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

csmiley

Ohio

2.23/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Color is deep copper and cloudy. Minimal head with minimal lacing. The head that I could get did stick around for a while.

S - Citrus hops are out front but get quickly backed up by caramel. Bread aromas are rather strong as well.

T - Citrus hits the palate first but goes away quickly. Pine seems to step in behind. Then there is a sudden drop in hop flavor altogether. Pretty strong caramel flavors get matched up with bread dough.

M - Medium bodied and not even close to the amount of carbonation that I would expect.

D - Drinkability is low. This is an IPA that does not have any redeeming qualities that would warrant me buying more. Too many characteristics were just not that impressive.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 03:12:41 | More by csmiley

jkdrummer

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Little head, no lacing, cloudy amber blah

S: Not much to write about -- smells like old hops, sweetness detectable.

T: Sweet like honey and malty little IPA characteristics detectable at all.

M: This and FLAT.

D: Would have been better with carb. For some reason this IPA was FLAT! Bad Quality Control maybe? Really disappointed in Hales -- they ain't what they used to be.

Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2008 00:14:14 | More by jkdrummer

youradhere

Arkansas

4.35/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Good all around IPA, picked up a six pack at the class six on base. Opened the bottle at our BBQ, and held it up to take a gander. Noticed heavy yeast sediment at the bottom, more than usual, almost flocculant mush-like appearance. I'm a homebrewer, so I'm not scared of yeast sediment at all, just thought it was odd is all. Taste was very hoppy, but lacking in the bitterness, but still well balanced with a light malt profile. I've had the same in bars, however on tap, with a totally different flavor/hop profile. I reccomend trying both. The bottle is more of a BBQ drinker, not being too high on the sugary side. The draft version was a tad stronger but somewhat the same animal. All in all, I reccomend it, and continue to drink it whenever the mood strikes me.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2008 05:59:17 | More by youradhere

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz picked up at the Boise Coop for about $1.40... poured into my shaker pint... hit repeat on Digweed's Transitions V.3 (new and good CD)

Very aggressive pour left only a 3/4" head that very quickly went away leaving not much lacing above a used penny color.

The look wasn't much to sneeze at, but the aroma is nice... I can easily smell big malts and hops at arms length. When I bury my nose in it, it is much more on the malt side... with floral and citric hop notes. Fruity hop aroma mixes nicely with fruity yeast ... pretty good... but a little underwhelming.

Bitterness breaks from the gates but quickly loses pace to the caramel malts and yeasty fruitiness... finishes with a very nice but understated fruity hops.... I am not sure what hops are in this, but I would bet Amarillo.... and it could use a little more. Big body for an IPA to be sure... sorta cuts down on drinkability, but at this time of the night, I'm not complaining.

This is a really good beer for me.... I prefer a little bit more malt to balance out the big hops, but within style guidelines, I would probably have to play it down a little.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2007 10:21:04 | More by JohnGalt1

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a semi-hazed (clears quickly) amber with 1+ finger of sand colored head. Above average lacing & average head retention

S: Biscuitty malt, honey & caramel, but where's the hops?

T: Big grapefruitty hops & caramel up front. Earthy hops, breadyness, more caramel & a bit of dryness as this warms. Finishes with a grapefruitty hop snap, caramel & some honey malt & toffee

MF: Medium bodied with medium carbonation, balances pretty good

Drinks pretty easy to me, hopheads may sniff at this, but this is a nice balanced AIPA to me

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 05:21:30 | More by russpowell

troutmask96

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hale's is a beloved brewpub in the Ballard area of Seattle, and this is one of their finer offerings. Pours a nice magogany with a quickly disappearing head. Taste is caramel and nectar, with a strong ctirus pop. Nothing real special here, but it's definitely a rise above the median IPA. All in all a very decent session ale...

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2007 04:41:16 | More by troutmask96

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bitterbill for this brew.

Pours a cloudy golden orange color, nice carbonation, nice small creamy off-white head, nice small islands and sticky lacing follows. The nose is hoppy, slightly malty, nice grapefruit/citrus, piney, and some caramel. The taste is nice and hoppy, good dose of citrus/pines, and caramel. There is a nice chewiness in the mouth. Nice dry/bitterness in the finish. Medium body. Very drinkable, I'm really enjoying this one, highly recommended, thanks Bill.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2007 19:14:55 | More by Wasatch

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bottle

Hazy, orange/yellow in color. Minimal, rocky, off white head. Fairly still. Good lacing for such a small start.

Aroma was sweet, peaches and pine. Biscuity and caramel as well.

Nice balance. Citrus initially (orange and lemon), followed by a fruity sweetness in the middle -- mild caramel as well. Biscuity. Good, lingering bitterness in the finish -- grassy.

Medium body, feels a bit thin. Low to medium carbonation. Dry.

Pretty good overall, not the main show, but a decent opening act. Guessing ABV is in the 6-7% range. Almost a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2007 12:51:31 | More by

Bookseeb

Washington

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance has a cloudy orange amber with a creamy head that leaves a nice lace thoughout. Smell of citrus, malt and hops. Taste is a bit piney with grapefruit, sweet malt and hops, but something is not balanced. Mouthfeel is medium having good carbonation, probably not one I would go for again if givin a choice between IPA's, but still it's an easy drinker and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2007 20:52:24 | More by Bookseeb

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Wilbur's Liquors in Ft Collins for US$7.49 a 6 Pack.

This beer pours from 12oz bottle a clear medium gold with a medium sized head of foam. After a few minutes, the foam is all but gone but it does have some lacing in the early stages.

The smell has a huge grapefruit nose along with some floral hops.

The taste starts off with the grapefruit and follows through with floral hops that makes for some real strong bitterness. As I swish the Ale in my mouth, I'm picking up some malt that I didn't notice when I was just sipping....it's earthy and it gives some balance to this very bitter IPA. The finish for me alternates between the hop bitterness and earthy malt and I quite like it. I'm also getting some grain the more sips I take. I think it's more complex than what the first taste would have you believe...this is a good sipping IPA and I'd guess that the alcohol content would be somewhere between 6.5% and 7% abv as it's no "light weight". Solid IPA if you're willing to give it a chance to warm up a bit...

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 22:58:02 | More by Bitterbill

cswhitehorse

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - the brew comes in a dark hazy amber with a nice head on the beer with a tight foam apparatus.

Smell - I liked the hoppy citrus from the nose

Taste - good tasting but not excellent. More malty than hoppy for an American IPA.

Mouthfeel - lingers on the whole of the tongue.

Drinkability - I will try it again. Good NW beer. I am not yet sophisticated enough to give it one shot one kill.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2007 03:18:15 | More by cswhitehorse

Bobikel

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a hazy reddish amber with a small clunky head that dissipates almost immedeately, assuming of course that's how to spell it. Lacing is average.

Smell - Dry hopped, citrus, floral, earthen, with just a touch of bready malts.

Taste - A deep citrus bitterness hits the mouth and only subsides into a nice maltiness sometime after the swallow. Not overly complex, but enjoying if you like an IPA.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and even, with a light prickly carbonation throughout. A little oily, and cloying.

Drinkability - The simplicity aids in sessions, after a couple more, I'll have a better idea of the ABV, but for now, I like it.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2007 23:25:18 | More by Bobikel

rowew

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz short glass, no date info.

Appearance: Reddish orange color, slight haze. Thin head fades quickly with just a bit of lacing.

Smell: I could smell the hops and a bit of malty sweetness as soon as I opened this one. In the glass there is a bit of a bite to the aroma - I think it is hops, but I'm not sure. Also just a bit of carmel.

Taste: Nice balance of grapefruit hops and malt sweetness, with a bit of bitterness in the finish.

Overall impression: Not a bad IPA - fairly well balanced, but tipped slightly towards the hops. Glad to see another PNW offering here in Colorado.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2007 22:52:14 | More by rowew

dickroop

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I scored a bottle of this while out in Seattle recently. It's a great name for an IPA, and an appealing label on the stubby bottle. It poured a honey-amber with a modest, coarse kakki head that left very nice lacing. It was also very hazy (promising)

The aroma was a good citrus or piney hop smell (very promising), enough aroma to fill the nostrils. It was a little biscuity and seemed to indicate some alcohol presence. The taste was balanced, not a hop bomb. It had good bittering but I would have preferred a fresher or stronger hop presence. It started sweet from generous malting (pale malt?), went bitter in the mid-palate, and stayed bitter for the finish.

Mouthfeel was sticky and medium-bodied or more. All in all, drinkability was pretty good. This is not the typical NW APA (w/ in-your-face hops), more in the tradition of a strong, hearty English PA. A little too sweet for my taste, but a creditable brew and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2007 22:37:31 | More by dickroop

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I saw this beer for the first time on a trip up to Northern Colorado. It was very bright golden orange in color with amber tints. There is only a slightly soapy looking film of a head. The smell is very fruity but more dark fruit than citrus, almost like raspberries. A slight grassiness, maybe from the dry-hopping? A little bit of pine comes through in the smell also. This one gets high marks on the aroma due to the multiple components of the aroma. The taste is very hoppy, not much bitterness (although it is there in the aftertaste) with a little fruity flavor and sweetness. There is some breadiness and caramel from the malts. This is very good (probably a 4.2) and I would purchase it again if the price is right.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2007 16:53:07 | More by ArrogantB

ccrida

Oregon

2.42/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a nonic pint, the Mongoose IPA is a hazy brunt orange with modest egg shell head that quickly recedes to thin skim and leaves slight lace.

The aroma is mainly malty, but there is a definite citrus hop backbone, although it's pretty slight for a NW IPA.

The taste is not as malty as the aroma, lots of citrus flavor, really more lemon then grapefruit like most of the hop-bomb NW IPAs. Almost like a pale with lemon juice squeezed in. The malt is reminiscent of gingerbread, and there is a nice hop bitterness on the finish.

The mouthfeel is a bit thick and pushes cloying. The malt here is too much and not refreshing or tempered enough by the hops.

This wasn't too good IMHO. Not enough aroma or flavoring hops, or at least ones that I like. I'm pretty sure I'll never bother with this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2007 01:25:53 | More by ccrida

sinistermadman

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pale amber color with nay a trace of head.

Very subdued aromas. Surprisingly subdued hop character. Caramel malt notes evident, but not too much else. In a world full of IPA's this is about as average as you get in my book. Not bad, but not worth seeking out either. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2007 00:46:38 | More by sinistermadman

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled March 2007
Pours with a brilliantly clear, reddish-copper color and is topped by a frothy, initially two-finger thick, light tan colored head that leaves some lacing on the sides of the glass. The aroma is a nice mix of leading sweet citrus character, spicy-herbaceous hop notes and sharp pine aromatics. The dominant citrus notes lean towards notes of orange peel, tangelo, sweet grapefruit and lychee. If you dig for it, underneath the hops is some austere, biscuit malt and soda cracker character.

Served lightly chilled (perhaps 55ºF / 13ºC). This beer is only lightly sweet up front, as the hop character is big enough to drown out the residual malt sugars. A nice, gripping bitterness is noticeable from the get go, though it is never too much or over the top. Citrus flavors of grapefruit, lemon zest and bergamot are quite noticeable and perhaps play the largest role in the flavor profile. The finish is dominated by the before-mentioned bitterness but also by some raw hop astringency, which coats the teeth and tongue just a bit.

This beer is eminently quaffable, a trait I find required in a good example of an IPA; it is light enough in body, yet not so light that it can't support the hops and goes down so easily. Perhaps simplistic in its hop focus, but still very nice all around. This is a fine example of an IPA and one which is really scratching my hop itch right now.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2007 02:02:23 | More by Gueuzedude

IntriqKen

California

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden orange with a half finger white head that melts to a nice thin ring.
Aroma is pure hops...fresh, bright, clean, piney hops. Intensely beautiful.
Flavor is not as intense as the aroma...slightly sweet amber malt initially hits the tongue and then ...wham...the hops take over.
Maybe slightly one-dimensional, but cascade hops <?> intense on the palette...some grapefruit peel and lots of pine oils and resins.
Mouthfeel is pleasant for the style...neither too thick and cloying nor too thin and weak.
Aftertaste is a blend of the malts and hops with the hops winning out just enough to dry the tongue making you thirsty for another sip.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2006 03:35:37 | More by IntriqKen

Vancer

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Crystal clear amber orange pour, small white head that pooped out too quick. It is leaving some traces of a sticky white lace.

Subtle, and I mean subtle, notes of florals here, you really have to sniff hard to pull ‘em in. And whoo, the quaff is a small pop of hoppy florals, finishing with a harsh coating of rotting pine. Not exactly a world beater here.

Dry and crisp, a decent try and I’m glad I tried, but I won’t knock down any doors to get this again. They’re trying, it just falls short a tad.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2006 21:31:02 | More by Vancer

johnbonham1980

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I had this beer from cask at the Front Door in downtown Boise, a pretty good pizza restaurant next to Pair and underneath the Reef. Compared with a fantastic casked IPA I had at Bittercreek, I wasn't that impressed.

Tasted like it was both normally and dry hopped almost exclusively with Cascade and similar strains with strong grapefruit and pine flavors.

Head was 3-4 fingers, pillowy, and lasted for a good while.

Served at approximately 55 degrees, it didn't change as it warmed up much at all.

Carbonation was spot on, enough to be noticeable but not get in the way of the beer.

Didn't taste much malt at all in this one, as it was overpowered by the hops.

Overall a pretty average IPA.

Serving type: cask

10-24-2006 23:19:26 | More by johnbonham1980

tattooedtolley

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy orange in color, short lived head.

Smell: Aroma of grapefruit/slightly piney hops.

Taste: The aroma carries over to the taste but balanced out with a malty backbone.

Mouthfeel: Light/medium in body, fairly crisp.

Drinkability: Goes down easy, most could handle a few.

Overall pretty decent, a bit average I suppose, nothing over the top about it but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 16:35:50 | More by tattooedtolley

Reidrover

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle serving. Hazy dark golden/amber beer in colour, wispy off white head. very hoppy/citric aroma, with hints of caramel maltiness. Taste is actually on the "malty" side for NW IPAs..to begin with then after a half second the hops , dry hopped or not, come through like a knife thru butter. And they hang around. Fairly nice on the palate..the long lasting hop aftertaste is quite pleasant. A good beer and an easy drinker

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2006 08:34:55 | More by Reidrover

jdhilt

New Hampshire

1.9/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours with a three finger cream head that goes slowly leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Hoppy nose. Starts hoppy, midway there is a hint of sweetness but it doesn't last leaving a hoppy bitter aftertaste. $1.39 for a 12oz bottle from Exclusively Washington Seattle, Wa. Don't even try looking for this place, it is a gift shop that wives are forced to check out.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2006 02:17:31 | More by jdhilt

Gavage

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: slightly hazy orange color with a 1/2" head that disappears quickly. Spotty lacing develops. Slow moving carbonation bubbles rise to the top.

Smell: very mild grapefruit and pine bitterness are hard to detect.

Taste: decent bready malt base with some mild pine bitterness and very soft grapefruit. Slightly unbalanced and expected more hop punch, but overall a little better than average.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start, smoother with some light dryness at the end. Medium bodied. Short caramel and slightly bitter aftertaste.

Drinkability: so-so. It is possible the beer was not as fresh as possible, causing some of the flavor components to be weaker than expected.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2006 23:39:13 | More by Gavage