Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind" | Smuttynose Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
New Hampshire, United States
smuttynose.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.90%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
You could say, then, that Smuttynose IPA is a physical salute to the glory of the American hop grower. The citrusy hop flavor coming from a mixture of Simcoe and Santiams is pleasantly balanced by a smooth bitterness from the Amarillo hops. The beer itself is light bodied and crisp with a golden color that will throw a slight haze, as we bottle it unfiltered. At 75 IBU's, this is definitely not a training-wheels IPA, but is meant for hop lovers looking to satisfy their craving in a way that's not easy to find. We think they’ll be quite pleased.
75 IBU
Added by Bierman9 on 03-12-2004
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 5,339 | Reviews: 1,850
4.45/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Breaking from my traditional review format, this was purchased on June 9th, 2012, it was poured into a blue solo cup and was quite delicious. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing what a legitimate IPA is all about. Good night and good luck.
-A-Bomb
271 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Breaking from my traditional review format, this was purchased on June 9th, 2012, it was poured into a blue solo cup and was quite delicious. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing what a legitimate IPA is all about. Good night and good luck.
-A-Bomb
271 characters
4.05/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Pours out a hazy apricot color with a thin head. On the nose I'm getting lemon, grapefruit, and some pine.
Now THIS is an IPA! Flavor is medium-bodied with a nice firm mouthfeel (not too oily). I get some marmalade flavors up front. These are quickly accompanied by a nice assertive grapefruit-like hoppy bitterness. It's really well put together. There's enough hoppiness so that you know you are drinking an IPA, but not so much that it detracts from the drinkability of the beer.
Fans of the style should have no reservations about trying this beer. It would make a great go-to IPA and I may like it a little better than SN Torpedo. It has a nice kick of hops, yet is still very drinkable and refreshing and doesn't wreck your palate. Well done!
799 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Pours out a hazy apricot color with a thin head. On the nose I'm getting lemon, grapefruit, and some pine.
Now THIS is an IPA! Flavor is medium-bodied with a nice firm mouthfeel (not too oily). I get some marmalade flavors up front. These are quickly accompanied by a nice assertive grapefruit-like hoppy bitterness. It's really well put together. There's enough hoppiness so that you know you are drinking an IPA, but not so much that it detracts from the drinkability of the beer.
Fans of the style should have no reservations about trying this beer. It would make a great go-to IPA and I may like it a little better than SN Torpedo. It has a nice kick of hops, yet is still very drinkable and refreshing and doesn't wreck your palate. Well done!
799 characters
4.2/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle served in a standard shaker pint.
pours a mostly translucent, dull golden yellow tone with an off-white finger of head... great retention and lacing.
nose is a nice potpourri of citric and floral hoppiness with a muted malt presence, maybe a touch of pine in the background. not a blow-your-hair back aroma but very respectable. flavor follows the nose, with the hops beginning to fade a bit (owing the beer pushing the "enjoy by" date - no fault of the brewery). still, a good hoppy melange while delivering the relative balance i look for in my IPAs. strong bitterness persits through the finish.
medium-bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation. a tasty, highly drinkable beer; in the battle among IPAs i'd probably stop short of calling it a *true* upper eschelon offering but it's definitely one of the better ones.
originally reviewed: 03-08-2011
869 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle served in a standard shaker pint.
pours a mostly translucent, dull golden yellow tone with an off-white finger of head... great retention and lacing.
nose is a nice potpourri of citric and floral hoppiness with a muted malt presence, maybe a touch of pine in the background. not a blow-your-hair back aroma but very respectable. flavor follows the nose, with the hops beginning to fade a bit (owing the beer pushing the "enjoy by" date - no fault of the brewery). still, a good hoppy melange while delivering the relative balance i look for in my IPAs. strong bitterness persits through the finish.
medium-bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation. a tasty, highly drinkable beer; in the battle among IPAs i'd probably stop short of calling it a *true* upper eschelon offering but it's definitely one of the better ones.
originally reviewed: 03-08-2011
869 characters
3.97/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A gorgeous light amber comes to the glass. Easy orange hues are slightly cloudy and mildly "thick" looking. Honestly, I wish it was slightlyu clearer. A soapy 3 finger head is strong and consistent.
Of course hops are up front! Pine, orange, pineapple and lime are the most prevalent flavors on top. The malt is strong on the background and it contributes to a "sweetness" that's present here. Really delicious.
The flavors up top are all pine, grapefruit and straightforward bittering hops. The malt bill is wonderful though and supports the hops quite well. A slight breadiness backed by yeast. It's brilliant.
It's rich in the mouth and the carbonation carries it amazingly. I love the way the thickness here carries the hops.
Finest kind indeed. I'd never had thought that a bottle with two old men in folding chairs on it could be damn near world class. Smuttynose IPA really makes a solid case for a simply American IPA and is definitely worth the drink.
964 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A gorgeous light amber comes to the glass. Easy orange hues are slightly cloudy and mildly "thick" looking. Honestly, I wish it was slightlyu clearer. A soapy 3 finger head is strong and consistent.
Of course hops are up front! Pine, orange, pineapple and lime are the most prevalent flavors on top. The malt is strong on the background and it contributes to a "sweetness" that's present here. Really delicious.
The flavors up top are all pine, grapefruit and straightforward bittering hops. The malt bill is wonderful though and supports the hops quite well. A slight breadiness backed by yeast. It's brilliant.
It's rich in the mouth and the carbonation carries it amazingly. I love the way the thickness here carries the hops.
Finest kind indeed. I'd never had thought that a bottle with two old men in folding chairs on it could be damn near world class. Smuttynose IPA really makes a solid case for a simply American IPA and is definitely worth the drink.
964 characters
4.03/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into a globe. Best before 10/17/12...should be pretty fresh.
A: Two finger white head from a slow pour...seems pretty carbonated for an IPA. Body is a beautiful copper color. Head provided a nice cap throughout and pretty impressive lacing.
S: Quite a bit of citrus and a little bit of malt. Pleasing, but nothing too eye-opening.
T: Nice, crisp and full-flavored. The citrus (grapefruit) is most certainly there but there is more pine in the flavor than I got from the nose.
M: Quite drinkable for such a big hop profile. I could drink this outdoors on a hot day. Body is medium, texture starts somewhat watery but transitions to dry and astringent. Carbonation is soft and complementary.
O: Probably the freshest bottle of this particular beer that I’ve managed to get and it made a noticeable difference. It’s signature is the intense hop flavor but, to be honest, this beer does little to set itself apart from other top-notch IPAs. A beer that I’d be happy to be handed at a party, but wouldn’t go out of my way to obtain.
1,061 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into a globe. Best before 10/17/12...should be pretty fresh.
A: Two finger white head from a slow pour...seems pretty carbonated for an IPA. Body is a beautiful copper color. Head provided a nice cap throughout and pretty impressive lacing.
S: Quite a bit of citrus and a little bit of malt. Pleasing, but nothing too eye-opening.
T: Nice, crisp and full-flavored. The citrus (grapefruit) is most certainly there but there is more pine in the flavor than I got from the nose.
M: Quite drinkable for such a big hop profile. I could drink this outdoors on a hot day. Body is medium, texture starts somewhat watery but transitions to dry and astringent. Carbonation is soft and complementary.
O: Probably the freshest bottle of this particular beer that I’ve managed to get and it made a noticeable difference. It’s signature is the intense hop flavor but, to be honest, this beer does little to set itself apart from other top-notch IPAs. A beer that I’d be happy to be handed at a party, but wouldn’t go out of my way to obtain.
1,061 characters
Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind" from Smuttynose Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.1 out of
5 with
5,339 ratings
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