Boss IPA
Laurelwood Brewing Co.


- From:
- Laurelwood Brewing Co.
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
- ABV:
- 6.7%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.95 | pDev: 8.61%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 22
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 22, 2016
- Added:
- Jul 12, 2003
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon
4/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle from Roth,s Sunnyslope MarkeT in S.Salem OR $4.99 Pale orange coloured body with a nice sized thick and creamy head. Really nice fresh hoppy aromas fruity, spicy with a touch of dank. I like this. Taste is similar to the aroma..bit more PNW dankness and some orange and lemon drop. Very nice mouth feel , good balance between the carbonation and the finish. I really liked this one much more than i expected..this is like a great IPA from 2 decades ago
Aug 22, 2016Reviewed by Rogerlb from California
3.66/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.66/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is, I believe, the new and improved Boss from Laurelwood, which retired the previous iteration and label a year or so ago. The label says they added hops with a "floral" aspect to the original hoppy and piney original.
Pours a clear gold, with a good two-finger head and some good torn-curtain lacing. Aroma is hops and quite malty/sweet. A little grass in there too, but smells more sweet than dank. Almost smells like a stout (with a dark fruit aspect), and isn't that interesting.
Taste is bitter, then a sour citrus. West coast IPA territory for sure. Per the label, it has a spicy flower-stalk aspect to it, like I'm chewing a dandelion. Lemon grass? Caramel and wet toast gives it body and stickiness. While citrus is present, it's no poptart, not juicy but rather like a bad orange sat too long. Feels like it's muddy, not quite there. Dry-hoppy finish and a slightly boozy tang, although I'm not feeling the 6.7%.
A bit underwhelming. Reminds me of a DIPA that's too strong, and you could blame that on 9% ABV; here that's not the case. This is certainly okay but unremarkable.
Aug 16, 2016Pours a clear gold, with a good two-finger head and some good torn-curtain lacing. Aroma is hops and quite malty/sweet. A little grass in there too, but smells more sweet than dank. Almost smells like a stout (with a dark fruit aspect), and isn't that interesting.
Taste is bitter, then a sour citrus. West coast IPA territory for sure. Per the label, it has a spicy flower-stalk aspect to it, like I'm chewing a dandelion. Lemon grass? Caramel and wet toast gives it body and stickiness. While citrus is present, it's no poptart, not juicy but rather like a bad orange sat too long. Feels like it's muddy, not quite there. Dry-hoppy finish and a slightly boozy tang, although I'm not feeling the 6.7%.
A bit underwhelming. Reminds me of a DIPA that's too strong, and you could blame that on 9% ABV; here that's not the case. This is certainly okay but unremarkable.
Rated by rkarimi from Colorado
3.65/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
7-19
Jul 20, 2016Reviewed by Floydster from California
3.74/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.74/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Glass at the Northwest location for around five dollars, reviewed from notes, color is a cloudy golden yellow, one inch soapy white head that stays around for about five minutes, good lacing most of the way through, aroma has lots of hops, mostly piney, some earthiness, faint malts, grassy accents, and sweet grains, starts off a little sweet with citrus and light malt in the background, bitter in the middle, very hoppy and more bitterness in the finish, moderately sweet at times with the malt coming out more as it warms, pretty balanced for a DIPA, not overpowering in either way, dry and slightly sweet mouthfeel, medium bodied, probably could use some more carbonation, taste lingers, could drink another glass but probably would be good after that, over eight percent and it is hidden well, would drink again, recommended
Jul 03, 2009Reviewed by madtappers from Washington
4.44/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
4.44/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Went to the "new" Laurelwood public house on sandy blvd to find this gem.
First off the hop aroma on this beer is excellent, and the taste is equal to the smell.
Hops overwhelm this beer and that is the only reason it is just average for drinkablity.
This is one of my new favorites from this local brew pub and with the addition of a new brew pub in Battle Ground, I'll be drinking these more often
Apr 20, 2009First off the hop aroma on this beer is excellent, and the taste is equal to the smell.
Hops overwhelm this beer and that is the only reason it is just average for drinkablity.
This is one of my new favorites from this local brew pub and with the addition of a new brew pub in Battle Ground, I'll be drinking these more often
Reviewed by Docer from Washington
4.18/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.18/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Huge HUGE fan of Laurelwood Brew. Since the days of just their small joint near the Hollywood theatre.... I've been fillin' growlers with the finest of Portland Brews. A must to be on their mailing list.
This Ale is a tad too hearty for me but goes extremely well with the food they serve. I grew up only a few blocks away from Silvia's fine dining and class act theatre and after the hell that place went through towards its end I was very glad to see Laurelwood take it over and make some seriously fine mods to the place to brew my favorite Portland brew.
It's thick, but has a great head. Much like any tap beer, it settles well and can rest as long as you need it too. I prefer it ice cold.
Hops, and more hops... give me more!
I like the piston pale better, and wish it had the strong character that this fine brew has.
Don't drink too many!
Nov 21, 2008This Ale is a tad too hearty for me but goes extremely well with the food they serve. I grew up only a few blocks away from Silvia's fine dining and class act theatre and after the hell that place went through towards its end I was very glad to see Laurelwood take it over and make some seriously fine mods to the place to brew my favorite Portland brew.
It's thick, but has a great head. Much like any tap beer, it settles well and can rest as long as you need it too. I prefer it ice cold.
Hops, and more hops... give me more!
I like the piston pale better, and wish it had the strong character that this fine brew has.
Don't drink too many!
Reviewed by John_M from Washington
3.93/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.93/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Had this beer at the airport annex location.
The beer pours a peachy apricot color with excellent head retention and sticky lacing. There is sort of a woody citrusy flavor on the nose, with some hints of white pepper. The beer has good bitterness on the palate, with just enough malt to hold up the hoppy profile. There is a bit of malty sweetness, but this IPA is very much dominated by the hop profile. The beer is medium bodied, with the abv. pretty well disguised. For all that, there is something in the hoppy, bitter finish that is just not working for me. There is almost a quinine flavor at the very end which is distracting.
This is solid IPA, but is just not one of my favorites from Laurelwood (they make several). Still, it was a welcome find at the airport.
Jun 29, 2008The beer pours a peachy apricot color with excellent head retention and sticky lacing. There is sort of a woody citrusy flavor on the nose, with some hints of white pepper. The beer has good bitterness on the palate, with just enough malt to hold up the hoppy profile. There is a bit of malty sweetness, but this IPA is very much dominated by the hop profile. The beer is medium bodied, with the abv. pretty well disguised. For all that, there is something in the hoppy, bitter finish that is just not working for me. There is almost a quinine flavor at the very end which is distracting.
This is solid IPA, but is just not one of my favorites from Laurelwood (they make several). Still, it was a welcome find at the airport.
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina
4.1/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a standard pint glass a slight hazed peach color with a thinner but well retained white head,big citrus fruit hop aromas really "juicy" and fresh to go along with a some mild toastiness.Left coast citric hop presence hits on first sip like lemon pith and watermelon rind even a bit of tea leaf,a slightly sweet caramel biscuit and toasty malt base is ever present as well.A solid drinking IPA its refreshing with a true American hop profile,solid.
May 07, 2008Reviewed by cswhitehorse from California
3.68/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.68/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The Boss IPA pours a clear amber color with a good 2 finger foam head and some strong glass surrounding lacing.
The aroma was piney hops. The taste was a little one dimensional and the bitterness seemed a little off. In the mouth you were left with a dryness with an off flavor bitterness. I would like to try it out of the tap to see what a difference their might be.
Mar 22, 2008The aroma was piney hops. The taste was a little one dimensional and the bitterness seemed a little off. In the mouth you were left with a dryness with an off flavor bitterness. I would like to try it out of the tap to see what a difference their might be.
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
4.1/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pristine tangerine with sheets of fine bubbles. Their ultimate destination is the underside of an attractive chunk of buff colored foam that is stiffly creamy and is sticky enough to coat the upper reaches of the glass with an unbroken expanse of finely bubbled lace.
The nose is classic American IPA. It smells like some caramel malt is in the house in addition to pale. The hop bill sounds like a humdinger: Fuggles, Centennial, Cascade and Ahtanum. In general terms, the aroma is citric, floral and ganja-like. More brightness and more pungency would have been nice.
Boss India Pale Ale is rock-solid without making it all the way to stunning. An underlying toasted maltiness is getting in the way of the hop flavor to some extent, although there are plenty of alpha acids zipping around. 70 IBUs? Yeah, that sounds about right.
The hop flavor has more of a mid-range thrum than a high end scream. Let's see... white grapefruit, lemon oil, bitter grass, pine needles and toasted bread. Non-hopheads need to give this Boss a great deal of respect because he'll bust an alpha acid cap on your ass and smile while doing it. 70 IBUs now seems like sandbagging.
The mouthfeel is more firm and slick than lush and creamy. That's no surprise given the relative shortage of malt and the relative surfeit of hops. Carbonation is on the low end, while still providing more than enough energy.
I have now had four Laurelwood ales and am officially impressed. Even their blonde ale (Mother Lode Golden Ale) is good, which is no mean feat. It's mind-boggling how many outstanding, yet unheralded, breweries and brewpubs are operating in the Pacific NW. Boss IPA is good beer.
Mar 13, 2008The nose is classic American IPA. It smells like some caramel malt is in the house in addition to pale. The hop bill sounds like a humdinger: Fuggles, Centennial, Cascade and Ahtanum. In general terms, the aroma is citric, floral and ganja-like. More brightness and more pungency would have been nice.
Boss India Pale Ale is rock-solid without making it all the way to stunning. An underlying toasted maltiness is getting in the way of the hop flavor to some extent, although there are plenty of alpha acids zipping around. 70 IBUs? Yeah, that sounds about right.
The hop flavor has more of a mid-range thrum than a high end scream. Let's see... white grapefruit, lemon oil, bitter grass, pine needles and toasted bread. Non-hopheads need to give this Boss a great deal of respect because he'll bust an alpha acid cap on your ass and smile while doing it. 70 IBUs now seems like sandbagging.
The mouthfeel is more firm and slick than lush and creamy. That's no surprise given the relative shortage of malt and the relative surfeit of hops. Carbonation is on the low end, while still providing more than enough energy.
I have now had four Laurelwood ales and am officially impressed. Even their blonde ale (Mother Lode Golden Ale) is good, which is no mean feat. It's mind-boggling how many outstanding, yet unheralded, breweries and brewpubs are operating in the Pacific NW. Boss IPA is good beer.
Reviewed by Hollenbeck2 from Oregon
4.01/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
great ipa, this was my introduction to the Laurelwood product, has this beer on tap at the Gate c Laurelwood brewing location in the portland airport. This was a hop delight, says they used three different hops and added them late, not sure what that means but it tasted fing good.
this was the best beer I tasted at laurelwood, the was an excellent IPA, it said on the menu that it won the silver at the great american beer fest.
Jan 16, 2008this was the best beer I tasted at laurelwood, the was an excellent IPA, it said on the menu that it won the silver at the great american beer fest.
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