Born & Raised IPA - No-Li Brewhouse

Reidrover

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz from Roths Sunnyslope Market in S.Salem. $4.49 Its been a decade since my last beer from Northern Light..now No-Li. So here goes. Darker than usual for an IPA it is amber with a very nice thick and frothy,large creme coloured head. Very strong, resiny,herbal hop aroma..fresh A very well hopped IPA..mostly resin and some flower..malt in this one takes a back seat. This is not your usual dank,malty/balanced PNW IPA. Mouthfeel is fine for style..soft and low carbonation. Nice ..unusual IPA

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:39:52 | More by Reidrover

BeerZack

North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Dark orange, almost amber colored IPA with a huge frothy head that sticks around and laces the glass. Smells of spicy lemon rind, resiny hops and sweet almost caramelly malts. Flavor is right on the nose. Very bitter at first sip, but I quickly acclimated. There is a firm herbal and critrus bitterness throughout, but the sweet, rich malt wraps it up and carries it off the palate well. Feels as creamy as it looks. Familiar, but well done beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:53:52 | More by BeerZack

oberon

North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I just gotta say the northwest does it best...they just do.Pours into an imperial nonic a chill hazed deep copper color with a near perfect looking creamy/sticky off white head that left two broken rings of lace as it settled slowly into a frothy mass.The complex hops in the nose are just great,grassy,citric,and resiny but with a big lightly sweet firm biscuit base that is almost as big,there is a tinge of sweet alcohol that's DIPAish as well.This is a bigger "standard" IPA with a nice grassy and citric hop flavor profile and a sweeter alcohol influenced finish,there is that firm biscuit malt base there thru to the finish.This should be rated higher in my humble opinion,I think if this was an east coast brewed beer it would be...just my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 20:57:48 | More by oberon

n2185

North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear copper with 3 fingers of beige head that fades into a frothy ring with a lot of lacing.

S: Grapefruit with light notes of sweeter citrus up front followed by earthy and piney aromas.

T: Grapefruit is stronger here with pine and herbs. Dank weed flavors follow with some citrus rind notes before a moderately bitter finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is carbonated enough to avoid being oily or watery.

O: A surprisingly good IPA. I wasn't expecting much and the aroma is a little on the bland side, but it's quite tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 12:13:00 | More by n2185

draheim

Washington

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

22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a clear amber w/ a big fluffy off-white head that leaves behind a film of lace.

Aroma is clean citrusy hops, some pine.

Taste is grapefruit and pine layered over a combination of pale and caramel malt. Just a touch of warming alcohol. Crisp, strongly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, balanced. Goes down smooth.

Overall a solid IPA in an overcrowded field of solid IPAs. $4 bomber price is solid too.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 01:58:39 | More by draheim

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured chilled in ale glass chez White

A: cloudy dark amber; decent head, very good carbonation
S: hoppy, bubblegum; quite inviting
T: tastes as it smells: hoppy, sweet, bubblegum; complex and intense; medium bitterness

Really quite a decent IPA--cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 13:17:24 | More by Arithmeticus

flagmantho

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: rich orange hue with a fair bit of haze; it's too murky to really see the effervescence. Head is a thick finger of pillowy tan foam with a touch of an orange cast to it. Quite good.

Smell: lightly caramelly, toasty malt base with a good citrus nose. I'm getting lots of grapefruit and a resiney, piney aroma as well. Very Northwestern; I think it's balanced and well-executed.

Taste: malt has a little bit more toastiness here than in the aroma, but the hop bill tastes almost exactly as it smells. There's a little bit of a deep funk going on here too, which is not surprising considering the strength of the hops. Bitterness is strong, but not out of balance; it's a little rasping but nothing out of hand. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation. Not exactly creamy, but passable for the style.

Overall: a decently drinkable Northwest IPA. It doesn't stand out from the pack, but it is a solid daily drinker.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 18:19:09 | More by flagmantho

bifrost17

Washington

3.79/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a Hair of the Dog tulip.

A: Really pretty looking dark orange, almost amber. Crystal clear, nice carbonation bubbles running up the glass. A fingers worth of tight white head, dissipates into a nice ring around the curves of the glass. Spotty lacing.

S: The nose is all hops. Big west coast tropical fruit IPA aroma. Citrusy, mango, hoppy goodness. The Cascade hops especially make their presence known in the nose. You can almost smell the hop bitterness. There's a touch of malty sweetness at the end. Makes my mouth water, can't wait to taste.

T: Starts off with a huge wave of bitterness that pops open the taste buds. Followed by the maltiness mixing with the tropical fruit flavors from the hops. Finishes with more hop bitterness and a slight touch of warming alcohol that cleans everything up. Leaves a lingering bitter taste on the pallet.

O: I really really enjoyed this beer. I tried No-Li's Crystal Bitter (my first No-Li brew) a few weeks ago on a whim and loved it! I couldn't wait to try more of their beer. Born and raised IPA did not fail to deliver. Another plus to No-Li is their awesome bottles, screen printed, clean, and classy. Awesome presentation. An outstanding example of a Pacific Northwest IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 05:13:03 | More by bifrost17

harrymel

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Okay, finally getting around to reviewing more Northern Lights (No-Li) beers. After their rebranding everybody in the hometown suddenly wants to drink their beer again - meaning it's finally fresh while on the shelves!

Pours amber with soapy light tan foam atop. Smells of bubble gum, cotton candy, pine, resin, some grapefruit, a little touch of grass. I gotta say, this reminds me of two hearted initially. As it rests, the nose dies out pretty quick and becomes malt heavy. Flavor is bitter with matching sweet malts a bit o resin. Medium bodied with medium carb and a dry finish. Good beer

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 05:53:24 | More by harrymel

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: This was a slightly chill hazed, dark golden color. It poured with a thick, sticky head.

s: Nice, zesty hop aromas are apparent as soon as I opened the cap. Fresh citrus with hints of pine. Sugar cookie and caramel base.

t: More balanced than the smell suggests, but still a nice tingle at the end. Lots of chewy caramel up front.

m: Kind of heavy for a 7% abv.

o: A pretty nice IPA that might have been better fresher. No date on the bottle though so who knows?

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 20:27:08 | More by DIM

philbertk

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. Bottle purchased at Fremont PCC, Seattle, Washington for $4.00. Thin off white orange hint wispy lace hint head. Slightly hazy rich deep amber color with lots of small tight fizz bubbles. Rich enticing appearance but just a touch of dull brown. Light sediment dusting. Malty rich floral mild fruit ester aromatic enticing hop front. Medium textured slightly creamy malty smooth mild sweet toasted caramel delicate fruit note tasty hint of earthy hop resin body. Nicely balanced smooth mildly spiced clean hot hint end. Malty tasty hoppy rich balanced Amber IPA. (4.0 / 5.0).

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 06:10:29 | More by philbertk

riored4v

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured in to a tulip. Deep copper/amber colored body, off-white colored head. Slightly hazy.

Aroma was pretty malty, sweet and caramely. A bit roasty, with some biscuit notes. Floral and citrusy hop aroma. Grapefruit and a bit resiny.

Taste was caramely and biscuity upfront. Good amount of maltiness. Some floral and grapefruit hop flavors. A bit grainy. Mild bitterness that was citrusy, slightly piney and resiny.

Mouthfeel was medium body, medium carb and a crisp finish.

Decent beer overall. Really malty/caramely. Somewhat subtle hop profile for a west coast IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:34:00 | More by riored4v

scootpolute

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is redish, more so than most IPAs...Smooth, great hop kick at the top, followed by malts and spice (from the alcohol)some citrus, then ending with more pine-like spices...a pretty nice balanced finish...The carbonation is good There's a good fullness. Present, but not 'too' much fruity/sweet flavors...The final pine/spice balances the beer out wonderfully,...I was expecting a fruitier/hoppier finish...This one good, perhaps better than the '83' rating thus far...this is still a great example of a NW American IPA, but there are far better ones out 'here...'Chasin' Cheers :~)

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 00:32:30 | More by scootpolute

smakawhat

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A real dark amber body, caramel burnt brown and deep red, with a large fluffy four finger tan head. Pretty good retention but falling noticeably as it rests. It's appearance reminds me of Sculpin somewhat. Very minimal lacing.

Nose is lots of a sticky malt and mild citrus orange hop angles. Very subtle cream, a little bit of spiciness coming out.

Palate fills with a nice mellow sugary malt, and a super coating mouthfeel. The aftertaste really blossoms with a perfect balance of malt sweetness and hop pine bitterness and sap. Sweet tree sap melding quite nicely in this, with a lingering malt sweet caramel bread all over. Sweetness is held up it seems by a nice alcohol richness without a lot of boozy properties.

Overall not a major hop juice blast, but a great example of a balanced IPA with a wonderful sweet malty backbone, really dig this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 17:46:47 | More by smakawhat

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

despite a little higher abv, this is a very good session ipa. it pours a very clear and light brassy color with a solid white head. the smell isnt all that hoppy. balanced minerally light bready malts with a dose of fresh tasting bittering hops. nothing freakishly high alpha or resinous, just a well balanced brew here. the finish is insanely clean and quick. the is almost no aftertaste, which is i guess why i keep drinking it so fast. almost more of a pale ale than an ipa becuase it isnt so so hoppy, but i like it a lot. well carbonated and lighter body makes it super easy drinking. overall a nice product, worth the 7 or 8 bucks for a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 19:04:16 | More by StonedTrippin

GilGarp

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber served cold into a pint glass.

Born & Raised is an amber IPA with a slight haze. The head is thick and creamy with good retention and great lacing.

Aroma is pleasantly hoppy and fresh. It has great citrus and pine notes.

Flavor is surprisingly bitter and bold. It has a solid caramel rich malt body to stand up to the hops but it's not enough to give it balance.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated. I'm not certain if it is but it seems bottle conditioned, which I like.

Overall a very good IPA and worth a try if it comes to your area.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 00:32:27 | More by GilGarp

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle picked up in Spokane on 6.27.12. This is my first exposure to No-Li (Northern Lights) Brewing.

A - Pours a cludy, dark orange with a huge light tan head.

S - PIne and grass dominate, with a sweet carmel background.

T - Pine, but subtle. Some sweet malt as well.

D - Good carbonation and a light to medium body.

O - Overall, not bad. Subtle hops with a sweeter background.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 04:10:11 | More by HuskyinPDX

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

For a bar pour, this beer has a very good head that leaves a blanket of lace on the glass. The brew is cloudy with an orange-amber hue.

Very good floral hop aroma. Not to bitter but it is the predominant smell.

Brief pale malt flavor which is gone almost instantly from the hop kick of peppery bitterness. The body is accurate for the style, although the carbonation is a bit below expectations. Otherwise, true to the American version of an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 22:02:27 | More by smcolw

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a amberish color with good carbonation and anice white head

S: Nose is pine and that about all on this one

T: Has pine, floral and some citrus notes in there backed up with some caramel. Not a bad IPA

M: Clean, crisp, not an overabundance of bitterness, good mouthfeel, pretty balanced I thought

D: Worth a try for sure

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2010 23:40:03 | More by barleywinefiend

wakitabanana

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Good typical copper tones with nice lacing. 1 finger of soft head.

S - Delicious, sweet, yet raw.

T - Great balance with a touch of malt to round the hops.

M - very smooth.
D - Palletably smooth with good texture and refinement. Living in Curlew, WA now, I can get used to drinking a beer like this. Paying $4 for a bomber seems reasonable for the overall quality.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 19:01:32 | More by wakitabanana

DanOLeary

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: Expected citrus notes of grapefruit rind with a certain grassy character. While the aroma in general is certainly hop focused, it isn't entirely bright. If you look for it you'll find some bread crust and caramel.

Appearance: Pours a deep copper, nearly red, with excellent clarity. Creme colored head rests thin but persistent. A trace of lacing sticks to the edge of the glass.

Flavor: Heavy hop flavor and bitterness upfront. More grapefruit dominating the palate with a hint of caramel malt making a showing here and there. Resinous hop flavor holds into the finish while bitterness bites the back of the throat. Hop resin sticks long into the finish with a near cloying tenacity.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with light carbonation. There is almost a foaming character in the mouth with the carbonation that creates palate fullness. Hop bitterness holds on to the roof of the mouth and back of the throat as chalky and resin.

Overall: For an IPA you're not shorted on the hop presence in bitterness, flavor, or mouthfeel. While the aroma rings true of an American IPA it comes off somewhat mottled and unfocused. Brighter hop aroma would be welcome and expected with all that flavor and bitterness. A fine selection for the hop lover while holding a delicate balance with the malt.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2010 02:58:11 | More by DanOLeary

mtyrrell

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Nice red/ brown copper color, small head, lacing

S- hoppy, piney, citrus, typical of the syle

T- Bitter, floral hops, some citrus. again, typical of the style but nothing special

M-medium body, crisp carbonation

D- It is a nice IPA. nothing special here, but a decent representation of the IPA style

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2010 00:45:15 | More by mtyrrell

beertunes

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a cloudy (perhaps due to the cask not having had time to settle after being delivered) copper-amber color that had just a thin cap of head, but still left a nice amount of lacing.

A nicely sharp hop aroma greets the nose. The flavor is dominantly citrus hops, with some floral notes on the finish. The body and drinkability were typical for an American IPA.

Overall, a decent example of the style that's worth a try if you see it.

Serving type: cask

01-15-2010 00:24:41 | More by beertunes

ccrida

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Update 3/27/13 - Bomber:
Still bright sweetness and candi sugared malts. Light bitterness, sugary, some citrus. Eh. No score edits, just casual impressions....
---
On tap at the Dog & Pony for thier Brewer's Night, served in a shaker. I just had it on cask, and this version is the draught version, with Sarachi Ace rather then Warrior dry hopping. I'll just enumerate the differences.

The draught IPA is darker, with little to know head.

Smell is definitely sweeter and more tropical, really big curacao notes as it warmed.

Taste is similar. Really nice contrast between the cask version, I'm pretty surprised/impressed. I definitely dig the candy notes for the Sarachi, this one doesn't seem as resinous, yet hoppier flavor for sure. Candied peaches. This might the be beer my wife would actually like, especially in that it's not to bitter. The smoothness of the higher ABV means I'll like her reaction!

Mouthfeel is a bit crisper, but heavier as well.

Drinkability is pretty high, for different reasons then the cask. The maltiness seems a bit much due to the candi notes of the hops, but it has that in your face hop flavor that I look for in a local IPA. Well done, it was a treat to try two different versions and savor the differences in the dry-hopping and conditioning. Maybe I'm biased after chatting with the brewers, but it's really all about the beer, and tonight, it's very good. My first foray into Northern Lights brews, definitely call for a revisit next time a see them (which I admit isn't to often on the I-5 corridor I haunt). Solar Winds was still my favorite of the night.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2009 01:31:48 | More by ccrida

loren01

Oregon

2.23/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A: Poured amber color, 1 finger width frothy white head, good lace down the glass
S: Smell is good, hops very evident, very citrusy.
T: Bitter hops, I mean very bitter!! Not hardly any malt flavor at all, maybe there was but this beer was too hop heavy. Astringent aftertaste.
M: Mouthfeel was alright, medium bodied.
D: I'm a big IPA fan but this one just plain sucked, way too bitter and astringent, not balanced at all. 1st IPA i've never been able to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2007 17:06:33 | More by loren01