effect upon sips. The beer is relatively dry, with a light-medium body and low carbonation.

D: Good stuff. Not in the same realm as what I can buy here, but if it were on my shelf at competitive prices, I'd certainly buy this once in a while. As a special release or beer I have to trade for, I don't think I'd seek it out.

Serving type: can

11-17-2010 01:56:25 | More by Arbitrator

kscaldef

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy yellow with lots of bubbles and a dense, creamy white head. Aroma is strong piney, citrusy and resiny. The beer is bracingly bitter, but there's not a lot of flavor contribution from the hops. A real tongue scraper. Good carbonation and medium body. Pretty nice, but I'd like to see a bigger hop flavor contribution.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 01:45:23 | More by kscaldef

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to Deuane for sharing a growler on 11/11/10.

A - Poured a hazy unfiltered orange, melon-toned liquid with minimal head that reduced to a soapy retention and spotty lacing.

S - Quite an odd aroma for a DIPA, I'm afraid. There is a dominating dry, leafy hop character reminiscent of withered autumn leaves, hemp and dried herbs. Aside from the dried hops, I get a sense of burnt biscuits. Underneath it all lies a faint orange rind scent. Actually, it's more of the pith than the rind... you know, that annoying white stuff you have to scrape off the peel?

T - The malty character of this DIPA can be described as what the burnt, charred bottoms of biscuits that get stuck to the baking pan taste like. Very unusual. Herbal hops are also in there, but the flavor just has this odd burnt flavor from which I cannot escape.

M - Medium bodied with mild carbonation and some hop oiliness. Broad strokes of hop bitterness do not linger for too long on the palate.

D - Unusual DIPA here. What do you get when you pair burnt biscuits and citrus rind? Gandhi-Bot, apparently. While I'm not 100% sold on it, I appreciated the uniqueness of this brew.

Serving type: growler

11-12-2010 19:03:47 | More by ffejherb

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to stakem for this.

3.5 A: Lightly hazed orange color. About one finger of creamy off-white head with below average retention for the style and a nonuniform ring of lacing.

4.5 S: The aroma on this is simply wonderful. I've been trying to be a harsher grader recently, but this still deserves a good score. Very flowery - I can pick out about 3 or 4 different flower aromas, though I can't associate the smell with the actual flower at this time. Also some pine, grapefruit, grass and earthy notes. Fairly clean yeast considering the haze this has going (can conditioned?). Malts are biscuity if anything. It's hard to tell really since the hops are covering them up for the most part.

3.0 T: The taste, however, is pretty average. Malts are biscuity with a noticeable bready yeastiness. Moderate to moderate-high bitterness. The hops don't have the same pop in terms of flavor as the nose would suggest. Some pine, orange, grapefruit, and earth, but not as vibrant or as assertive as I'd like.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Smooth, but not as creamy as I'd like. Booze is well hidden.

3.5 D: Not bad and definitely something I would drink again, but doesn't quite live up to expectations.

Serving type: can

02-25-2011 06:16:55 | More by DavoleBomb

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice extra from arvjunk- into my Stone IPA glass

Appearance- Pours a hazy light copper with about 3 fingers of head.

Aroma- Nice light tangerine smell, a hint of sweet malt. Good smell but nothing amazing or game changing.

Taste- Here is where it lost me. There are hints of citrus up front, biscuit sweetness in the middle, and a chalky bitter finish. Very meh for such a celebrated dipa with more bitterness than anything else.

Mouth- As mentioned above a bit chalky.

Drink- This was one and done for me. There was a lot of unpleasant lingering bitterness.

Maybe the can wasn't fresh, maybe it just isn't for me.

Serving type: can

01-19-2011 03:44:58 | More by cadaugherty

cosmicevan

New York

3.5/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Note's from Captain Lawrence Rosso Batch 3 release / tasting:

Double Ghandi Bot – Really murky copper, not all that attractive. Smell is very balanced IPA, good hop, good malt backbone sweet, but not overly so. Whoa hop explosion in my mouth, a little too bitter for my palette, once I got over the hop explosion, the sweetness came out which is really nice, but still a bit too bitter for what I look for in an ipa. Mouth is medium, but VERY bittery aftertaste. nice double/triple ipa…good, not amazing, but good.

Serving type: can

07-05-2011 03:22:54 | More by cosmicevan

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz can shared by Matt.

Dark golden amber color. Nicely balanced, sweet malt and hoppy aroma. Mild citrus. Flavor is malty and a little overly bitter. Medium full, thick body, mildly cloying and dry. A pleasant, perfectly average canned DIPA. It'd be nice to have this in your local market area, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: can

07-17-2011 22:41:57 | More by yourefragile

emmasdad

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another canned beer I was excited to try. Loving this new trend. Pours a nice golden, orange-amber color, with a good inch or so of ecru foam. Nice aromas of orange rind, grapefruit and caramel. On the palate, the hop brightness is not quite as pronounced, although it is quite evident in the bitter finish. Not a great DIPA (at least not by west coast standards) but a good one.

Serving type: can

06-23-2010 02:54:11 | More by emmasdad

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a cloudy yellowish gold color with good carbonation, nice white head leaving plenty of lacing

S: Some pine and grapefruit, little bit of grass

T: If a pine cone and a grapefruit did the no pants dance this would be the result

M: Booze is masked, medium body

D: Pretty good and easy to drink

Serving type: can

12-02-2010 03:40:22 | More by barleywinefiend

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into my Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Got this in an awesome trade with portia99. Thanks!

A - Hazy yellow at the bottom makes its way to a darker hazy yellow at the top. Small white head rests on top.

S - Big tropical fruit hop notes in this one. A bit of citrus as well. A nice smelling DIPA but not mind blowing.

T - Nice grapefruity hop bite at first but it is kind of subdued. A bit of a lingering grapefruit flavor in the end as well. Not picking up on the tropical flavors I noticed in the nose. Really feels like it is missing some juicy hop character.

M - Medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation

D - I dunno. I enjoyed the smell more than the flavor. Could use some more lively hop character. I might try this again on draft but don't see myself seeking out any more cans of this.

Serving type: can

10-14-2010 02:24:59 | More by jpmclaug

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to monsterzerp for this 12 oz can. Poured into my Duvel mini tulip.

A: This DIPA is hazy, an orange golden hue, a celestial orb transported to my glass. The pervasive haziness leaves the ale opaque. I was impressed with the head, almost two fingers of white foam that left lots of lace behind.

S: Nice nose! Zesty with near tropical aromas. The first sniff was hop heaven. A little bit of orange and pineapple and pine and peach. A nice bunch packed into a small can. A syrupy thickness seems to envelop the nose.

T: The first sip, unfortunately, loses all of the goodwill that the nose generated. A vegetal hoppiness runs rampant, no hint of the lush citrus aromas. Ample caramel, plenty of the malt side, to go around. There is a sweetness, hop-driven, that runs through the ale but it doesn't generate the goodwill that the nose did.

M: The mouthfeel is ho-hum, plenty of caramel and an indistinct hoppy sweetness. Amp that up a bit and we may have something to talk about.

D: The booziness strength isn't evident at first. It does build though, getting stronger with almost every sip. It's good but not as good as it smells.

Serving type: can

02-26-2011 18:40:31 | More by akorsak

pwoods

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to rowingbrewer for the great extra.

12oz. Can into an imperial pint.

A: Poured a glowing orange color with a moderate head. Decent retention but nice lacing.

S: Plenty of citrus with orange, tangerine, and pineapple. Slightly resinous. Some floral.

T/M: Bitterness is pretty low for the style. Plenty of the same citrus with a bit added pineapple and some mango flavor as well. A candy like sweetness but without a big chewy mouthfeel. There is a bit more mouthfeel than I'd like in a dipa, but nothing outrageous.

D: Overall it's decent but I'd like some bitterness and a lower FG to dry it out a bit.

Serving type: can

11-19-2011 23:57:36 | More by pwoods

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.58/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

no date

A: A thin head that quickly dissolves to nothing. No meaningful lacing.

S: Juicy citrus and floral hops and a significant sweetness from the malt. Quite nice but a bit more subdued than I expected.

T: Sweet caramel malt is prominent. The hops are again not as prominent as I expected, although even more so than on the aroma. Citrus and pine with a mild lingering bitterness.

M: Thick and slick.

O: This is a reasonably flavorful beer, but I expected something significantly hoppier. I don't understand the hype around this beer. Based on a concurrent thread, age doesn't seem to be the problem.

Serving type: can

07-17-2012 01:53:54 | More by greybeardloon

codewarrior

New York

3.6/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can from a 4-pack poured into a chalice

Picked up this bad-boy in a trade with phyfe99. Will be the first canned IPA that I drink (although I've been eye-balling Modus Hoperandi for a while now).

L: Cloudy, hazy, hay-colored with lots and lots of fluffy head, and extreme lacing as it dissipates.

S: Lots of hops in the front of the nose. Crisp and clean hopitude with fruity sweetness in the back.

T: Lots of hops in the front, fading into grapes. The hops dissipate as it opens up. Lingering bitterness after the grape-finish.

F: Crisp and light.

D: Pretty good all around, balance is a little off ... too much bitterness lingering after the finish for my liking.

Serving type: can

10-24-2010 20:49:20 | More by codewarrior

therobot

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a pint glass.

A - Opaque orange, virtually no head, light lacing and a good population of sea monkeys floating about.

S - Underwhelming based on appearance, but as one might expect full of hoppy aroma and some pine.

T - A lot of hoppy bitterness, citrus, resiny dry, tart finish.

M - Medium but appropriate level carbonation, thicker mouthfeel and again a really dry finish.

D - Fair drinkability, don't get me wring very tasty but couldn't drink more than one of these due to the strong citrus hops and the ensuing dryness.

Serving type: can

11-13-2010 03:52:47 | More by therobot