CB's Caged Alpha Monkey IPA - CB's Brewing Company

djmichaelk

Florida

1.55/5  rDev -56.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle courtesy of the generous laxer8811 (thanks again!), into a pint glass. No bottle dating (boooo).

A - Pours a clear golden, with a finger of cream-colored head. Decent retention, solid lacing.

S - Wet, earthy hops, maybe a little malty sweetness, and cardboard. I have to work to get much aroma out of it.

T - That earthy tone really stands out in the flavor, and not in a good way. There's an acrid note that's a little like burnt plastic, and no sign of the maltiness that I got in the nose. Very astringent. And... that's it. Nothing like I'm used to in an IPA, no piney or fruity hops, no sweetness, nothing else.

M - Carbonation is very low, and it gives it a slick, oily feeling that doesn't sit right. And it's very drying.

O - Only the appearance saves this beer from a 1 overall, and even then just barely. Not sure if I just got a bad bottle, but this is just awful. And with CB not dating their beers it's impossible to tell if this is a really old bottling or just bad. This monkey needs to stay in its cage. Down the drain it goes...

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 23:41:14 | More by djmichaelk

match1112

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

pours a clear copper with no head or lacing. smells of resiny pine and some citrus. taste is pretty bland, more like an apa. still pick up on dank resin and citrus on the tongue. mouthfeel is flat and unexciting. there is a little bitterness on the finish that tastes like burnt pine needles, not a good thing. overall i dont care for this beer, but glad i got the chance to try it!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:51:23 | More by match1112

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of a bottle this beer was a clear copper color with some garnet highlights. The head was comprised of two fingers of yellow/beige colored foam that retained itself as a tiny collar and left good amounts of sticky lacing down my glass. The aroma was of a lotta hops, most notably pine, green herbal notes and slight hints of grapefruit atop a caramel malt background. The flavors, however, were very one-sided. I tasted pine and resin and… not much else. The malt profile was pale at best, not enough to balance the strong alpha elements and bitterness. The mouthfeel was a bit oily, the body medium and the carbonation average.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 22:55:32 | More by thekevlarkid

harrymel

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled: unk

Pours amber with a bit of a light tan ring and excellent clarity. No lace. Smells of he dankness, weed, resin, pine and some hints of bitter citrus. Flavor follows with a strong bittered malt profile and nice piny hops in the midpoint with a moderate length bitterness and malt. Medium bodied with moderate carb and hints of a slick finish. Decent beer, it reminds me a of a local IPA that tastes like strait weed with a strong malt backbone.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 05:49:53 | More by harrymel

merc7186

New York

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap at Gene McCarthys in Buffalo NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Golden Straw/Amber Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Grainy, Mild Resin, Mild Malts

T: Grainy, Resin, Mild Malts

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Bitter, Semi Drying

Overall, an average IPA with a really harsh bitterness that is somewhat detracting from the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2012 02:17:44 | More by merc7186

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Caged Alpha Monkey unleashed some fury upon opening but its bubbles quickly lost steam and would settle into a creamy, complete, inch-thick head. The beer's murkiness makes it appear darker than it in fact is; the golden-brown colour might actually offer some nice highlights if not for the dense sediment.

The aroma smells of sweet candied citrus, as if CB's Brewing boiled an entire grove worth of orange peel and seeped it in the mash. Pine needles too. The malts, for the most part, stay mum. There are also hints of pineapple and grapefruit and papaya - pretty much every garnish you'd find at an oceanside bar. It's a perfect accompaniment to a luau!

But the beer doesn't taste as tropical as it smells. The flavour is leafy, with an almost raw cabbage-like crispness and lingering bitterness. (If you've ever bitten into the center of a cabbage you know all too well about that kind of vegetal bitterness!) There's even more pine and a leafy-green mintiness, like arugula, but with a green tea-like aftertaste.

As advertised, the beer does 'throw hops at you' but as far as the palate is concerned it might as well be feathers or leaves being thrown; there's plenty of hop resins and oils but the palate is not roughed-up in the least. Crunchy, toasty malts cushion the resin-y blow enough to make the stated 65 IBUs seem like a big exaggeration.

Caged Alpha Monkey, like its name suggests, is a little more restrained than many of the big, brute American IPAs, which is not such a bad thing. I'm fine with brash bitterness and gum-splitting acidity being kept shackled so long as the citrusy and piny resins are left to run free. I really enjoyed this Monkey, especially considering it costs peanuts.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 19:59:13 | More by biegaman

aranheaney

New York

2.63/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served on tap at The Lovin' Cup at the 3HB Anniversary Fest on 1/14/12, reviewed from notes.

A-Decent, cloudy, straw with some cloudy haze

S-Very hoppy, a bit of pine, not as much citrus as I might have expected

T-kind of disappointing, don't know if I got a bad batch, but my homebrew boys and I all agreed that our IPA is as good, if not better. The taste seemed all mixed up, nothing was in balance, the hops were overpowering and unpleasant, almost nothing else there

M-ok,but not great, a little thickness

O-not great, wouldn't try again

Serving type: cask

01-15-2012 17:57:42 | More by aranheaney

HopNelius

New York

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served-out of a 12 ounch bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance-Amber, fingerhead, some carbonation visible
Smell-Notes of grapefruit and pine, likey some cascade and or centenial hops in there.
Taste-Great notes of grapefruit coming through strong and there is a leafy pine ness as well.
Mouthfeel-good, wanted more
Overall-I was surprised by this beer,I had seen it before at the store but had never heard of it and there were others that I wanted to try first. I sought it out yesterday as I wanted to try something new, Craft Brewery out of Rochester, NY. This was a very drinkable IPA, although not the best IPA I have ever had I would reach for or order this at a restaurant again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 14:34:32 | More by HopNelius

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap

Appearance - Clear yellow/amber colour with a large size frothy off-white coloured head. There is a below average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruits, oranges, apricots

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops mixed with a caramel sweetness and grapefruit and oranges. It ends with a sweet fruity aftertaste with some lingering hop bitterness.

Overall - I was surprised by this beer.. it has a pretty decent hoppy/fruity taste. I saw bottles of it earlier in the day at the store, but I didn't buy it because I'd never heard of the brewer. When I saw it on tap at dinner time, I figured I'd give it a shot. It's definitely on the the right track taste wise, and while there are many other IPA's that are better, this one is still worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 20:15:52 | More by spinrsx

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a good ipa, bordering on the double category, but keep it here for now. pours a clear amber color with a lacey white head, which leaves great track marks down the glass. smells pine trees, sap, and bitter hops. good for christmas! taste is similar, with big resin hops and a strong floral thing. mouthfeel is odd, big and bold, but somehow thin and watery. i dont want body, but less would be a sin... ya know? hard ot explain i guess, but there is something missing in the mouthfeel. light carbonation. bold release by these guys, definitely not the double dark cream porter, but its satisfying for certain

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 02:03:01 | More by StonedTrippin

brendaniel

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light amber color with a half inch head and excellent lacing. Simple citrus aromas but nothing terribly overpowering. Medium bitterness with a soft IPA texture and light carbonation. Not too bad for an East Coast IPA ... just lacked a little bit of punch - definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 01:38:01 | More by brendaniel

wingman14

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange with a huge frothy off white head that leaves lacing. Smell is full of hops, sweet with a nice citrus kick. Taste starts with a slight bitter hop and stays throughout the sip, and finishes with a bigger kick of bitter, but not too much or overpowering. The flavor is constant, not changing much till the aftertaste. A medium mouthfeel, a smooth beer, with a smooth head that sticks around till the end. Overall a good IPA, nothing fancy, just huge hops done well.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 22:06:07 | More by wingman14

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Received this as an extra in a trade. Pours a transparent golden hue with a nearly nonexistent head. Nose is on the malty side. Not a lot of hops found here. Taste is also lackin' on the hops. This is by far, the maltiest IPA I've ever had. This almost doesn't possess any of the characteristics I've grown to expect from an IPA. The moutfeel is waaaay bitter. That malt just hangs on your tongue for what seems like an eternity squared. Overall, this just isn't my bag. Lots of IPA's out there that I thoroughly enjoy. Can't say this is one of them, however.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 03:55:28 | More by Retail1LO

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle was given to me by a customer of mine after a recent trip to NY. Thanks, as always Rich, for the beers!

Enjoyed in a DFH Pint Glass

A - Beer pours a slightly opaque, deep golden color. A beige colored, one finger head on the initial pour. Nice lacing on the side of the glass during the sampling.

S - A classic IPA aroma with lots of grapefruit and pine.

T - A decent IPA. Decently hopped with a mix of grapefruit and malty sweetness. Not a "hop bomb", in my opinion. Only 63 IBU's according to the bottle. Finishes with a slightly sour, bitter taste. The alcohol is well disguised.

M - Not overly carbonated. More on the thinnish side when it comes to consistancy.

O - A good IPA but not as top notch as others I've tried. Very easy to drink. You could easily drink a few of these at one sitting. Not very heavy. I'd gladly try this again if given the opportunity but wouldn't really set out to find. A middle of the road IPA in my opinion.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 22:43:15 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew was served in a pint glass from the tap at The Distillery in Victor, NY. It arrived a rich and dark tawny color, darker than a traditional IPA. It held a minimal film of a head, likely due to the full volume of the glass when it was served. Thus, this gave minimal lacing and spotting around our glasses. Carbonation appeared low, and there was a faint haze, but no sediment. The aroma was huge on soapy hops. Among this was pine and a sweeter orange citrus. The malts palpated were a bit darker, with a faint roast. Grain was otherwise steely. As we sipped, the flavor opened up with big hop extracts. As in the nose there was a huge soapy character, with a synthetic twinge of citrus. Darker grain worked its way in here, too, helping to bring us to the middle. This transitioned us to a metallic brassiness of malt, which seemingly amplified their darker quality. The end evened out a bit, with a sweet fruitiness. This was of bananas, but not in that spicy estery vibe, but rather more purely fruity. The final flavors were an herbal freshness of bitter tea. The aftertaste breathed bitterly off lemony, soapy hops, faint booze, and further general bittering of grain. The body was lighter, and the carbonation was low. The flavoring was actually on the watery side, with little slurp or froth. There was a slight astringent drying character affecting the mouth. The beer drank easily, and the abv was appropriate.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the hoppy nose. While the notes of extracts seemed excessive at times, with big soap, the aromas blended and came together nicely. Despite this, the watery feel and lighter favoring didn’t quite live up to the aromas. It may have been better to put more body behind the feel, and bolster the flavors, to make this beer feel more complete.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2011 14:48:29 | More by TheBrewo

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #52 (May 2011):

Mutant-like hop monkey on the label for some visual shock—we guess the animal marketing in beer never gets old, right? Head stands tall; deep amber color. Thick, leafy hop nose of mandarin orange and faint pine sap, with some breadiness from the malt in there as well. Level hop flavor throughout, bitterness is relaxed in a way ... instead of a sharp bitterness, there’s more of a resin, leafy character; though sip after sip, the hops turn into a boa constrictor and squeeze the palate more and more. Sure, the beer lives up to its label and name, and any hophead would have no problem getting their fix off of this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 14:25:00 | More by BeerAdvocate

Billolick

New York

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle purchased at a Wegmans somewhere around Rochester,NY. No freshness dating to be found.

Pours medium amber with a copper hue. Lite tan head, tightly knit and lasting more then a while, leaving repectable rings, strands and pieces of lacing.

Nose of grainy hops soaked in grapefruit juice.

Quite bitter on the tongue, with more waves of grapefruit juice and rind. Problem I get is that this brew is all about bitter and not about hop flavor. Enjoyable brew for hop heads, but lacking the sophitication and interest of the all stars of the style

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 02:09:14 | More by Billolick

tdm168

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a nice brownish amber with a soft head that sits on top for ever. Hops dominate the nose; piney, slightly floral. The taste is a little imbalance in my opinion. The hops dominate, and on some sips the alcohol is evident despite the 6.5% ABV. The beer is light and crisp on the palate though a little over carbonated for my liking. Overall not a bad IPA, but with the market flooded with IPAs, there are others I'd return to first.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 18:35:28 | More by tdm168

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear copper, with a finger of slightly dirty looking off-white head. This retains with a frothy ¾ finger, which hangs tight, and just slathers the sides of the glass with a thick cascade of sticky lacing. The aroma is leafy and earthy smelling, with a bit of dankness that mingles in as well. Some underlying ripe fruitiness and sweet malt notes are fairly supportive feeling underneath. The main focus of the nose seems to be on the hope though, with that fruity herbal character taking center stage most of the time.

The taste has a strong grapefruit bitterness to it, which is in turn wrapped up in some herbal textures. This is balanced by notes of caramel and bread, as well as a touch of some sweeter fruit. Dry pithy rind lingers with some strength in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a smooth crisp creaminess that harbors a touch of slickness, helping keep this relatively easy feeling. There is just a smidge of light warmth from the alcohol but it isn’t anything too troubling.

This was decent. It had a bit too much of a bitter rawness to it at times but this was mostly well balanced and drinkable for the style. I little more freshness probably would have bumped this up a bit more as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 17:04:00 | More by Kegatron

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Sampling a bottle poured into a snifter at room temperature. The beer pours a clear copper hue with no head except for a bleached white edge layer.
Aroma is grapefruit and a bit of pine with hints of caramel. First sip reveals an average body with fine tingly carbonatio.
flavor is a little husky grain up front and then rolls to a bitey and rindy hop finish that is fairly bitter overall. Finish is a little dry and definitely has a crisp hop bite. Beer is drinkable but a little one dimensional, if you like bitey hops this is probably pretty good for you. Ill probably pass next time around.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 16:07:51 | More by sulldaddy

number1bum

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear semi-dark amber color with one finger of beige head. Keeps a thin lace, somewhat full. Decent stick on the sides.

Smell consists of some citrus and pine, but the nose leans more to the malty end of the spectrum. It's a bready malt base with some sweet caramel as well. An initial blast of citrus hops seems to vaporize and is scarcely noticeable afterward. Not a very impressive nose.

Taste is better, with more persistent hop flavor, although it is still an overly malty IPA in my opinion. It's a bready, caramel malt base, not overly sweet but it's hefty enough to have a chewy feel to it. Hops are earthy with some pine resin and grapefruit. Hop bitterness is modest. There's some decent hop flavor, but I wish it were more prominent as compared to the malt.

Mouthfeel is a chewy medium body, a pretty rich feel for an IPA. It's creamy and smooth. I don't mind the extra heft.

This is an ok IPA, but ok is about the best that I can say about it. Too malty for my taste. I'd try it again on tap but I don't think I'll be grabbing another 6er anytime soon; not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 01:31:47 | More by number1bum

LittleDon

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A pint at the Distillery in Victor, NY on 5/24/11

Clear amber with average to good head retention and plenty of lace. Muted aroma, caramel and pine. A bit on the earthy side. Soft mouthfeel. Balanced front and middle with very strong bitterness and a hint of acidity on the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2011 11:45:00 | More by LittleDon

gabedivision

New York

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle to a SA perfect pint glass.

Pours a clear dark golden/light copper color with a fluffy 1 finger head beer. Citrus hops and bold malts slam into the nose at the same time. Mango, orange peel, bready malt, lemon bitterness, caramel, seems a tad unbalanced. Very fruity though, smells like a bowl of fruit loops. Nice bitter hops on the tongue, citrus, lemon, very East Coast. Grassy, earthy, good. Light to medium feel, very crisp smooth, and nice asprin bitterness. Not too bad at a stab at an IPA from Honeoye Falls.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 03:52:25 | More by gabedivision

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Notes from 5/1/2011

No freshness date

A- Slightly hazzy orange/peach pour. Half finger off white head. Lacing is decent.

S- Grapefruit, pineapple, mandarin, pine needles. Oily hoppy goodness. Malt is very subdued and its wonderful.

T- Piney hops, very resinous. Fairly one dimensional. Bittering hops are very drying.

M- Medium bodied, extra dry, carbonation is good.

O- Excellent smelling, decent tasting, okay mouth feel. Enjoyed but won't go after again.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 02:25:35 | More by korguy123

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Notes from 4/28/11. Thanks to korguy123 for this one.
Poured in to Founder's tulip glass.

A - Medium amber colour, almost transparent (definitely filtered) with one finger of off-white head.

S - Citrus, pine and plenty of sweet caramel. Some light tropical fruit notes come through as well. A very robust and very inviting note.

T - Sharp bitterness up front with some pine flavours coming through from the hops but the citrus that was in the nose doesn't translate the palate at all. Some caramel sweetness enters the palate mid-way through followed by a dry and bitter finish.

M -Light to medium body. Light carbonation.

O - This was a decent IPA but not one I would seek out again. the nose was excellent but it didn't translate in to a great tasting example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:45:55 | More by TheSevenDuffs