Ipswich 1722 Commemorative Porter
Ipswich Ale Brewery

Ipswich 1722 Commemorative PorterIpswich 1722 Commemorative Porter
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Ipswich Ale Brewery
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 11.58%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
20
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 11, 2014
Added:
Jul 25, 2001
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 11, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by PJKSR02 from Connecticut

Dec 13, 2011
Photo of brewcrew76
Reviewed by brewcrew76 from Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to JoeCeez for sharing this one.

A - Dark brown, black with ruby highlights when held to the light and a 2 finger tan head.

S - Malty with a light aroma of caramel, roasted malt and chocolate.

T - Toasted malt, chocolate, caramel and a hint of coffee that mixes with a touch of bitter hopss and linger on the tongue. Very mellow.

M - Smooth and creamy with a light to medium body and dry, toasty malt finish that lingers.

D - Very mellow in aroma and taste but still a nice easy drinking porter.
Sep 02, 2008
Photo of Admiraldinty
Reviewed by Admiraldinty from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Damned good stuff.

Poured pitch black with a thick and creamy tan head. Took a while to subside.

Coffee and roasted nose with a little sweetness.

Very full bodied (perhaps too much so for a Porter?) Malty, toasty, and coffee taste (not overpowering at all. A little chocolate as well.

This is my second favorite Ipswich offering after their Oatmeal Stout, but only a close second.
Jan 27, 2008
Photo of erosier
Reviewed by erosier from Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is a very fine beer. Pours an excellent looking dark brown to black with a very nice thick caramel colored head. The aroma is intriguing with hints of roasted malts, chocolate, and some sweet nut flavors. The taste is exceptional. Very smooth combination of roasted malts and some hints of chocolate and even has a caramel taste to it. Really really refreshing and sweet and all around delicious. The aftertaste is very good and the beer goes down really smooth. One of my new favorites. Try this beer, it is excellent.
Oct 23, 2007
Photo of WanderingFool
Reviewed by WanderingFool from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Ipswich 1722 Commemorative Porter pours a flat inky black that has some dark brown hues around the edges when held to the light. A thick creamy tan head about the width of one finger forms on top and slowly dissolves to a thick ring and thin sheet on the beer. A sheet of lace clings to the glass as the foam disappears.

The aroma is a bit faint, but has nice notes of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and nuts.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is soft on the palate with a nice firm carbonated fizz on the tip of the tongue. The flavor is much like the aroma with notes of roast malt, coffee and chocolate. At the end some earthy nut flavors come through. It finishes mildly bitter, leaving behind some chocolate flavors when gone.

This is a tasty, easy to drink beer with a wonderful mouthfeel. The aroma is a bit faint and I have trouble finding it in stores. Other than that it's a great beer.
May 31, 2007
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color with a thin tan head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The malty aroma is of coffee and dark fruit, with a little bit of hops in the background.

T: The taste is creamy, malty and fruity with flavors of roasted coffee, dark chocolate and raisins. The hops presence is mild. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth with very little crispness, medium-to-heavy body, light carbonation, slightly sticky finish.

D: Tasty, goes down easy, not too filling, good representation of style, it’s not quite a pounder, but it drinks a little bit too fluently to be just a sipper. Overall, it’s a very good beer.
Apr 01, 2007
Photo of sinstaineddemon
Reviewed by sinstaineddemon from Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
A - this porter pours a dark black that is quite reluctant to let light pass through, it wells up a short lived gold flecked dark tan/light brown, too dark to note carbonation

S - a nice complex aroma with notes of coffee, chocolate, caramel, roasted malts, and an alcohol twang, a rather surprising aroma, pretty damn good

T - roasted malts are predominant, with the same notes from aroma, these flavors are mellow and quite palatable

M&D - quite smooth, with (as mentioned) smooth and mouthcoating palatable flavors, a nice rich, roasted flavorful brew, the only detriment would be the slight alcohol flavor that could be hidden a bit better, but still damn good, a great porter
Feb 16, 2007
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the HDG, in NYC on Ipswich night 7-10 days ago. Pours the expected darkest shade of ruddy black/brown, dark tan head, leaving extensive lacing. This is a pleasantly smooth and easy drinking offering. Moderate dark malt notes as well some chocolate and coffee. Well worth a try for Porter/darker beer enjoyment. NIcely done.
Nov 22, 2006
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Nice beige lace with a thin, but lasting, head. The color is dark brown, slightly cloudy.

The nose is light, almost unnoticable.

Strong chocolate and black patent malts are the upfront flavors. The finish is quite dry with a very hoppy aftertaste that lasts a very long time. The body is almost chewy--very much like a dry stout. The carbonation is closer to a pale ale.

I like this porter very much--very drinkable. Excellent balance and very flavorable.
Jul 18, 2006
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

3.62/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Creamy, coffee colored head that fades to a semi-intact sheet after a moment. A few trails of weak lacing. Deep brown in color; near opaque.

Strong, rich mocha smelling roasted malt character. Bitter, dark chocolate tones.

Milk and dark chocolate over a creamy, semi-sweet mocha coffee flavor. The roasted malt character is present, but far smoother than the chewiness one would expect. Fruit esters of grape, cherry, and plum. Mild bitterness followed by a chocolate covered cherry aftertaste.

Medium bodied; thin for the style, but still creamy and smooth.

A light Porter with most of the flavors you'd expect from the style. Rather mild and almost watery. A bit of a disappointment from Ipswich.
Feb 21, 2006
Photo of waughbrew
Reviewed by waughbrew from Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
Black body with a medium-brown head that is big, beautiful, and leaves lace. Surprisingly the bottom of the bottle is squeaky clean. Are they filtering now? Luscious smooth coffee beans come through strong in the aroma along with a light spicy English hopping and yeast. Chocolate and raspberries too. Powerful and enticing. How do they achieve such a good smell to this, I wonder?

Smooth medium-bodied coffee oatmeal turns into thin, astringent cardboard. Wow, the flavor really takes a quick nosedive, ending with an acridity on the tongue that might have you reaching for some food to squeegee your palate. This strikes me as pretty oxidized, but with the lack of a date on the bottle it was impossible to tell how long it had been at the store. (Bottle condition or put a damn date on it!) Really a shameful ending for such a promising start from such a good brewery.
Apr 01, 2005
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4.77/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
12ozer bottle bought as part of a mix 6-pack (that the proprietor was nice enough to allow me to make) from Holiday Spirits, Storrs, CT.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a big old 2" brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head fades slowly, leaving a frothy pillowy presence for the entire drinking experience, and lacing is heavy and foamy. Aroma is chocolate, dark fruits, and alcohol. Almost makes me think this could be an imperial porter. Taste is sweet chocolate malts, with a touch of coffee bitterness, dark fruits and alcohol seemingly no longer in attendence. Weird. Mouthfeel and drinkability are superb. Could and would make this an all night drinker, if it were a bit more easily available. Will certainly keep a better eye out for it, and suggest others to the same.
Feb 27, 2005
Photo of JamesBerry
Reviewed by JamesBerry from Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The only word that I can use to fully describe the experience of this beer is: "wow". This deep, dark porter (served, conveniently, in an official Ipswich Ale pint-glass) looked so beautiful with its roasted black color and thick, creamy head that I almost felt guilty for taking the first sip. Immediately, I was overtaken by notes of dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans filling my mouth with each creamy mouthful. Its aftertaste had a nice bitter snap to it which kept calling me to drink more. Once again, "wow".
Jan 28, 2004
Photo of edchicma
Reviewed by edchicma from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ipswich provides us with another great offering...Appearance was dark chocolate to black with a head that dissipated to a great lacing quality. Smell was very malty and well-rounded, inviting one to drink. Taste was nicely malted with a light hoppy quality. Mouthfeel was almost chewy but nicely rounded too. A rich quality. Nice for a Porter...easy to drink but not watery like some..a definite try.
Jan 07, 2004
Photo of tavernjef
Reviewed by tavernjef from Minnesota

4.37/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a thick motor oil brown, settles super thickly dark brown, nearly black, with a broken chocolate brown head about a finger high, fluffed up thick and rich but receded quickly to a thin skim, lace is minimal whispy strings.

Aroma is wonderful, bakers chocolate, roasted malts, pretty darn strong, semi-sweet, deep, dark, burnt cookies or brownies, milk chocolate, chocolate milk, all coming across with a super nice dryness. Nose filled yumminess!

Taste starts out mild of roasted malts and builds from there, going crazy with lots of layered dryness of light coffee, some chocolatey tones, lightly burnt and heavy roasted malty dryness and sweetness. Bitterness is light in a later aspect in some of the drying finish which really drys out the palate, leaving you quenching for more. Feel is medium bodied with a creamy smooth start, builds some as it goes along and finishes quite full with a huge dryness on the tongue of light coffee, chocolate, and light hop bitterness. Dryness builds big and very late in this one which was quite nice and unexpected. One hell of an excellent porter. I just kept drinking it; yum!

A big thanks to UncleJimbo for the bottles of this one!!
Nov 10, 2003
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer as it streams from the bottle into my designated porter glass, which is a Fuller’s Nonick, is a deep dark walnut color, the head median in size, bubbly in texture and a nice light chocolate color. Nice roasted grain aroma sweet and fresh, crisp, quite pleasant with the start malt laden and sweet also a nice moderate feel to the body at the top. Finish is fair to middling carbonation wise and the hops pertinent to the style, dry aftertaste, and a nice quaffable porter.
Oct 18, 2003
Photo of yankeeheel
Reviewed by yankeeheel from Maine

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a dark, dark brown. Small tanish head with little retention and average lacing. Smells of coffee and chocolate. Taste is very smooth. Nothing here overwhelms you or tries to jump to the forefront. Well balanced. A nice melding of dark malts. Mouthfeel is medium bordering on heavy. This is like a lite version of their stout, except sans the oatmeal. A very good porter that should be sought out.
Aug 07, 2003
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.16/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Low carbonation, some head and leaves a good lace. Smokey flavor and taste is more like a stout but very drinkable. Very dark caramel color. Good mix of hops and malt.
Jun 27, 2002
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Presentation: 12 oz brown long neck, no freshness dating to be found. Hand crafted and naturally brewed on the label. Very thin layer of sediment in the bottle.

Appearance: Make sure you have a large mug or an imperial pint glass to pour this in, I poured it very vigorously which formed a huge dense tiny bubble head that seemed to take for ever to drop. The devious worn black leather colour was attractive with its crown of tan lace on top.

Smell: Roasty nose with hints of iced espresso, a little creamy and caramel sweet with both earthy and charcoal aromas.

Taste: A bit full in the body, lusciously smooth and creamy mouth feel after the hard pouring and the carbonation seems a little spent though still has some crispness to it. Big creamy maltiness with roasted overtones that boarder on charcoal and dark roasted coffee yet they don’t come close to pushing the envelope and seem to be in balance. Flashes of earth yeast, caramel and unsweetened dark chocolate are but a dream within the roasted presence. Hops are quite pleasant and throw a handful of bitterness into the mix as well as some flowery hop oil flavour and rounds out the roasted malt finish.

Notes: One of the few types of ale that I have fallen head over heals for, yes you can fall in love with a beer ... I have many times and it does not count as cheating. A porter to consider for a dark beer drinker.
May 26, 2002
Ipswich 1722 Commemorative Porter from Ipswich Ale Brewery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 20 ratings