Beer Works Back Bay IPA

Brewed by Beer Works
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Boston, Massachusetts USA

At the Fenway location - 7/21/2005 Pours a clear deep copper, a little darker than you would expect from the average IPA. Creamy and dense tan head. Smells of bitingly bitter floral hops. The hops overwhelm the tongue. Yes, there is a bit a light malt sweetness in there but overall just very bitter from start to the long lingering finish. Herbal and floral hops assault the palate. No sweet citrusy grapefruit here. Good stuff if you like an IPA to bite back a bit. Fine drinker for me.

Draught at Fenway location -- nice IPA, a bit too sweet for my tastes, suprised to see it was 6.5%, as this beer tasted like it needed more alcohol. More pine than citrus.

poured a amber hue with a thin white head. piney aroma with some malt in the background. Really hoppy in flavor minimal malts.

Sample at the Fenway Park location. Slightly oily medium amber, lasting head and thick lacing in the glass...dry-hoppy nose redolent of bitter herbs, dry grassy, faint dried fruits...very bitter initially in the mouth, hints of light apricots, fairly juicy and lightly malty...bit burnt tasting towards the end but this is much better than most samples I’ve had here.

On draft at Fenway. Decent IPA. A nice dark orange brown pour. Enough hops to make you notice without choking you. Good firsat beer of the day.

Cask - Hazy orangish body with a wonderful creamy white head. Nice grapefruity aroma and well blended hoppy taste. Soft carbonation. Tap - Head was smaller and not as creamy. The body was the same color, but less hazy then on cask. Similar aroma to the cask conditioned. The taste and carbonation was more sharp. The hoppy taste was more immediate. Overall I enjoyed the cask conditioned version better, but both tasted great.

On tap at Fenway. Bright golden orange color, medium head. Hoppy aroma, oranges. Lots of fruit in this one (oranges), sticky pine and resin, solid caramel malts. Finishes rough and bitter. A decent IPA overall.

Cask January 2005 Canal St. Bright rusty yellow body with some light orange/copper tints and a thick, creamy white head. Fruity, almost candied citrus notes greet the nose, while there is also some sweet caramel. I always prefer drinking American style IPAs on cask, as I think it helps cut the hugely dry hops bitterness. This is no exception, as the creamy body adds much sweetness and the hops are kept under control for the style. Sweet caramel (much like their Hercules Strong ale) mixes with citrusy American hops. Quite juicy, with a good medium to medium-full body and very low carbonation. Aside from the novelty of it being on cask, there is nothing particularly exciting here.