Big Horn Big Red I.P.A.

Brewed by Big Horn Brewing Company (Ram International)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
, USA

On tap. Amazing lacing, we were all wondering if this beer was nitro injected. Color is orange and glowing with lots of haze. Nose of pine, sweat, and hops. Taste has some wood in it and the bitterness of hops. I was not impressed. by this watery beer.

Listed as Big Red I.P.A. Had at Humperdinks on Greenville. Prettiest beer of the taster I had. Very nice retention and great lacing from the white head. Light fruity notes in the aroma. Very watery taste with floral elements, finishes like a bitter IPA. Very watery and thin body.

Sample glass @ C I Shenanigans. Solid not overpowering hop aroma. Dark amber. Thick head. Hops grow on you. Nice fruitiness; melon and citrus.

On tap. Let me preface this review by saying that this was not a bad beer. It is better than most beers available at most restaurants. For me, however, it failed as an IPA. The appearance and palate were average. Big Red was a cloudy yellow-orange, with a thin white head. That thin white head left behind average lacing. Nothing spectacular. The palate was similar. It was there. A little bit of tingle from the carbonation, but nothing to be excited about. The nose was off. There was a promising floral aroma from the hops, followed by citrus. But then there was a faint sweet-and-sour sauce smell, accompanied by a hint of wet newsprint. Fortunately, the flavor was better than the aroma. The main flavor was citrus, mostly orange, but also the sweetness of tangerine. I also detected a hint of canned peaches—the sugary syrup that fills the can—and the minutest hint of a wheat cracker. Every once in a while, I would get a flash of the sweet-and-sour sauce or the wet paper, but it was mild and less intense than that present in the aroma. Big Red was also less bitter than I expect in an IPA, especially one that bills itself as an American IPA. It just didn’t pack the punch for which I was ready. I was hoping for a knockout and got a glancing blow.

Pours a dark amber to red color with ok head appeal and limited lacing. Both dissipate over time. The smell is not really hop but some sweetness comes out. More of a basic malt aroma. The flavor is really light for an IPA. The malt is a bigger flavor but some hop tones from Simcoe and Amarillo are noticed The malt is basic. Mostly pale and hints of crystal. There is a medium body with good flavor. This is a nice beer to sit down, but not really a IPA at heart.

On tap at the Indianapolis brewpub: The brewer told me this is an all Amarillo IPA. Pours a fiery amber with a clean white cap. The nose is fresh citrus - lots of tangerine, apricot and oranges. Very fresh and appealing. The body follows suit, with a healthy dose of sweet fruits. The IPA isn’t extremely bitter, letting the flavoring hops really sing. A better malt balance would raise the score though, as this was a bit thin. Still though, very well made and definitely quaffable.

Sampled on tap at the local RAM brewpub, this brew poured a medium/dark orange with a dry hoppy nose. Flavor centered around the hops, as well. As with many brewpub beers, it was better than all of the BMC offerings that many restaurants have, but not even close to the good or great beers of the style. For an IPA, it was a remarkably thin beer. The hops flavor peaked in the middle, but didn’t really carry at all into the finish. Not bad for what it was, a beer to wash down a burger, and it was certainly drinkable enough, but it’s lacking as a beer alone.

Light head, pale golden body. A decent beer, but for an IPA not that amazing.