Rakautra
Back East Brewing Company

a: nice burnt creamy orange color with a touch of yellow in there. pours a 2 finger off-white head that fades to a 1/4 finger as i type

s: huge aroma on this that hits you as soon as you pop the can. tons of pineapple juice upfront, followed by mango and orange juice. tangerines, apricots, and a really nice peach note in here. a bit of crackers at the end. really nice and juicy aroma

t: loads of pineapple and peach juice up front. a touch of bitterness that is a mix of grapefruit and an earthy note. tangerines, mango, and some passionfruit behind that. as in the aroma, there is a dry crackery presence in the back end. a slight touch of raw hops on the back of the tongue as well, which is actually nice to cut some of the sweetness

m: medium mouthfeel with quite low carbonation. I know it's a NEIPA, but i think it could use just a kiss more carbonation, it's a bit flat feeling

o: appearance, aroma, and taste are top notch on this one. juicy and delicious - nice use of the hop. mouthfeel could use some work, but doesn't really take away from the beer much

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look...very attractive yellow haze
Smell. strong pungent orange, hoppy yeast piney
Taste....very nice again with a good full juice start and bitter finish
Feel ... thin juice great carbonation so it dances on the tongue
Overall...really nice definitely would get again. Just a really nice fresh option

Whenever I spot the last four or six pack on a shelf I have a knee jerk reaction to snap it up, assuming that it must be popular, and I am just in time to get the last taste of the hot new IPA. But I'm not sure that's the case here. The novelty here - I think - is the use of New Zealand hops. And that's a nice break from the typical NE haziness, with the distinctive herbals that can make these stand out. On the aroma and flavor it has that slightly grassy and herbaceous taste, but not too intensely. Indeed, it also comes across as light, even for a 7% brew. *checks can again* OHHHHH, it's a wheat ale! That explains a lot, and that gives this a whole different style and light. Intense, then, and herbaceous as a wheat, and a flattering departure from the traditional wheat style.

 

 

My first sampling. Nice cloudy color. Aroma is citrus bittersweets. Excellent taste and palette clinging fell. Good blending with a wheat base. On par with the area beer renaissance.

 

 

 

 

Frothy head that clings to the glass. Extreme cloudy beer, as if someone stirred up the lees. Strong grapefruit flavor - bittersweet. Citrus flavor lingers, sweet and bitter. Filtering may improve the experience.

 

 

Hmmm, a NE IPA made with wheat? I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers and this tastes a bit thin to me. It's refreshing and light and might be fine after playing hockey, but i'm not finding the big juicy flavors I like in a NE IPA.

First sip was a confusing one. Ive seen it indicated that it is a wheat beer and It’s reminding me more of a hefeweissen. Theres a bubblegummy, sweet flavor...But the wheat is dominating and eliciting spice and (perhaps purely by association) some clove. Its too flat. Can is just over a month old. Back east’s beers have a bit of a slippery mouthfeel (to me) and my tongue is left with a slimy feeling here, which i don't like. It reminds me of what i don't like about wheat beers in general or certain belgian and german styles so I’m probably not the right guy to review this. Im not getting much beyond wheat and alcohol flavor-wise. i didnt realize i was buying a wheat heavy beer and i kinda wish it was indicated on the label. Unlike the can pictured above, my label says simply “India Pale Ale”. So... im not really loving this. I found it a bit hard to drink. But... if you like wheat beers typically, then you might find this interesting.

 

 

 

 

12 oz can into IPA glass. Dated 7/20/18.
wonderful hazy golden milkshake look, leads to nice nose of sweet tropical fruit. Taste follows nose accentuating papaya pineapple tangerine. Medium creamy mouth feel. Overall a very good NE IPA. Has everything I look for in the style. Will buy again.

 

 

 

 

Can. Hazy amber. Bit maltier and sweeter than most NE IPA. Some juiciness and easy to drink.

Truly one of my favorites. A NE style IPA not by name but in spirit, this juicy brew is bursting with fruity, tropical flavor. The heavy carbonation and medium body give it creamy, pillowy mouth feel. Very low bitterness. A delicious and highly drinkable beer that's tough to get a hold of.

 

 

12 oz. can poured into an IPA glass. Canned on 9/22/17, received via trade. Named in Draft Magazine's Top 50 IPAs, it is a India Wheat Ale brewed with Rakau and Citra hops. Despite being located in New England, this is their first NEIPA.

L - pale orange color; so cloudy, barely any light passing through it; bone white foam but does not last, besides the thin layer that resides; fluffy lacing around the inside

S - one of the best and most complex aromas I've encountered; candy, mango, bubble gum, fresh flowers, pineapple, passion fruit. I could go on, we'll stick with those. IPA glass working overtime on this one.

T - pineapple, passion fruit, mango, orange zest. Juicy and grassy refined bitterness.

F - full-bodied mouthfeel, not crisp but pillow-like, smooth and refreshing

O - This brewery is getting buried by the whale breweries in New England, so this was a nice offering for a change of pace. Conneticutt is still a bit of a hike, but you can certainly stop by if you are making your way back from Canton or Vermont. Cheers!

From a keg (at a disc golf tournament, and from a growler I filled and brought home)

Pours with moderate haze/almost clouded, moderate off white cap, leaves top notch, super fine and splattered lacing...nice looking brew.

Nose is a bit muted/subtle, notes of ripe fruit, light smoke/charred character, and a hint of funk...interesting/different/inviting


This is some straight up delicious stuff, more of the same from the sniff, muted/subtle ripe fruits, again a hint of char/smoke,some peppermint and lime, pepper and an again fruity, and flavorful lingering finish...complex and very well crafted....go get some