Bigger Boy's Beer
Broad Ripple Brew Pub

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Broad Ripple Brew Pub
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
English Strong Ale
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.98 | pDev: 12.56%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
4
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 26, 2014
Added:
Oct 31, 2010
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by spycow:
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Rated by spycow from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

Oct 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of JamesS
Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Pours a very nice brown-copper color with great head and lacing. Deep malt scent, slight caramel aromas and a nice hop undertone. Deep and complex taste, with huge malt presence; caramel and maple flavors and a huge Earthy hop flavor. Slightly rough from hops and there is an alcohol heat to it, but not bad considering its ABV.
Dec 13, 2010
Photo of 908carson
Reviewed by 908carson from Indiana

4.58/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was the follow-up to BRBP's "Big Boy Beer"... which i unfortunately did not get to taste. I did, however, sample their attempt at an Imperial IPA last year -- "Hopsicle." They described this as a dry-hopped version of their "Big Boy Beer," making it seem more like an IIPA. Okay, I can certainly handle that! But I immediately thought of this as an Strong Ale... having tasted their last IIPA (a PERFECT attempt, mind you), i knew that this wouldn't be the same thing.

SO, thinking of this a Strong Ale, they knocked it out of the park!

Appearance: Obviously pulled from their cask system. Super-fine bubbled, rich lathery head... the hallmark of their english cask ales. a cloudy mahogany. Reminded me of the Tobacco Fade finish on guitars and drums. They serve this in a smaller 10-12 oz size. With an abv of 8.4, i think that is perfectly acceptable.

Smell: I really didn't pick much up! I was frustrated. Normally i expect massive amounts of hops or sweet malts or SOMETHING. The dense head just seemed to insulate the flavor bomb below. What I could smell was like flat malt beverage...

Taste: Oh yeah. That's the ticket. It was like their old Hopsicle IIPA got a dose of caramel-dipped Michigan Honeycrisp apple.
To me, this was the very definition of a balanced strong ale. Everything was turned up, but still in perfect harmony.

Mouthfeel: Superfine carbonation thanks to the hand-pulled cask system. I'm not sure that this was the appropriate method for this brew. I've never had an English Strong Ale before, but I think I would've liked it better with the traditional american tap. I always appreciate the authenticity of their cask ales, but i'm not sure if it did the Bigger Boy Beer any service in this case. It wasn't super slick on the tongue, despite the 8.4 abv. It hid the alcohol extremely well.

Drinkability: Didn't seem any different than their other beers. The smaller glass told you that you were drinking something stronger and more special, but the beer told you a different story. I could've had this all night... I had to switch merely to avoid unwanted intoxication. That abv was vicious.

The Broad Ripple Brew Pub continues to amaze me with their solid offerings. I love this place with all my heart. I have written about their food and I can't stop talking about their beer. To me, it is obvious that they love what they do... and I enjoy reciprocating that love.
Oct 31, 2010
Photo of salvo
Reviewed by salvo from Indiana

3.47/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
English style cask IPA 8.4% dark murky brown, cloudy mahogany with strong red highlights with a quarter inch persistent head that etches the glass . Grapefruit among strong medicinal and floral hops. The taste is overwhelming with alcohol warmth followed by roasty malts. Well balanced for a hoppy strong ale but still muddy in that English style of IPA.

Chewy: a true heavily malted strong British style, a little too murky for my tastes in general, but this is a well made beer. Served in a slim fluted goblet which concentrated the scents and made for an excellent presentation. Too heavy to really be rated highly "drinkable."

Overall the best I have had at Broadripple and a good imperial IPA in the English style. I imagine this is what Lafayette Brew Pub was aiming for in its Phoenix Strong. LBC missed its mark and can learn from Broadripple here.
Oct 31, 2010
Bigger Boy's Beer from Broad Ripple Brew Pub
Beer rating: 3.98 out of 5 with 4 ratings