Champion Reserve IPA
The Seven Barrel Brewery
- From:
- The Seven Barrel Brewery
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 8.55%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 20
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Sep 29, 2016
- Added:
- May 30, 2002
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
An American style IPA, medium to light amber in color with a floral hoppy aroma. Meduim bodied and hopped to about 60 IBU's. It's brewed using British malts and generously hopped with a blend of Perle and Cascade. It's dry-hopped with Cascade for a fuller aroma.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
3.5/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the source. Brilliantly clear deep golden color with a decent bubbly white head. Old school ipa feel. Breadycaramel with earthy pine and citrus to counter. Decent ipa if not a little thin in body.
Sep 29, 2016
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
3.8/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From the growler. The pour is amber with a modest head. IPA;s were originally created to keep pale ales fresh on the long trips to India. The hops were never meant to become the beer.So here we get an aroma of roasted malts with a balance of floral hops. but not explosive like so many IPA's these days. The body is medium. The taste is roasted with a nice hop balance. It all comes together well.
May 26, 2015
Reviewed by BoldRulerVT from Vermont
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Had a pint of this on October 30.
Nice reddy color, but zero head. I mean barely any bubbles at all.
Smell was pleasant, sweet but hoppy. Nice malts.
Taste was mild, not very hoppy at all but in balance with the malts.
Moutfeel was no satisfactory for me. I feel the beer was insufficiently carbonated, it was essentially flat. I struggled to find any carbonation at all.
This beer was disappointing.
While I was there they did not have any heat and apparently did not have any for a couple days. I wonder if this impacted the beer.
I suspect another visit down the road might yield a better pint of beer.
Oct 31, 2013Nice reddy color, but zero head. I mean barely any bubbles at all.
Smell was pleasant, sweet but hoppy. Nice malts.
Taste was mild, not very hoppy at all but in balance with the malts.
Moutfeel was no satisfactory for me. I feel the beer was insufficiently carbonated, it was essentially flat. I struggled to find any carbonation at all.
This beer was disappointing.
While I was there they did not have any heat and apparently did not have any for a couple days. I wonder if this impacted the beer.
I suspect another visit down the road might yield a better pint of beer.
Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at the brewpub into a shaker pint.
A: Clear medium amber body with a finger of frothy white head. Good retention, rich lace. Solid.
S: Pleasantly hops-forward, with emphasis on citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Restrained but very nice.
T: Floral + fruity hops up front, some biscuity malt backbone in the middle, and crisp bitterness on the finish. Solid, tasty IPA.
M: Creamy, moderately carbonated medium body. Again, solid.
O: This is an IPA that just about any small brewpub would (or should) be happy to have as a flagship. I'm shocked to see the ABV listed here as being sub-5%, not because the beer tasted the least bit boozy but just because it so clearly emulated the flavors and intensity of your standard 6% IPA. I'd gladly drink this one any time.
Cheers!
Aug 29, 2011A: Clear medium amber body with a finger of frothy white head. Good retention, rich lace. Solid.
S: Pleasantly hops-forward, with emphasis on citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Restrained but very nice.
T: Floral + fruity hops up front, some biscuity malt backbone in the middle, and crisp bitterness on the finish. Solid, tasty IPA.
M: Creamy, moderately carbonated medium body. Again, solid.
O: This is an IPA that just about any small brewpub would (or should) be happy to have as a flagship. I'm shocked to see the ABV listed here as being sub-5%, not because the beer tasted the least bit boozy but just because it so clearly emulated the flavors and intensity of your standard 6% IPA. I'd gladly drink this one any time.
Cheers!
Reviewed by mostpoetsdo from Rhode Island
3.75/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.75/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: A fairly transparent, but vibrant copper, and off-white head, left decent lacing.
S: Strong citrus hop notes, grapefruit, and a faint malt smell that plays nicely.
T: Solid hop presence, but not overly bitter. Very fruity, as in grapefruit hops. A caramel malt flavor balances the beer nicely, but the hop punch is solid.
M: Quite smooth, but on the thinner side for my liking.
D: It's a pretty good IPA, not overly hoppy or bitter, but enjoyable.
Aug 15, 2010S: Strong citrus hop notes, grapefruit, and a faint malt smell that plays nicely.
T: Solid hop presence, but not overly bitter. Very fruity, as in grapefruit hops. A caramel malt flavor balances the beer nicely, but the hop punch is solid.
M: Quite smooth, but on the thinner side for my liking.
D: It's a pretty good IPA, not overly hoppy or bitter, but enjoyable.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!