Cambridge House Abijah Rowe IPA - The Cambridge House Brewpub

BlueHammer

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a deep orangey tan color, somewhat opaque and cloudy. Had a white head that left nice lacing as I drained the glass. It smells earthy, floral, and hoppy. The taste is of bitter hops. It has a balanced mothfeel with a consistent taste from start to finish. It leaves the hoopy taste on your tongue even after you've swallowed. I love the hoppy bite of this beer, it tastes like a quality IPA should!

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2008 02:05:42 | More by BlueHammer

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

04-24-2013 04:23:18 | More by DrunkinYogi

drabmuh

Maryland

2.63/5  rDev -37.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Growler provided by the other Matt. Thanks.

Beer is amber and mostly clear with a thin wispy head that leaves no lacing, carbonation low.

Aroma is the first sign that something is wrong, it almost is solventy and stingy.

Beer is harsh, oddly spicy, the hops have been damaged somehow. Maybe they don't know how to fill growlers there it tastes oxidized, rough, harsh. I drank about 4 ounces and that was it. Second bad English IPA from a growler in as many months. I may never try another EIPA from a growler again.

Serving type: growler

04-29-2011 05:13:15 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Huhzubendah for bringing over an uber-fresh growler of this. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a disappointment. Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip.

Pours a nice copper color with a good off white head that sticks around for a bit. Pretty nice head with some sticky lacing as it goes down. The nose is okay, slightly vegetal. Other than that, there are some floral and citrus hops, though those tend toward the background with a bit of malt there as well. The flavor is also slightly like cooked vegetables and there could be a bit of oxidation. Perhaps an issue with their growlering technique, as this growler was a few days old when consumed, taped, and had a nice hiss when it was opened. Aside from that, the hops weren't terribly present. What was there was pretty nice, but it was quite mild, even for something labeled as an EIPA. Feel was moderately bitter with a bit of spice. Moderately-dry finish. Just okay.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2011 21:45:02 | More by Thorpe429

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.05/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Growler graciously sent to me by hobbie100. Thanks Richard!

The beer is mostly clear and yellow hued. The head is 1/4" thick and leaves a tiny bit of lacing behind. The aroma brings toast and hops, along with a dank vegetal scent. The taste is a bit disappointing, as I was really hoping for an English IPA I could thoroughly enjoy. Slightly oxidized with a boiled vegetable presence. Medium-thin in body with moderate carbonation. Overall, not a repeat. Perhaps this batch is different than the one folks were raving about, as I just don't see this beer being the top of the style.

Serving type: growler

04-22-2011 23:51:34 | More by Huhzubendah

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright, medium amber color with modest fine head that leaves plenty of sticky lacing.

Modest herbal hoppy aroma with sweet maltiness vying for attention in the background.

Well balanced flavor with grassy, herbal hops setting off a well rounded maltiness. The mouthfeel is very smooth and juicy with just the right amount of carbonation. A bit of bright fruity hops in the middle with a little pepper and a pleasant lingering bitterness.

A refreshing, nicely constructed IPA. Definitely worth checking out! Very easy to drink, especially for the alchohol content.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2011 22:40:04 | More by CliffBrake

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives with a cloudy apricot nectar color and an inch of a head that sheets the pint glass with lace

Smell: Pithy aroma with an underlying cracker malt aspect

Taste: Combines the English and American elements quite well as the hops dominate from the opening, with a combination of earthy and pithy flavors; the subtle undertones of cracker malt add a nice balancing effect

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A very nicely balanced beer that has a rather unique hop profile

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 16:48:48 | More by brentk56

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. A mild c-hop taste, and aroma. Golden coloured body that is also somewhat honeyish. A dash of whitish head on top, that also leaves lace down the sides. Carbonation is right there. Served a little too cold. Tasty and drinkable enough, though nothing exceptional. Good thing I did not look at scores first.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2010 03:36:26 | More by northyorksammy

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured amber/copper, with modest carbonation, a thin white head, and average lacing. Very malt-dominated in the nose, with a little apple, caramel, and herbs. The taste also revealed a big malt/caramel dominance, with a slightly sweet finish. This beer would benefit from a bigger hop presence. The mouthfeel was smooth, and medium-bodied. Sessionable, but again I'd say that it would benefit greatly from a bittering presence to balance out the flavor.

Serving type: cask

07-23-2010 17:56:56 | More by donniecuffs

TheMattJones88

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Served on tap at the Cambridge House into a standard pint glass.

A - A dark golden color with pretty much no head by the time it reached my table. The color of it was real pretty though. Really minimal lacing was left on the glass.

S - It smells like pure grapefruit, with maybe the smallest twinge of an apple in the background? But the grapefruit and hops are by far the stars of this beer. Incredibly sweet smell.

T - It honestly tasted like I was drinking grapefruit juice which faded into a slight hoppy burn at the end. As the drink warmed up in the room a little bit, the grapefruit flavor seemed to mellow out a little bit. I'm used to IPA's having a bit of the grapefruit flavor, but this was just too much for me personally.

M - Average mouthfeel. Good for the style, not thin but not thick and it's nicely carbonated, not too much or too little. Pretty much the standard fare here.

D - It's a little bit too bitter for me to drink down too fast, but it's a good solid sipper.

all in all, I think that it was just too sweet for my tastes, and not at all balanced. But who knows, if you love Grapefruit, and don't want any real malty flavors in your IPA you could have a new favorite one.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2009 06:16:44 | More by TheMattJones88

MasterSki

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Walken for sending a growler of this stuff my way - unfortunately I was out of town when it reached me, so the growler is verging on two weeks old. Shared with Dave (d0b) and served in a Dogfish pint glass with an unusual shape.

A - My pour was a lot more attractive than Dave's for whatever reason. Two fingers of dark blonde foam that quickly dissipated down to one finger then stuck around for a while. A bit of spotty lacing. Transparent coppery orange-red body. I'm gonna give this a bit of a break, considering how long it sat in the fridge, although most other reviews seem to be kind of indifferent to the appearance.

S - Big citrus grapefruit hoppiness, with notes of dank weed, grass, pine, and well balanced with toffee and dough maltiness. Even though Cambridge House calls this an English IPA, it smells a lot like a reasonably balanced America IPA. Whatever it is, it smells pretty delicious.

T - Taste is a step down, with less complexity and juicy hoppiness. There is still some pine and earthiness that is balanced by the mildly sweet toffee/bready malts. Plenty of residual bitterness in the aftertaste, which was surprising but welcome.

M - Lighter side of medium bodied, with a touch of carbonation tingle, and a decent amount of residual stickiness. Well-hidden ABV - I wouldn't have guessed it was this high; figured it was more 5 to 6% or so.

D - The bitterness gets a little heavy by the end of a few pints, but otherwise it's eminently drinkable with the moderate carbonation and ABV. Good stuff, but I'm not sure about all the hype on this one. The growler let out a nice hiss, so I can't believe it's super different from the tap. However, I'll re-evaluate if I ever get to CT to try it out in person.

More of a EIPA/AIPA hybrid than the cited "traditional English IPA", but well worth trying.

Serving type: growler

06-25-2009 02:00:56 | More by MasterSki

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

So happy to finally be able to try this one. It has been on my wants list for like two years I think. A fresh growler sent down to me by a most kind BA, I now can cross another one of the list. Served cold and poured into several pint glasses throughout the day, this one was consumed on 06/14/2009.



The pour was very clean, nice deep orange amber in color with a good bit of carbonation streaking up toward the surface throughout the pour. Nice little head of white sitting right up on top let down to a nice bit of lacing across the sides. Crisp, ripe aroma of citrus tears through the air at the very first moment. Lots of pineapple here, orange peel, lemon and a wonderful bright aroma. Fresh hops just roll across the tongue as the bite of resin settles in. Clean taste here, with lots of pineapple and grapefruit leading the way. I wait for it to mellow, to balance, but it keeps on with the huge hop bite. Finally a touch of sweet, biscuit flavor comes in and smoothes it out before it fades away with the last little bit of fresh flavor drying out the tongue at the very end. Delicious, and unbelievably session able, this was a killer IPA, with a smooth, light body and nearly hidden ABV.



Overall worth every ounce of praise it gets. It was super fresh, super flavorful, and just super drinkable, this was literally one of the best in the style I have had in a very, very long time!

Serving type: growler

06-17-2009 00:14:45 | More by mikesgroove

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at the brewpub served in an english pint glass.

Hazy orange color with about a finger slightly off white head. Nice lacing which fades away quickly.

Smells of citrus hops, some pine notes but not overly piney, some nice hops.

They did a very good job with this ipa. The taste is very well balanced. Nice smooth hops with citrus and pine undertones. The hops are very prominent but nothing overpowering. I detect very little malt in this ipa. It's nice and crisp with a dry finish. Goes back very easily. They list a 6.3 ABV for this batch and I can barley sense the alchohol. A solid brew.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2009 21:01:57 | More by DNICE555

jeffthecheff

Connecticut

4.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Dark Orange color with a decent IPA head. Some lacing was there but this brew lasted me less than 10 minutes...

This smells like one of the most aggressively dry hopped IPA's I've had. Floral and citrus and a lot of it. This is a very special smell that is a very important part of me loving this beer.

This has the bitterness of a strong pale ale and the hop flavor of a DIPA. Perfect combination in my mind.

Smooth mouthfeel that gives you that "Ahh" moment after you take a sip (gulp?). A beer that can easiliy be put back. Almost 7% are you kidding me? I was very excited for this beer and drank it in a bout 10 minutes. I would have many more with no problem, the buzz is high on it but it is very easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2009 03:08:38 | More by jeffthecheff

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Cambridge House Brewpub in Granby, Conn.

A: Poured a hazy, golden orange color with a thin veil of white foam and a lively sense of carbonation about it. Lacing was minimal but a thin ring of foam endured most of the brew.

S: Smells a bit citrusy sweet, with a definite pine and cloven hop aroma.

T: Taste is a little citric and sweet up front, with clean toasted malt and a little spicy clove/citrus taste. In come the resinous piney hop flavors, which seem to cool and flow a bit better becaus eof the lighter base malts. Satisfying and drinkable.

M: Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, prickly to the tongue and a little sticky towards the finish.

D: A very sessionable IPA and one that might appeal to the masses as a lighter tasting IPA with full hop presence. The lighter citrus notes do wonders to balance the solid hop agressiveness in the ale.

A great IPA from a local brewpub. I'll have to keep a growler packed with me next visit and take some of this one to go. Now, if only Torrington could get its act together sooner, I could bring home said delicious ale to the masses with haste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2008 03:54:49 | More by Gambrinus1184

Damian

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank on cask at The Cambridge House, Granby, CT
Served in a 10 oz. nonic

The beer poured a hazy, orangey-amber color with a sudsy looking cap of bubbles that quickly dissolved.

The aroma was pungently hoppy, fruity and sweet. Peaches, apricots, citrus and tropical fruits (mango and pineapple) were rather apparent. Sweet caramel malts were noticeable as well.

The taste was hoppy and robust yet balanced. A touch of malty sweetness appeared up front before the hops took over. Grapefruit dominated the hop flavor profile. Tangerines and orange peel were noticeable as well. Juicy and sweet. Slightly grassy. The finish was piney and resiny - pithy, dry and moderately bitter with a lingering hop aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied and somewhat syrupy with a fine, barely noticeable (typical for a cask ale) effervescence.

Cambridge House IPA (as it is now called) is a terrific all-around IPA. I was glad to have the opportunity to try it as a cask ale and would love to sample it again on-tap.

Serving type: cask

11-30-2008 01:48:36 | More by Damian

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ah, one of the best beers I've ever had. This IPA should be the basis of how all other IPAs should be brewed. The aroma and taste are so flavorful and perfect. Perfectly balanced and super smooth and so damn hoppy. I could really drink this all day and night. I hope this stuff can get bottled ASAP!

Serving type: growler

09-25-2008 00:47:51 | More by marlinsfan4

letsgowhalers

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm lucky enough to live nice and close to CBH. It's amazing how many people are drinking this when at the bar. Nice hazy orange color and lovely head that leaves a proper lace. The smell is almost beyond compare-resiney, hoppy goodness abound! This IPA's taste is wonderfully hoppy with enough malt to maintain a superb balance. Each sip begs for another of this dangerous brew. One of the best IPA's around and I really can't recall a better one on-tap. Well worth the trip from anywhere. They have also dropped the "Abijah Rowe" and simply call it Cambridge House IPA now. Lucky for us the beer remains the same.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2008 01:30:08 | More by letsgowhalers

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled at the brewpub.

First imperial pint pours with a 1/2" white head over the clear orangey amber brew. Head recedes slowly, with sporadic but ample lacing. Aroma is sweet underneath, but the show is all about the totally dominant fresh green hops character, pine in your face. Taste follows, enough malt character to support the large amounts of flavorful hops. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both very pleasing. Great stuff!

And to think this was only an afterthought fill when I couldn't get Big Hoppy to go...

Serving type: growler

04-07-2008 21:45:52 | More by ppoitras

weiserr

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I have been interested in this IPA for awhile, and it did not let me down. I don't care where you currently reside in CT, it's worth the trip.

Pours a majestic ruby-red copper with honey glaze sheen. King sized froth pillows that never lose their comfort or support. A curtain of lace engulfs the glass.

The breakfast of champions, finally. They must have tipped the produce guy to get first pick because this citrus blend is phenomenal. Sweet malt character plays the Pippen to the Jordan in this relationship. Can't wait to taste.

If IPAs were like pools, this is the only one I would swim in. Titan, you'll always be my favorite, but my lord, the brewer did an outstanding job of blending essential IPA characteristics perfectly. Pine, floral, and citrus work together like never before. A hop dynamo; this begs for distribution (I'll get to that later).

Feel is chewy, slick, and clean. Wonderful.

I wish I could drink this more regularly, but I'll settle. Believe the hype, and look forward to the fact that it may reach stores, sooner than later. I utilized the web site to e-mail one of the principal owners, and he did suggest it would be bottled somewhere down the line.

Magnificent.

Serving type: growler

04-06-2008 00:06:52 | More by weiserr

gpcollen1

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally made the trek back up to get me a growler of this...pours a light golden cloudy orange with a moderately fluffy head into my Imperial Pint. Nice light and sweetly citrus aromas come off this one. The hops does not dominate but lets you know it is there.

This one hits the mouth with a that sweet and citric twang that quickly ushers in the hops, first sharp and then dries on the tongue. This one has a medium body that really has a nice creaminess to it. The level of carbonation is near perfect. This is one great IPA. I put it up there with the Smutty IPA as far as quality and drinkability. Wish I lived closer - but at $12 per growler refill, maybe not.

Serving type: growler

11-30-2007 21:51:47 | More by gpcollen1

Smixam

Connecticut

4.72/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I live literally 5 minutes from the Cambridge House, and let me tell you I'm really glad I do - I was lucky enough to catch a brand new batch.

A - Really nice golden amber that all my favorite IPAs seem to have in common. Nice foamy/fluffy 1 finger off-white head that lingers for several minutes.

S - Wow. I'm not generally one to focus too much on the smell of a given beer, but this one is great. It's so fresh, you can just smell each ingredient, namely the hops, as if you were walking through the fields. Really fresh and floral.

T - Excellent. This is my new favorite beer - absolutely perfect summer hop profile - no sour acid taste, just fresh bitters from the hops. Well balanced with a hint of malt at the start, then its just straight hops through the end, and a great clean, dry finish. Really excellent for an IPA, or any style.

M - Again, not something I really had a knack for until this beer came along. No metallic taste at all (something I've noticed in other brewpub beers), nor any alcohol burn. Very dry at the finish, and only a pleasant hop aftertaste.

D - Oh man, you'd better have someone else drive home. Get this in a growler and take it home, because you'll forget that its a 6.8% abv brew after your first sip. Perfect summer session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2007 16:03:05 | More by Smixam

Hautacam

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Have had this one several times and haven't gotten around to reviewing it. Had one this past weekend out on the Cambridge House deck on a beautiful May afternoon and ...hell, life is good !
Deep amber , slight haze....tan head.
Smells like freshly torn grapefruit rind.
Taste is piney hops ...a citrus rindy astringent bite balanced pretty well with a nice caramel malt backdrop that reduces the puckering , but not by much. Very nice clean , dry finish that just makes you want to keep ordering and sipping like you don't have to drive home.
Mouthfeel is medium , carbonation is pretty lively.
This is such a nice IPA ! This is why I drive an hour to get to CBH.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2007 23:16:36 | More by Hautacam

sulldaddy

Connecticut

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

I sampled this beer on a recent visit to the pub.
Served in an English Pint glass chilled. The beer arrives with a hazy orange minimal edge layer of off white head.
Aroma is rindy grapefruit and some sappy pine as well with some general "hoppyness" also.
First sip reveals a very fine fizzy carbonation and average body.
The flavor is caramel up front but rolls quickly to hops with pine and grapefruit showing up again. The finish is sticky and bitter and also dries my palate after each swallow. No hint of ABV, an easy drinker. Nice IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2007 22:48:24 | More by sulldaddy

SteveO1231

Connecticut

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked up a 64 oz. growler from the brewpub on the 12th of July. Pours a hazy orange/copper with an awesome fluffy white head. Delicious smells of sweet caramel, huge hop profile, awesome hop aroma floral citrus, grapefruit rind, Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade, perhaps Simcoe. Smells awesome! Lots of carbonation. Syrupy on the palate. Sweet pale malt and caramel taste with a perfect juicy hop flavor, very citrusy. Pine dry finish sticks to the back of the throat. Very refreshing, perfect from beginning to end. It claims to be a British style IPA, but tastes more like a San D IPA to me. Truly one of the best IPA's I've had in New England.

Cheers!

Serving type: growler

07-15-2006 01:39:15 | More by SteveO1231