Summer IPA
McNeill's Brewery

Summer IPASummer IPA
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From:
McNeill's Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.54 | pDev: 10.73%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 27, 2012
Added:
Jul 06, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jdiddy:
Photo of Jdiddy
Reviewed by Jdiddy from Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This was a very watered down IPA. Like an IPA but without the chewy bite. Good at first but got a bit weak as it went on. Almost tastes like a cask. Should be served room temp. VERY hoppy but lacks complexity. Has a metallic bitter aftertaste. A bit disappointed since this is from Mcneills who normally have great beers. An ok summer beer.
Aug 01, 2003
More User Ratings:
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

4.32/5  rDev +22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On-tap 9/15/2012 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, piney hops and light caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus and caramel. Then a strong grassy hops bitterness comes in. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, mild kick, very good representation of style, this is a nice IPA to pound down for a long time.
Sep 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by jawneyt from Wisconsin

Mar 26, 2012
Photo of PBoegel
Reviewed by PBoegel from New York

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
22 ounce Bomber into an oversized 23 ounce weizen glass.

Straw golden to light amber. Snow white head.

Aromas of apricrot, peach and a touch of mango on some biscuity and caramel malt. Pretty clean, nothing sensory popping, but fresh and well balanced.

Taste mirrors the nose a little more peach dominant with a caramel malt middle and apricot/mango fruit finish. Bitterness was fairly modest for an IPA.

medium light bodied, some sweetness in the finish, moderate carbonation.

Very drinkable and tasty beer. More like a tasty summer session than an American IPA, but worth trying and having again.
Dec 06, 2010
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On-cask at the pub. Served in a standard pint. Pours a translucent, burnt-orange with a frothy/bubbly, 1.5 inch cream-colored head. Nose is biscuity and also expresses a citrus quality. Taste follows nose - flavor profile seems more consistent with an English IPA than an American. Hops presence is not particularly evident, but seems more integrated into the overall character. Mouthfeel is light-medium with a smooth creamy consistency. A decent brew, but not really what I look for an in an American IPA. Nonetheless, the mouthfeel on-cask is really quite pleasant.
Oct 03, 2010
Photo of thekevlarkid
Reviewed by thekevlarkid from Maryland

3.74/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tried this one off the tap at the brewery. Poured a cloudy amber color with lots of visible rising carbonation. White head about a finger thick that did not last very long but did lace a little. Big floral hops aroma with some citrus notes in there as well. Flavors were bitter and hoppy at first then a little malt followed by a grapefruit and lemon hop finish. Nice mouthfeel and lively carbonation. An interesting hybrid style that is lighter than most IPAs and yet too bold to really be a summer (read: light) beer. Drinkable and refreshing, albeit odd and rather simplistic.
Aug 28, 2008
Photo of scottg
Reviewed by scottg from Vermont

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a light amber color with a very thin white head. Cirtusy, grapefruit hop aromas mix with some light malt. Up front grapefruit and pine hop flavors sweeten up with some malt and lemon/orange hops, finishes very dry. Light body, light carbonation with a dry mouthfeel. A real drinkable IPA, the different hop flavors take turns as highlights.
Jun 06, 2008
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.91/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a hazy light copper hue with a three finger chunky white head. There was very good retention and very good sticky lacing.

The smell featured a light grainy malt coupled with a flowery and slightly citrus hop. Some metallic aroma.

The taste was very well balanced and consisted of a soft biscuity malt and a rather lively citrus hop. There was a clean grainy finish.

The mouthfeel was average for the style. Good carbonation.

Overall a tasty and extremely quaffable AIPA.
Feb 13, 2008
Photo of Brad007
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a nice amber color with a nice amount of carbonation. Aroma is nice and hoppy with a hint of malt backbone. Taste is much of the same. It starts out with an up-front bitterness that fades into a nice amount of dryness. Not bad at all but there could be more balance.
Jun 09, 2007
Photo of HopasaurusRex
Reviewed by HopasaurusRex from New Hampshire

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Purchased by my wife at a convenience store in Northern Vermont:

Off-white construction paper label declares it was hand bottled. Probably hand labeled also.

Hazy orangey-amber color.

Citrus, apricot, and woody hops in nose. A melange of Pacific Northwest and noble hop aroma.

Flavors of American and English hops meld together to make an easy-drinking, medium-bodied American Pale Ale. Not quite an IPA despite the lingering bitter bite in finish. Nice fruity flavors of peach, pineapple, and apricot emerge as the beer warms up.

Overall, a light-bodied and sessionable American IPA.
Nov 19, 2006
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
McNeill's Summer IPA from the bottle pours a cloudy deep copper-bordering-on-chestnut brown body with an orange-crimson cast. The head rises up majestically, and then slowly settles to a frothy finger of slightly yellowed ivory foam. The head retention is great, but the lacing is more limited.

The nose is yeasty, piney and gently citrusy over a light maltiness. It's clean and hoppy - refreshing and inviting!

In the mouth it's medium-bodied and moderately crisp.

The flavor delivers a see-saw of piney and citrusy hops up-front, leading into a good balance between lightly-caramelish and delicately toasty malt, and a very solid bitterness. It's fruity, and piney, and spritely, and bitter, yet balanced... kind of like a bumped-up hoppy/bitter American pale ale. I wouldn't quite go "IPA" with the descriptor, but it's a fairly intense APA. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I think it makes a great, basic beer year-round.
Jul 28, 2006
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22ozer from Brattleboro Co-Op, Brattleboro, VT.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" light tan head over a clear deep orangey amber brew. Head, what there is, last okay, with ample sticky lacing. Aroma is a piney hop bitterness, with a veggie tinge to it. Taste is dominated by the hops here. Not overpowering, but that is definitely the focus. Lasting bitterness, from start to end, with some malt holding it up. Mouthfeel is a little gritty, but the soft water still makes it go down nice, and this beer remains easily drinkable, especially for the hopheads among us. Better than I expected, which is always cool.
Jun 14, 2006
Photo of Citadel82
Reviewed by Citadel82 from New Jersey

3.42/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Iwas anticipating a monstrous hop presence. This was hoppy but more balanced than most.

Poured a nice deep copper with a sparse short-lived head that left some sparse lace

Aroma was ablend of biscuit and sweet malt and herbal hoppy notes.

Taste was biscuit and sweet malt with some nice scitrus and a short dry finish.

A pleasant and drinkable brew.
Sep 14, 2005
Photo of scottum
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont

3.41/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours out a darkish amber color with a biggie off-whiteish headskie. Tastes hoppy, but not hoppy to the point one would expect from a McNeill's IPA. But alas, not very well balanced on the malt end which throws off the whole thang and makes the mouthfeel suffer. Still, a decent brew which is quite drinkable in hot weather.
Aug 24, 2005
Photo of Goldorak
Reviewed by Goldorak from Canada (QC)

3.27/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Got the bottle straight from the brewery. I'm sort of wary of his brews, I've gotten a few off ones before.

Appearance: Iced tea amber, with a salt & pepper head that died off into a frail ring.

Smell: Powerful hop aroma, at first it was so herbal it almost had a metallic twang to it, like a freshly grinded piece of steel. It mellowed out to a more fruity, citrus pungency.

Taste: A little ashy, the malt is subtle and the bitterness has some punch and coated the tongue nicely. The aftertaste is quite hoppy and felt very "green", like chewing on a hop bud. Like most of his brews, the hops tend to iron out any shortcomings. It was good, but for hopheads only.
Aug 03, 2005
Photo of PatandDavid
Reviewed by PatandDavid from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I like McNeill's, and wasn't disapointed with this one, surprised I hadn't had it before. The pour was dark and extremely cloudy. I could smell pine cones wafting up from the glass. Taste was all citrusy hops, slightly astringent. I thought the body was almost medium. Not a bad beer. pat
Nov 08, 2003
Photo of UncleJimbo
Reviewed by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

3.92/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Sampled on tap at Redbones.

This IPA poured a cloudy, red-brown color with thin, white foam that dissipated fairly quickly. The smell not surprisingly was dominated by hops: fruity, piney hops. There was a hint of caramel and malt in the smell. The taste was grapefruity, citrusy hops, almost resinous, but with some floral hops coming through, and a hint of sweetness to balance. The mouthfeel was very hoppy, with medium body and carbonation. The flavor really lingered. This was a good IPA, but a bit unbalanced and a tad thin on body.
Oct 30, 2003
Photo of CharlesRiver
Reviewed by CharlesRiver from Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Had this on tap at Redbones. Caramel brown in color with no head at all. Slight hoppy smell, sweet and citrus. The bitterness was a tad weak but was present throughout. Easy drinking just not a ton of flavor.

I would like to try this on cask some place. I think that some of the delicate flavors might come through making it a bit more complex. Good beer, just not one that I am going to rush back to.
Aug 16, 2003
Photo of UncleFrank
Reviewed by UncleFrank from Connecticut

3.22/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Looks great with a hazy amber color and a white head that doesnt have much lace but does last through the beer.
The aroma is great and promising. Hoppy and leafy.
The taste is where the let down is and a bit of confusion. Its hoppy, but I think due to a lack of malt charecter as opposed to an increase in hops. This makes the beer thin for an IPA but light enough for a "summer" beer. However, IPA IS a summer beer, so decide for yourself. No ABV evidence. The finish is earthy and a touch of hops and feels like a pale ale. Decent/average IPA but a let down for McNeills which I hold in high regard. (fhf)
Aug 02, 2003
Photo of sponberg
Reviewed by sponberg from New York

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Bomber bottle, obviously hand labelled at the brewery by someone who had a few Bucksnort Barleywines. At least it was on right side up. I just love those hand-written labels. Amber with a fluffy white head and an earthy, rindy, piney resiny hop aroma.

I'll give it this - it DOES quench the thirst in a solid manner. Bitterness abounds, with an earthy, piney hoppiness and a toasty, slightly juicy-fruit maltiness. Thin body. Finishes dryish, bitter, with an apple like flavor. An excellent hot weather brew if you like your APAs thin and bitter. But, this is supposedly an IPA, and it falls a bit short on that end.
Jul 22, 2003
Summer IPA from McNeill's Brewery
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 24 ratings