Space Monster
Lamplighter Brewing Company

Light amber color and clear. Moderate head which leaves random spots on the glass.

Homebrew smell, meaning a more pronounced yeast presence. There's also an off sour smell. It ends with a clean hop bitter aroma.

Creamy start with a light toasted malt. Next comes the yeast that I smelled followed by the prickly black pepper hop bite. The body is fuller than most IPAs but the carbonation is equally elevated. The finish is straight up bitter leaving to a longer aftertaste.

 

 

 

I'll buy this any time they are pumping it out. A little raw and fluffy for a WIPA. I don't think they have the best yeast for this style of beer. Still a treat.

I am trying this beer off the tapper at the brewery as part of a four sample flight. It poured a clear copper with thick white head that is leaving some nice lace. The scent had wonderful bitter citrus and pine resin hop notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with semi bitter citrus fruit and pine presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

 

Poured from a can, dated 9/23/20, fresh from the brewery.

Looks pretty clear, copper orange with a frothy white head. A thin layer of bubbles persists, with sudsy lace left behind.
Smells of hop resin, woody pine, citrus, and candied fruit and caramel. Nice, but not super intense.
Taste follows the nose, with pine and citrus resin, caramel malts and candy. Lingering grapefruit resin and bitterness.
Feels solid, certainly more bitterness and bite than Lamplighter's other (NE-style) IPAs, but they're not setting any IBU records here. Moderate dry finish, and lingering bitterness.

Overall very good, I'm happy to have the variety!

I had higher hopes for this one. I would not call it a West Coast style IPA. Too hazy, too fruity. Not to mention the offputting pile of sediment/sludge that came pouring out at the end of the pour, now leaving chunks moving around in the liquid. Low bitterness, but a bite does linger. Flavors of peach and mango, a touch of grapefruit. Low aroma of stone fruit. Some honied malt. Average beer.

 

Canned 9/29/18

Pours a big fluffy foamy head that fades semi quickly, a little lacing, mostly clear slight hazed apricot orange color

Nose pine, earthy spicy hop notes, candied apricot and stone fruit, touch of citrus, little malt,

Taste mild sweet toasty malt but barely, big hop bitterness, pine, little sap, orange rind, candied fruit notes, little earthy fair spicy hop, big bitterness really kicking in on the drier finish, touch resin and pine lingering

Mouth is med bod, decent fizzy carb

Overall not bad but not great, even for old school west coast ipa it doesn't quite do it for me, but it's not a bad beer

 

It's good to see a local brewery try their hand at a West Coast style IPA. I'm beginning to tire of the New England/Hazy style after 4 years or so of the "haze craze" and it's been nice revisiting West coast, English, East Coast etc. styles of IPA again.

This is Space Monster (love the can art) from Lamplighter Brewing out of Cambridge, MA. It's brewed with 100% Chinook hops and man, they nailed the style. Strong pine on the nose which carries to the taste with a touch of citrus. Some bitterness which lingers a bit. Very easy to drink at 7%. Appearance-wise, it is hazy so maybe we have a new style "Hazy West Coast". Kidding - it must be unfiltered.

Highly recommended

Nice pour: golden copper color with a 3F head.

Aroma is lackluster. Some fruit, hint of vanilla.

The body is a bit too light.

The taste is dwarfed by the hoppy bitter finish which is excellent.

One of my favorite breweries. But this beer is a mixed bag. Excellent look, and finish, but the body and taste are not excellent. A west coast DIPA usually has a stronger fruit aroma/taste.