Hoppy Dreams American IPA
Bay State Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Poured into a becher pint glass, the appearance was a semi-bronzed dark yellow to almost amber color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Some messy lace ran here and there, ended up spider webbing finely.
The aroma had a muted sweet tobacco/earthy to floral hops up front bolding pushing into a dried malt bill (some dried sweet dark bread with biscuit tones). Mild apple (red delicious, I'd say).
The flavor had a nice sweet tobacco to earthy dryness playing with some dried pomme-like fruits. Lingering bitterness roaming throughout. Extremely drying tobacco aftertaste with the dark bread and earthiness.
The mouthfeel was pretty dry and with a spot on carbonation and had a good ABV about it. Finish had a sticky dryness about it.
Overall, odd AIPA, almost English to an extent or perhaps I could say an "old school" sort of IPA. I didn't mind this one, but even comparing to well known true American styled IPA's, I really don't think this can hang with the best of them.

 

 

Pint on draft with dinner at Brewmaster Tavern in Williamsburg Mass. Decent IPA on the hoppy side but no special flavors to accompany that. Was fine as a dinner brew.

Pours a clouded bronze color, a light pour left a rather super thick head, my glass couldn't contain the entire beer after the pour with how big the head was, I had to emergency slurp off the excess foam. It stuck around for a good, long time, leaving globlets of lacing behind, almost thick enough to be considered cream.

The aroma is very fruity, hints of tropical fruits and apple.

I was extremely surprised and very pleased with the flavor. Starts off with a good hop bite, that leads into a very well defined caramel flavor. The ending takes on a dark burnt bread flavor, and leaves you wanting more. A very balanced beer, the hops and caramel malts work in good balance to create a compelling flavor.

Medium-light bodied, leaves clean, is a little on the creamy side. Alcohol has a little bit of presence, but it is not bad at all.

This is probably one of the better, if not best, IPA's I've had.

 

 

 

 

Tap at horseshoe pub in Hudson, MA.
Big creamy 1+ finger head fades semi slowly with nice soapy lacing, quite clear amber tan color.

Nose starts with earthy slight herbal and grassy hops, a bit floral and some hop resins and oils, light biscuit sweet amber malt. Overall nose is quite like English bitter.

Taste starts with a bit bitterness, chewy spicy hops explode, earthy chewy and a bit grassy and herbal. Slight resin and hop oil feel. Malts bring touch of sweetness with amber malts, hint of toasty malt. Chewy spicy earthy hops get crazy bitter and astringent it's almost unbearable. Again mostly an English bitter flavor profile but kicked up 50 notches. Finish is long lingering astringent bitterness, chewy spicy earthy herbal salty hops.

Mouth is med bodied, nice fluffy carb, light hop oil.

Overall not great, much more of super English bitter than ipa, and ridiculously bitter and astringent with no balance, and none of the pleasant hop characters to make it an enjoyable over-hopped beer. There's a reason most esbs and bitters are lower in overall ibus.

 

 

 

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, citrus and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty malt character up front. Then some citrus and caramel sweetness quickly follows. The hops presence is strong but not over-powering and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry but slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid IPA to pound down for a long time.