Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA - New England Brewing Co.

Hautacam

Connecticut

4.96/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Cloudy golden , small head , which lasts throughout.
The smell of the Citra knocks me out! Fantastic.
The flavor , much like the smell is incredibly citrusy , grapefruit rind, lemony, grassy with just enough malt for the hops to launch off. I don't want to put the glass down.... I want to inhale whenever I'm not sipping. Mouthfeel medium-low , kind of exactly right with perfect carbonation.
Drinkability is off the charts. When this went on tap at my local place, I was there three nights in a row until it kicked.
They now refer to me as the Fuzzy Baby Duck Guy.
Nicely done , NEB !

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2013 01:26:45 | More by Hautacam

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to wittyname again! Growler to pint.

Pours a very hazy soap-amber color with a humble topper of white foam. It almost looks a little soapy. However, it does look damn refreshing!

I smell pitted fruits, citrus, and floral hops. Fresh apricot, dried mango, tangerine, and guava. All of this touched by a rather delicate ale yeast that sweetens the aroma with the smell of oily nut flesh. Malts are candid and quite pale. Some sugar cookie mixed in here. Delectable.

Nice acidic twang of hoppy bitterness upfront, but it cleans up quick and finishes with tropical fruits and attenuated citrus. Guava, tangerine, lemon zest, and papaya make up the fruitiness. Floral notes bounce around. Much drier than the aroma would let on. Very clean and zippy. Absolutely refreshing, too. Super-smooth body accented by some sparkling side-mouth effervescence. Sugar cookie from the nose turned into wine cracker in the flavor. Very pale malts with very little wort sugar to spare. Implied sweetness comes from the fruity hops. Dreamably drinkable. A one-after-another kind of beer.

This is a fantastic IPA. So happy to have been gifted a full growler of this stuff to enjoy during a trying work week. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-08-2013 03:45:58 | More by thecheapies

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Growler filled Saturday AM.

A - Vibrantly orange-amber hazy body with a finger of off-white head. Leaves a gigantic amount of lacing all over the glass. Maybe a little more body in the head would have been nice, but I probably poured this a little cold too.

S - Pine to begin, immediately into guava/mango/stonefruit. Orange/lemon as it opens up. Tiny bit of the cat pee-ish Nelson Sauvin- esque aromas/weed. Insane. I could just sit here and smell this for days.

T - Resiny pine makes my mouth feel fuzzy right away. Not hard to see where this name came from. Literally feels like the enamel's being stripped off my teeth. Some more classically hoppy flavors (grapefruit/etc), but then a huge hit of the tropical flavors. Leaves an awesome mango flavor in my mouth. Also insane.

M - Fairly light but leaves a really nice slick feeling in the mouth. I would like it a little more carbonated, but I think my growler may have just lost a little pressure - when I tried this at the brewery on tap, it was more carbed. Incredibly sessionable. No ashiness or cloying sweetness left behind at all. Just wonderful tropical hops.

O - Susan might be better. Might. Would need to try them side by side. Other than that, never had a "regular" IPA that even touches this. Go now.

Serving type: growler

02-04-2013 02:29:54 | More by tehzachatak

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden to orange body with straw colored hues beneath the foamy, pure white head, resembling a fuzzy baby duck.

What an amazing nose! Tons of hops, pine, floral, and citrus. The pine and woodnotes are tremendous with grass and possibly peaches, and maybe even apricot.

The flavor is equally awesome with puckering and tangy hops resembling sweet citrus, as well as fresh cut wood with more pine and grass. There is actually a hint of faint bready malt here as well.

Lighter to medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation and a just plain awesome sticky, pungent, hoppy finish.

Wow, is this beer good. Awesome stuff. Great flavors and aroma, so fresh and so clean.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2013 02:09:16 | More by CHADMC3

drinker36

Connecticut

4.41/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Being an IPA addict and after having read the reviews I drove about an hour to the brewery and picked up a few growlers. Shocked and impressed that NEBco fills a 64oz growler of this stuff for $10. Bravo. And feel free to charge me $15-$18 next time.

Bullet points:

This beer has one of the best smells of any of the ipa's i've tried.

It looks awesome too - golden with lacy, white head.

Tastes good, light and refreshing... and with a mid range abv, it's close to a sessionable beer. It's a little more bitter than I would like, but balanced as other reviewers have said.

Final Judgement:

Fuzzy Baby Ducks is a great IPA. You'd be a quack not to try it if given the chance, but don't "fly" too far south or north to get some... instead buy some of their canned DIPA (Gahndi Bot) or do a trade. It's as good or better. And we can always hope they can or bottle this stuff because the label would be top 10.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2013 01:22:51 | More by drinker36

Durge

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very cloudy weak tea colored IPA with a decent white fuzz on top (quite appropriately) and generous lacing to follow. The aroma brings intense citrus, grapefruit, orange, lemon, whatever, it’s there in spades almost to a sweet tart conclusion but it includes a little bready grain to give a touch of balance perhaps. I love it. The flavor is “grab your tongue”, Hop Stoopid bitter with the continued hop theme along with a grainy suggestion. This stuff is near mid-bodied but the tiny, brisk carbonation gives it a very lively, summer refreshment feel. It’s pretty intense and the flavor settles into a fruit syrup bite that still carries the grain goodness underneath the hop attack. Man I hope NEB sticks with this one. Sea Hag is a pleasant IPA that I’ll always like, but this moves up there with Stowaway as one of my favorite new IPA’s! Bravo Rob!

Serving type: growler

09-12-2012 15:27:13 | More by Durge

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Eli's for the tasting. Pumped to try this one after destroying back at the gym and a nice 2 mile 6 min 30 sec average run. Prepping for a backyard Olympics competition with oldcrustacean (3 rounds 5 minutes a piece in the ring, 3 tennis sets, bench/dead lift/squat competition). I had a nice chat with Rob the NEBC owner while enjoying this one. They are really killing it. Hazy orange body with a nice head and sticky lacing that hangs around. The smell is citrusy tropical hops. This beer is bitter but the tropical notes balance it out beautifully. Goes down so smooth... I thought it had a much lower ABV. Between this beer, the new sea hag formula, galaxy, ghandi bot, imperial stout trooper, and gold stock, this is one of my top breweries.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2012 17:20:35 | More by DNICE555

jaxon53

Connecticut

4.73/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Could this be one of the best brews ever? Had tons of the initial release, and couldn't wait for it to be brewed again. Had this on tap at New York Pizza in Plainfield. Brought to me in a pint glass, straight from the keg. Here we go.

Appearance: Fuzzy Baby Ducks arrives to the table a Cloudy, almost dull, watered down orange juice color. About a finger of dense bright white foam capped this beer off. Awesome head retention. Plenty of thick lace was left sticking to the glass throughout the whole experience.

Smell: Heavy hops up front, and plenty of them. Faint woody notes. Citrus and pine. Sweet malt is there, but is beaten down by the hops. Very pleasant nose. My discription just doesn't do it justice.

Taste: Hops definitely rule this beer! Citrus fruit and pine really shine in this brew. Sweet , somewhat grainy malt background tries to stand up to the juicy hops, but again the hops rule. Bitter hop bit and dry finish. Can't get enough of this brew!

Mouthfeel: Dry , super slick mouthfeel. Carbonation is spot on.

Overall: NEBCO hits it out of the park again. Awesome drinkability, and great hop flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 10:30:03 | More by jaxon53

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a gorwler into a plain tumbler pint glass at Durge's.

A: Poured a very hazy, bright yellow color with a two-finger head of frothy, white foam which hung around for most of the brew, leaving some decent lacing.

S: Lots of complex, fruity and funky hop resins; grapefruit rind, a little catty, lemograss and herbal with flashes of peppery, skunk sweat.

T: Big, brash and citrusy palate wrecked by an onslaught of highly acidic hop resins. Loads of sweet, bright, lemony flavors leap forward with very herbal and bitter hop flavors. A slight malt sweetness tries to cut the palate but this brew washes back with a slightly boozy, sharp and fresh hop whallop.

M: Medium-full bodied IPA with lots of sticky hop resins, although the almost wheat-cracker malts keep things crisp and in somewhat of a balance.

O: The 6.2% ABV is not necessarily a killer but the IBUs will surely inhibit your palate for a while. Calling Fuzzy Baby Ducks "one-dimensional" almost sounds like an insult, but I'll say it with the best intentions. Like they took Alpha Weizen and bred it with Sea Hag, this IPA is the bright, crushing IPA for summer that citrusy hopheads are longing for.

Serving type: growler

07-01-2012 12:03:19 | More by Gambrinus1184

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

another winner from NEBCO.

I bought a few growlers, blowing through my last one.

This has a long-lasting head and a nice orangey color. Great sticky lacing. The smell is tropical, fruity, delicious. This beer is light in flavor, and by that I mean the hops are sweet and not sharp or abrasive. Citra really is a wonder-hop... this reminds me of a half-strength Citra from KRBC. And that's a very high compliment, as that's my top-rated beer. Not much malt base but that's fine with me as the hops are so delicious.

6.2% seems just about right for this one. A joy to drink.

This one goes down too easily. I really really really like it, and hope NEBCO moves this one into regular rotation. One of the more delightful beers I've encountered as of late.

Serving type: growler

07-01-2012 03:56:25 | More by ShogoKawada

davey101

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Winchester, right across the street from NEBCO in the presence of some awesome BA's. Standard pour into a pint glass. Review coming from some notes I took on my phone...hey, ticks a tick!

A - Bright orange hazy body. Small off white head. Not super impressive.

S - Strong citra presence. Orange juice, tropical fruit, grapefruit, lemon and some lightly dank onion. Super juicy fruits with a touch of bready malts.

T - The fruit is all over the place. Grapefruit, pineapple, lemons and limes, papaya, etc. Theres a bit of a grassy and danky onion presence. This is all smoothed out on the finish by some biscuity malt. Finishes dry and bitter with lasting citrus juice flavors. Really refreshing with tons of citrus hop flavors, drinks way too easily. Medium mouth feel.

O - I missed my chance of getting a growler of this, so I was stoked to get to try this on tap. Amazing beer that really highlights the citra hop variety. I hope this gets brewed again next year!

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 23:28:17 | More by davey101

Pete27lax

New York

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on tap at Prime 16 in New Haven.

Poured a vibrant yellow, just an awesome, perfect color for an IPA. Slightly hazy with a 1 finger white head. Really good lacing on this beer all the way through til the end.

What a treat for the nose! Big citrus aroma, orange comes out big here. Didn't focus on smell too much because I was too excited for the taste.

Perfection. Crisp, clean, refreshing, this is what every IPA should taste like. Big citrus up front (much like heady) grapefruits and orange dominate the taste but the malts are there as well. The bitterness factor is perfect! Not too bitter but just enough of a hop bite that an IPA should have.
Citra hops > anything, wish I could have given the taste a 6.

Mouthfeel is right in line with the best of them. Most drinkable beer I've ever had, could easily have 4-5 glasses of this on a nice summer day. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, perfect for an IPA.

Overall NEBCO really proved how great their brewers are with this beer. Fuzzy Baby Ducks can go toe to toe with any IPA in the world and there will be few, if any, that are better. Loved every second of drinking this and we can only hope it is brewed again next year. Call me bias, a local front runner, whatever you want, but this is just perfection in a glass.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 17:34:17 | More by Pete27lax

Taylor8189

4.68/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Just had this beer on cask from a local bar.

A- It's awesome. The beer is golden yellow can't even see through the other side. Frothy white head that basically never goes away.

S- The smell is awesome, hops, grapefruit more than anything. Gives you an idea of whats to come.

T- Taste is fantastic, grapefruit takes over here. I think the cask makes some of the malts stick out a bit more as well unless thats just how this beer is. I've never had it any other way than today, from a cask.

M- Feel is perfect. Very drinkable but still holds a nice body to it.

Overall, this beer is fantastic. All of the great elements of an IPA are there. I only wish i could find this in a bottle or regular tap so i can compare it to itself on cask.

Serving type: cask

06-28-2012 23:39:19 | More by Taylor8189

bnewall3

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I dont review many beer but this one I had to. This is a non biased opinion even though they are my favorite brewery and easily the best in CT, if not New England. I was also the first person to receive a growler of this!(or so I was told, thought that was cool)

The look of this beer is just a glowing yellow that is mouthwatering.

The smell is pure citra. From grapefruit to lemon, grass, and lime its perfect

The taste is worth saying its the best citra IPA ive had. I run a liquor store and couldn't resist sampling this to customers out of my growler who were worthy of having this. It is so refreshing and light, but full bodied and perfect at the same time. I could drink this beer in the middle of winter, or on the hottest day of the year, which happened to be the day I got it.

Overall I wish this beer was bottled and year round, but I know they cant get the citra hops year round because of the small size of the brewery. Although this will be an awesome treat once a year.

NEBCO just does things with hops/beer i'll never understand and frankly dont care to as long as they keep doing it. I would put this beer up against any across the country anyday. a 10 out of 10 to me, love everything NEBCO does, please dont ever change.

10 out of 10...CHEERS

Serving type: growler

06-25-2012 05:45:54 | More by bnewall3

pjs234

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got my growler filled today at the brewery. Day two of the beer's existence.

A - It pours a very murky yellow/orange. Very little head, as just a few bubbles rise to the surface.

S - Smells great. A ton of hoppy citrus aromas. Just a truly great smelling IPA.

T - Taste very much follows the smell. Lots of citrus flavors, hop bitterness. The bitterness is really at a nice level, not too over the top, but just right and it lasts a while.

M - A little on the thin side. Also, it lacks a bit in the carbonation department.

O - Love this IPA. Sounds like it is only going to be brewed once a year, which is too bad. Would love to see this available more often. Would also be great if this was bottled.

Serving type: growler

06-23-2012 03:21:06 | More by pjs234

Pahn

New York

4.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

64oz growler into Duvel tulip. Filled this afternoon; beer was released yesterday.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 2 inch fluffy white head that dissipates slowly leaving thick webs of lacing. Pours an opaque light orange that seems to glow yellow. I love this look in an IPA; when I see a picture online of an opaque, nectary IPA like this, I want it to be in a glass in front of me, immediately.

Smell: Citra in all its glory. The aroma of this beer promises an answer as to why beer geeks lust after Citra hop-forward beer. Powerful citrus (somewhere between lime and orange), highlighted by numerous tropical fruit notes with some weed/onion underneath. Biscuit backdrop from the malt provides less balance than mild counterpoint to the huge hop aroma; more of a bonus than anything else.

Pushing a 5.0. Stays powerful and good throughout.

Taste: Straightforward and delicious: citrusy, fruity hops up front quickly deepening with some pungent weed/onion influence, leading to a hit of healthy bitterness that's complemented by a slight toasty malt element. Gets really succulent and resinous, then finishes dry, with a hop aftertaste that changes as it lasts (melon, mysterious tropical fruits, the smell of greenhouses).

With time, the hop flavors open up even further. Citrus remains strong, and the mild weed/onion (more weed) undertone is a constant as well, but a wide range of unexpected and good fruity hop flavors emerge as the beer warms. This beer gives a full display of the potential of Citra hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Slightly juicy, but more succulent. Perfect bitterness (above average without being overdone; keeps things crisp). Moderate carbonation. Perfectly dry (solid dryness, but not bone dry).

Overall: This is just a perfect IPA. I'm tempted to make it my first all 5 beer (the aroma could be slightly more complex and pungent, and the look could have a bit better lacing).

If I could forgo drinking every other beer and just have a pint (or two, or more) of this each day for the rest of this record-breakingly hot summer, I would. It is excellent, and exactly what I want to drink in hot weather.

Note, while this review may sound like drunken exuberance, I have only had 1 glass... however, it will be a serious exercise in willpower not to kill the whole growler tonight.

Serving type: growler

06-22-2012 01:36:11 | More by Pahn

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.96/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-Pours a soupy peach-juice color. Off-white bubbles create a cool film atop the brew. Completely murky. Looks like some sort of fruit juice. Impressed by its complete lack of clarity.

S-Wow. One of the juiciest, fruitiest citrus noses I have ever laid schnoz to. Unbelievably ripe and juice-laden. Tropical fruits galore. Even some banana aroma. Thank you Citra hop. Smooth malt of bread and biscuit. Like a muffin with oranges in it.

T-Phenomenal. Like a deliciously bitter orange juice. Tons of grassiness loop around the intense citrus waves. Tropical fruitiness is deep and complex. Perfect amount of bitterness. Long lasting aftertaste. The hoppiness is impeccable.

M-Ripe and juicy. Mellow carbonation. Bitterness that refuses to leave. The body is full and nearly chewy. Grapefruit juice feel. The body is only outdone by the taste.

O/D-This could be the best by NEBCO so far. A lot like Galaxy Pale but the differences between the Galaxy hop and the Citra hop are clearly defined. NEBCO absolutely kills hoppy beers. This is one of the best non-imperial IPAs I have ever had. Hell, its up there with some of the best imperials I have had too. The Citra hop has been mastered here. I can't stop giving NEBCO's beers super-high reviews because their beers are consistently out of this world.

Serving type: growler

06-21-2012 23:37:38 | More by VelvetExtract

OldCrustacean79

Connecticut

4.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Pours a very hazy golden-orange color, with a small white head.

S: Wonderful juicy, tropical aroma I've come to expect with Citra hops. Loads of citrus fruits, pineapple, and mangos. Sweet sweet nectar.

T: Outstading! Very tropical and citrusy, with a slight bitterness, gets better with every sip. Fruity and refreshing.

M: Very light, with minimal carbonation.

O: Tasty and refreshing, NEB did a great job. Really good, refreshing and smooth IPA, This beer is Quacktastic!

Serving type: growler

06-21-2012 20:29:05 | More by OldCrustacean79

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.63/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the brewery, poured into a NEBCO pint glass.

A: Cloudy, clearly unfiltered pale orange body with a significant amount of hop particulates floating around beneath a 1/2" head of fine tan foam that quickly fades into oblivion. Not exactly pretty. Matt claimed that this particular log was filled from the bottom of the brite tank and was therefore not a fair representation of how the beer typically looks, but I've got to review what's in my glass and what's in my glass is ugly.

S: Who cares about appearance? This smells INCREDIBLE. Pure, heady Citra goodness. Fruity as hell (grapefruit, mango, grape) and terrifically resinous. If you love dank hops, you'll love this.

T: Follows the nose. Rich, delicious, powerful hoppiness. Fruity up front, oily and resinous in the middle, and cleanly bitter on the finish. Not a hint of malt, and yet somehow the hops don't get oppressively bitter. It's both drinkable and intense at the same time. Perfection.

M: Soft, frothy, medium-bodied. Perhaps a bit too airy, but really nice.

O: What a terrific beer! Obviously it helps to get it the day it was conditioned, but I expect it will remain a truly delicious hop bomb for a while. It reminded me of the awesome IPAs from Willibrew - hideous to behold, but magical to taste. I can't wait to go into a beer bar and tell the bartender "Give me a glass full of Fuzzy Baby Ducks, please." You should, too.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 13:28:10 | More by woosterbill