West Shore IPA
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #928 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #7,237 - Avg:
- 4.01 | pDev: 7.73%
- Reviews:
- 17
- Ratings:
- From:
- Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Avail:
- Year-round
- Wants
- 7
- Gots
- 24
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Notes:
A west coast style IPA, over-the-top hoppy and oh so dry. Hopped with simcoe, columbus and a touch of citra.
Reviews: 17
| Ratings: 171
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Reviews by nmann08:
More User Reviews:
3.74/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Served on tap at Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA
A: Pours a mostly clear amber in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation and some orange + copper highlights. The beer has a half finger tall creamy light beige head that reduces to very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: There are moderate aromas of pine/resin hops, light notes of tropical/pineapple, and light to moderate aromas of citrus/orange rind. Underneath there are some lighter notes of bready malts with just a touch of caramel.
T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of bready malts with some very light caramel sweetness. That is followed by some moderate flavor of citrus/orange rind and pine/resin hops. The moderate bitterness in this one is rather harsh and lingers for quite a while.
M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This is an interesting beer and enjoyable but not as good as some of the other IPA offerings that I have enjoyed at Al's of Hampden. A little too bitter for my palate and not quite the hop profile that I truly enjoy (I'm more of a citrus/grapefruit and tropical/mango/pineapple kind of guy).
1,235 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Served on tap at Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA
A: Pours a mostly clear amber in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation and some orange + copper highlights. The beer has a half finger tall creamy light beige head that reduces to very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: There are moderate aromas of pine/resin hops, light notes of tropical/pineapple, and light to moderate aromas of citrus/orange rind. Underneath there are some lighter notes of bready malts with just a touch of caramel.
T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of bready malts with some very light caramel sweetness. That is followed by some moderate flavor of citrus/orange rind and pine/resin hops. The moderate bitterness in this one is rather harsh and lingers for quite a while.
M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This is an interesting beer and enjoyable but not as good as some of the other IPA offerings that I have enjoyed at Al's of Hampden. A little too bitter for my palate and not quite the hop profile that I truly enjoy (I'm more of a citrus/grapefruit and tropical/mango/pineapple kind of guy).
1,235 characters
3.92/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
An active billowing pour yields three plus fingers worth of rich frothy light khaki colored head with a bit of a waffled top... Excellent retention... The color is a muted bronze... Mostly still with a stray carbonation bubble visible here and there... A good bit of lacing clings to the sides of the glass... The nose is dominated by a citrus forward hop presence... Grapefruit... Pineapple... Orange... Mango... Assorted other tropical fruits... Never overpowering, but leaves no doubt that you're about to encounter some happy goodness... The palate produces more of a solid malt backbone... The hops also take some additional piney and earthy dimension... Medium bodied... Smooth... Sleek... Slight carbonation... A bit sticky... A highly enjoyable American IPA that I'm proud to say is brewed a mere few miles from my house... Kudos to Al and Terry on another solid bottle offerings...
909 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
An active billowing pour yields three plus fingers worth of rich frothy light khaki colored head with a bit of a waffled top... Excellent retention... The color is a muted bronze... Mostly still with a stray carbonation bubble visible here and there... A good bit of lacing clings to the sides of the glass... The nose is dominated by a citrus forward hop presence... Grapefruit... Pineapple... Orange... Mango... Assorted other tropical fruits... Never overpowering, but leaves no doubt that you're about to encounter some happy goodness... The palate produces more of a solid malt backbone... The hops also take some additional piney and earthy dimension... Medium bodied... Smooth... Sleek... Slight carbonation... A bit sticky... A highly enjoyable American IPA that I'm proud to say is brewed a mere few miles from my house... Kudos to Al and Terry on another solid bottle offerings...
909 characters
4.25/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Big white head. Chunky head. Good retention.
Smell - Smells like a lot of simcoe. Citrus. Grapefruit. Pretty grassy too.
Taste - Nice orange hop. Cracker malt. Fairly strong pale malt sweetness. Grassy hops in the back end and a little bit astringent.
Mouthfeel - Kinda creamy. Medium carbonation. Medium body.
Overall - This is excellent. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but otherwise very nice.
468 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Big white head. Chunky head. Good retention.
Smell - Smells like a lot of simcoe. Citrus. Grapefruit. Pretty grassy too.
Taste - Nice orange hop. Cracker malt. Fairly strong pale malt sweetness. Grassy hops in the back end and a little bit astringent.
Mouthfeel - Kinda creamy. Medium carbonation. Medium body.
Overall - This is excellent. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but otherwise very nice.
468 characters
3.8/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from notes taken more than a month ago. On tap at the source, the brew appears a hazed copper to burnt orange with a creamy white topping. Decent retention over but as the cap fades, a full wall of lace sticks in a curtain to the glass.
The aromatics includes a whole gauntlet of hop character. Pine, citrus, floral, fruity and grassy. Somewhat perfume-like at times and almost soapy which is a strange twist towards the back.
The taste carries with it a minor soapy quality just like the back end of the aroma hinted towards. A solid bitterness of pit, pulp and rindy elements of grapefruit with grassy herbal character. A dry bready grain feel and a touch of fusel alcohol fill out the rest of the profile.
This is a medium bodied, modestly carbonated beer. It is a decent take on the style but not something i would get thirsty for enough to want to drink a lot of considering the vast array of options always available at Pizza Boy.
946 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from notes taken more than a month ago. On tap at the source, the brew appears a hazed copper to burnt orange with a creamy white topping. Decent retention over but as the cap fades, a full wall of lace sticks in a curtain to the glass.
The aromatics includes a whole gauntlet of hop character. Pine, citrus, floral, fruity and grassy. Somewhat perfume-like at times and almost soapy which is a strange twist towards the back.
The taste carries with it a minor soapy quality just like the back end of the aroma hinted towards. A solid bitterness of pit, pulp and rindy elements of grapefruit with grassy herbal character. A dry bready grain feel and a touch of fusel alcohol fill out the rest of the profile.
This is a medium bodied, modestly carbonated beer. It is a decent take on the style but not something i would get thirsty for enough to want to drink a lot of considering the vast array of options always available at Pizza Boy.
946 characters
3.67/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
First had: on tap at Pizza Boy
Slightly hazy copper pour with a small white head that sank to a ringlet, leaving some foamy lacing on the glass. Floral hop aroma, toasted grainy malt base. Pretty basic, nothing that stands out, but nothing bad. Taste of citrus and floral hops, moderately bitter, with a solid sweet pale malt base, a bti soapy, with a slightly acrid finish, but nothing really offensive. Medium body, moderate carbonation, overall a decent IPA.
462 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
First had: on tap at Pizza Boy
Slightly hazy copper pour with a small white head that sank to a ringlet, leaving some foamy lacing on the glass. Floral hop aroma, toasted grainy malt base. Pretty basic, nothing that stands out, but nothing bad. Taste of citrus and floral hops, moderately bitter, with a solid sweet pale malt base, a bti soapy, with a slightly acrid finish, but nothing really offensive. Medium body, moderate carbonation, overall a decent IPA.
462 characters
3.55/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
16.9 oz baby-growler poured into a shaker pint.
Purchased at Trenton Road Take Out in Levittown, PA.
Appearance
Gold with a short off-white head. Excellent clarity with moderate carbonation.
Nose
Dank greens, passion fruit, grapefruit, wintergreen, and pine.
Taste
Grapefruit zest, dried pine needle, spicy & earthy hops, and perfumey florals. The super-thin malt backbone is barely perceivable. Finishes with notes of onion and crushed aspirin tablets.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light bodied, dry, and bitter.
Overall
Dry and bitter like a classic West Coast IPA should be, however it is a bit too dry and bitter for my personal taste.
632 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
16.9 oz baby-growler poured into a shaker pint.
Purchased at Trenton Road Take Out in Levittown, PA.
Appearance
Gold with a short off-white head. Excellent clarity with moderate carbonation.
Nose
Dank greens, passion fruit, grapefruit, wintergreen, and pine.
Taste
Grapefruit zest, dried pine needle, spicy & earthy hops, and perfumey florals. The super-thin malt backbone is barely perceivable. Finishes with notes of onion and crushed aspirin tablets.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light bodied, dry, and bitter.
Overall
Dry and bitter like a classic West Coast IPA should be, however it is a bit too dry and bitter for my personal taste.
632 characters
West Shore IPA from Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
171 ratings
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