Belgian IPA
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

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From:
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
 
United States
Style:
Belgian IPA
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 7.81%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
21
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 26, 2015
Added:
Nov 29, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by JMFP from Delaware

Jan 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Durandal_777 from Pennsylvania

May 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tpacek from New Jersey

Apr 30, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Dbot from Delaware

Dec 31, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

Sep 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by George2744 from Pennsylvania

Aug 02, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by DCocco86 from Pennsylvania

Jul 26, 2013
Photo of garuda
Reviewed by garuda from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
This version clocks in at 6.5%
A -Amber, clear, white head has good retention with some lace.

Certainly not as hoppy as I hoped. Candy sugar, plum, hops don't come in until the back end with some pine and herbal bitterness.

Medium body, medium carbonation, silky smooth consistency with some prickliness from the hops.

O - Drinkable, good mouthfeel, but considering its dubbed into the IPA world, it needs some hop bitterness as it leaned more towards the sweet side of things through most of the drink with the hops really only coming through in the finish.
May 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Ryanc23

Jun 26, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Jan 02, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by MerkurKing16 from Pennsylvania

Nov 17, 2011
 
Rated: 4.75 by Jspriest from Pennsylvania

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of ShanePB
Reviewed by ShanePB from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Served both on-tap at the Iron Hill Lancaster location, as well as from a growler. I must have enjoyed it enough to get another 64 ounces of it. Poured from a fresh growler into a tapered, footed glass.

A: Crystal clear golden bronze colored body with a white fluffy and creamy head. The retention and lacing are simply beautiful on this beer. The lacing is chaotic and almost completely covering the walls, as well as having a solid thin retention cap across the surface area of the beer.

S: Floral hop aromas come through first along with some slightly sweet caramel malt notes. Toffee, leaves, grass and a bit of hop bitterness are all present. I don't get much of the Belgian "flair" this beer is supposed to have though. It smells good but I was hoping for more of a yeasty element in the nose.

T: Floral hops follow suit with the smell grounded in a sweet dough and bread flavor. Orange citrus, spice, rye and a touch of Belgian yeast does come through mid-palate. It's more obvious in the flavor, but still doesn't impart much to the overall profile. This one definitely tastes a bit different from a normal IPA but I'd be hard pressed to identify a Belgian spin so easily.

M: Medium bodied, bubbly, smooth and a bit prickly going down the throat, though it definitely finishes fairly dry.

It's by no means my favorite IPA I've had, nor my favorite Belgian IPA. It's an interesting twist on what seems to have a well grounded American IPA base. I'm not sure just how well all the moving parts work together as a whole. Unconvinced.
Aug 08, 2011
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Iron Hill Lancaster on 7/13/11 for the inaugural monthly Mug Club "Club Night".

A - Clear copper/amber-toned liquid with a slight haze and slim off-white cap that reduced to a patchy film and rocky crags of lacing around the glass.

S - Aroma borders more IPA territory with a pleasant whiff of spicy and piney hop notes backed by a toasted malt character. Hints of spicy fruit, Belgian yesast and peppermint candy emerge as the liquid took some time to warm up.

T - Flavor, on the other hand, presents a bit more of a Belgian flair with spicy yeast notes and a hint of pepper and fruity esters. Hops emerge midway through and impart notes of pine sap and citrus rind, while the spiciness of the ale remains a constant throughout. Finishes with a distinct toasted grainy malt character and herbal hop zing.

M - Solid medium bodied with a sticky, syrupy texture and bristly carbonation. Finishes spicy with moderate bitterness on the palate.

D - I liked this one better than the previous Belgian IPA on tap at the Lancaster site. While the nose was a little more IPA-forward, the flavor was a nice combo of hop bitterness and spicy, yeasty Belgian elements. Nice work, Kevin!
Jul 14, 2011
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

4.07/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
- Served in a chalice. 8.5%.

A: Poured a dark sunset orange with a good clarity and light sense of carbonation that randomly rose in broken intervals. The head was thin and frothy, a creamish-beige color, but ultimately was short lived. A fairly thick band encircles the glass for a lacing.

S: The hops were bright, fresh and spicy on the nose with notes of wet citrus and a tropical fruitiness of mangos and pineapple. A good show of strength gives you an appreciable amount of sniffage.

T: The palate was dry, perhaps of Belgian pale grains with just enough specialty malts to give it coloring and a dry toasted flavor. The alcohol seems to be the showcase here delivering both warmth and spicy tones. Some dry citrus hops as well dried fruitiness of apples and pears from the yeast wraps things up. The malting was dry, lightly toasted but offered hints of dry caramelized grain sweetness while the alcohol left you with a generous amount of dried spiciness and warmth.

M: The mouthful was a light bodied affair, dry, smooth with a generous amount of warmth that traveled to the pit of your stomach.

D: Nice drinkability per style, very dry with an alcohol warmth and dry hopping that makes this a clean yet still easy and enjoyable to handle in limited volume.
Jun 06, 2010
Photo of tgbljb
Reviewed by tgbljb from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Enjoyed on-tap at the brewpub.
Served as a hazy golden colored beer with moderate white puffy head.
Smell has distinct notes of spices and yeast, with a light citrusy hop background.
Taste also has nice spicy notes, but the hops seem to detract from the enjoyment.
The hops are very light in the finish. No alcohol noted.
Nice easy drinking beer.
Jan 14, 2008
Photo of BravoTwo
Reviewed by BravoTwo from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Golden pale straw color with a good off - white head, very apealing color.

S - Interesting smell, with both the sweetness and sugar of the belgian side and the spicy tartnesss of the IPA side. Smell was inviting.

T - Really interesting! A very balanced blend of styles to make an intriguing brew. Initial taste of belgian candi and depth, followed by the crispness and flavors of an IPA. Very god blending of flavors. This beer sounds distinctive, and taste matches this.

M - Mouthfell is like that of a good belgian brew, with good carbonation balanced with thickness.

D - If you like IPAs (I do) and you like Belgians (I do) you will enjoy this mixing of flavors, and will find the beer to be very drinkable. Overall, a really nice brew that is very drinkable
Dec 18, 2007
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 10 oz glass served at IH's newest location in Lancaster, PA.

A: The ale is a hazy straw yellow color, darker near the bottom of the glass (hopefully a yeast deposit). The head is thicker, near 1 finger, with a nice cascading lace.

S: The nose shows off equal parts tripel and IPA, with coriander and yeastiness representing the tripel and American citrus hops representing the IPA side.

T: The ale is a mouthful, with big flavors coming from both precursors. The tripel side lends a spicy taste, with coriander pepperiness, pale candi sugars and a distinctive yeast. Mid-sip the IPA side bursts through, with a citrusy blast that adds an additional layer of flavor to the ale. As the ale warmed, the final sip of my first glass revealed a surprising kick of cascade hops, thick and citrusy.

M: The mix of flavors is inspired, a true hybrid that captures the best of both styles.

D: I had two glasses and should have taken a growler home. If you like Belgian IPAs, this is a nice offering that costs a lot less than a trip to Brussels.
Dec 01, 2007
Photo of HossMcGraw
Reviewed by HossMcGraw from Pennsylvania

4.67/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Sweet elixir of Zeus!! This is a phenomenal brew. Can't say that I remember having a Belgian IPA before, (bit of a misnomer isn't it?) but damn if this isn't one of the tastier beers I've had in a while.

Appearance is nothing special. Pale straw yellow with little head or lacing. Aroma is a bit muted with hints of nectarine, yeast, and grapefruit.

Taste is like an explosion of tropical fruits, but with enough dryness to keep it from becoming cloying. Super complex. Terrific mouthfeel and dangerously drinkable. Barteneder told me ABV is around 8%.
Dec 01, 2007
Belgian IPA from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 21 ratings