V.E.G. IPA
Willimantic Brewing Co.

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From:
Willimantic Brewing Co.
 
Connecticut, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.39 | pDev: 6.38%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
26
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 19, 2015
Added:
Mar 31, 2002
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  1
Unfiltered India Pale Ale with a Very Extreme Grapefruit character from Columbus hops this beer is rated in I.G.U.'s International Grapefruit Units.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.48 by MisterKilderkin from California

May 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.12 by GmAn613 from Connecticut

Sep 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jun 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by woodchipper from Connecticut

Mar 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by endlesnumberdays from Connecticut

Mar 14, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by slim2043 from Connecticut

Nov 03, 2012
Photo of koopa
Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Had this one yesterday at the brewery. My favorite beer of the entire weekend.

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper with a 1 finger crown that displays some retention and lots of lace.

Smell: Lots of grapefruit character with some pine resin support. Malt profile is completely overpowered by the hops and thus makes little to no contribution in the nose.

Taste: Same as the nose with a little bit of biscuit to toffee like malt coming through. Definitely grapefruit supercharged as advertised....

Mouthfeel: Medium body with good carbonation that is closer to creamy than prickly.

Drinkability: Goes down easy, is very tasty, and I want more!
Aug 20, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Ray7233 from Connecticut

Feb 19, 2012
Photo of Homebrew35
Reviewed by Homebrew35 from Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a pint glass with one and a half fingers worth of
A white head. Straw colored slightly hazy body.

Smells of citrus, pine and sticky sweet malts.

Tastes like grapefruit juice mixed with some resinous
Piney hops.

Medium thin bodied, medium carbonation. Firmly bittered with a good dose of dank oily hopps.

Overall this is a solid ipa. Fairly drinkable and interesting. Good job willi.
Feb 12, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Jan 30, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by tjdrewry from Connecticut

Dec 31, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.22/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to irishct15 for this fresh growler. Shared with friends, and served in a Pisgah pint glass.

A - Pours with a finger of foam that dissipates to a thin ring and some light haze. This shit is super dark and hazy, and there was tons of yeast at the bottom of the growler.

S - This stuff is dank, with healthy amounts of pine and orange citrus. Backbone is honey cake and caramel. Very sharp and bitter-smelling, which is unusual as bitter is usually a taste descriptor for me.

T - Taste is initially sweet candied citrus - orange, grapefruits - as well as some dank earthy Columbus hops. Bitterness pops up late and fairly intensely, and then dissipates quickly as well.

M - Lower carbonation, but still quite sufficient. Medium body that's sticky and viscous, but not particularly enamel-melting.

D - This stuff is super drinkable. I had a couple pours and could probably done the growler on my own at 6.1%
May 15, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.42/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at the brewpub on 10/30/08.

Pours a hazy medium copper with a 1/2 finger of creamy brite-white head. A wispy retention leaves a nice cascade of lacing that sticks. The aroma smells of Cascade hops, being a mix of earthy tones and light pine notes with some strong citrus character and malt sweetness coming out underneath.

The taste starts with a nice piny punch of Cascade hops that possesses a good resinous edge to it. This is balanced out by tangy citrus and sticky caramel malt sweetness. Nice piny bitterness that lasts long and steady. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good firm carbonation that spreads out well.

Very nice. Willimantic does IPAs like no ones's business and this is probably one of the best that I've had from them. Really outstanding stuff!
Nov 12, 2008
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

4.42/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured a hazy straw amber color with 1 finger of off-white head. Good retention and lacing. Smells of citrus, pine, honey, and biscuit. Tastes big of grapefruit, pineapple, and apricot up front with a nice solid honey and biscuit backbone. Finishes with lots of bitter and dry pine and grassy notes. Medium in body with good carbonation. Smooth and creamy with great balance and a strong and puckering bitterness. In a brewpub jam packed with IPA options, this is definitely a standout.
Oct 15, 2008
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
German-style refillable growler filled at the brewpub.

First imperial pint pours with a 1" beige head, over the cloudy reddish amber brew. The dense head falls slowly, with lasting frothy lace. Aroma is pungeant piney hops, with peeks of citrus and sweet malty undercurrent. Taste is malts upfront, quickly falling to crisp lemon, which is in turn overpowered by resiny pine to the close. Mouthfeel is smooth and soft over the tongue, with pleasing drinkability. Another great one here.
Oct 14, 2008
Photo of warriorsoul
Reviewed by warriorsoul from Pennsylvania

4.57/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
First and foremost...a huge "thank you" to Brewfan for this one.
A cloudy copper color with a huge, bright white head...half disappears quickly, but leaves some decent lacing.
Dusty, fruity hops fill the nostrils right away...almost as nice as drinking it (sound crazy? believe it). It has a sweet malty character somewhere in there, but the Columbus own this brew.
The bitterness this beer contains is simply awesome...on the verge of drying out your entire tongue, but then the malt shows itself and gives you a reprieve from the hops. Citrus and subtle pine shine through...very dry in the finish.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and the carbonation is quite high...even after a week.
As my friend and fellow BA, "fitzIPAtrick" put it...who needs double IPA's when you have an IPA like this."
One of my favorite IPA's to date and well worth seeking out...just wish I lived closer.
Oct 19, 2006
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a nonic.

Creamy, bubbly off-white head a top a slightly hazy, dulled copper in color. Spotty, thin and dimpled lacing with decent strength.

Bright, floral and citric hop aromas: lemon, melon, mild grapefruit. Moderate hop resin with notes of pine and bubblegum. Semi-sweet toasted biscuit.

Fresh, bright citric and tropical fruit flavors: lemon, grapefruit, pineapple met with a burst of gritty pine. The underlying malt character is dry and toasted; keeps the hops from running wild. A lasting, burnt bitterness gives a pine and bittered grapefruit-filled aftertaste.

Medium in body; oily and filmy on the palate, which lingers after the sip.

Alright, it's official: it's impossible for Dave Wollner to make a bad IPA. Don't believe me? Grab a growler of the VEG, or any of Wollner's rotating IPAs. You won't be disappointed.
Oct 15, 2006
Photo of RonfromJersey
Reviewed by RonfromJersey from New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Big, frothy but level, just-off-white head tops a slighty hazy orange body. Drops attractively unevenly, and leaves a lot of goodlace in its wake.

Good nose with a lot of bursting fresh citrus.

Good solid malt base, sweet but not cloying, that takes over the mouth at first. But soon, the hops arrive, and start picking away at that malt, trading caramel for grapefruit, and a rising bitterness that lingers long after the malt is just a pleasant memory.

Really enticing mouthfeel, spot on for the style. Excellent drinkability.

Impressive offering from an impressive brewpub. Shame it will be at least a year before I get back.
Oct 01, 2005
Photo of Rastacouere
Reviewed by Rastacouere from Canada (QC)

4.05/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A white cover tops very hazy amber looks. Intensely coniferous and perfumey nature. The hops complexities keep on coming sniff after sniff. Sweaty columbus like hops are not among my favourites by any means, but this one is just so aromatic and using them well and in a complex manner that I can only stare, smell and savor. Soapy and grapey marriage with the big malt backbone complement the richness. Firm medium body, rolling happily on the tongue. Fresh spruce/pine come out strong in the finish while the considerable citrib bite kisses you goodbye. That’s a winner!
Mar 31, 2005
V.E.G. IPA from Willimantic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 26 ratings