Big Buck IPA
Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse

On location in Gaylord on 2 occasions.

A: Bright and a bit clearer than expected given that it's unfiltered, a coppery pale orange color. Just off-white head reaches a reasonable height, holds up pretty well, and sticks some good lacing on the glass.
S: Some strength in the nose, this one shows off pine and floral notes. Malts balance well but don't overshadow.
T: Hops make a good show before getting toned down in the finish. It's dry in the middle with brighter notes of citrus.
F: Bright and dry with moderate crispness and smoothness in a medium body.

I was a little surprised by the hoppiness simply given my expectations going in.

 

 

24oz glass at yhe brewery, draft.

Pours a translucent dark orange a shade darker than I would expect from an IPA. Small head.

Smell of faint hops, not too much happening in terms of smell.


Taste is of grains with hops coming in quickly for a finish.

It gets better as you drink it. Overall not a bad IPA. Could use more body.

 

 

I picked up a bottle of Big Bucks IPA and when i visited the brewery a few days ago. I had this one on tap, I enjoyed and I was actually a little impressed with it and I'm interested to see how the bottled version is, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks nice, it's a got a nice picture of a tiger on and I think it's a little eye catching. It poured a nice orange color that was slightly burnt orange and it took on more of darker orange color and amber hue when held to the light with two fingers worth of very light tan head that bordered on being off white and left some nice sheets of lacing behind. This is a very nice looking beer, I have no complaints at all.

S- The aroma starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with the hops being the first to show up and it imparts a light piney and floral aroma with some fruity hops sticking out the most and they impart some nice fruity, juicy and citrus rind aromas. Up next comes the malts which impart a slightly grainy, sweet malt, lightly toasted and some caramel malt aromas. This beer had a pretty nice aroma, it was nice and fruity and there was also some good balance.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a slightly higher amount of medium sweetness followed by the malts being the first to show up and they are a little lighter then they were in the aroma and they impart some grainy, sweet malt, and caramel malt flavors that seem to stick out the most. Up next comes the hops which impart all the same aspects that they did in the aroma, but this time the piney hops show up lightly in the background and it's the floral and citrus rind hops that stick out the most. On the finish there's a slightly higher amount of medium bitterness that doesn't linger with a citrus rind, floral, grainy and sweet malt like aftertaste, This was a pretty nice tasting beer, I thought it was balanced well and the hop profile was pretty nice.

M- Pretty smooth, clean, crisp, a little refreshing, medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. This beer had a pretty good mouthfeel that worked well with this beer.

Overall I thought this was a pretty nice beer and a above average and good example of an American IPA, both the malts and the hops showed up enough to provide nice balance all while maintaining a nice hop profile that stayed fairly true to the aroma. This beer had good drinkability, it was smooth, crisp, clean, a little refreshing, not too filling, and the taste did a good job of holding my attention, I could drink a few these without getting tired of it and If I had another one I would drink it, I think it would be a nice IPA to enjoy in the summertime. What I like the most about this beer was the appearance, mouthfeel, drinkability, and balance, I thought they were all pretty good and they were the highlights of this beer. What I liked the least about this beer was that the malts didn't stick out just a little more in the taste like they did in the aroma, but it wasn't that big of a deal. I would buy this beer again and I would for sure order one next time I go there. I would recommend this to any IPA or hoppy beer lover. All in all I enjoyed this beer and I thought it was pretty similar to what I had on tap. When I go to a new brewery that I haven't tried before, I almost always try their IPA first, it usually gives me a decent idea of how good the brewery is and for some reason I didn't have the highest hopes for this one, but it turned out to be a little impressive and all around I would say this is a worthy American IPA and it's up there as one of my favorite Big Buck beers. Good job guys, this was a pretty good example of a American IPA, keep up the good work.

 

Had a sample of this at the Michigan's Brewers Guild. Pours a slightly hazy pale yellow golden color with a small white head. Aroma of pure pine bitter without much malt sweetness. Flavor follows as expected, highlighting the bitter hops--pine like--and a bit of earthiness on the palate. Light to medium for the style, and dry finish. Unexciting, though not a poor brew.

Aroma is more earthy and spicy than citrus. Hints of fruit. Malt background, but not sweet.
Pours a little thin looking. Small head that settles out quickly. Some lacing. Brownish mostly and clear.
Nice blending of hops and malts. Thin body, esp. for a beer listed at this size. Really dries out at the finish, but nicely, holding some the sweetness and both hops and malts laying on the long finish. In all the flavors blend quite nicely and are balanced well too.
This is pretty good overall. Nice drinking beer. Leans more towards an English IPA.
Final bottle of the gift from Drevis. Many thanks.

 

on my second visit to the Big Buck i left with only one regret...i did not get there earlier so i could have spent more time there!

the service was great as was the steak.

beer, a yes the beer...the IPA i had was very good. this is my favorite type of beer and i was very pleased with BB IPA! good all around and being on tap made on the premises were an added bonus.

not the very best IPA that i have had but very good indeed!

suckem up and movem out!

giblet

Sample at the Gaylord location: Pours a dark amber color with a medium ivory head that lasts a long time. Fair amount of lacing as well. The aroma is big on citrus and hops, with a nice malt undertone. Medium-bodied with a flavorfully bitter character. Citrus and floral hops up front, along with some sweet fruit and malt. The finish is crisp and hoppy with a nice aftertaste. A solid example of an IPA.

I am excited this being my first Growler!!

Poured a deep red amber with hints of orange. Small bubbles igniting as they swirl around my goblet. Thin but fluffy head leaves a fine lace around the top which trails around the glass, even as I drink it down.

Smells of hops and nice malt. A hint of coriander, which is nice, but surprising for an IPA. Taste of fruit and spice before the bitterness begins. Not too overwhelming but enough to let you know its an IPA. Leaves with a sharp bite and just a tinge of bittery aftertaste. Very drinkable, in fact my growler is no gone!