Back Bay IPA - Beer Works

hsway

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was pretty happy with this IPA - all 20 (22?) ounces of it. Not overpowering, but with pleasant citrus and piney notes. The body is a bit richer than most IPAs without being syrupy or overly viscous. This made for an interesting drinking experience, as the mouthfeel did not exactly sync with what my tastebuds were registering. Nice orange/amber color.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Canal Street, 112 Canal Street, Boston

03-11-2009 17:56:23 | More by hsway

GFSchwab

New York

2.6/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Definitley not the best IPA Ive had fresh from a brew pub.

It poured an incredibly hazy dark oraqnge/amber color, way off for an ipa with the color and clarity. I definitley detect some chill haze/protein haze issues.

The aroma was "all harsh and no buzz" for lack of a better word. I detected overwhelming earl hop additions with little hop aroma being achieved. The roasted malty character screamed APA, however it was clearly not this.

The taste was quite un balanced, with the hop bitterness over whelming the flavor of both the malt and hops. Very little but bitterness was on my palate, and left a cloying bittnerness that I could easily blame on being an unbalanced beer.

The beer's body was a little much, even for an ipa, just a real hard beeer to consume, the hop bittneress in this beer wasenough to make this a tough one to put down, the body just wasn't any help.

I feel this beer was truly an IPA that missed its mark. the hops were way out of whack and altough they pulled a piney/resiney flavor mid way through, it disipated with an avalanche of bitterness. I felt no malty backbone, and overall it just wasnt the best beer I had from this proud brewing establishment.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Canal Street, 112 Canal Street, Boston

08-19-2008 02:53:05 | More by GFSchwab

IBUnit63

Massachusetts

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

On-tap @ BBW (Garden) - into pint glass.

Solid head with very good lacing.

Very nice floral hops aroma with some malty texture.

Well-balanced taste with decent amount of both hops and malt; alcohol is there but not center stage.

Feels a little chewy on the mouth - slightly heavy but not overpowering.

More of a traditional IPA than an American style IPA but good for a session offering. Solid effort.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Canal Street, 112 Canal Street, Boston

02-22-2008 08:32:46 | More by IBUnit63

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear golden color with a decent head. Not much lacing.

S: Strong hop scent is present, not sure what type.

T: Almost a sessionable IPA, but the bitterness must be up there. Very good malt backbone.

M: Well carbonated and crisp.

D: I will be ordering this again.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

02-17-2008 01:36:37 | More by Patrick

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sample at Beer Works Fenway: Dark, clear golden color with a medium white head that lasts awhile. Patchy lacing. Citrusy hops aroma with hints of pine and malt. Medium-bodied and moderately bitter with a solid hops flavor backed up by some sweet malt and fruit. The finish is resiny hops yet the aftertaste does not linger long. All in all a passable effort.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

10-11-2007 19:26:46 | More by Dogbrick

Durge

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A light amber color with a somewhat scattered head and spotty lace. The aroma is a solid pine hops and a touch of candied malt. This ale is lightly carbonated and shows a full burnt hops taste. A fairly slick mouthfeel. There's a slight tang with good citrus notes. Although the hops and alcohol are not at all over bearing, the bitter finish is complete. Somehow I think I might not drink too many of these just because the flavor is pretty strong and would grow heavy. However, it is very tastey and highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

09-14-2007 06:13:13 | More by Durge

bruachan

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

there's no mystery to this style. alll NW pacific hops

the liquid is pure gold with a lame head (with some extensions up the glass, but nothing special)

big hop aroma and flavor (at first i though centennial, but then i decided warrior). huge grapefruit aroma...and little else

the brew is sticky with hop oils—piney (like all my burps) and featuring some wintergreeny finish. in the end, malts are merely skeletal

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Canal Street, 112 Canal Street, Boston

08-03-2007 02:57:29 | More by bruachan

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden orange with a large white foamy head. The smell is mild hops,not too overpowering, citrus fruit. The taste is like an English IPA,more mild than your typical American version,but very good, Creamy citrus flavors dominate this beer making this a must try. The m/f is light with all flavors mixing well making this a session/like IPA.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

05-19-2007 22:49:28 | More by jmz62565

WeymouthMike

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on cask at the Canal St location. I started off with one on draught before moving on to the cask.The difference between the two is amazing, the cask is super smooth with a creamy texture and more cloudy an head to match. The taste is less bitter and the creaminess comes through on the palate. Beerworks has always been a favorite visit for me as they have plenty of seating, good food, better than average beer, and good service and one of the most important factors for me which is family friendly as getting out without the kids is very rare.

Serving type: cask
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

03-07-2007 00:02:35 | More by WeymouthMike

LarryV

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Canal Street location. Pours a clear, beautiful chestnut color with a dense tan head. Aroma of citrusy hops meets the nose. Taste is delicious with an ample onslaught of citrusy hops balanced nicely by a solid malt backbone. Very tasty and very easy to drink a few of these. Excellent brew.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

09-17-2006 19:08:25 | More by LarryV

Gavage

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear orange in color with a 1" head. Some spots of lace develop during the session.

Smell: mild hop bitterness and some soft citrus tones.

Taste: caramel and pear sweetness nicely balanced with decent bitterness and orange citrus. Mellower IPA that is mildly refreshing and lightly dry.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start and smoother towards the finish. The bitterness lingers briefly on the tongue after swallowing. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: easy drinking and this is an IPA that is a bit tamer in the flavor department but is still nice. Worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

08-14-2006 12:58:23 | More by Gavage

cbl2

New York

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

6/18/2005 $4.50 16 oz. 6.50%

Appearance:

Pours a hazy brown orange with 1/4" of white head that has good retention. Beer is fairly still, indicative of a cask conditioned ale.

Aroma:

Very hoppy with floral and citrus notes. No real malt presence. Crisp and clean.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Mouthfeel is super smooth and creamy with citrus hops up front followed by an offputting bitter quality

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

08-03-2006 16:05:41 | More by cbl2

bjohnson

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark amber with a red tint to it and a nice one to one and a half finger white foarmy head that left ok lace.

S: Aromas of citric fruit blast hit the nose first, mostly grapefruit and a hint of malt in the background.

T: Tastes of grapefruit and citirc hops blend well with a piney taste. Not overly bitter but a nice smooth dry aftertaste. Good carbonation levels.

M & D: Definately an easy drinking IPA. Smooth and fresh, this one goes down very smooth. Mouthfeel is good as its well balanced and not too bitter. I would definately have this IPA again if given the chance.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

03-18-2006 14:29:59 | More by bjohnson

RBorsato

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted On-Tap 09/30/05 at the Boston Beer Works - Fenway in Boston, MA.

Copper, amber with a tan head. Nice carbonation and decent lace. Nice citrusy hop aroma dominates. Considering the hop rate this is a damn well balanced beer. Not overly bitter like many IPAs. Medium-full bodied and creamy smooth with a nice hoppy finish.

Man do these guys at the Beer Works do a great job with hops or what ?!? Between the ESB, Pale Ale and IPA it's hard to pick a favorite...

Per BBW website: Back Bay IPA
1997 GABF India Pale Ale
A hop lover's delight, this American India Pale Ale is brewed with over 1.5 lbs. of hops per barrel. As with all IPAs, this beer is higher in alcohol, hop aroma and bitterness than regular pale ales, and you don't have to sail to India to enjoy it.
Season: all Color: copper Alc./Vol: 6.5%

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

10-10-2005 15:37:47 | More by RBorsato

bceaglejoe

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Boston Beer Works (Fenway) on 9/4/2005.

Presentation: Poured a translucent light orange color into a traditional pint glass. There was about a finger-thick head, and it had decent retention as I drank this beer. It was a slightly lighter color than most India Pale Ales that I have tried. The scent was rather estery, with floral hop aromas coming across above all else. It dominated the nose, raising my anticipation of this beer.

Tasting: It wasn't a very balanced IPA, but it was still good. Dry hop flavors came across on the tongue creating an intense bitterness that remained in the aftertaste for a while. Whatever sweetness the malts imparted was covered by the slight acidity and bitterness of this beer. It took quite a few sips to finish this one, as it certainly wasn't one to quaff. It had a body that was on the light side of medium, but the alcohol flavors came through a little more than I would have liked.

I would recommend this beer to people who like an assertive hop flavor in their beers. If you're looking for something more balanced, then this may not be the beer for you. It was certainly worth trying, and it was a well-made beer.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

09-05-2005 01:25:24 | More by bceaglejoe

Sycodrummer

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap from the BBW/Fenway the beer was served in their standard "small" pint glass offering. The beer was a golden yellow color with a one-finger white head and some bubbles of carbonation streaming up the glass.

A very floral nose the has some hints of pine and fruit as well. Very present hop character in the nose as well. You chould almost smell the bitterness.

The taste had a very lucious crispness and bitterness to it that finished each sip. Some slight citrus fruit: orange and grapefuit, with a piney earthy quality as well. Well balanced with hops dominating as they should.

Medium body and well carbonated.

This one was a hit for me. Went perfectly with the spicy chicken sandwhich I had and the bitterness perfectly neutralized the spice. A nice IPA and one I look forward to having again.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

08-25-2005 03:02:46 | More by Sycodrummer

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

At the Fenway location - 7/21/2005

Pours a clear deep copper, a little darker than you would expect from the average IPA. Creamy and dense tan head. Smells of bitingly bitter floral hops.

The hops overwhelm the tongue. Yes, there is a bit a light malt sweetness in there but overall just very bitter from start to the long lingering finish. Herbal and floral hops assault the palate. No sweet citrusy grapefruit here. Good stuff if you like an IPA to bite back a bit. Fine drinker for me.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

07-28-2005 16:18:48 | More by ViveLaChouffe

goodbyeohio

Oregon

2.6/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

orange, bright and clear with a retentive head and even lacing. smell is rife with fresh cut grass, hops, and plantiness. taste is full of bitterness but light on flavor. nasty chalkiness without any discernible fruit or malt. light, yes.. but limited drinkability due to terrible aftertaste and lack of taste. bitter and nasty.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

07-03-2005 17:16:45 | More by goodbyeohio

edchicma

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice copper appearance with minimal head, but very nice lacing. Smell was mild...citrus hop presence..I wasa expecting more. Taste had a hop presence throughout, with a nice hop finish. Once again, I was expecting more. Defintely not Hop Devil! Mouthfeel was light and slighlty dry..very pleasant. Drinkability is a bove average...it was very smooth and slightly dry. A good IPA, but there are better.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

05-10-2005 23:11:03 | More by edchicma

Truh

New Hampshire

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Applied the law of eminent domain with this one on 5/3/2005. 16-oz. cylinder at the Canal St. location, but let’s get the Bureau of Weights and Measurements to calibrate this one.

Suppurating, disappearing head that evacuates to the edges and stacks there. Hazy, medium golden hue with some quick, 100-yard dash action. Hits you over the head hops on nose, pummeling any sense of juiciness, just totally green, maybe some lemony aspects. Skeksie of hop almost kills the palate, no balance, with clover juice stuffing things up.

For some reason, while drinking this, fond memories of the Commonwealth Brewery steal in, though in no way due to the nature of the pour, almost diametrically opposed, in fact.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

05-07-2005 22:18:16 | More by Truh

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hoppier than the Impy IPA. Poured a shiny brown with a filmy head. The nose was citrus and hops. The flavor was preety woody and piney. The hops are followed by a slight malty base tha is kind of odd, but still quite good. The mouthfeel was very full-"ish". This is one of the first piney beers I think I have actually enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

04-11-2005 04:13:57 | More by MuddyFeet

Wolfsdenbrew

New Mexico

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed on January 30, 2005.

Poured by a beautiful bartender that knew how to work a hand pump. Nice moderate off white head that dissipated slowly, leaving moderate lacing. Nice beautiful bright yellow amber.

Nose was completely cascade hops.

Taste was fruity, lots of grapefruit, good balance to this one.

Carbonation level was mild and almost gone by end of consumtion, but to be expected from cask conditioned.

Not bad at all for my first cask conditioned ale.

Serving type: cask
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

02-01-2005 16:54:27 | More by Wolfsdenbrew

carln26

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy copper color with a thick cream head. Not much lace until late in the beer, then it has a thick sheet in the glass. Mild hop flower aroma, and just a hint of citrus. Great bitterness up front in the taste. More hop flowers and pine in the comes through in the finish. Nice smooth rich mouth feel. Decent drinkability. I’ve had this beer on tap before. The cask really adds richness and brings out the hops. It’s a nice beer.

Serving type: cask
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

01-02-2005 21:23:25 | More by carln26

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

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

Clear, with a burnt amber appearance. Thin, yet clingy white head. Nice mixture of hop styles in the nose: citrus/grassy/grapefuit. Flavor seemed more like an ESB to me initially. Buildup of caramel flavor in the middle reduces the brashness to a respectable level. Finish is crisp and dry with a long-lasting bitterness on the palate. A solid AIPA that I'd have no problems returning to when in Beantown.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

11-12-2004 19:09:02 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

rousee

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I sampled the cask-conditioned BB IPA versus the regular on-tap variety of the same beer. Quite a big difference between the 2 and you would not even think they are the same recipe.It has a fabulous pour of light tan and peach/apricot. Very murky with the lovely cascading settling of the head that one would associate with something like a Guinness,Boddington, or Caffreys. Smell is buttery and hoppy but buttery in a good way. Its taste is smooth bitter and hops with some fruitiness too like apricot or something a little tart and puckerish that I can't quite identify. Still, this flavor is very subtle. It has some woody elements also but they too are subtle. It reminds me of a lot of the British bitters in it is somewhat flat in carbonation but very smooth and easy to drink. Drinkabilty is also a function of location and weather. As long as its not too hot outside --very drinkable --if its over 75 degrees- I'd prefer something colder.

Serving type: cask
@ Boston Beer Works - Fenway, 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston

09-22-2004 02:09:26 | More by rousee