Tuesday Night Tasting - Ipswich Ale Brewery: India Pale Ale

Ipswich Ale Brewery - Ipswich, MA
(Formerly Operating under Mercury Brewing Co)
India Pale Ale (IPA)
6.3% ABV, 60 IBU, 12oz
Available in 12 oz and draft

This was actually the first beer I tried out of the mix pack I got at Craft Beer Cellar, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

The beer pours a wonderful golden pale hue. It has a very full and foamy whitish head, that hangs around for a while before disappearing into the body of the brew. One of the really great things about this beer, and I'm sorry I didn't capture it with my camera, is the tracks it leaves on the glass as you drink it down! Sip after glorious sip leaves a great trace of its previous level, until you're sitting with an empty glass wanting more!

The aroma is quite pungent with the Ipswich IPA. The scent is of fresh piney notes with a full display of citrusy hop flowers! It definitely invites you to dive into your first sip.

The IPA is nicely bitter and the citrus certainly is not overshadowed by overpowering malt body. In fact, it has a nice even, slightly sweet, malt balance that allows the character of the Cascade and Warrior hops shine brightly. Although the Ipswich IPA is well balanced, I still find it to be a strong and bold IPA - exactly what I look for in an India Pale Ale!

Ipswich IPA has a moderate to full mouth feel, but manages not to be too heavy. The drinkability factor of this beer is also quite high. Maybe it's because I'm a hop head, or it could be because this is a solid beer, but I really enjoyed this brew. I'd seriously have to considering it in my Top 5 favorite New England IPAs.

If you haven't had beers from Ipswich Ale Brewery, you're missing out. I can not recommend their mix twelve pack more, which is full of a great variety of the beers they're currently producing. If you see it, you'll want to pick it up!