Scratch Beer 62 - 2012 (Spring IPA)
Tröegs Brewing Company

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From:
Tröegs Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.92 | pDev: 10.71%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 15, 2013
Added:
Apr 18, 2012
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Spring IPA is a true experiment for us. In 15 years we have never brewed with Summit hops so we decided to crank up the bitterness and knock out a test batch. Spring IPA delivers the taste of fresh-cut grass and pine along with hints of grapefruit and spring onion. The blend of a piney aroma along with grassy and spicy hop notes mask the 8.5% ABV. Only on tap at the brewery, no growler fills due to limited quantities.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Darkmagus82:
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.94/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a deep golden color with a tiny white head. The head faded fast to give a light amount of lacing.

Smell – Nice and hoppy with aromas of citrus and some herbal notes are heavy and most pertinent. There is a nice sweet biscuit aroma present as well mixing with the aforementioned hop aromas. There are some lighter hop aromas of more earthy characteristics.

Taste – The taste starts out a little on the more malty side. The biscuit in the nose is mixed with a nice sweet caramel flavor. These are not the only flavors present however as some of the citrus hop starts out the taste. It is of sweeter citrus and a light herbal flavor at first. These hop flavors intensity as the taste advances however and more hop flavors begin to come into play. More bitter grapefruit citrus works its way in with a light shot of earthy hop coming into play. At the very end the grapefruit is quite strong and with a biscuity malt largely dominates the flavor and leave a rather bitter taste in the tongue.

Mouthfeel – Above average in thickness with a slightly average level of carbonation. The higher carbonation gives it just the right amount of “exciting” bubbles on the tongue but don’t take away from the nice flavor transitions that occur with all those hop flavors.

Overall – With is big transitions form sweet to bitter this was a very nice and diverse IPA. While the transition is large it is still very easy to drink. This is one to try!!
Apr 20, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by mallison245 from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by beatlefan56 from Pennsylvania

May 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jpd7374 from Pennsylvania

May 06, 2012
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - pours a dark orange gold color with a small white sticky head and very low carbonation.

S - Nose is extremely faint for the style with mango's, oranges, onions with a little bit of herbs.

T - Sweet malt base throughout and over the top comes a gradual building of a little citrus, but mostly herbal/onion bitterness. Therre's a slight warming on the way down from the alcohol and the heats gradually builds in the back of the throat after the fact. The flavor isn't in your face heavy and chooses a conservative route being fairly tame. Moderately bitter finish but not lingering, just the right amount.

M - Medium body.

O - Glad I had the opportunity to try this one and definitely worth stopping by for after my last Friday appointment of the day.
May 04, 2012
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at the tasting room, post-karate. Orange Soda Float Joe at my side. Oh yeah, in a snifter.

A: The IPA is golden amber, fuller with brigher orange sol. A white head, sizeable (a little too big mind you) on the first pour; the second pour was more manageable. Not much lacing for all that head though.

S: Pleasantly bitter, I immediately picked up grasses and onions. The fact that Matt noticed the same fills me with pride. Citrus rounds out, finishing off the onions. Fuller malts, a thicker body it seems, buoy the hops and adding biscuity sweetness.

T: The hops bring grassiness, an herbal flavor that has the aforementioned onions and some pepper. Citrus adds sweetness along with strength. Maltiness is biscuity, a little heavier than I was expecting, that fullness covers up much of the hops. The onions return and add more grassiness. The alcoholic heat gets a little out of hand in certain sips but generally isn't an issue. Very interesting -- not the usual citrus bomb; the onions are more nuanced and sweet. I stuck around for two glasses.

M: The mouthfeel is different - as I mentioned the onion-ness really stands out. Refreshing but a little too heavy to convey the lightness of spring.
Apr 27, 2012
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this on tap at the tasting room in Hershey, PA. Served chilled in a tulip.

The color has a nice golden sunny appearance with a light haze and thick ecru cap which leaves rings around the glass as lace. The smell is very herbal, spicyh and almost*oniony* like a onion pull fresh from the ground in spring courtesy of dry hopping with summit I would guess. The light malt odor gives a nice complimentary aroma with mild yeast ester to round it out. The feel is dry and slightly tangy with yeast and hints of citrus w/ a mild spiciness level from the hops. The moderately high carbonation helps to lighten the feel and the spice is dry almost like biting into ginger or garlic with a certain level of astringency.

The taste has a lot of dry herbal flavors with highly bitter element and light citrus in the entry with a slightly mild toasted grain and gently sweet malt in the middle. There is a bit of resinous quality which is more in the feel with the flavor of spice dominating and has a gentle toasted flavor which keeps it from going too far into the bitter end. The grassy earthy quality is nice and fresh with more herbal and citrus coming through in the finish as the nugget/summit spiciness still remains dominant yet it is also somewhat vegetal with fresh green hop taste until the finish. Overall a seriously unique Ipa, both high in hop flavor and still relatively high in drinkability even the concept of spring is translated well with some oniony spice to liven up the palate.
Apr 25, 2012
Photo of thain709
Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - The body was a glowing orange hue with a fluffy, two finger head...retention was in the form of a full cap...nice lacing was left on the glass

S - Bright and citrusy with a little bit of bitter pine in the background...there is a toasted malt presence that creeps in as the beer sits

T - This beer stays within the limits of what the nose suggests...there are citrus hops upfront that are bright and juicy...the middle showcases a solid malt backbone with some biscuit and toasted notes...there is a bitterness in the finish that is from the hops...there is a green-ness that comes out as the beer starts to warm...you can actually pick up the green onion/scallion flavor in the finish

M - Medium bodied...could have been lighter for a "spring" IPA...I couldn't get past the green onion flavor that developed as the beer warmed

O - A nice attempt using Summit hops as they said they have never brewed with them before...I feel Troegs has put out better Scratch IPAs
Apr 25, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by JohneHoodlum from Pennsylvania

Apr 21, 2012
 
Rated: 2.75 by Mudawg from New Jersey

Apr 21, 2012
Photo of robieobie1
Reviewed by robieobie1 from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very well balanced beer. Suprisingly smooth for being 8.5 %.

appearance- golden orange with one finger head. moderate amount of lacing down the glass.

Smell- moderate amount of citrus shine through, with most of the aroma being herbal.

taste- starts off with a bready sweetness that turns into a citrus in the middle and finishes with a nice hop bitterness.

mouthfeel- medium bodied with moderate carbonation. very well rounded.

overall- very nice and enjoyable. will definately go back for another.
Apr 20, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by yergermeister from Pennsylvania

Apr 20, 2012
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Served on-tap at the brewery.

A - Pours clear golden orange with a nice one finger tall white head, dissipating down to nothing at all, leaving light lace down the top of the glass.

S - Smells of light citric hops, caramel, toffee, pine needles and some dulled spicy yeast. The biscuity grains start to take over as it sits in the glass.

T - Starts off with quite a bit of sweet biscuity grain, plenty of caramel and toffee sweetness right away. Once the initial hit of sweetness passes the citric hops really kick in but it is such a short time that it is almost a tease. Plenty of hop bitterness in the finish, combining with the grains to linger on the pallet long after consumption.

M - Grainy feel initially with growing hop bitterness the rest of the way. Smooth body with moderate carbonation round things out.

O - Another interesting IPA from the scratch series. I am not the biggest fan of summit hops but they are nice to try every now and then. I won't be rushing back for more but I will definitely give it another chance and see where it goes.
Apr 19, 2012
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Draft at the Troegs taproom served in a sort of shaped tulip pint. The brew appears clear copper in color with a finger of yellowish stained pillowy froth. A curtain of webby lace sticks to the glass.

Smells bright with hoppy notes of citrus, rind and pulp. Some herbal components and a tingle of fruity alcohol. The herbal aspect has a bit of a  veggie touch that is nearly cheesy and funky but enjoyable with a earthy character as well.

Taste is herbal with a cooling almost menthol hop touch. Rindy and pulpy like orange zest with fresh herbal aspect. A bit of solvent alcohol. A bit of melon character and yeasty quality in the finish. as it warms, it actually picks up some of the summit onion character more pronounced than ive had in other offerings.

Medium body with a modest level of carbonation. It is well rounded and enjoyable. A pretty decent ipa at the upper limits of the style spectrum abv-wise with a bold warmth down the back of the throat.
Apr 18, 2012
Scratch Beer 62 - 2012 (Spring IPA) from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 14 ratings