Big Sky IPA - Big Sky Brewing Company

chinchill

South Carolina

3.24/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Undated 12 oz bottle purchased last week near brewery.
Pour is orange-amber with a thick, creamy, tan head. Earthy and piney hops dominate the aroma and the flavor. A bit of citrus in th taste too. Medium body with medium+ carbonation. Fairly smooth.
O: too earthy and piney for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 18:36:50 | More by chinchill

carolinared

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass, nice head and color. Enjoyed the great piney aroma and complex taste with pine and citrus touches. This is my preferred IPA style vs others that just focus on the hoppy bitterness. Still looking for a few "go to" IPA's to drink on regular basis, have generally been disappointed by some of the well known brands since to me they are pretty much the same (bitter). This one has a nice balance of aroma, hoppy flavors and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 18:08:52 | More by carolinared

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.84/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured this one rather roughly into my pint glass. Came up with a little over a finger of sandy colored head over a rosy copper body. Lacing clings rather well to the sides.

This one smells rather sugary. Heavy malts, a bit of juicy tropical fruit.

This beer is very malt forward. Sweet malt, very sugary is the first punch, the number two punch comes right as you are swallowing. Big tropical and pine hop flavor smacks you bitterly in the tongue. The aftertaste is all piney and bitter.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Lightly syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 16:59:58 | More by CFHMagnet

AndyP612

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle aggressively poured into Uptown Bar Pint glass.

A- Amber to dark brown. Very inviting fairly clear.

S- Hops forward with a lean towards citrus. More Hops... Cirtus.

T- Tons of fruit right off that bat to dissipate into a hoppy overtones Fruit, Grapefruit. To balance out the hop tip with malty sweetness finish.

M- Still has carbonation toward the second half of the pint. Delicious. Very carbonated leaping off the tongue. Dry finish. Still inviting.

O- The carbonation bites the cheeks yet it continues to invite you to drink more. The grapefruit presence sustains its attendance. Very dry finish is noteworthy. Feels like a west cost IPA in that I continue want more but only in a six pack increment. A very interesting feeling I feel but the feeling I get is sheer enjoyment. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 03:40:51 | More by AndyP612

smbslt

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good burnt orange color with a creamy goldish head. Too much sediment though to be appealing.

Citrusy (orange) but with an oddly placed mocha influence.

Interesting floral sensation but the malts were to forward and the aftertaste was not pleasant.

Mouthfeel fine except the finish - did not really matter at this point.

Subtle or just confused - the beer I mean. Did not seem like it should be in the IPA category. May score it higher as a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 23:31:28 | More by smbslt

zac16125

South Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass
random numbers on the bottle but nothing that makes sense

A: crystal clear, dark amber, 2 fingers wifth of light tan head. Leaves tons of lacing.

S: lots of citrus, lemon and orange peal, mint

T: Piney bitterness, citrus rind, solid malt backbone. Pretty simple, but tasty.

M/D: carbonation on the heavy side, medium body, drinkability is good.

O: Nothing special, but an enjoyable, above average IPA. Id drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 21:29:53 | More by zac16125

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.71/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a clean amber pour with a finger of fluffy white head. smells biscuity with some grassy hops and caramel. the flavor has lots of piney and soap like bitterness from the hops, lots of caramel and nutty flavor from the grain bill even out the flavor. medium body with a decent amount of carbonation.

a pretty good ipa, not bad at all for a year round. a little generous on the abv as well, which isn't noticeable at all. really diggin the overall malt profile of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 16:06:48 | More by facundoCNB

BoFoSho

Washington

3.71/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I wouldn't call myself an IPA kind of guy, but I somewhat enjoyed this brew. This is reddish-amber in color with a healthy head. Not very hoppy at all. Definitely classify this one as mild, and somewhat disappointing in that aspect. Overall a decent beer that the whole family will kinda like.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 06:44:16 | More by BoFoSho

mtboozeaddict41

Montana

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into Montana Griz pint glass, yeah

A:Caramel and honey color with a strong frothy white head a finger high. A darker color than used to in most IPAs.

S:Citrus notes dominate the aroma. Hoppy grapefruit leaves little room for malt character. The malt that is apparent is sweet and pretty bland.

T:Huge hop profile is noted. Citrus fruits again is basically all that can be found. Finishes dry(highly expected) with comforting fruity aftertaste

M: Nice carbonation pairs well with the fruit and hops. Definitely medium bodied leaning towards a healthy full body. little bit of a greasy texture noticed on mouth.

O: To me this brew is the perfect beginners IPA with a bold hop character coupled with nice juicy citrus fruit. what its lacking is complexity of malts and spice which i tend to lean towards in an IPA. A good beer none the less

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:57:57 | More by mtboozeaddict41

Jellopants356

Montana

4.71/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a dark bronze. Smells very good, hops and a slight citrus smell. A thin and spotty cream head with nice visible carbonation. Very full-bodied taste with hints of pine, citrus, and of course lots of hops. Reminiscent of a pale ale body. Perfect mouthfeel. Overall a very good IPA and one of my local favorites. I love to have this beer anytime i'm offered it among other local IPAs because it is so balanced in taste and with an IPA of 6.5%, it packs a punch too!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 06:41:37 | More by Jellopants356

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A friend brought this back for me from Texas. Thanks Dylan! Best by date of 1/16/13 so this one's just a touch overdue. Poured into a Heady Topper pint. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a 1.5 finger foamy white head with decent retention. Beer is a clear dark mahogany. Lacing is spotty and thick with good stick. Thin, oily legs. A real nice looking beer.

Nose has big sap resin notes with some brown sugar, caramel, and and amber. Real big malt body and decently aromatic.

Opens sap resin and bark hop bitterness. Some amber, caramel, and coarse brown sugar. Finish feels like I'm biting into a dirty pine cone. Some dry tea leaves too. Aftertaste is bitter and sappy. Average.

Light bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Pretty smooth in the mouth and goes down silky and mellow. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Nice.

This beer just has a flavor profile that seems very odd. Sap hop bitterness with a big malt body just doesn't work for me here. Body is decent as is the nose but overall pretty pedestrian. I wouldn't revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 01:24:37 | More by SpeedwayJim

KKB

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A – Very nice appearance. Tones of orange, rouge, ruby, chestnut…in direct light it is a nice yellow-orange. The head looks great too, it’s got a nice beige/off-white head that just looks delicious. You can tell this is going to be hoppy and wonderful.

S – The nose is just totally awesome, which is a very pleasant surprise. It has a load of juicy, citrus, fruity, almost tropical hops in the nose with a slight touch of funk that just smells so resinous and delightful. Also, this just seems like straight hoppy goodness, with a lack of caramel malt which is very refreshing and exactly what I want right now.

T – Oh my gosh, what a delightful surprise! Obviously the nose is great, and the smell is lovely, but the taste seems to outdo both of them. I don’t know why this has received such mediocre reviews, because this beer is truly delicious. Complexly flavored, hopptastic, slightly bitter on the finish, citrusy on the palate with some malt in there as well but it all is SO WELL BALANCED. I can’t even get over it. Now, I’m a man who appreciates a hop-bomb, but this is just so well orchestrated it is almost making me think the hop bombs are somewhat overly ambitious. This beer was crafted so well…wow, each sip is a new profile of flavors. Just so, so good.

M – Luscious and somewhat sticky allowing it to stay on the palate for a little bit longer. Just marvelous. Everything about this is amazing. The mouthfeel is definitely bigger in body and it just compliments the experience so well. Not heavy, both light and big.

O – Just such a pleasure. I keep getting reminded what a novice I am. I have had this in my fridge for a while and I was just judging the shit out of it every time I looked at it: “who do you think you are, Big Sky I.P.A.? You look like some mediocre nonsense.” I am just dumb. The bottle has nothing to do with what’s inside and upon some further research the Big Sky Brewery is supposedly very good. Well, whatever, in any case, this beer is awesome, and I look forward to having much more and trying many more brews from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 05:19:45 | More by KKB

DavidST

Texas

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, can't find a bottled date. This pours an amber color with a mid sized off white head which leaves a lacing. The smells are of citrus hops and caramel malts. The feel is medium. The taste is pretty good, a nice amount of hop bite followed by some caramel.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:59:10 | More by DavidST

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.01/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From my haulback from Michigan:

Into a pint glass:

A: golden orange colored body that gave a one finger white foamy spotty head that lasted for a good half minute before slowly dieing into the body. Some nice speckled yet spotty lacing appeared and slowly slid into the body. No carbonation was seen rising in the beer.

S: strong floral and citrusy aroma to it with some slight maltiness trying to come out, but mostly staying subdued.

T: took these flavorings with a slight bitterness

M: medium with a decent balance between wet and dry on the tongue. This is a fairly sessionable beer.

O: I'd be happy to buy this again, but probably only once I move west.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 16:45:07 | More by kangarooAdam59

hardy008

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear copper with a two finger off white head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has grapefruit, pine, and caramel. Has a light smell to it.

Has a bitter taste with a little sweetness for balance. Has grapefruit, citrus zest, pine, biscuit malt, and some caramel malt. The caramel malt is a lot lighter in the taste, than it was in the aroma.

Light to medium bodied, with average carbonation. Has a bitter citrus zest aftertaste. A good IPA, but not as good as the best examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:06:42 | More by hardy008

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a good ipa i suppose, maybe more english in style than american, but a very drinkable version either way. it smells grassy and lemony at the same time, a definite blend of hops in this one. american and english malts add some seriosu body to this, which is an interesting mix with the less intense hops. the hops flavor is much less intense, and therefore more drinkable than a lot of big american india pale ales. its got some sweetness in the finish, not crisp and dry, but not drawn out either. it just sort of entices me to keep sipping. a 6pack of this is no problem in an afternoon, especially with the grill going out back and football on tv. the feel is interesting, plenty of body for the style, and average carbonation. its a good not great ipa, but it is distinct from its peers in a lot of ways, a hybrid really between english and american styles. props to big sky for this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:24:48 | More by StonedTrippin

BucannonXC5

California

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12-oz. bottle into a pint glass at my house on Sept. 14, 2012 (purchased at BevMo! In La Mesa (San Diego, Calif.) for a variety12-pack price of $13.99 (w/ card) on Sept. 14, 2012). About a finger of head. Caramel amber with off-white head. Good retention all-around.

Smelled a sharp whiff of citrus hops, maybe more cascade than citrus (I tend to call everything citrus hops, then adjust). Nice break from the other three beers I had in the variety pack. Got lemon, lime, icy and slight caramel.

Tasted cascade hope, lime and lemon coming through. Lots of bitterness on the tongue after. Nothing too complex.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter finish. In fact, very bitter.

Really good beer overall. The only blemish is the feel. Got worse as it went down.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 05:59:57 | More by BucannonXC5

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light brown color but darker than a typical IPA. A good amount of head at pour and great lacing. Aroma is well hopped but very different - maybe over the top piney hops and some spice from a spices green like cilantro. Flavor is much of the same and this take on an IPA is different and much appreciated.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 06:59:05 | More by Oakenator

Fusion_Pirate

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased in a six-pack from my local grocer.

A: Poured into a New Holland Brewing 16oz glass, Big Sky IPA yielded a 1/2 finger of head, with heavy lacing and strong retention around the glass. The color is a gorgeous dark, copper/amber color...darker (more IIPA) color than what you'd expect from a standard IPA. Beautiful!

S: Strong floral and citrus notes hit the nose immediately- then a rich, powerful caramel rush finishes it. Not a typical IPA smell combo, but really awesome nonetheless.

T: Here's where the hops come out of the woodwork, and in a balanced, almost understated way. A nicely rounded flavor overall, with a sprucey, semi-floral bitterness, coupled with more of that rich caramel-candy malt noted earlier in the initial smell. Not the greatest flavor on Earth by any means, but smooth, balanced and sessionable.

M: The carbonation is great- on the mild side, aiding and supporting the flavors, not overpowering them. It hits the tongue with a silky-smooth flow and goes down well; but I wouldn't mind a slightly drier finish.

O: For the price ($9.00 sale for a sixer), this beer is a real steal! I wouldn't hesitate to pick this one up again on a warm summer afternoon sometime. Kudos to Big Sky for a unique, accessible and satisfying take on the India Pale Ale formula.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 02:57:07 | More by Fusion_Pirate

barczar

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear copper color with a solid inch and a half cream head that dissipates slowly, leaving spotty lacing.

Aroma is dominated by dank resin, cannabis, and pine, with a hint of grapefruit pith. Bready malt and more citrus emerge, with notes of caramel and toast.

Initial sip is somewhat lacking in a mid palate flavor. Muted citrus, orange and grapefruit pith underlie the flavor profile, which shifts immediately to a bitter, piney, dry finish. Citrus hops emerge more in subsequent sips, but the malt is almost nonexistent.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation, and a slightly astringent finish.

Overall, the bittering hops were a bit dominant, and they drowned out almost all malt flavor. Wish the flavor had followed the aroma more closely. Sacrilege, but it's finish is too bitter for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 20:56:24 | More by barczar

soju6

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an amber color with a good head that fades slowly to nice lacing.

S: Aroma of citrus-pine with a trace of malt sweetness.

T: Has a good citrus bite with some malt sweetness and a bit of grain.

F: Medium body, crisp and nicely balanced.

O: Enjoyable IPA. Another quality beer from Big Sky.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 05:54:17 | More by soju6

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

4.0 A: Clear orange amber color. Two fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is pretty good and a finger sized ring of lacing is left.

4.5 S: Rich and malty IPA. Boatloads of caramel, some toastiness, and a solid neutral sweetness. Herbal and flowery hops. Smells wonderful.

4.0 T: Taste is like it smells. Malts are more in charge than the hops. Lots of caramel followed by toastiness and a light fruitiness. Hop flavor is herbal, flowery, and a touch citrusy.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Could be creamier, but okay. Super smooth.

4.0 D: Well crafted, malty IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 02:35:27 | More by DavoleBomb

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours clear copper orange with a two finger off white head, decent retention. There isnt much on the nose, there is some citrusy hop bitterness. The taste is very east coast IPA, there is some citrus flavors and and a metallic malt feel. The beer drinks pretty easy, leaves behind a bitter and dry aftertaste. This is a pretty good IPA, dont know how old mine is but I would like to try it fresh because I feel it would have a bigger nose.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 22:29:10 | More by TwelveOunces

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- golden amber with big foamy white head. Leaves some decent lacing.

Smell- faint citrusy smell, less than I am used to in an ipa nowadays but still pleasant

Taste- orange and pine are the two dominant flavors held together by some sweet malt. Nice balance and flavor.

Mouthfeel- Fairly full body, not very resiny. Pretty par for the course.

Overall- it was a good find in a make your own 6 rack and in the same situation id get it again. Perfect for someone who likes hops but isn't in to the overpowering stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 00:10:14 | More by Jfriz25

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best by 9/13/12.

Pours a clear copper with a 1 inch foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some grassy and herbal hop aromas. Taste is very much the same with pine and herbal hops up front and the malt coming through on the finish. There is a medium amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good IPA that has lots of earthy hop aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:32:36 | More by UCLABrewN84