Glacial Trail IPA - Central Waters Brewing Company

WoodBrew

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a chance to try thr Glacial IPA at "The Bank" in Wheaton. The beer poured a very nice copper in color, with thin white head that left spotty lacing. The smell was citrus with a subtle pine balanced by malt. The mouthfeel was a medium to light body with average carbontation. Overall....I would session with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2011 00:37:45 | More by WoodBrew

Treebs

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Had on tap at Twisted Spoke, served into a pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy amber color with a fluffy yellow head. About one finger in height and leaves some great lace down the glass.

S: There are some floral hops with light citrus and pine presence in there as well. Slight cracker malt backbone to play the hops off of.

T: Very disappointing. The bready malt is much more present and dominates. The light citrus and floral notes from the nose really don't take control and are barely noticeable.

M: Medium to light bodied. Nicely carbonated. The flavors leave so quick and don't want to stick around. Pretty disappointing when I don't even know what I drank three seconds after finishing my sip.

O: Just stick to Illumination. This beer fell flat on several fronts and didn't really live up to the other great CW brews.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2011 12:10:10 | More by Treebs

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

on tap at royal tavern in philly

Pours an amber color with a faint haze. Thin layering of white head slowly fades with a nice smattering of lacing on the glass.

Bite of pine and resin with bitter hops in the nose. Some citrus sweetness and bready malt notes with a touch of caramel.

Bitter and dry up front with splashes of pine hoppiness. Lingers on the tongue, broken up by some bread crust and doughy malt tones. Caramel and a touch of honey with sweetness. Finishes piny and bitter.

Medium bodied, decent carbonation, lingering, dry, and sticky on the tongue. Really a pretty regular IPA, definitely not as memorable as their Illumination DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2011 02:16:29 | More by xnicknj

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Ontap at fork.
A: light amber/copper and clear. Kinda minimal white head diminishes quickly.
S: toffee/caramel malts and piney, earthy hops w/some grapefruit.
T: medium sweet toffeeish malts and a balancing earthy hop bitterness.
M: fine, maybe a touch thin and astringent.
O: glad I tried it instead of getting a 6er.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2011 05:52:33 | More by MrMcGibblets

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pint on tap at the hulmeville inn.

A- comes my way with a good finger of off white head that settles after the first sip leaving sweet lines and a thin skin on top. Copper orange in color with a slight haze.

S- wet grass and a light citrus touch. Mild sweetness coming off with some light caramel and bread.

T- light bitterness with a bit of grapefruit and orange peel. Grassy and a touch dank. Malts are bready and a little sweet but the balance is good. Clean if slightly bitter finish.

M- medium body and a bit higher in carb.

D- tis a good ipa but not a great one. Very drinkable and refreshing but not one that will keep you up at night wanting more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2010 02:57:31 | More by oglmcdgl

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden. Nice to see Central Waters in the Commonwealth.

A: The IPA is caramel amber color, brown with a translucent body. A small head, white, comes with the beer.

S: The nose is caramel paired with vegetal hops. The greenness of the hops is distinct from the wet aroma of a harvest ale. The caramel maltiness is difficult to ignore.

T: The taste is very similar to the nose, more pale ale than IPA. The caramel body is strong, a sweet bready force that rules over most of the ale. The hoppiness is vegetal and green, seemingly very fresh. The hoppiness, nominally citrus, is bitter but generally without focus. I've noticed the same thing from the bottled version, a decent beer that seems a little short as an IPA.

M: The mouthfeel is more malty than not. A chewy ale that brings bitterness but not focus. I'd love to see a crisper hop presence.

D: A drinkable IPA in the purest sense. The ale, however, isn't my favorite from Central Waters.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 22:33:25 | More by akorsak

kickapoodude

Alaska

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

They had to discontinue the Lac Du Bay becaue of the hops shortage...although they do make it from time to time at the brewery for the tasting room, and the came out with this less hoppy IPA. She's smooth and wonderful...the Lac Du Bay is far superior, but I'm a hopaholic. It is a little more malty, but shares the heaviness and boldness of all of thier other brews. The high alc. makes the trip out to Amherst well wroth while.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2009 22:02:55 | More by kickapoodude

WJVII

Wisconsin

2.65/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got a chance to try this brew by chance at the brewery's makeshift bar open Friday night and Saturday afternoon. The beer pour from tap has a cloudy wheat color with a nice tan head, with great lacing. This brew has a great hop aroma that seems balanced by strong hops. The taste on the other hand almost was dirty or a little like wet grass. Unfortunately I was not happy with this brew as I like IPAs and was expecting something really solid.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2008 00:14:37 | More by WJVII

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Glacial Trail pours a darker golden color, with a nice long lasting head. Their is a clean crisp hoppy aroma. The taste has a pronounced malty backbone, with a bold hoppy flavor. These flavors do standout, and their is a strange soapy like aftertaste. Overall not the worst, but not great, expected better from central waters.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:08:21 | More by vette2006c5r

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a sam lager glass, great pour, perfect 1/2 inch head the color of which is tan, and bubbly; body color is copper with fine bubble carbonation.

Smell is subdued, bready, biscuity malts with a note of pine and citrus.

Taste is pretty clean, nice malt profile, a little more bread and biscuit than usual, hop profile is very solid, mixed pine, hints of mango and citrus.

Mouthfeel is a little drying from the bitterness but not overly so, carbonation and malt sweetness work well together in addition to the lingering bitterness.

Overall, a very solid, easy drinking IPA, would like to find this one on tap so its a bit fresher.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 19:00:09 | More by mvanaskie13

OliverBlaze

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

My buddy is an Amherst local and introduced this beer to me while on a ski trip in Colorado. I was a bit skeptical knowing that this beer was basically from the middle of nowhere, but as soon as I tasted it I was in love. From the bottle, it had a beautiful floral taste. Just the right amount of hops with a delicious malty backside. Quite fruity as well. Crisp finish that isn't too dry. A super easy drinking IPA that has somehow slipped under the radar for far too long in my life. Give this IPA a shot, you wont be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:19:38 | More by OliverBlaze

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Cloudy. Orange juice color. Thin khaki cap with finely bubbled lace. Looks thick.

S - Gooey Hawaiian roll notes (sweet bready biscuits), slightly buttery, mango hops.

T - Caramel malts with butterscotch. Lots of really green and minty hop flavors. Green candy cane.

M - Medium bodied, chewy. Nice long minty finish. Outstandingly drinkable.

I really like this one. It steps away from the "biscuity malt, piney/grapefruit hop" standard of American IPAs. This one is more refreshing. Fresh mint leaves and Worther's Original candy flavors. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 06:07:47 | More by pmcadamis

NODAK

Tennessee

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nose has some floral notes to it, but also has a pretty significant sweet caramel maltiness to it as well for a single IPA. More malty than most in style, at least on the nose.

Taste has some bitterness upfront, with some floral taste and herbal hoppiness. Not very strong, not as much as most IPA's in the American style. There then comes a fair amount of balancing sweet caramel malt and a hint of toastiness (Munich malt?). Decent herbal, finishing bitterness to close it out on a pretty dry note.

Pretty average American IPA...isn't going to rank among the best in the style nor is it among the worst.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 02:10:30 | More by NODAK

ferrari29

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beer Poured: from bottle into Lagunitas IPA glass.

A - Beer pours with a one finger white colored frothy head. Body has a copper color. Well carbonated. Some lacing. Transparent.

S - Roasted malt nose, hoppy, light sweet caramel, vanilla.

T - Hoppy caramel taste, pine flavors truly come out, some vanilla. Bitter.

M - Watery, lower than average body, crisp, extremely bitter aftertaste, dry tart feel

D - Easy to drink IPA, comes with all basic IPA characteristics; bitterness, pine, hoppy, malted caramel taste. Nothing unique, just a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:23:50 | More by ferrari29

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A very nice hazy amber color. Formed two fingers of a very light khaki head that left some pretty nice lacing.

Grapefruit and other citrus led the way, with piney and earth hops that followed. Bitter throughout. A basic sweeter malt backbone was detected underneath the hops.

A piney hoppiness hits the palate first, then changes to some more fruity notes. There is a generic bitterness throughout, but not incredibly prevalent. The malt really does come through, but a little bit too much.

Medium bodied and kind of slick. Mild carbonation. It's kind of messy.

Not too bad of an IPA. All of the flavors were there, but the tastes weren't incredibly clean. Other than that, it was incredibly drinkable and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 06:46:55 | More by jeremy13586

jsulko

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours a mostly clear amber color with a decent amount of white foam.

Smell is slightly sweet with more pine than citrus.

Taste has a piney oily with a little of the malt sweetness. Finish has oily sweetness.

A middle of the road IPA. Prefer some of their other beers more.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 04:26:36 | More by jsulko

mltobin

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, poured into a pint glass.

This IPA has an appearance that is amber in color, nearly two fingers of white head. Smells of tangerine, hops, flowers. It tastes a bit resiny with carmel and more hops, bitter. Mouthfeel is medium, a dry, bitter finish. A pretty good IPA, but would not pick this up too often with so many other options out there (that is if I had regular access to it in CT).

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 13:39:13 | More by mltobin

BierStein711

Illinois

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into shaker pint
Two finger head
amber color

Smells: piney, herbal, citrus! I think I smelled Cascade Hops!

Taste: Grapefruit, apricot, and booze...with a hoppy finish

Mouthfeel: thick, but not too thick

Overall, this is a beer that feels like how an IPA should be.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 04:37:34 | More by BierStein711

Magog

4.08/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: two fingers of creamy colored, bubbly head that descends down to thick film, decent (white) lacing. Dark orange or yellowy brown color. Color thins to yellow at thin levels. Maintained a decent film of head and lacing until the end.

S: Some fruitiness here, citrus or something gentler. Currants. Piney wood, perhaps hints of moss. Overall, a soft, unremarkable scent.

T: Great hoppy, woody, musky taste. Some Italian seasoning or oregano notes. This beer's taste calls upon the verdant abundance of the plant kingdom, a friend of the trees, ferns and sticks. Would be perfect for a camp out in the forest. Modestly or sufficiently hoppy, but never too bitter to overcome the various flavors. On the nasal exhale, a fun, zingy tartness comes out, though not of a fruity sort.

M: Smooth, plays on the larynx like an IPA should.

O: A smooth and respectable IPA from a brewery that can do little wrong. The taste to me is a well-tempered sonnet to nature's green things, though this might not be to everyone's IPA liking. Many people feel more hops must = better, and those folks might want to look elsewhere. Fittingly, the label is dark green.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 09:14:18 | More by Magog

irrgalaxy

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark apricot color, with lots of foam left on sides of the glass. Very opaque, with significant bits of dark sediment floating at the bottom of my glass. Hadn't expected that for a beer not explicitly cask-conditioned.

S: Fruity, with strong grapefruit flavors.

T: Sour but refined front of the beer, with hops appearing at the end. Grains (roasted corn?) and something that reminded me of molasses.

M: Definitely front-loaded, but a nice gradual finish, rather than falling off and leaving an anticlimax. Surprisingly heavy on the palate for am IPA.

O: Tasty, but very different than what I expected for an IPA. Hops are not strong, and I'm concerned about the clarity and sediment.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 01:03:15 | More by irrgalaxy

Holland

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle from Nov 2011. Thanks to Treebs for this extra in a trade.

A: orange/gold color with good sized head that dissipates and gives way to a top-coating lacing.

S; smell is malty with some bitterness mixed in. I'm expecting a bitter IPA rather than a sweet, citrusy IPA.

T: it is indeed quite bitter, but it has great malt character both in the front and on the finish. It also has hints of pine.

M: good crisp feel with medium carbonation (at least) and a medium to light body. This accents the bitterness.

O: solid IPA, but I prefer something with more interesting hop characteristics. Only a slight pine taste and the blast of bitterness gave hints of the hops here.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 00:51:24 | More by Holland

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle in November of 2011

A - Rocky off-white head. Hazy golden orange. Alright lacing.

S - I love the smell of this beer. A perfect marriage of citrus and pine. The freshness is outstanding, exploding with dank dry hops. Malt will not stand in the way of this hop behemoth.

T - Pale malt tries to sneak in early but quickly submits to a wave of pine flavors. The pine flavor is victorious and stays long to gloat with a lasting pleasant bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with light carbonation. Pretty dry. Not the most refreshing but not intended to be.

O - Nears double IPA hop presence. Outstanding smell, great one-sided American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 01:23:43 | More by Jparker37

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a rich orange amber with a little haze about itself. The head is a nice beige and quite tall. It's pocked with large bubbles and is quite dense. This beer is also well carbonated.
Aroma is rich and fragrant with grapefruit and orange blossoms. Malts are hidden deep in the background as the hop bouquet is the star here. The aroma doen't translate well to the taste. A moderately hoppy and bitter brew, but without the hop taste. Seems mumbled together. Malts are sweet but light in taste and have toward the end a biscuit or toast finish. Smooth and dry with like I said a fairly bitter finish. This was a good beer and definititly would drink more. I don't see the point if your going to make an IPA it should have hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 12:35:10 | More by micromaniac129

dexterk1

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Into a pint glass it goes from the bottle. Pours a dark amber to red. Head is pretty thick and rich.
Odor is floral and citrus.
Taste is floral and citrus as well. Some pine notes are noticeable. It has a pretty average mouth feel however. It is not bad just kind of in the middle. Overall a good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 21:56:13 | More by dexterk1

seeswo

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Next blind beer in the sequence, 12oz poured into my lost abbey stem.

Pours golden brown with a fizzy whitish head. Looks good. - 4.0

The nose is very lightly hoppy and a touch malty. Yes I know how lame that is, but it doesn't really smell like much at all. An intense swirl gives off some very lightly citrus hops, which are nice. - 3.0

A strong maltiness merges with a burst of relatively generic hop bitterness. It tastes somewhat familiar, as a pretty stereotypical Midwest IPA. It almost tastes like a hoppy amber in the degree to which the malt plays emerges - similar to ambergeddon from ale asylum (bottle shape is different though). - 3.5

The mouthfeel is a bit heavy with above average carbonation that teams up with a burst of hop bitterness to prickle the tongue. - 3.5

Overall, this beer drinks easy. I keep thinking that I am sitting at the Old Fashioned in Madison, WI drinking this brew, which is a nice memory. The hop flavor and the maltiness are a bit one note in their presentation, but I could definitely drink a few pints of this in a bar, and I feel like I have had this or something close to it. - 3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 18:59:58 | More by seeswo