668 Neighbor Of The Beast - New England Brewing Co.

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Cask Republic, New Haven, CT:

The beer appeared a nice amber color, but it seemed to have a light reddish or orange tint to it. The beer had a dense, creamy off white head that we well retained. The beer gave off a moderate aroma...malty with a hint of citrus. The taste, defiantly Belgian, but it also had this slight cherry taste to it, which I thought was very interesting. The beer had a heavier feel to it, but it was smooth, creamy and pretty easy to drink...although I would probably not drink too many in one sitting. Overall, a good beer and one that I will try again when I see it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 20:56:50 | More by PhillyStyle

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at NEBCO

Cloudy burnt orange pour, with a foamy white head that retained well and left nice lacing on the glass. Taking a whiff, I believe my comment was, "Very Belgian." Indeed. Fruity esters in the nose, Belgian yeast, coriander. Similar taste, pear, banana, stone fruit, citrus, yeast, coriander, doughy malts lending some sugary sweetness. Smooth mouthfeel, medium body, a little chewy, pretty good overall. Not something I'm always in the mood for, but I'd get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 02:12:42 | More by Rifugium

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Bier Abbey in Schenectady NY, poured into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy Orangish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Wheat, Belgian Yeast, Oranges

T: Belgian Yeast, Wheat, Mild Belgian Sugar

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Yeasty, Mildly Sweet

Overall, pretty nice and easy drinking Belgian strong ale, don't get torched by the ABV which is nice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2013 23:12:08 | More by merc7186

sebod89

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Interning here at the moment and having this fresh from the bright beer tank might be the best thing on earth. It has great overall flavor, and unbelievable drinkability for it having 8.7% ABV.
It has great balance with respect to bitterness to sweetness. The yeast is strong and brings out great belgian style flavors. This is just overall a great beer!

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 23:23:04 | More by sebod89

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 4/25/2012 at Julian’s, in Providence, RI served in a snifter glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber/gold color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains Belgian yeast, spices, fruit, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of caramel, spices and fruit that are followed by breadiness from a hearty malt character and Belgian yeast backbone. The hops presence is mild but complementary and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sweet.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong but well-disguised kick, good representation of style, this is a decent stronger Belgian-style beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 21:48:40 | More by TheManiacalOne

medic25

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Delaney's. Nice orange-gold color with a thick white head. Fruity nose, with a strong yeast presence. Taste was sweet, a little spicy and just a hint of hops; I caught a hint of coriander and pepper as well. Hides it's 9% very well; I only caught a big of an alcohol flavor. Very tasty local Belgian.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 06:17:00 | More by medic25

dragonWhale

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A brief visit to the Cask Republic in New Haven resulted in my first adventure with New England Brewing Co. I ordered a Ghandi Bot off the menu, excited. The keg was dead. I was sad.
Was sad, for then, I re-examined my options and found this creature. I said, "Let's do it! If you know what I mean." The bartender did. The rest, as they say, is history.
The cloudy orange pour arrived into my maw with a bit of pep in its step. Citrusy, a little peppery, fruity phenols, sweet candy but not overly sweet. I could've easily been fooled into thinking this beer was shipped from overseas. An excellent American take on this style and a wonderful runner-up choice for my thirsting mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 04:58:31 | More by dragonWhale

davey101

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was stoked to find this on the tap list at Plan B burger in Glastonbury, CT. Served in a nice thick Belgian style chalice. Just some notes I jotted down in my phone.

A - Decent head that faded to lacing that lasted the entire beer. Fairly cloudy and a nice golden hue.

S - Very typical of a Belgian style brew. Bread, yeast, and some light fruit towards the end. Theres also some noticeable alcohol and hops.

T - Very bready and yeasty, with some fruits. Some banana, pineapple and apricots. Black pepper, lemon grass, and herbs/spices as well. Bitter and dry finish. Another high ABV beer, with almost no alcohol flavor. Really refreshing and the carbonation/mouth feel worked well.

O - NEBCO knocked it out of the park with this one. I wish I could find cans in my area, but fresh on tap with a blue cheese burger made for an awesome lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 01:18:20 | More by davey101

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at New England Brewing Co in Woodbridge, Conn.

A: Hazy, golden copper-yellow with a one-finger head of creamy white foam which hung around for some, time, leaving a nice sheet of lace on the glass.

S: Loads of tropical fruits and earthy, herbal hop aromas mixed with a tinge of phenol alcohol. The scent of pears, apples, mangoes, pineapple and grapefruit are picked up along with with herbal, white pepper and musky hop aromas.

T: Semisweet, fruity, candied malt up front with a bit of chilled haze, protein and yeast to chomp through. Afterward, a complex bouquet of tropical fruits, citrus, floral bitterness, toasted grains and candied, sugary spices leap onto the palate and wash away a bitter, fruity, mineral finish.

M: Medium to full bodied American-style Belgian pale ale with plenty of full, citrus and spicy flavors up front with the right amount of demure quaffability.

D: Sort of a sipper at 9% ABV, 668 drinks light and satisfying enough where it would be a problem from the uninitiated who don't recognize ABV. A tasty, fruity, floral and complex "near-summer" beer to quench the masses.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 04:02:22 | More by Gambrinus1184

pmlondrigan

New York

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

After multiple attempts at trying this beer finally! Cloudy yellow gold with one and a half fingers of tight white head. Lacing is left half way down the glass. Not the best head retention however. The aroma is heavy on banana and clove and belgian spices, sweat and aromatic. Esters of apples, banana, pear and flavor of clove come through over the tongue. Faint grassy hops but this beer is really yeast driven. Creamy, full, but still well attenuated mouthfeel. Overall a good beer, glad to try it but not as good as other belgian goldens.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 02:51:37 | More by pmlondrigan

DNICE555

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at ELi's with Haogie and The Larse. Had this one while a girl wearing a BEBE shirt blew my mind. Strong yeasty boozy taste and flavor that mellows towards the finish. Not the most balanced but a pretty easy drinking belgian strong ale for 9 percent. My thought on this beer are clouded by the images of a goddess.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2010 15:09:14 | More by DNICE555

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Prime 16 into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Solid gold body with a finger of dense off-white head; decent retention and spotty lacing. Pretty good.

S: Classic Belgian yeast aromas (not surprising, since this is brewed with yeast from La Chouffe), with somewhat more fruit than spice: pear, apple, lemon, and orange notes are there, backed up with floral and lightly spicy (both clove and pepper) hints. A touch of noble hops (Saaz, I presume), and bready malt as well. Truly outstanding.

T: Everything from the nose comes through, with even more complexity and smoothness. Rich, lightly tart fruit shows up first, followed by some lightly sweet malt and then a supremely drying yeasty finish. Terrific, although perhaps not quite as seamlessly balanced as the aroma.

M: Smooth medium body with ample, if slightly sharp, carbonation.

D: Great for the strength. This drinks like it's 6% - dangerous, indeed.

Notes: I've been looking forward to this one for a while, and haven't been disappointed by it in the least any of the times I've had it. In fact, the more I drink the more I enjoy this beer. It's incredible to see the first Belgian to come out of NEB (or the state of CT, for that matter, as far as I know) to be such a pure, clean, flavorful, and drinkable example of the amazing style. I'll take 668 over La Chouffe any day of the week.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2010 18:09:39 | More by woosterbill

Roguer

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Starts off a clear golden amber, but the middle is as though someone threw a hunk of orange-colored yeast into the drink. Beautiful; hazy and thick in the center, bright and gold on the edges. A two-finger pure white head that hung around for quite a while, and left lace lines down the glass.

S - You can tell it's sweet from the first waft. Sugar, candi, yeast, a hint of lemon or citrus. Very malty and mellow.

T - Divine! Such a sugary mouthfeel, it's like you're drinking candy. Some mild citrus is easily overpowered by the Belgian candi sugar and yeast. It tastes like a less hoppy Tripel. Most surprisingly, I detected a bitter aftertaste of chocolate (or something very similar) as it warmed. Unexpected (and perhaps an aberration) and lovely.

M - Super thick, coats the entire mouth. Carbonation gives the slightest initial tingle, but neither that nor the alcohol prevents you from letting it linger in your mouth. It's surprisingly easy to gulp, though, so be careful; don't want this brew disappearing too quickly!

O - This reminds me of a modern Duvel. The aroma is almost identical, just a little less sharp. Absolutely tastes like something that should come from a dusty Trappist bottle, not a can from 45 minutes West of my house. Go get this and try it; you will not be disappointed.

Serving type: can

06-08-2013 18:43:49 | More by Roguer

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz can received via Growling at the Moon. Thanks for the brew, Aliza!

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1/4" off-white head over the cloudy golden amber brew. Head lasts pretty well, what there is, with leggy lacing. Aroma is muted sweet bananas and cloves.

Taste holds the nose's line to start, a little pick of alcohol in the middle, smooth sailing through the spicy close. Mouthfeel is very smooth, with drinkability is almost too easy. Like this one muchly, and in a can to boot? Sold.

Serving type: can

05-28-2013 23:02:31 | More by ppoitras

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden apricot to peach in color with some moderate amounts of gentle visible carbonation and some deep golden yellow + orange highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense foamy creamy light beige head that very slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of pale malts with some lighter aromas of citrus/orange rind, spicy yeast, coriander, and clove.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of pale malts with a touch of candi sugar and just a hint of caramel. There are some lighter notes of spices - clove, coriander, and spicy yeast. Additionally there are some light fruit flavors including pear/grape and citrus/orange rind. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish but it fades pretty quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness.

O: The beer is really easy to drink and the 9% ABV is extremely well hidden - I was shocked to notice that it had that high of an ABV. There are some good flavors in this beer and it is likely the best Belgian style beer that I have had in a can.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 23:02:59 | More by dbrauneis

tectactoe

Michigan

3.71/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Belgian strong in a can, woo! 668 pours a completely opaque, golden-amber color with some lighter, sunburst orange in the center. It's capped with a creamy, slightly off-white head that has decent retention and leaves a very small amount of spotty lace behind. At first, there appeared to be some sediment, but upon further inspection, it was just small carbonation bubbles rising up.

The aroma is densely packed with floral and peppery hops. Belgian yeast is also heavy in the forefront, and I don't think anyone is surprised by that. Clove and peppermint spices round out the edges along with a hard-to-discern, sweet and almost tart fruitiness. Overripe banana, pear, and some other fruit I can't quite put my finger on. Very unique aroma, pungent in its own right with plenty of stuff going on.

A bouquet of hops jumps out from the first sip - a nice banquet of floral, flowery, and leafy flavors that caress the tongue rather than thrash it. Some light ashy flavors couple with some bubblegum-like spice from the yeast, right alongside a strong helping of coriander and clove spices. Bitterness gets a bit stronger towards the middle, but never gets "high". Phenols are mild - actually, very mild considering this beer is 9% ABV.

The fruit flavors seem a bit muted at first when compared to the aroma, but they start to come out a little more as 668 warms up. Mushy banana, crushed pears, and maybe even a slight hint of grapefruit rind. Tiny amounts of Candi sugar are present in the finish, leaving your mouth with a soft sweetness. Medium bodied, snaps the tongue with high carbonation and a wet mouth feel.

Decent Belgian strong ale, but nothing to go crazy over. Way too easy to drink for 9% ABV, though. Tasty and unique although some of the hop and spice combinations are a little less than desirable for my taste buds. Still a good beer, recommended to fans of Belgian-style strong ales.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 16:43:17 | More by tectactoe

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.96/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge, huge thanks to beersndrums for this one! This has been a big want for me, partially because of the awesome name and partially because of the awesome reviews.

12 oz can poured into a tulip at cellar temperature.

L – Pale amber color with a 2-finger bubbly, rocky, white head. Decent retention but not really much lacing. Hazy with a good amount of bubbles.

S – The aroma isn’t very powerful, but I get Candi sugar, apples, oranges, bready malt, coriander, and peppery yeast.

T – Starts off sweet with bready malt, Candi sugar, and apple and orange esters. As the taste progresses, grainy malt and spicy coriander and peppery yeast appear. Approaching the finish, bitter herbal and earthy hops shine through.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a sticky and mouth-coating feel, and a bittersweet, spicy, earthy, and dry finish. Sweet Candi sugar, earthy and bitter hops, and spicy yeast all linger for a nice while. There’s a nice throat-warming sensation from the alcohol, as well.

O – This was a pretty good beer. The appearance wasn’t as clear, the head wasn’t as everlasting, the aroma and taste weren’t as complex, and the mouthfeel wasn’t as creamy as some of the better Belgian examples, but it was tasty nonetheless. Furthermore, it was very drinkable, especially considering the 9% ABV. Maybe the best part was that it was in a can! I never thought I would see a Belgian-style ale in a can! Thanks for giving me the chance to try this one, Jared!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:07:09 | More by BlackBelt5112203

KelsoSaaz

New York

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into NEBCo tulip

A: Hazy golden color, off-white, very fine 1/2 finger head. Nice ring lacing

S: Yeasty - fresh baked French bread. Honey, bananas, and spices.

T: Belgian yeast right away. Bright citrus, most likely from American hops, which leaves a lasting oily bitterness in the finish. This was a lot more dry than I remember.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation. Very slight oily quality.

O: 668 is a solid BSPA. NEBCo continues to show their prowess and I’m glad that this is becoming more readily available throughout CT. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: can

04-19-2013 04:29:54 | More by KelsoSaaz

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

a really good Belgian pale, I love the yeast flavors in this one. it pours a just hazy bright yellow color, spirited head of two inches or more and bone white rests on top. there are a few little yeasties floating around as well. the packaging on this beer should also be mentioned, what a clever can and beer name, genius at work! the nose is Belgian yeasty with some spice and some lemon rind, and the malt profile sis rather simple. im shocked to learn the abv is 9%, because I cant smell or taste it, but I can definitely feel it after a quick can. some mild vanilla in there with the creamy lemon flavor, and a bolder medium body to make it stick. some grassy herbal notes in the finish, part hops, part hay, very summery all in all. excellent carbonation and a pretty dry finish for a beer this big, a definite sneaker. overall another excellent beer from new England brewing, courtesy of a fantastic trade with thebrewo. a great many thanks for the sampling of stuff from these guys, ive really enjoyed all of it so far.

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 16:16:10 | More by StonedTrippin

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

a cloudy golden/orange pour with 2 fingers of head which created great lacing. smells of belgian yeast bell pepper, banana, bike tires.. kind of a plastic/rubbery smell.. weird. the flavor is very tea like, sweet and malty, yet with a grassy bitterness that makes you quench for more. a great balance of sweet and bitter flavors. medium body with moderate amount of carbonation.

a beer that i've been wanting for a long time mainly due to the can's artwork and the funny name. been a die hard maiden fan for a long time, and this is just hilarious. the beer being great is an excellent plus ;)

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 02:31:42 | More by facundoCNB

fmccormi

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Straight pour from a 12oz can to a tall Ommegang flute; no freshness dating, but this JUST showed up in my neck of the woods and theoretically this style isn’t quite so time-sensitive as, say, a DIPA like Gandhi-Bot.

Appearance (4.25): A pretty generous three-finger head rises off the pour, capping a perfectly cloudy, slightly orange-gold body. The head shows excellent retention, taking its sweet-ass time to die down and leaving thin patterns of lace in widely-spaced arcs and spots around the glass up top, and wide, thick splotches of foam further down. The head lasts forever, though.

Smell (4.25): Oooh, lots of nice, interesting spice and some phenolic tones that blend in very well—lots of dusty hay, something like nutmeg, clove, white pepper, fresh apples, and rich pear, apricot, and sweet tangerine fruit tones.

Taste (4.25): Excellently dry and spicy, with mild phenolic undertones that blend into the spice very well. Lots of that clove and effervescent, peppery character in the nose—has a slightly numbing feel on the tongue, with understated tangerine and sweet citrus underneath. Tart, fruity wheat malts (I think) do well with whatever yeast is being used here—a really nice lemony edge cuts through some very moderate, balanced pilsner sweetness. Lots of sweet (but light) fruit character, but the spicy and phenolic aspects of this beer really dominate. In a good way. Honestly kind of shocked at how well the phenols work for this beer.

Mouthfeel (3.5): The carbonation is rather subdued, quite frankly, especially for the style, but it makes up for it with that numbing, slightly tingling sensation that crosses over into the flavor with the beer’s spicy, phenolic palate. It does foam nicely on the way down though, with a soft, almost silky feel that matches the slightly-above-medium-weight body. Finishes moderately dry.

Overall (4.25): Color me impressed. Not necessarily a standout according to the style guidelines, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t an extremely satisfying beer to drink. And, as mentioned in the tasting notes, I’m very pleasantly surprised by how well the phenols really work into this beer. Great fruit and spice tones, nice and yeasty and rich but still dry. Great beer, and I will be seeking it out in the future.

Serving type: can

04-08-2013 01:07:43 | More by fmccormi

sjverla

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose: Spicy and herabl. Black pepper, light berry notes. A little minty, but not cooling or mentholated. Nice and complex.

Appearance: Just a little hazy, solid gold color. Minimal head retention.

Taste: A little pepper at first, sweet and fruity. The flavor swells a bit before sliding into the semi-dry, herbal finish. Almost gets a little medicinal, but the astringency tapers off just in time.

Overall: Excellently nuanced. Subtle, but very flavorful. I'll miss this since NEBCO is leaving MA for now.

Serving type: can

04-07-2013 22:12:18 | More by sjverla

MCain04

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Gifted by BostonRyan, 12 oz can poured into a HF stemware.

A: hazy orange amber. 1 finger off white head of average retention and lacing.

S: Belgian malts, tangerine, and citrus.

t: odd tasting. malty but a little skunky. a little citrus tasting but not the greatest. hides the alcohol well though.

M: smooth and medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: Average Belgian, nothing too special, nice to see the style in a can though

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 01:35:26 | More by MCain04

jvillefan

California

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: The body of the beer is a golden hazy yellow with a pure white three finger head.

S: There is a breads and tropical fruit aroma with the subtle smell of wheat.

T: There is a sharp malt flavor with strong banana esters, wheat and bubble gum. There is a spiciness from the Belgian yeast present as well.

M: Thick and silky body but the beer is very under carbonated.

O: Good not great beer. I would probably not choose it again.

Serving type: can

03-22-2013 21:30:16 | More by jvillefan

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.24/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a recently distributed NEBCO can in WNY...let the beer warm for 20-30 mins before writing this review

The beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a thin, sticky white head. The nose presents a bouquet of booze-infused honey, floral hops, and fruity yeast esters. It definitely establishes that it's a BSPA in the nose. The taste works in a complex melange of yeast fruits, honey sweetness, and grains followed by a slightly bitter, semi-dry white grape aftertaste. The mouthfeel is very approachable and drinkable for being a 9% beast and leaves a lot of traditional elements present (compared to a Duvel for instance). I'm excited for such a delicious canned beer available in WNY/CNY and recommend a brief warming period followed by some smooth jazz and reasonably paced sippage.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 03:02:06 | More by ThePorterSorter