Better Dayz
Rutland Beer Works

Old school IPA from south Vermont shines with a top notch carbonation paired with a pleasant mouth feel and tangerine, pine and citrus hints. Very well in summer!

Not a classic NEIPA in my book, but it’s interesting, different, and delicious … the malt vibe is big on this one, almost bringing to mind a scotch ale but with the hop profile and late bitterness of a more traditional IPA. Sounds weird but it totally works!

16oz. cans served in a tulip. Pours a dull, golden-orange with a slight haze to the clarity and a rocky, one inch, bright white head. Nose expresses tangerine and rind. Taste expresses citrus, herbal notes and a hint of bready malts. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a mild, even carbonation and a light acidity. Overall, reminiscent of an old school IPA. I don't get the NEIPA qualities here.

 

L: Hazy yellow orange with decent lacing.

S: Sweet citrus, pine, and light bready malt.

T: Aggressive bitterness, followed by grapefruit pith, pine and a light, bready malt backbone. Some banana esters showcase in the burps.

F: Dry, light bodied for the style.

Overall: A tasty brew, although a tad one dimensional.

 

 

 

 

On tap at Vermont Brewers Festival

16 oz can into IPA glass. Dated 7/9/19.
Cloudy yellow look. Smell is light tropical fruit with citrus and pineapple. Taste follows nose. Feel is light. Overall a good NE IPA. Not great. I'd like a little more juicy taste.

Canned on 7/9/19

Pours a hazy bright gold capped with a tight, pillowy white froth; great retention leaves an eclectic spatter of thick, soapy lacing around the glass along with a lasting foamy collar.

Aromas flow steadily with tropical fruits upfront, primarily highlighting pineapple and grapefruit pith while elevating tangerine cream, some light dank peach, and a flaky malt backing over time.

Taste brings further citrus notes alongside some quieter herbal/weedy tones; deeper grapefruit influences on overarching tropical fruits, including pineapple and mango skins, while the flaky malt backbone remains cleverly subtle in the background.

Mouthfeel shows a medium, immensely quaffable body with a comparable carbonation playing along; some fuzzy grit develops into the swallow and leaves a minor lingering bitterness.

Although it never quite distinguishes itself as a top-tier brew, this is a highly enjoyable DIPA, and a pleasing hybrid of sweeter tropical fruits and hoppy bitterness; a casual easy-drinker for the style.

This is my first experience with Rutland Beer Works, a brewery that was previously unknown to me until I stumbled upon a small shipment of this beer, their NEIPA, and an amber/red ale at my local Craft Beer Cellar. These guys are, unsurprisingly, headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, and have only been active a couple years (at most, being founded in 2017), so I doubt they've quite found their niche yet. As such, I'm excited to give their premiere distributed DIPA a shot!

This one pours a very pale but cloudy orange-goldenrod color with a dense and creamy head measuring a least three fingers. Even after ten minutes in my glass and with several sips taken to get a feeling for what I'm reviewing here, this head has barely calmed down, still measuring up with about two fingers of nice foam with awesome legs. Decent soapy lace as well. I'm impressed just upon my first brush with this beer in my glass... very good stability and a wonderful color/haze.

The nose seems a little muted to me but comes across with grassy, piney notes and a bit of moderate citrusy-ness that melds with the other elements to leave this a little in a grey area to me. Grapefruit and pomelo pulp with some light orange/tangerine notes and a tiny bit of Lemonheads candy at the end of each sniff. No tropical depth or specific floral elements to speak of. A bit of a letdown after that awesome pour, I gotta say, but hopefully it drinks better.

The malt balance and superb feel save this one, for sure. I'm not saying it tastes bad, but it's rather ordinary and honestly just has a plain-jane element to it. It's safe and honestly kind of refreshing for an 8% DIPA. When I think about beers in that realm these days, I think of immense dry-hopping and lots of complex flavors, and this hits the spot in a different way... perhaps there's nothing wrong with that. I may be taking this beer for granted given the current DIPA scene in Vermont, and, indeed, most of New England. If I am, let it be known that I'm being silly with this beer, but it doesn't personally stand out to me in terms of flavor profile. It has some round citrus with very little aggression; notes of pomelo and plain-ol' tried-and-true grapefruit dance on the tongue for a little bit before a supremely-dry finish closes everything out. As I mentioned in the beginning of this paragraph, the feel is supremely-good, maybe one of the best-drinking DIPAs I've had lately. Soft and lush with a supple carbonation... love it. I would buy more of this to drink with friends... it's like the opposite of a "curiosity" DIPA. This is an everyday drinker, and it's great at that. Kinda dangerous, though!

 

 

Since I ski in Vermont 40+ days a year I get to try many local IPA's. Some are great and some are awful. This was terrific. It's a solid all around Double IPA that I had at their Killington, VT location. Excellent hazy color and well balanced citrus flavors. Wound up buying a few 4 packs to take home.