Brown Recluse IPA
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

 

Poured from a 64oz. growler that was filled and purchased at the brewpub in Manchester, CT on 10/25/07, consumed on 10/26, into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a medium reddish-brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is a little faint but contains caramelized malt, hops and some citrus.

T: The taste is pretty well-balanced with pronounced flavors of caramel, citrus and some spices. There’s a good strong presence of floral hops bitterness as there should be in any good IPA. The after-taste is slightly bitter.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, clean and dry finish.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, I could drink this beer for a while. I’m actually regretting not having it at the brewpub instead as it’s probably even better directly from the tap.

Sampled this brew on a recent visit to the pub. Arrives in a pint galss at cellar/room temp. Beer is a slightly cloudy mahogany with fluffy beige head of 2 cm that recedes very slowly leaving large pockmarked craters as it fades. never completely leaves.
Aroma is citrusy hops with just a bit of caramel too.

First sip reveals an average body with very mild carbonation. Flavor is almost all hops with citrusy grapefruitand a bit of herbal and grassy mix as well. Finishes with a lingering bitterness but not overdone or astringent. Easy drinker with no hint of ABV.
Nice brew, get it on cask while you can!

A - this IPA arrives with a coca-cola brown color with a half of a finger of parchment colored head, faint carbonation, looks indulgent, i can't wait

S - that characteristic IPA aroma that i've come to love, that piney hoppy smell of course, with a honey sweetness infused

T - this piney hoppiness transfers to the taste magnificently, typical of the high quality IPA's i've had

M&D - smooth and easy down, the hoppy sweetness adds a very smooth characteristic that juxtaposes the hoppy IBU's very nicely, i love this IPA, JH's does it again

Very dark brown chocolate color with a red hue only seen when held up to the light. Much darker then any other offering I have seen in the style. Very little head, which I blame to bartenders desire to pour right up to the rim of glass. There was a fantastic lacing as I drank this beer.

Had a very balanced aroma which hit me first with the malt that I expected due to the color. There was a definte undertone of chocolate to the main flavor. I also noted a nice amount of hops on the outside edge of the aroma.

First flavor was a nice amount of chocolate that balanced out the nice malt. There was a nice balance with a second sip that also brought out the slight hops taste in this brew.

The beer felt ok in my mouth, slightly above average body. Not watery, but with only slight carbonation.

Overall a good offering that isn't really typical of the style. Good with a nice filling meal such as a steak and potatos.