Hale's Mongoose IPA - Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub

lastauss

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is not the IPA for everyone, but I think it's one of the best-balanced examples made. The west coast, and particularly the Northwest, is known for its hop-monsters, and this 60 IBU is a little on the lower end of things, but its malt structure is very distinct and pleasing. Thank goodness it's delicious on tap and out of the bottle too!

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2004 04:01:10 | More by lastauss

garthwaite

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy gold with massive amounts of carbonation and a mammoth creamy head that stuck to the glass throughout. Muted aroma of toasty malts & citrus hops. Highly carbonated in the mouth with some underlying caramel flavors. Moderately bitter with grapefruit citrus & some additional earthy hops. Pretty understated for a PacNW IPA & pretty accessible and easy drinking as a result. Not one I'd search out, but certainly not bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2004 13:17:23 | More by garthwaite

Darkale

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy and orange body with a very thick and white head. Body swirls and boils a bit after the beer is poured.

The aroma is sharp and slightly reminiscent of cheddar, like a quiet English ale. The taste is not so quiet! Sharp and thin, and not quite as chewy as I would like. But, it's a very pleasant IPA, almost session-level.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2004 14:39:40 | More by Darkale

RBorsato

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden with a nice beige head, good carbonation, trace amounts of leafy sediment floaters, and decent lace. Nice prominent citrusy hop aroma though it turns a bit perfumey over time. Decent flavored IPA with nice resiny hoppy tones but a bit funky ... if this is the Ringwood yeast others have referred to then I consistently know it's not one of my favorite strains. Medium bodied and smooth with a dry bitter finish.

Label States: "Dry hopped India Pale Ale"

Per Hale's website:
Ingredients: Pale malted barley, Crystal malts. Centennial and Nugget hops. Amarillo leaf hops (dry-hopping).

Original Gravity 10.60

($1.61 / 12 oz.)

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2004 15:32:37 | More by RBorsato

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bomber with a...well...Mongoose on the label (Captain Obvious strikes again).

Poured a wonderful cloudy honey color. Massively thick and sticky head lasts forever and paints a vivid tapestry of lace on my glass. Aromas can be noted a few feet away from the glass...giant quantities of flowery and citrusy hops leap forth and fill the room like a Yankee candle. Flavor falls short, unfortunately. I expected a hop-laden bomb of flavor but only got an iced tea-grainy, almost gritty flavor. Not bad, but certainly a let down from the look and smell. Finishes fairly sweet and dry. Bitterness pokes through right before the final flavors fade out. Mouthfeel is medium, almost on the thin side. I wouldn't say watery, but it's close. Drinkabilty suffers as I expected more out of this beer after the big start.

Thanks to RoyalT for this west-coaster!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2004 01:56:38 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

One evening while imbibing at Hale's, the entire bar and restaurant grew saturated with the smell of whatever was brewing out in the lobby. The aroma was enticing and from my seat I watched as the brewer dumped a sanitized garbage can full of whole hop cones into the 30-bbl hop back. I later asked what they were brewing and was informed it was Mongoose IPA. And what kind of hops were they using? "Amarillo. Lots of 'em."

Centennial and Nugget hops also enter the bill. Even so, Mongoose is not the hoppiest ale in town. Far from it. A punchy aroma of hop resins plays modestly among a honey-like fragrance, then grows flowery in the flavor. Bittering is targeted but none too potent. In fact, if Hale's website is accurate (a big if) they use 50 pounds of hops per 30 barrel batch of Mongoose. That's less than a pound per keg. So while the effect was heavenly on brew day at the bar, the drinking ale stirs little enthusiasm in the hop department.

If anything, Mongoose is a balanced pale ale and isn't as wild as, well, as a mongoose. The hazed golden body shows sluggish carbonation but impressive lace that exceeds the beer's other attributes. Awash in pervasive sweetness, Mongoose is a simple, worthy IPA but not an inspiring standout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2004 23:10:21 | More by RedDiamond

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another great beer at Redbones from their NW beers. I was looking forward to this one as I love NW IPA's. Clear amber in color with a half inch white head that left a nice lace. The smell is citrus and hoppy. Taste was exactly what I expected. Some great NW hops that give a different flavor to IPA's than I am used to. The ending of the hops has a bit more bite. They don't seem to be as "drinkable" or "smooth" than east coast IPA's. I love both, just very different.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2004 01:20:02 | More by CharlesRiver

avylover

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up on a whim, seeing as it was bottle conditioned, dry hopped, and around 8 bucks a sixer I figured it would be pretty good.

Pours out a perfect clear golden color with a cascading head during the pour. A 1 inch white head sits atop my brew. Good mix of floral and citrous hop aromas here, almost sweet in character. Heavy apricot aroma along with an alcohol nip. This starts out very fruity, with a peaches dominating the taste up front. Then the bitterness of the hops takes over, crushing the fruity front end and revealing a bitter grainy malt finish. This beer seems to have two distinct stages. Good mouthfeel, especially with the dry finish. Quite drinkable, although I suspect this may be in the 7-8% ABV range judging from the warmth in my belly. Excellent IPA, with enough unique qualities to set itself apart.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2004 19:41:19 | More by avylover

RoyalT

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – Clear, light orange in the body; almost florescent. The foamy white head came up nicely.

Smell – Classic NW IPA nose. There’s a terrific, complex mix of hops to this one. The pine resin is my favorite. The malt backbone show’s up as well, making this a well-rounded aroma.

Taste – This one really comes through at the taste. The hops are there in force, showing their complexity. The malt has a touch of caramel to it. This is a well-balanced NW IPA.

Mouthfeel – This one is very dry and bitter and feels terrific in between the cheeks. It is smooth, refreshing, and just big enough to make you stand up and take notice. It’s on the light side of medium but hearty nevertheless.

Drinkability – This is my idea of an IPA. Nothing too heavy, but big enough to make you come back for more.

Comments – I have been largely disappointed with the Hale’s offerings having now tasted and reviewed eight of them (this is number nine). Other than the Rudyard’s Rare I thought they were all either average or worse. I thought this one was a tad too thin, but other than that I was very impressed.

Update – I first rated this in 2003 so thought it would be fun to re-review it with a 2004 vintage. I wasn’t as excited about it the second time around. I liked the smoothness of the offering but thought it lacked character and identity.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2003 23:43:35 | More by RoyalT

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours slightly hazy yet almost clear deep golden with a very slight yet persistent head. The aroma is earthy floral spicy hops (just cannot figure out the exact hop aroma). The flavor is well bittered and the malt is substantial enough to keep the hops in line. The malt backbone is well done and the finish begins hoppy and malty and finishes dry and bitter over time. The body is medium and well done. The drinkability is good.

12 ounce bottle, label says bottle conditioned.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2003 23:39:14 | More by GCBrewingCo

Realale

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear copper/gold in color. Immense very fine beige heads settles very slowly to a rocky incomplete cap leaving chunks of lace. Took several pours and about 15 minutes to fill an Imperial pint glass.

Nose is really nice. Tons of earthy, funky hops over a nice biscuity malt base. Some citrus pokes through with time as does a bit of leafiness.

Medium weight in the mouth with a nice malt attack. The hop is more citric on the palate, but the earthiness is there as well. Finish is quite long and bitter. Could use a touch more malt to balance on the finish.

Its bottle-conditioned, which is always a plus in my book, but this sample is seriously over-carbonated, which is a real distraction. The over-carbonation may be responsible for the perception of imbalance on the finish. A well-carbonated version would be a real treat. Very much in the current British IPA vein, and a nice change from the typical American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2003 15:59:50 | More by Realale

freed

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A surprisingly deep amber IPA with a transient head. Slight grassy aroma with some detectable malt husk smell. Nice Full malt body with a light flavoring and much larger bittering hop finish. Malt has a slightly roasted taste with a slight husk or rough taste and feel. Chewy! Unbalanced bitter end makes it less appealing to drink another, and it clashes with the meal.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2003 19:42:40 | More by freed

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Orangish/copper color with a 2 finger off-white head. It has a fruity, lemon zest aroma. The flavor is of fruit hops and a caramel malt background. It is not over the top in the hops, but is does leave a drying bitterness. It is medium in body, and easy drinking. A pretty well-balanced beer for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2003 14:55:54 | More by BeerBuilder

drewbage

California

3.83/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled in an Imperial Pint at the Brewery Pub.

Copperish beer with a fair clearness only showing a slight haze.

Initial impression of a soapy green veggie hop aroma with a chaser of spicy grated cinnamon bark.

Strong tarry hop bitterness blares on the initial approach and then levels off with a short caramel malt to edge off the hops.

Final finish is a warming hop burn down the throat with a clean final break.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2003 00:44:46 | More by drewbage

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A crystal clear amber color on the pour, the head monstrous in size, creamy in texture, a winsome light tan in color and the lace a velvety sheet to conceal the glass. Sweet malt, the aroma of hops, citrus crisp and a real treat to the old schnozzle, start sweet and malt laden, the top is light to middling in its feel. Finish is delicately acidic, the hops are prickly in their spicy bite, a mid-range IPA, not overpowering, just plain drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2003 17:38:36 | More by Gusler

marc77

California

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Fluffy off white persistent head tops a light bronze hued brew. Excellent clarity. Rough, foamy lace remains. Light caramel and dryish biscuity malt along with a soft, floral and lightly lemon citrus hop nose. Subtle, judicious earthy esters round it out. Mellow and clean aromawise. Mild bready sweetness initially in flavor rounds out into a stately medium lovibond caramel malt presence, which in turn is quelled by moderate, lightly astringent earth laced hop and trace tannin bitterness. Drying on the palate. Malt reemerges late in an impression of toasty, mildly husky cracked caramel malt. Understated citric hop flavor. Lightly bodied, well attenuated, with a thinnish, but passably smooth mouthfeel. Finishes with a brief resurgence of sweetness leading into lingering light, yet sharp hop bitterness. Although Mongoose IPA is not assertive in hop character, the mild tannic notes add a slight astringency that detracted from overall enjoyment. It's certainly not outright flawed, but there are definitely better west coast IPAs out there. Fairly tasty nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2003 18:51:38 | More by marc77

cokes

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clouded sunset golden hued, with a tiny, yet persistant ivory head. Nice lace work to boot.
Floral aromatics. British done Pacific NW style, with notes of pine sap interspersed between the blossoms.
Taste is a nice balance between the floral, piney and bittering varieties of hops. Nothing overwhelming, but well meshed. This is laid upon a bed of dead grass and toasted malts.
Medium bodied, just about what you'd expect from an IPA.
Nice brew either by itself or with some spicy cuisine.

Once again, Bighuge, I'm envious of your access to Hale's. Though I must admit, it tastes better with good company.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2003 23:31:26 | More by cokes

ZAP

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy golden in color...nose is sweet and floral with some maltiness..very nice aroma.....some good bitterness on the flavor...not much citrus on the nose but some grapefruit juice like bittering on the taste...a real dry finish..body is a bit uncarbonated..not one of my favorite tasting IPA's...I expected much more West Coast juicy hopping...Would not buy this one again, but it is certainly not a bad beer...

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2003 21:30:06 | More by ZAP

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Curious thing. This is their "Mongoose" IPA, the name giving a certain Indian connotation. On the label they feature a photo of a Meerkat, an African subspecies. I'm just sayin' is all...
Dark, murky amber hue, thick creamy off-white head. Nose is spicy, highly fruity, a big basket of goodness--citrus, grapefruit, nectarines, melons. A motherlode of delicious hop flavor, tasty, tangy. Smooth on the palate. Very sturdy. Brilliant, really. It doesn't reach the upper echelon because it's massive flavor package isn't quite as extreme as my favorites. As an IPA lover, I give my thumbs up!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2003 21:47:38 | More by feloniousmonk

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance is a hazy orange/amber. A creamy thin ivory white head tops it off. Lacing is adequate. The nose is citric, pungent, resiny, piney.....all those great NW traits. The taste carries some of the same....Pine sap, citric tones, grapefruit rind, oilyness. Really nice. And underlying all those great hop attributes is a really nice subdued sweet caramel malt backbone. While the hop traits make this beer good, combined with the nice malt profile, this beer is better than good. There's a nice lingering bitterness. Doesn't seem to be an IBU buster, but the bitterness is nice. Medium-full in body. Very drinkable. My first Hale's Ales brew is a success. Can't wait for more to show up in this area.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2002 20:28:32 | More by Bighuge

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Packaged as "Mongoose IPA"...

Almost clear amber color, slight chill-haze, a plastic-y 1/4 inch head of medium duration. Punctuation-mark laces. Citrusy-hoppy aroma, a little sizzle. Big sense of Pacific Northwest hops, apparent as pink grapefruit with lots of sweetening from a sugary malt sense. Hops and malts work hand-in-hand from start to finish. Crisp close with slightly bitter aftertaste. Definitely American in character, its still got a slightly sweet sense. The overall flavor is not hugely interesting to me, but I'll give it really good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 08:26:05 | More by ADR