Drake's IPA - Drake's Brewing Co.

nataku00

California

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into a nonic pint class. Bright clear orange with a finger of off white foamy head leaving some light lacing as it dissipates. Lots of active carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is piney, hints of grapefruit bitterness. Fairly night aroma, despite some swirling of the glass.

Taste follows the nose, fresh pine needles and grapefruit bitterness hits your tongue and takes over. Light biscuit malts are there trying to play second fiddle to the pine as it finishes dry and long, lingering on the tongue with a slight floral note.

Light bodied and very carbonated, refreshing and easy to drink IPA. Decent option in case some of the other locals we have access to aren't available, but I wouldn't choose it over Racer 5 or Lagunitas's IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 01:59:26 | More by nataku00

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, the beer is a slightly hazed rose-amber coloring with a thin film of small bubbled head. The beer has rounded hop aromas, with a hint of some fresh/dry hops and citrus. Sharp hop bitterness on front tongue, as well as down the middle of the tongue as you swallow. Decent and strong malt backbone to help balance the hops, and some citrus characteristics that keep everything light. Good amount of carbonation to help with the balance, also. The beer is light and crisp in mouth, and the aftertaste is sweet and hoppy. Very pleasant beer. The finish lingers in mouth for a bit, with a hoppy/sweet malt blend that beckons for another sip. Lighter than I normally like my IPAs, but that makes it all that much easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 03:40:36 | More by GarthDanielson

ratedz

Kansas

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received as an extra from MrTopher. Thanks Chris!

Pours a hazy amber color with a fourth of an inch of off-white head. The head retention is pretty impressive.

This is one good smelling IPA! Full of grapefruit and piney hops. A sweet caramel malt backbone balances it out nicely.

From the nose, I thought this was going to be much hoppier than it turned out to be. The sweet malts actually overpower the hops slightly. It is a fairly good tasting beer, but the sweetness level was a little unexpected.

Medium body and moderate carbonation, about what I'd expect from an IPA. It is smooth and drinkable, but a little sweeter that I typically like my IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 02:15:31 | More by ratedz

DovaliHops

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly cloudy amber-almost orange color with a medium white head that disappears fast. Scent is very citrus hoppy with very sweet candy aromas. I also pick up subtle piney notes with a bit of melon. Taste is sweet, but not as sweet as the aroma would imply. Great hop flavors with citrus and fresh melon (honeydew, cantaloup). I also get a nice maltiness with caramel and light buttery notes. Very tasty IPA. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with a crisp, bitter bite at the end. Not too crisp though, as it is a bit on the syrupy side for a regular IPA. Drinkability is high.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 07:53:48 | More by DovaliHops

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright orange colour with huge white head and lots of lacing down the glass. Nice head retention. Smells of pine and citrus hops, but not a hop bomb. Not a ton of caramel malt backbone either, so it comes across as a bit weak overall. Still a pleasant IPA that I'm glad I tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 20:03:31 | More by kwjd

climax

Kansas

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This one started off wonderfully. The bright citrus aromas hit the nose right when the cap was popped (to be emphasized in a second). The beer poured a luminous natural orange with a nice hoppy haze. The head was tall and lumpy, retention and lace abound.

The prominent citrus aroma was accented by earthy pine. The malt backbone was no wallflower here. Dark roasted chocolate and graham cracker added another dimension, amping up the often too typical excursively caramel nose.

For those who frown upon malt balance in an IPA, have no fear... the taste is a hop circus with malt playing usher. Very resinous pine makes it's presence known from start through the long bitter finish. Citrus in the form of tropical fruit and grapefruit towards the end keep things juicy.

The body was nice and thick, very viscous and sticky. Nice to have an IPA with this much mouth presence to change things up a bit. You may not be able to drink it down as fast and proceed to another.... but with a 7% ABV, go ahead and savor it. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 03:22:21 | More by climax

WestValleyIPA

California

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle with no date into a Pinot Noir glass. This is really one of the best looking beers I've ever seen. Just pure fluff. 2 fingers of vanilla salt water taffy colored head. Just about the best retention I've seen in some time. Great lacing. Smells a bit like tea (hard to tell if it's old, due to the lack of dating, but my guess is, it is.) Some citrus and pine. Caramelish and chocolate malt smell coming through. Some rich nutty earthy malt coming through. Pine in my face. Nice bitter drying finish. Creamy crisp mouthfeel. Drinkable, but I don't think I'd wanna knock out more than 2 or so of these.

Edit: Every time I swirl this bad boy, I get some long lasting sea-foam head. I'm starting to think, reading the reviews that this isn't old, just a malt-freakin-bomb.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 06:16:28 | More by WestValleyIPA

gtn80

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz into a tulip glass.

Appearance is a murky copper color, small amount of foam that clings to the glass throughout.

Aroma is a great, piney hop aroma with a strong caramel malt scent.

Taste is a sticky, resinousy hop flavor up front, but the caramel malts are just overwhelming. Hops play second fiddle to the malts.

Mouthfeel is great, full, decent carbonation.

Drinkability is not good, tough with that maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 00:17:18 | More by gtn80

321jeff

Maryland

3.08/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color with golden edges with a couple fingers of off-white head that recedes to a relatively thick layer that hangs in for the duration.

Aroma starts off strong citrus and piney hops, but the hops fade out quickly leaving some traces of sweet caramel but that's about it. I've never had an IPA's aroma fade that fast.

Taste is mildly bitter citrus at first, but it turns quickly into a strong caramel sweetness that goes all the way through to the finish. I can't tell if the malts are overpowering or the hops are just on the weak side.

Mouthfeel is a little on the light side but carbonation is up to par. It goes down smooth and easy, but I like a little more citrus and a little less malt in my IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 01:19:12 | More by 321jeff

Mora2000

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of pine and orange hops, along with a lot of resiny notes. The flavor is a little different but still very nice. I get a lot of bitter papaya and oranges with some pine and bready malt mixed in. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 19:19:10 | More by Mora2000

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Clown Shoes pint glass.

The color is a cloudy orange/amber with some yellowish highlights and a foamy off-white head with some nice lacing left on the glass.

The smell is pretty darn sweet with a fruity citrus flavor that I am having problems placing. Some slight banana flavor as well.

The taste is pretty darn bitter at first with a thick flavor of spicy hop flavor and a touch of citrus flavor. Some sweet malt flavor hits pretty hard as well and is fight for dominance in this beer. The hops are there more so it is no surprise the bitterness comes back to pop your sense once more before the end.

The feel of this beer is pretty damn smooth. For a bitter beer there is no lingering flavor that outstays its welcome. The refreshment is right on the money and goes down well.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 02:08:25 | More by Duhast500

GRG1313

California

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was a most pleasant surprise. Pours a dark orange amber with a nice off white/light tan head.

Nose is a pleasant mildly assertive cooked pineapple/oranges and pleasant fruit tones. A very nice bourbon nose after it's in the glass a short while.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with nice carbonation and a clean crisp character. Nice acid and is very inviting; you want to keep drinking it. Body, flavors, mouthfeel,...everything...are very well integrated and super well balanced.

Flavors are rich, bold, creamy and layered. Front of fruity stonefruit malt that closely follows the nose that goes to a short mid palate and quickly to a nice long grapefruit skin hop finish.

This is extremely drinkable and attractive. Perhaps more of a double IPA in mouthfeel, character and flavors, however, really a nice drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 22:01:56 | More by GRG1313

colforbin73

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

excellent "everyday beer." of course, we mostly want a different beer every couple beers or we wouldn't be on beeradvo. this is not exactly a sumptuous IPA, but they go down smooth and while the aftertaste is a little thin, this is a nice quaff-able local ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 03:15:08 | More by colforbin73

Gobzilla

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured a copper amber brown with yellow highlights that had a finger of bubbly head and left nice frothy lacing sticking to the glass.

S: the pine, hops, and citrus grapefruit pop out right away but does have a good sweet malt presence with bready notes as well. I could also detect a little caramel and booze.

T: the pine hops flavors meshed really well but had the graperuit to help propel the bitterness and some dryness. Although the caramel malts did a good job on the balance there was a slight nuttiness that caught me by surprise but did add some dimension to the overall taste.

M: the brew was medium body with a good amount of prickly carbonation which had a slight sweet but piney hop bitter dry finish.

D: it drank really good but wasn't as punchy as other west coast IPA's on the bitterness and overall hop profile; it was mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 07:38:28 | More by Gobzilla

pigdog

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a-medium copper color, finger of foamy white head and fairly thick lacing

s-sweet malty caramel aroma, slight yeast smell with some citrus and pine.

t-piney hops dominate the taste buds, nice full flavor, more bitter than expected after the sweetness from the nose.

m-medium body, a little syrupy but still fairly balanced and a dry finish

d-very drinkable beer with solid flavor, but the sweetness would keep me from making it a regular go-to beer.

overall-solid IPA, but a little too much sweet for my taste. That being said, a sixer for $9.99 that tastes like this is a good option if other beers in the same range arent available such as Green Flash West Coast IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 23:07:47 | More by pigdog

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this a billion times at Ricky's in San Leandro. Usually hit up the Bistro for a festival, catch a ride over here and watch the fights w/ a few pints of this stuff.

Big orange pour, a little more dull than the "vibrant" orange stuff you might see. Good hoppy aroma, hops are the name of the game, seems to be ample dry hopping in a single. A lot of malt, this leans to the heavier side of single ipas. A good amount of bitterness, but never outweighs the hop mouthfeel.

Decent enough price.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 18:32:14 | More by Beerandraiderfan

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Look: Hazy orange with a decent off white head. The lacing has nice retention.
Smell: Very floral up front with a bit of pine and caramel.
Taste: The smooth malts are right up front with a resiny, floral bitterness to finish it off. Well balanced.
Feel: Feels a little heavy for the style, more like a double IPA.
Drink: I could go for one again. It isn't as easy to session as Green Flash West Coast or Lagunitas IPA (which are similar to Drake's) but it is worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 18:22:14 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

jeffjeff1

California

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up a six pack of this at work last night.

Appearance- amber color, nice looking head

Smell- citrus hops

Taste- citrus hops, medium bitterness then more bitterness in the finish

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- This was a very good IPA. I will be drinking this one again and recommending it at work.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 16:13:07 | More by jeffjeff1

SShelly

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours light amber/orange, crystal clear with about 1/2" of white foam that sticks around for a minute or three.

Bright hop aroma, fruit and citrus, some sweetness as well.

medium upfront bitterness with large hop flavors that coat the mouth, mostly on the citrus side, light pineapple flavor left in the mouth in the aftertaste.

Med-dry finish leaves the mouth asking for more, really enjoying my bottle of this, could probably use another.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 00:26:46 | More by SShelly

PintOHops

California

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Glass - Pint

A - Mega hazy orange color, can't see through this one, produced a 1-finger head, kinda soapy, retention seems to be good for the little head that it produced. Left some spotty/splashy lace here & there.

S - Picked up a wonderfully fresh aroma as I started to pour it. I get the tropical fruit medley, mango, pineapple, a bit of grapefruit, followed by a very balancing aroma of sappy pine notes. A bit of biscuit, it's got a pretty potent sugary/caramel/syrupy like quality to it for sure.

T - Big toasted notes upfront, caramelized sugars, toast, caramel, molasses, unfolding into soft layers of sap, pine, candied/dried fruit, caramel, then a bit of mango & pronounced bitterness towards the finish. Wow, this beer is comes in flavorful layers, just a warning though, it's pretty damn sweet & syrupy like, although it carry's an almost balancing bitterness that lingers very well.

M - Very syrupy, soft Co2 bite, very smooth, around full bodied for sure.

D - This IPA is very very good! It's got allot going on in both smell & taste, good bitterness, but because of the high sugary/syrupy combo of it, I gotta say I wouldn't have more than 2 pints at one moment, it would become too damn sweet. I loved the toasted notes of this beer, I'll definitely buy this one again, I recommend it. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 23:37:46 | More by PintOHops

JosiahS

California

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. Color is mango-orange, hazy with 1/2 finger white head.

Aroma is very fruity with the usual west coast-style IPA aromas like pineapple, mango, orange, passion fruit. Malt runs right along side the hops lending doughy, caramel aromas that blend with the fruit from the hops very nicely.

Taste, like the aroma, is an awesome marriage of fruity hops and caramel, sugary malts. Only the slightest bit of pine is present. Up front, it seems as though doughy and caramel malts are dominant but the hops make their way in right after and again, blend very well into a malty, tropical fruit basket of IPA goodness. As the beer begins to warm, a little ethanol is present bringing a subtle warming in the throat as well as some earthiness from the hops. Bitterness is not that high, lingering only for a few seconds.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderate carbonation but somehow has a "light" feel to it, silky almost.

I could probably session 2 of these but that is to be expected from a full flavored IPA at 7% ABV. This is a solid IPA but nothing that i would recall later.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 23:34:21 | More by JosiahS

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Arbitrator for this generous extra.
12oz bottle poured into SA perfect pint.

A- Pours a nice hazy sunset orange with a big two finger head. The heads sticks around for a while and leaves some nice lacing on the side of the glass.

S- Nice piney hops, grassy and floral notes as well. A hint of the yeast and a nice bready finish.

T- Piney hoppy goodness. Like the nose, there are hints of grassiness and a little bit of malt peaks out.

M- Medium bodied with a nice crispness to it. A fair amount of bitterness that is expected with west coast IPA's. Pretty dry on the finish.

D- A great beer to enjoy on a hot summer day, which I happen to be doing. Overall a good IPA that I am glad I was able to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 21:23:01 | More by Wisconsinality

RoyalT

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - This is a clear but effervescent brownish-orange in color with a magnificent head. The foam was pitted with large air bubbles then finally settled into little pits on top of the liquid. The head is just gorgeous.

Smell - The sharp, resiny hops and stiff orange rind almost mask the soft ripe yeast but not quite. It is definitely a hop-forward nose though and you have to use quite a bit of imagination to think of this as an English IPA.

Taste - Amazingly the hops from the nose are just about as strong and powerful at the taste. The mixture of pine and grapefruit will overpower the novice drinker. The light yeasty malt base is actually quite sophisticated but is just barely hanging on here.

Mouthfeel - This medium-bodied EIPA has some bone-crushing bitterness and a nice, sprightly carbonation.

Drinkability - This is a powerhouse of a beer. It goes down especially well and qualifies as a hophead session ale. Just a tad more malt and a little bit more alcohol and this would be a classic DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 00:22:17 | More by RoyalT

scottfrie

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz in SA perfect pint.

A: Pours a dark honey-amber with a couple fingers of off-white head that held a good retention and left sheets of sticky lacing.
S: Strong fruity and floral hops with just a hint of sweet malt. Very perfumey smelling and floral with scents of roses.
T: Very floral tasting just like the nose with a few grassy notes coming through. Malt backbone is more noticeable here as well. Citrus comes through in the finish with a touch of tangerine peel bitterness.
M: Good flavor with some substance to the body. It was a little flat on the carbonation though.
D: A good refreshing IPA and is very drinkable. While not my favorite IPA, it was a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 02:26:46 | More by scottfrie

womencantsail

California

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour is a cloudy burnt orange color with a rather fluffy white head on top and lacing all the way down the glass.

S: The nose is very pleasantly citrusy, giving off lots of grapefruit and orange aromas. There's a bit of caramel sweetness and a touch of pine.

T: The flavor is much more bitter than the nose would lead you to believe. A nice blast of bitter grapefruit and pine up front which carries all the way through the sip. There's just a hint of orange which gives the beer a bit of sweetness.

M: The body is light-to-medium with a crisp carbonation and a nice bitter finish.

D: This is an incredibly drinkable and delicious IPA. A nice one to sip on or to relax and cool off during the warm weather.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2010 06:39:33 | More by womencantsail