Gold Stock Ale
New England Brewing Co.

I'm rating this from a can today but having had it a bunch on tap, I'll point out that this is a little different - the wood is firmer here and masks some of the hop character at the front. I don't know why this is classed as an English IPA. It's really what the "pale ale" category should include. Maybe there's too much hop character? Anyway, pours a beautiful golden, amber color - has that classic nebco hoppy nose. Sweet, piney, floral, juicy character. And the taste follows though this batch, 1/10/2022 give or take, carries just a load more wood in it. Anyway, deserving of #1 here albeit perhaps not a classic english IPA, it's great, whatever you choose to call it!

 

 

On tap at New England Brewing Co in New Haven, CT.

This one pours a clear golden yellow color, with a small white head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like piney hops, cedar, golden maltiness, tea, and grassy hops.

I've randomly wanted to try this one for a while now, and it's pretty nice stuff. Dry hopping with German hops give this a unique and separate character from a typical West Coast or NE-style IPA for sure, and that's intriguing to me. I get tea, grassiness, lemon, and maybe even lime - along with some more typical grapefruit. There's a bit of maltiness, but it's sort of welcome here - it's a golden biscuity type of flavor and just a light bit of sweetness.

This is crisp, and dry, with delicious smoothness on the back end. It's quite drinkable.

I'd certainly love to see more IPA takes that aren't just Northeast juice bombs. The uniqueness wins me over here.

A: slight haze; deep gold in color; 1 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a thin cap; little lacing;

S: not especially aromatic; what's there is grassy and earthy;

T: follows the nose with a touch of lemon in the background; mild to moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation - a little creamy; moderately dry finish;

O: easy drinking; would pair well with a lot of food;

 

Appearance – Medium to thick of head and hazy, yellow body.

Aroma – Citrus, pine, and floral. Hint of vanilla or oak

Taste – Deep and complex. Not very hoppy for an IPA. Some Spicy and again vanilla or oak.

Mouthfeel – just right. Refreshing while not thin

Overall – Favorite beer from New England. Right amount of hoppy and malt flavors. Unique in that I can’t find another beer like it.

 

Appearance – Thin layer of head on a hazy, deep yellow body.

Aroma – Citrus, pine, and floral hops all blended together, very complex.

Taste – Hop resins, caramel malt, a little grainy. Not what the aroma led you to expect.

Mouthfeel – Good for an English IPA, not heavy but not too thin either.

Overall – Not too bad but the taste could have been a little more layered and complex.

 

 

Had on tap at local restaurant in southern Connecticut. Poured into a US pint glass. This English IPA/pale ale pours a golden amber color, with some nice bubbling, medium sized head, and really nice lacing. Smell is of mild hops, maybe even goldings or fuggles, but with a hint of caramel/two row malts. The taste is perfectly balanced, just as this style should be. The hops are faint, and not in your face. This paired perfectly with fish and chips. If you are a huge fan of New England Brewery's IPAs like I am, set those tastebuds and expectations aside, and picture yourself sitting in a quaint English pub. I am kicking myself for passing on a growler of Gold Stock the last time they had it at the brewery. Well, there is always next time. NEBCO nails this style. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 32 oz growler filled at the brewery.

Pours a lightly hazy deep golden amber color with 2 fingers of off-white head. The head has excellent retention, and leaves a fair bit of cobweb lacing as it dissipates. Beautiful looking beer.

The aroma is quite faint, but there are notes of sweet citrus and oak, as well as some cereal grains on the back end.

The taste brings loads of vanilla and oak on the front end, followed by some spicy yeast and cereal grains. The finish is quite citrusy and hoppy.

The feel is medium-light bodied with fairly high carbonation. Relatively dry finish with some lingering hop spiciness.

Overall, a very good and very interesting beer. The oak and vanilla works very well with the hops, creating a wonderful balance. Will definitely snag another growler of this if I get the opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap. That unique smell/taste next to the nice German hops? That's oak.

This is a very nice beer. They managed to get the oak-aged notes while still keeping the hoppiness fresh. Solid golden caramel malt base that stands up and keeps the balance. The oak is a touch dry but not too astringent, it stays on this side without going overboard.
Definitely give this beer a try if you find it, and remember it is decidedly different from your usual American IPAs. As they say, "Drink it, it's good."

 

 

 

 

NEBCo calls this one a "mutant Pale Ale", but on here it's an English IPA. IDK!

Light bodied and oddly hoppy. Had it in February of 2015 and I don't often see this one in the rotation. Worth going to the brewery and checking out. Nothing crazy like Coriolis of FBD, but it hits the right marks. The recipe has changed a bunch of times. Matt has changed it recently with a blast of dry hopping to reflect a changing in palates of the consumer. Used to be a lot of german hops aged on wood. Tried it a long time ago and didn't like it as much as I did in February. Good melange of hops now and I would drink this any day.

 

 

 

Pours a dull orange hue with a slightly hazy clarity and no head; just a thin, tight band around the shoulders. Nose is subdued - citrus notes and a light, herbal quality. Grain bill is very forward in the flavor profile with just a little citrus in the background. Mouthfeel is light in body with a mild acidity and carbonation levels just shy of lively. Overall, a solid offering, but nothing spectacular. In fact, I thought this beer was originally billed as an American Strong Ale. I'm surprised it's listed as an English IPA - I would have guessed an APA.

 

Thin without a ton of flavor