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

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