Ipswich Ale Brewery
Ipswich, MA
Rich in color and bold in taste, this U.S. style Brown Ale combines roasted malt with two additions of specialty selected hops to produce a well-balanced ale with a satisfying finish.
ABV: 6.3
ABW: 5.04
COLOR: N/A
BITTERNESS: 30
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: N/A
AVAILABLE: CT, IL, MA, NC, NH, NJ, RI
Deep amber/copper rather than dark, the beer has a big fluffy head of foam and a delightful aroma of toasted bread, roast chestnuts and peppery hops. Hops kick in in the mouth, giving a bitter edge to dark roasted malts and burnt fruit notes. The finish is long and complex, with an almost vinous fruit character, rich, dark and roasted grain and bitter, peppery hops. Fine beer that makes me reach for fresh bread and smoked cheese.
Well, it’s certainly dark, a rich reddish brown that would fade to black in dim light. The aroma is classically porter-ish, with cocoa, dulce de leche, light coffee and oloroso sherry notes. Light hops meet the roast on a dry, clean, slightly fruity palate. The finish is flinty and invites another sip. This beer makes me nostalgic somehow—it tastes like beers I drank in England in the ‘80s and then in America in the ‘90s. And I’ll bet those flavors are great with a good steak—now that I can afford one.
Author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. Respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. and www.protzonbeer.co.uk.
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and a veteran host of more than 800 beer dinners in 15 countries.
