The Substance
Bissell Brothers Brewing Co.

The SubstanceThe Substance
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From:
Bissell Brothers Brewing Co.
 
Maine, United States
Style:
New England IPA
Ranked #375
ABV:
6.6%
Score:
96
Ranked #1,152
Avg:
4.31 | pDev: 7.42%
Reviews:
300
Ratings:
1,949
Status:
Active
Rated:
Saturday at 02:39 AM
Added:
Dec 11, 2013
Wants:
  316
Gots:
  558
The Substance Ale, a creation two years in the making, represents the past, present, and future of beer. Drawing from the wealth of knowledge of those that came before us while creating something entirely our own, waves of hop flavor permeates the senses as you consume The Substance.

Our flagship; a brightly dank ale that threads many needles.

Hops: Falconer's Flight, Centennial, Apollo, Simcoe, Chinook
Malts: Crystal malt, Maine 2-row, Maine wheat, Maine oats
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by t2grogan:
Photo of t2grogan
Rated by t2grogan from Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

May 21, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of FreePal88
Reviewed by FreePal88

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Smooth, laid back NEIPA. Although I think it transcends that classification to a degree with a pretty subtle, complex flavor profile where you can't just put your finger on one element like you can with a lot of others in that style ("orange," etc). Pretty malty, a little bit of melon, some herbal/botanical notes, pine, etc... Completely unintimidating level of bitterness that mildly creeps up in the finish but not to any real extent. I almost never say this about IPAs, but it would benefit from a slightly higher IBU. Anyway, would recommend to anybody as a gateway IPA.
Saturday at 02:39 AM
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can into a teku glass
Appearance – The beer pours a very hazy orange-yellow color with a puffy head of white foam. The head has a fantastic level of retention, fading over time to leave a decent level of foamy lace on the sides the glass.
Smell – The aroma is rather strong of a sweet orange and tangerine smell mixed with lots of cotton candy and melon. Along with these smells comes a good showing of a herbal hop mixed with notes of grapefruit and pine. Other doughy and bready smells are in there as well, mixing with a bit of floral hop and some apricot and peach, producing a rather sweet and inviting smell overall.
Taste – The taste begins with a bready and doughy malt flavor paired with some sweeter notes of orange and apricot. There is also a decent deal of hoppiness, with flavors of grapefruit and herb being the strongest, but with some light floral notes as well. As the taste advances a bit of the melon that was in the nose, comes out in the tongue and some almost crème like tastes join in. That said, the sweet later fades a bit, all while some more hop of a herbal and pine nature come in, and with some hay and must, one is left with a moderately sweet and malty, and decently hopped up and juicy taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is thick and creamy with a moderate carbonation level. For the thicker and heavier tastes at 6.6% abv, the feel is great and makes for a nice sipper.
Overall – A Quite flavorful and overall, well-crafted brew. Certainly, one to try if you have the opportunity.
Mar 01, 2024
Photo of Lifsabch
Reviewed by Lifsabch from Maine

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
After a long absence from drinking this beer and trying other's I’m glad I picked this up. Just simply one of the best IPAs out there. An all around pleaser.
Jan 16, 2024
Photo of Jw13
Reviewed by Jw13 from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a murky yellow amber with a small but long-lasting head. Smell is dank and grainy with hints of citrus. Taste follows suit, with dank and earthy notes dominating over fruit. Some bitterness on the swallow, but nothing aggressive.
Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by Buzz9509 from New Hampshire

Dec 21, 2023
Photo of brureview
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I think sometimes that Brewers are bored,
and they want to keep experimenting with something new – especially with hop combinations. The DIPA reached its height with the NEIPA. This beer is well brewed, but there isn’t a flavor balance. It’s spicy fruity, sweet, but the flavor profile isn’t well put together. This an issue with a lot of newer beers. Perhaps the hops used in this are too much on the spicy end dwarfing the fruit flavor. A well thought-out beer but not my style.
Nov 23, 2023
Photo of TheBigBoy
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This one did not seem to be in that stsndards and strong NEIPA lane. Something was off, was ok, just not the flavor i look for in a hazy. Maybe a strain of hops just not foe me.
Nov 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.41 by galeforce from Illinois

Nov 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.29 by petrusek23 from Ohio

Nov 08, 2023
Photo of Taybeh
Reviewed by Taybeh from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought a four pack of tall boys, and enjoyed them over a few days between October hikes in Acadia NP. Interesting hop bill. It hits all the style relevant notes: looks great (chalky and very hazy creamsicle orange) in the glass, pillowy mouthful. Nose is a little green earthiness, basic citrus rind and juiciness, and a touch of a dank musky melony note. That description actually sounds a little more awesome than I think it really shows…it has the potential, but delivers only partially. Taste is pretty consistent with the nose. Not very lively or bitter — consistent with the soft mouthful, but it is definitely hoppy. Very solid and enjoyable neipa.
Oct 15, 2023
Photo of kemoarps
Reviewed by kemoarps from New York

3.99/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Classic chalky pale orange/yellow that's oh so common now, but I think these guys were somewhat on the cutting edge of that, right? Lovely white head that billows up then settles down to heaps in the corners thinning to the middle. Not the lacy suds that I usually think of, though, this is more discrete bubbles. Neither here nor there, just something that I noticed.

Nose is a nice mellow tangerine up front, with some other sweet and earthy citrus underneath.

Flavour is more muted than I'd anticipated, if I"m being honest. It's got an earthy citrus bite that kind of sneaks up. Soft initially, it just kind of swells higher than initial impressions would suggest. As it warms, it opens up a bit, but this opening mostly just emphasizes the characters already displayed: that primarily being citrus (my wife describes it as juicy, but that's not the term that comes to my mind) that blossoms into a nice bitter finish with a lightly floral touch. Honestly what it kind of reminds me of is an amped up version of some of the better APAs I've had back home.

It has a really welcoming mouthfeel: medium+ sized with a decent soft character and a good fine set of pinprick carbonation building to the citric bitter finish.

Tasty, but I don't know that I'd ascribe the level of legend it carries, personally.
Oct 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.3 by kkarimi from Texas

Sep 26, 2023
Photo of BWSpoon
Reviewed by BWSpoon from New York

4.17/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Tasty beer with a beautiful hue, kinda looks like apple cider vinegar) and well balanced hoppy (but not too hoppy) flavor. Not as sweet or fruity as some of the (mostly IPAs) I’ve tried from the bros, which is a good thing. “Substance” is a good name for it. It feels thick and hearty, solid but crushable. Slightly tart aftertaste.
Sep 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by mfreund7 from Massachusetts

Sep 11, 2023
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
A fingers worth of brisk mosh bone white colored froth... Solid retention... Color is a moderately hazed muted orangish pale gold... Nose is highlighted by citrus, but not overly sweet... Rather lots of lemon and orange zest... The malt base shines through a bit as well... The palate is exactly as expected... Perhaps with just a touch more sweetness... Lush feel... Smooth and medium bodied... Each sip is quite exquisite... Excellent beer all the way around... I wish this was around in my area with a bit more regularity because it would be a go to...
Sep 03, 2023
 
 
Rated: 4.35 by Manthon from Pennsylvania

Aug 26, 2023
Photo of Danmooney40
Rated by Danmooney40 from Virginia

4.21/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a pub glass at the Maine Beer Cafe in Kittery . A very hazy golden.

It's very easy drinking, with a lot of flavor but not overly bitter.
Jul 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by cd34 from Illinois

Jul 13, 2023
The Substance from Bissell Brothers Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 1949 ratings