Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA - Amsterdam Brewing Company

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

3.69/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A big thanks to cattersley for providing this as part of CanBif2013

A: Pours a clear shade of apricot with big pillowy head with plenty of thick lacing that coats the sides of the glass. Plenty of tiny carbonation streams throughout. Quite a pretty sight.

S: Musky melons, cantaloupe and papaya, together grassy notes, pine resin and caramel sweetness. Slight hints of grapefruit rind in the background.

T: Taste of musky melon, pine resin and citrus rind. Mild lingering bitter finish. Taste is more subtle than the scent.

M: Medium bodied with mild carbonation and finishes with a dry and mildly lingering bitter finish.

O: The highlight of this beer is its appearance. The foamy head never dissipates and it beautifully covers the sides of the glass with thick lacing. As the taste is more subtle than typical west coast IPA's this is a very approachable beer that would work well with food or on its own.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:45:33 | More by FondueVoodoo

IdeaSpeeder

Ontario (Canada)

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

Serving Type - 355ml bottle, poured into a small pint glass

Appearance - Pours with a finger/finger and a half of thick, white creamy head, leaving beding a trail of thick lacing all around the glass. The beer is unfiltered and pours a dark orange-red colour.
*Seriously. The lacing is ridiculous.

Smell - Overwhelming grassy notes. And pine. Citrus would feature predominantly in any other beer, but the grass/pine aroma dominates it.

Taste - Pine flavours hit right away. Followed by a massive bitter explosion of goodness. Beer is definitely well hopped. There are light citrus undertones but less than I expected from the nose. The piny/grassy flavour is so massive I'm having a hard time pick out anything else specifically.

Mouthfeel - A decent body. Medium? Maybe even a little heavy for the style. Unobtrusive carbonation. Not shabby. Not shabby at all.

Overall - 4/5

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:51:23 | More by IdeaSpeeder

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Unfiltered, orange/copper in colour, off white head. Good lacing, low head retention, keeps a nice thin film on top

S: Some citrus, wet grass, grain/malt, some caramel.

T: Same as the nose with less malt balance.

M: Medium body, good carbonation, good bitter finish.

O: A well balanced IPA for the ABV. Good mouthfeel and good flavours.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 20:26:37 | More by Kremlock

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice hazy orangy/amber color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves very nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, pineapple, mango with sweet caramelly malts and a touch of breadiness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some citrus, not getting much of the pineapple/mango, some piney hops and some sweet bready/caramelly malts .

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 19:29:06 | More by SebD

Mit

Ontario (Canada)

3.89/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice hazy orangy amber colour...very delightful to behold. Decent head

Grapefruit and citrus from the hops...overwhelm on the bouquet.

Wow....hop bomb to rival some of the US greats...punches you in the face and then backs off. Very little malt presence to balance it out. I have no probable with the unbalance but it could get out of hand after a number of glasses. I loved it.

Mouthfeel def heavier in keeping with the higher abv.

Overall this is a fantastic addition to the Canadian beer landscape. Slightly unbalanced and probably not for the uninitiated IPA drinker...but fantastic nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 05:41:53 | More by Mit

NedShakeshaft

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a cloudy burnt orange with a thin head that didn't linger or leave any trace.

Smells delicious. Deep, rich malt -- the caramel really stands out -- and some citrus. Something coniferous that reminds of a West-coast IPA, but just a tad off the usual piney resin.

The promise of the scent is delivered early. The malts and hops balance beautifully upon first draught. Getting a honeyed caramel and toffee from the malts. The hops hover delicately with a citrusy, coniferous (notice I don't quite want to say pine) air.

Unfortunately, everything falls apart from here. The hops linger, bitterly on the finish.

I'm getting the feeling that this is an A+ recipe, brewed with A+ expertise and A+ malts but let down by B- hops. Still, this is a noble effort that, if it misses, only barely misses. Along with beers like Muskoka Mad Tom IPA and Flying Monkey Smashbomb, this kind of endeavor makes me optimistic for the future of the Ontario craft beer industry.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 20:59:26 | More by NedShakeshaft

patdrive

Ontario (Canada)

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

Looking for a beer with major hoppiness, this is one of my favourites.

great colour - deep copper
well balanced, with lots of flavour to go with the hops.
they went easy on the carbonation, which I appreciate.
caramel
hops are strong from start through the finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 22:52:14 | More by patdrive

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

355 ml bottle...

A - Looks more like an English-style IPA: fairly cloudy, dark copper body with a pretty thin off-white head.

S - Smells like a typical American-style IPA, with enough pine and citrus notes to grab your attention, as well as pretty strong caramel malt scent and even hints of chocolate.

T - The taste is where things get much better than average. Bold, juicy citrus, pine and tropical fruit hop flavours attack the palate, then allowing the malts to shine (hints of toasted bread, caramel, and toffee). At a few months old, the bottle I'm having still packs a very strong hop bite, with lingering pine and grapefruit notes. There is a very nice orange taste that makes this beer somewhat unique.

M - Medium body to it. The level of carbonation is just perfect (noticeable yet not very strong). The beer is very dry, though, so it might not be drinker-friendly for people who can't tolerate high levels of hops.

O - I'm genuinely impressed with this beer. Although it may seem too heavy on the malty side, its well-defined and bold hoppy side is very complex and far from being weak. Will buy this again the next time I'm in Toronto.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:14:03 | More by NightINgale

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Its good to see another hoppy IPA coming out of Ontario. I remember a few years ago the only one really was Scotch Irish IPA, and before that there was none. Keep em coming guys!

Flashy branding on the bottle with a big blurb about how hoppy this is, yet curiously, no mention of hops used or IBUs. The pour reveals a dark amber liquid with lots of suspended particles. The head starts off foamy and rocky but quickly recedes to a dish soap film that leaves almost no lace behind. The aroma is light with some wet grains, caramel, grapefruit and pine, not overly hoppy. Citrusy hops and bitterness mix with a fruity, toasty malt character and a wiff of acetaldehyde green apple. The mouthfeel is light and low in carbonation with a chalky feel. Long bitterness in the finish.

This is a good IPA, but the malt profile could be held back a bit and yeast flavors could be cleaner. Still, very nice, and I will buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 06:33:44 | More by CAMRAhardliner

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy caramel-amber colour with sediment suspended throughout the glass. Thick and frothy white head that leaves thick lacing as it settles into a thin cap.

Boom! Hops! Thick tangerine citrus, mango and pineapple notes. Warm honey-caramel backing and a sharp bite of pine.

The taste certainly does not lack bitterness. Citrus rind, lemongrass and raw grain flavours are strong and meaty. Roasted caramel malt backing, bitter finish.

Full-bodied with a medium carbonation. The sediment creates a lot of life on the tongue before a viscose oiliness coats the back of the tongue and throat. Bitter citrus remains throughout the aftertaste.

More true to the pacific style than other Ontario brewed American IPA offerings. Very hoppy and very balanced. I prefer another IPA, but this is a fine product with excellent technical execution.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 00:04:49 | More by bryehn

mmapes

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into Carlsberg glass (that was all we had). It pours deep orange gold, and is fairly cloudy. Full head lasts a very long time. First sip: strong IPA, seems to have a heavier body than some. Not bad.

Later sips, the "unfiltered" body stands out more, and rounds out the bright hoppy notes nicely. Has a medium sweetness that also plays well in the mix. The longer I drink it the better I like it.

This one came in trade from a local Ontarian, and since then I've had other locals recommend it. May be my favorite IPA in Ontario so far.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 17:33:29 | More by mmapes

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep orange colour. Slight haze. Thin cap of retentive, lacy head. Aroma is toast, light pine, and even lighter citrus. On the sip, toasted biscuit and grapefruit pith, turning to citrus fruit midpalate, finishing with a firm leafy bitterness. Medium-bodied with low carbonation. Smooth, oily mouthfeel. Resinous. Good flavour and killer mouthfeel more than make up for the underpowered aroma. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 00:36:32 | More by mintjellie

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

355 mL bottle from the LCBO. This is one that I've been hearing good things about for a while, and really wanted to try - but I just couldn't find it anywhere locally. This particular six pack is only in my possession because of a chance pit stop in Vaughan.

Pours a cloudy amber-copper colour, topped with one finger of frothy, off white-coloured head that fizzles away disappointingly quickly. At least it has the courtesy to leave a coat of sticky lacing behind, and a decent cap/collar on the surface. Enjoyable aroma with plenty of prominent fruity hop notes; lemon zest, orange/grapefruit citrus rinds and pine resin definitely come to mind, underlain by a caramel malt backbone.

It definitely tastes as hoppy as it smells, if not moreso - definitely rather astringent, and clearly made to appeal to hopheads. Brown sugar and bready malts provide a subtle backdrop for the various hop flavours to showcase their stuff - including pine resin, grapefruit rind, orange peel, and maybe even a hint of pineapple. Finishes with a pleasant, piney bitterness that lingers on the palate well into the aftertaste. Medium-bodied, with a smooth feel in the mouth due to the restrained carbonation levels.

Definitely a solid IPA, and probably the best Amsterdam brew I've yet tried. It's not much of a session beer, though - two bottles a night would be my max, due to the palate-scrubbing astringent bitterness, and the fairly high abv (by Ontario IPA standards, anyway). Reminds me of Nickel Brook's Headstock IPA, albeit with the tropical fruit notes toned down a few notches.

Final Grade: 3.83, a solid B+. Amsterdam's Boneshaker IPA would be a welcome addition to any LCBO's cold shelves. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to get distributed nearly as far as most of its main competitors - Mad Tom and Smashbomb the foremost amongst them. Truth be told, I'd get along fine with just those two. Boneshaker is a nice changeup, and a great effort from a brewery I have never been especially impressed with, but it's not something I feel the need to have a constant supply of.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 00:01:53 | More by thehyperduck

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a hazy dirty pale amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of bitter hops with light citrus and earthy notes. Taste is dominated by citrus hops with light earthy note and an astringent finish. Malt profile is quite dry though strong enough to back the hops profile. Body was quite full with limited filtration and good carbonation. Well brewed though maybe a tad too astringent for my tastbuds.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 16:34:38 | More by Phyl21ca

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a big head that is rather long lived and gives up lots of lace. Hazy dark amber colour with plenty of small particles floating around in it (unfiltered, not gone bad). A pretty decent looking beer.

Nose dominated by grapefruit hops and drinks the same way. Malty sweet up front, but very quickly gives way to a very strong flavour of grapefruit rind - tasty, but not to all tastes. Finishes with strong citrus bitterness.

Decent enough, but a little one-dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 00:45:24 | More by TerryW

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

12oz Bottle from my buddy Jason - thanks!

Appearance - Hazy copper colour with an above average size fizzy and frothy light beige coloured head. There is a high amount of carbonation and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes. There are also some small particles floating around - but I guess it mentions that it's unfiltered..

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit/orange, pineapple, resin

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops, malts, and caramel. There is also lots of resin and some pineapple/oranges. It ends with a quite hoppy bitter aftertaste that lingers for a few seconds.

Overall - This beer walks the line between IPA and DIPA. It reminded me a bit of Dale's Deviant DIPA mixed with a Spearhead Pineapple Pale Ale. While it's not a mind blowing IPA; it has a taste that is enough to keep you interested and well worth a repeat purchase. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 01:04:03 | More by spinrsx

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to liamt07 for tossing one of these my way. Served in a tulip.

A - White foam settles to a thin collar, wisps, and a few tiny specks of lace. Hazy golden body.

S - Sweet and malt-forward sugary backdrop, but with a more Scandinavian vibe than the typical English feel of most Canadian pale ales. Some sweet citrus flesh, a touch of grass, and a hint of sharp pine.

T - Taste is again a solid mix of sugar cooke, bread, light citrus, and fairly assertive hop bitterness.

M - Smooth medium body, lower carbonation, somewhat juicy, with plenty of residual hop resins. Lightly sticky in the finish and could stand to be a tad dryer.

D - Drinks more like a European take on an American IPA than an actual American IPA. Still, a definite improvement considering the many mediocre IPAs I've had in Ontario. Would make a solid six-pack offering for a camping trip or weekend at the cottage.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 02:52:02 | More by MasterSki

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

6pk bottles purchased fresh at the LCBO

A- Dark orange slightly hazy pour with a half finger, short lived off white head. Lacing is okay.

S- Bright citrus and tropical fruits, slight pine and a sweet malt backing.

T- Pine and citrus bitterness up front, a touch of strawberry and tropical fruits. There is a sweet malt backing and a touch of brown sugar.

M- Light bodied, juicy than dry with good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:28:16 | More by korguy123

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Replacing original review from 12-22-2010 from an old batch. Original review was a score of 2.93.

Very fresh batch. First distributed bottles - just hit the LCBO last week. Poured in to Bruery Tulip glass.

A - Hazy dark orange with some amber. One finger of bubbly cream coloured head formed with good retention. A lot of particles floating around in the glass.

S - Big bitterness up front with grapefruit and orange peel aromas. The malt backbone is fairly prominent adding some sweet caramel. The hops are dominant but this malt base is more than just a secondary player here.

T - A big bitterness up front with grapefruit, pine and orange peel flavours. The malt backbone adds some balance and sweet caramel flavours. The finish is bitter and dry. As this beer warms up, floral notes begin to surface and they become a fairly central component. Seems to be a mix of American and English hops.

M - Somewhat thin and watery but the carbonation is perfect (low).

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:09:05 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Groulxsome

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the new bottles, picked up from the brewer today (the first day they were selling the new bottles). The guy working their said they were still botteling for the LCBO wide release. I take it this is as fresh as I can get it. It's 7.1% now, FYI.

Appearance: Copper, with a little orange hue. It's really, really cloudy and, since they advertise as unfiltered, that's perfect. Nice lacing and just a little head that lingers around.

Smell: A complex mix of hops. I get the piny hops first, so it's more in that IPA ballpark that the more fruity one. But then I get some of those fruit undertones (pineapple, maybe some mango) and sweet malt. Great hops, complex without being messy.

Taste: Lots of grapefruit and pine with some tropical fruit on the hop-forward opening. A little sweetness and some roasted malt notes, but this is really a hop-focused IPA. It's balanced, overall, between the both, but it's definitely a hop fan's IPA. The bitterness is actually pretty mild, just a little bit of copper and resinous pine. Tasty!

Mouthfeel: I like a carbonation a lot. It's a strong medium and has a little creaminess. Pretty thick with a rewarding alcohol burn. The relatively mild bitterness builds as you drink it into a great mouthfeel.

Overall: What a great IPA! It's got lots of fresh hop character and is nicely balanced. With this hitting the LCBO the competition between Mad Tom and Smashbomb will have a new contendor! Exciting times for Ontario IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:19:12 | More by Groulxsome

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes:

Appearance: deep amber; hazy due to being unfiltered; thick with good - make that great - retention (lasts until the bitter end)

Aroma: whoa, intense green hops! pine, resin; like it's freshly picked; addictive; hint of citrus

Taste & Mouthfeel: follows the scent - huge, fresh hop flavour; resinous and bitter; bit of a creamy texture and carbonation is spot on; if being unfiltered is providing the smooth mouthfeel, it's a nice touch, but if not, not sure it imparts much taste-wise

Overall: a very powerful IPA that feels great going down and leaves you with enough sense in your tastebuds that everything doesn't taste like hops an hour later

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 17:58:18 | More by BGDrock

jmugg

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: orange and slightly cloudy.

Nose: Hoppy (of course). Malt, with hints of citrus.

Taste: Hops, bitter with a bitter aftertaste. I can taste two hop flavours on the start and in the finish, but cannot place them, but kind of cool variation.

This beer was what I would expect a double IPA to be, but I was kind of underwhelmed by it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 15:19:45 | More by jmugg

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a few bottles from the Amsterdam brewery a couple days ago. Eager to taste this product fresh (I hope).

A: Copper-caramel with a bit of cloudyness and emits a tall, puffy, creamy foam head that takes on a beige appearance. A decent retention with quite a good lacing.

S: Strong citrus in the form of fresh grapefruits and lemon zest, loads of pine, baked bread, bit of caramel, and a general mossy-earthy-damp aroma. Fresh qualities to this with a slight butteryness.

T: Buttered burnt toast with a sweet (cane sugar like) malt backbone. A fair amount of citrus and pine hoppyness, with a more subdued earthy taste. Good but perhaps leaning towards the sweet side more than I'd like, as opposed to exhibiting a more bitter and earthy funky dynamic. Alcohol slightly detectable.

M: Medium-full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Attractively very oily with a chewy texture.

D: A very nice American IPA and certainly my favourite Amsterdam offering. The sweet factor is perhaps a bit more than I'd like, but I found I was more impressed with this on-tap as it was possibly more balanced. Nonetheless, still a very worthy product that satisfies my IPA cravings.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 01:50:12 | More by Digimaika2

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle at Darcy Mcgee's. From notes.

A - Poured a hazy copper colour. Good carbonation, two fingers of thick light beige head. Great thick rings of lace and a finger of retention. Spot on IPA appearance.

S - Tons of citrus, tropical fruit, and pine. Resinous hops and caramel.

T - Resinous hops again with that tropical fruit and a caramel note up front.

M - Strong lingering prickly pineapple bitterness at the end of a nice full body and good carbonation.

O/D - Solid IPA. Great in the mouth with a wonderful flavour profile. Good. An IPA I would buy regularily if it was available.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 16:51:42 | More by tbeckett

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

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

A very nice American IPA that I'd love to see more widely available. Just picked this bottle up at the brewery yesterday.

An orange-hued, hazy amber with off-white head and decent lacing. Aroma is very subtle with citrus notes. The flavour is a pleasant surprise, much more powerful than I'd expected from the aroma. Hop-forward with delightful pine and citrus elements. There's a nice base of caramelized malts, but the finish is lingering and very bitter. The bottle lists a 7.1% ABV and it's terrifyingly well hidden!

Definitely a beer I'll seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 01:17:53 | More by hopsolutely