Thumbprint IIPA - New Glarus Brewing Company

kevanb

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a New Glarus pilsner glass, reviewed from notes.

Pours a soft golden straw color, lots of yellow as well as some darker amber when held to the light, fairly clear, but hazy, few bubbles rising to the top of the glass, nice soft white head sits for a while, slows fades into film, nice lacing, very inviting IIPA. The aroma is great, zesty hops, mild citrus, resinous pine, grass, weeds, big floral bouquet, cut well by the alcohol, although faint and a great malt presence. Great hop profile greats your tongue, lots of earthy floral hops, mild citrus, grassy, a bit resinous, definitely hitting the lemongrass note, finishes with a nice sweet and smooth malt presence and a touch of alcohol. Good body, nice carbonation, a bit soapy, dry finish.

Verdict: Lovely IIPA from New Glarus, extremely pleasant. It might not be the most innovative or provocative IIPA, it might not be a hop monster, but it's darn good.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 05:27:15 | More by kevanb

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a tulip class. This is brought to me by some good friends in Wisconsin. It is the last of my four pack, so I thought it high time to review it.

Pours a hazy mango color, like the color of mango nectar. While it is light-colored, it is almost opaque. Has a half inch foamy white head which reduces with a soap-like consistency.

Has a very fruity aroma, with loads of orange citrus, pineapple, mango, and an airy floral nature that really makes this standout. You could get lost in how good the smells.

After such a wonderful aroma you hope that the taste won't let you down, and thankfully, it does not disappoint. Sweet and mualty upfront, with mild fruit and hints of caramel, this ends with a pleasing bitterness leaves you wanting more. Hints of resin are there to remind you of the strength of this brew.

The medium mouth feel, very smooth and easy drinking, ending with a bit of bitter to nip at tongue.

An excellent DIPA, it is a real disappointment that New Glarus is not sold in the Cleveland area. Sweet, fruity and malty to start, with a pleasing but not overpowering hop bitter to finish, I cannot get enough of this double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:36:02 | More by TheHoppiest

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a 16 oz snifter.

A- Light golden with good lacing and retention.

S- Some sweet malts, but mostly citrus fruits.

T- Little of the sweet malts come through followed by citrus fruits (orange, pineapple), and then a big pine bitter bite and alcohol finishes off the beer.

M- Medium bodied for 9%, good carbonation with a semi-dry finish.

O- Very impressed by NG for their first DIPA. Would love to try this on draft.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 15:45:36 | More by kawilliams81

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Rudzud for sharing.

Slight hazy golden honey color, very light fizzy head.

Nose has some booze and sweetness, lots of earthy grassy hops, light pine and hint of citrus, hint fruity apricot like.

Taste quite malty quite sweet and light booze. Earthy hops, quite bitter and astringent, light grassy herbal and pine hops with hint of citrus. Chewy spicy hops like chewing on a mouthful of pellets. Light creamy malts. finish is very bitter and astringent, dry long bitter spicy chewy hop pellets and barely drinkable.

Mouth is med bodied, light booze and decent carb.

Overall eh, way too much astringent spicy hops and too much malty sweetness which should be balanced but isn't somehow. There are two spikes of flavor on opposite ends of the spectrum, sweet malty, and bitter astringent, and neither are great alone, and they don't mesh well, so not a great DIPA IMO.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 12:36:31 | More by jlindros

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have never been disappointed with the Thumbprint Series, but my first thought was that a DIPA sounds boring compared to the other efforts. All things considered, I was impressed with this one.

The ale poured a orange-yellow color with a 1/2 inch white head into my tulip glass. An appropriate amount of lacing was left on the glass. The ale revealed a potent grapefruit aroma that tickled the insides of the nose. Grapefruit and earthy notes dominated the initial taste with a malty backbone. The grapefruit notes became progressively sweeter toward the aftertaste. The hops seem to hit a little bit more in the aftertaste as the ale gives a warming to the back of the throat. The ale was not unusually smooth, but it did go down easy.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 00:13:35 | More by JohnnyHopps

ehammond1

California

3.6/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Acquired via trade,
Thanks stig!

Hazed orange with a moderately sized off-white head that leaves only small spots of lace down the glass.

Initially pleasant aroma of citrus, bread, and mild alcohol, though as the beer warms, a slight onion presence creeps its way in, and I'm not a fan of that aroma.

Moderate to high bitterness, passion fruit and citrus, some bread, mild alcohol, and a bit of vegetable/onion make for a pretty easy drinking DIPA, all things considered.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Good enough, but I don't need to seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 22:41:09 | More by ehammond1

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

355ml bottle poured into tulip 16/7/12 thanks Masterski and Sean9689 for sending me the bottle

A golden yellow with lots of tiny bubbles struggling to make their way too the surface, a loose two finger head falls to a thin film rather quickly and leaves some random lace

S pineapple, pine, grapefruit with some booze and sweet malt, a nice mix of tropical citrus and pine

T some lemon and even more pine, the booze is well hidden but not entirely, slightly sweet and lots of rind and pine resin on the finish

M a nice bitter bite, tiny pinprick bubbles, and a strong aftertaste, not much booze felt on the way down but you know its in there soon enough

O this one went down a little too fast, its a palate wrecker but I don't mind at all, this one could hurt you if your not careful. A little higher grade here as the smell and taste were close but not quite 4.5

another thanks to Sean and Alex for getting this one too me, oh how I wish I had more access too the American craft scene

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 21:20:53 | More by wordemupg

zac16125

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip
no born on date

Thanks to haveanother1 for sending this one over as an extra.  

A: Pours a golden yellow, which is light for the style, with a huge 2.5 plus fingers width of snow white colored head, which takes minutes to dissipate down to a drinkable level.  A solid amount of lacing is left clinging to the glass.

S: Citrus with lemon zest and grapefruit, very dank and resiny, with a bit of hop spice, a touch smoky.  Malts are almost undetectable on the nose.  

T: Interesting taste to this one.  Like the nose, its dank, resiny, and herbaceous.  Some citrus, that is mostly grapefruit and maybe some citrus rind/peel characteristic.  Malt backbone is more noticable than on the nose, which gives it a balancing sweetness, but it certainly takes a back seat to the hops, no doubt about that.  

M/D:  Medium bodied, appropriate carbonation, with a big drying finish to conclude each sip.  The big ABV is incredibly well masked, and drinkability is very good.  

O: Overall, a very solid brew here. Its difficult to stand out in a style that has some many great offerings, and this one does not. Its nothing spectacular, but is quite good and certianly worth a try.  

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:00:56 | More by zac16125

jokemon

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

pours a clear golden amber color with a very white foamy head.

Smell is of bubble gum, sweetness and orange citrus zest.

Taste bitter, citrusy, bready malt finish. There are a lot of flavors going on here, all very citrusy.

Overall this beer is fantastic, probably the best IIPA I have had to date. Grats to New Glarus for creating this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 19:38:30 | More by jokemon

shand

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle to imperial pint -

This beer pours out a light orange color, with a small head. The aroma is big, brash, and hoppy. Citrus and pine hops jump around wildly. Grapefruit peel is a huge player. The taste is a nice, full, round hoppiness. There aren't any sharp edges here, yet the hop flavor is big and up front. Tropical and citrus hops absolutely dominate. The aftertaste is minimal. Overall, this is a very good DIPA that doesn't quite make it to the top tier. I'd drink plenty of this if I were a Wisconsin-ite, but it's not worth the trouble seeking out with all the great DIPAs on the market.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:47:17 | More by shand

KellyL

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a beautiful beer! A constant stream of tiny bubbles streamed from the bottom of the glass continually re-fluffing the delicate merangue like head. Awesome lacing, perfect clarity, gorgeous golden yellow.

The aroma is citrusy, piney and earthy. No frills on the smell, you get the hops and some sweetness from the malt. No booziness like some other Imperial IPA's.

The taste is just like the aroma, citrusy, piney and earthy. I also got a little bit of tropical fruits on the back end. A little malt sweetness is detected, but it balances nice with the hops. As carbonated as it looks, there's no bite from it.

The mouthfeel is pretty middle of the road. Not thin, but not creamy.

Overall I'd rate this just below the top of the chart for the style. Since we can only rate in increments of .5, I didn't get a 5 overall, I'd really put it at 4.75.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 01:18:33 | More by KellyL

herman77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Slightly hazy pale gold color with a bubbly off white head. Very nice lacing and good retention.

S: Lots of grapefruit and citrus zest. Some mango, pineapple and peach going on. A hint of pine in the mix too. Some sweet bready malt is present as well.

T: Excellent balance of malt and hops. More of a sweeter IIPA for sure. Lots of tangerine, ripe grapefruit. and pineapple. Big dose of sweet malt as well.

M: Medium body, average carbonation. Feels fairly slick.

O: Very good drinkability for a near 10% double IPA. Some hopheads won't like it as much since the hops don't come out and slap you across the face, but I think it's pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 23:26:40 | More by herman77

jarrgal

North Dakota

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Good head of foam at the top formed from a medium pour, golden in color, minimal lacing.

S - Well-balanced aroma of malt and hops that's not overly powerful.

T - Very smooth for a 9.75% double IPA and not over the top with the hops so a little restrained. The malt is present to support the hops with citrus notes leaving a very nice lingering aftertaste.

M - Little dry, light-to-medium body, smooth carbonation

O - Superb, fresh, and pleasing double IPA without the punch that's present in others in the double IPA class. I'd say it's right up there with Pliny and Hopslam as far as double IPAs go. In my opinion, this beer flys under the radar since it's a seasonal from Wisconsin.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 20:10:01 | More by jarrgal

Scotchboy

Idaho

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Awesome 12oz bottle sent from laymansbeerfan, thanks man! Red foiled cap.

A: Pours a pale gold with decent clarity and a fluffy slightly off-white head that leaves rings of lacing.

S: Definite ripe tropical fruit hop profile, with lots of peach, mango, some pineapple, grapefruit and tangerine...there are some floral notes as well as a crisp pale maltyness.

T: Follows the nose. The malt backbone is here but it doesn't dominate in sweetness, just mellows the hops a bit. Lots of exotic fruit notes with a hint of an herbally spice as well.. Bready on the finish.

MF: Medium bodied with soft carbonation, letting the flavors shine. No alcohol detected.

O: Real nice IIPA. Hoppy but not overly, still balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 15:47:59 | More by Scotchboy

brystmar

New York

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden body yields gobs of white head and plenty of lace. So much malt in the nose leaves little room for much else.

Grapefruit is the dominant flavor in this surprisingly fruity double IPA. Plenty of malt to balance the hops. Good carbonation level, a touch creamy. <3 New Glarus!

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 00:41:03 | More by brystmar

dogger6253

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A rich, golden color with decent carbonation topped by a fluffy, white head with nice retention. The nose is filled with sweet fruits and citrus zest with a little bit of pine backbone. There is also a touch of buttered biscuit.

Each sip begins with a mango and grapefruit hop profile. There is a little bit of a grassy-style hop flavor going on as well. This balances out with a bit of pineapple sweetness and a mellow maltyness. There is a tiny bit of a caramel/vanilla hidden behind the much stronger flavors. Every now and then a sip finishes with a crisp flush of lavender across the tongue.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied but fairly oily and the carbonation is spot on - high enough that the heavy flavors are lightened nicely and the beer finishes crisply. It should be noted that the alcohol is not noticeable in this beer at all. I am interested to see how this IIPA ages. I feel like a year or two of cellaring would mellow out the hop profile and make this an incredibly balanced drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:33:56 | More by dogger6253

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Light, clear, apricot color. Medium sized, fluffy, white head. Good retention leaving a nice lacing.

S - Good amount of exotic fruit (mango, pineapple, peach) along with a fair amount of grapefruit and tangerine. Hints of pine along with hints of pale/biscuit malt.

T - Similar to the nose. Good malt base but it's not dominating or overly sweet because it has more pale/biscuit malt. Good amount of mango, peach, pineapple, tangerine, and grapefruit. Sweet juicy flavors. A touch of pine and grassy hops but nothing too strong or resinous.

M - Lighter side of medium body. Average carbonation. Quite dry.

D - Easy to drink DIPA. Alcohol is almost non-existent. Pretty clean finish. Goes down easy and shows the hops off wonderfully.

Notes: Nice light DIPA that really shows off the hops. It definitely has a nice malt backbone, but it isn't too strong or sweet. Drinks clean. Really well done.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:05:32 | More by FreshHawk

mdaschaf

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to funhog for sending this one my way!

A: Pours a hazy peach color with a two finger, foamy white head, rather thick. Great head retention with nice rings of lacing.

S: Light tropical fruit, grassy hops, some light graham cracker malt. Rather light and flowery.

T: Very light, like the aroma. Some citrus, mostly lemon and a little bit of grapefruit. Some light bready malt and some grassy hops develop as it warms a bit.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly dry finish. No sign of the abv at all. Would never have guessed it so high.

O: A pretty good DIPA, but had slightly higher expectations. Not as hoppy as I would like in double, more like a single. But extremely drinkable for the abv.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:50:33 | More by mdaschaf

brydeen

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a hazy golden orange color with a thin but persistent frothy white head

S: very faint citrus aroma, with a dank musty smell too. Not the most pleasant

T: taste blows the smell away. Still has subtly citrus notes (grapefruit, orange), but has a lot of piney bitterness. Pretty prevalent malt backbone as well. Excellent.

M: medium bodied with a very bubbly carbonation. Nice dry finish.

O: top notch DIPA outside of the smell. I really enjoy the bitter dry finish. A little more citrusy floral nose would be all I'd change here.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 23:02:32 | More by brydeen

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

clean golden yellow pour with a finger of foamy white head and decent amounts of lacing.
smells of pine, garlic, grapefruit, caramel.
bitter up front with a spicy garlic kick, tastes of pine, sweet grapefruit citrus backbone. really tasty.
medium body, goes down smooth with a slightly creamy feel to it, nicely carbonated keeps a fizzy tone on the palate and roof.

this is an overall solid dipa.has a lot of different hop notes which is pretty nice for the palate. solid 4's all around - no complaints!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 21:32:59 | More by facundoCNB

koopa

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle received in a trade with a generous BA thanks!

Appearance: Pours a fairly well filtered slightly amber orange with a 2 finger billowing white crown that displays goot retention and lots of lace!

Smell: Mild citrus (predominantly grapefruit and orange zest), lightly floral, and a faint egg shell sulfur note stand out.

Taste: It opens with a stiffly bittered herbal hop wave, transitions to grapefruit, allows a light (almost toffee like) caramel note to appear momentarily, then finishes with the same herbal bite it opened with.

Mouthfeel: On the light side of medium bodied with active carbonation. Gives the beer a nice bite.

Overall: Fairly traditional for the style and enjoyable. No real wow factor but solid.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 20:42:05 | More by koopa

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into Sam Adams perfect pint

A - Golden yellow, that has pretty good clarity. Nice cap of white foam from a moderate pour. Minimal lacing to my surprise.

S - A nice citrusy character alongside big pine hops. There is another hop smell that seems a bit unfamiliar to myself. A little bit of alcohol sneeks through but seems to mesh well with that strong hop presence.

T - The maris otter malts are a nice mild but certainly present backbone to somewhat balanced flavor before finishing up with a long lasting spicy/piney hop bitterness.

M - Medium to medium-full bodied. Great dryness. Flavors last far after guzzled.

O - I enjoyed how foward and unique the hops were to this beer. Had plenty of mild malts so is wasn't completly one-sided. A great double IPA that leaves your mouth coated with wonderful hop flavors to continue savoring.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 02:09:49 | More by Jparker37

ckollias

Maryland

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

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours an orange hue with a 2-finger white head that slowly dissipates leaving a decent trail down the glass and ending in a wispy lace.

S: A musty hoppy aroma and your typically in your hop punch I am used with these double ipas.

T: Good hop flavor with a great malt background in the beer to balance this bad boy out. Hints of pine and some citrus in the end.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Interesting double IPA – good balance between hops and malt.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:53:41 | More by ckollias

312HopBomb

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz served in a small tulip

Efervescent pour a golden honey orange a bit hazy with a nice white cap. A rocky cap that coats the glass with heavy webbed lacing.

The awesome hop scent shows mixed fruit and pine that is balanced between the two. Pineapple orange and resinous pine needles.

Nice hop blast followed by a full malt coating that is a very light roast. Slick hop oil coating the mouth. I like the malt backing that supports the heavy hop palate but not heavy at all. Fruity ale taste is typical of New Glarus and I enjoy the trademark taste that runs through many of their beers. Slight alcohol bite on the finish reminds you this is a heavyweight.

Smooth light carbonation that complements the intense flavors.

A very good double India pale from a top notch brewing team.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:54:13 | More by 312HopBomb

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to the trader who sent this one as an extra in a recent trade! Served from bottle into a balloon wine glass. Poured yellow-orange with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, citrus, citrus hop, subtle onion, and onion hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, onion, onion hop, earth hop, citrus, citrus hop, and earth. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. All the right aspects for a great IIPA were here in this one, however, the onion aspect in this one was pretty dominant. This helped to cover up the alcohol, but definitely beat up on your palate. Glad I got to try this one and I suggest you at least do the same.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 12:33:59 | More by thagr81us