Town Hall Masala Mama IPA

Brewed by Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

Growler at RBSG. Pours a lightly hazy copper color, with a small off white head. Smells of bready yeast, dark sweet syrupy malts, and a decent hop presence. The hops really start to shine though in the flavor as it forms a crisp hop bitterness around the palate trapping it. The malt provides a little balance in the finish, but this baby finishes off hoppier than it started. Pretty nice.

Growler pour at RBSG grand tasting. Thanks to whoever brought it. Pours a cloudy copper color with a small white head. Aroma of fresh green hops and citrus. The flavor features more biter hops, citrus, plus some pine and a bit of caramel. The mouthfeel is silky smooth and full. The finish is long and biter. Overall: A great IPA, but not quite up to the hype.

~RBSG ’08~

Growler at the Grand Tasting. Pours a clear caramel red, creamy white head, and tons of thick lacing. Citrus and vanilla notes in the nose, pine, some subtle floral notes. Hops and citrus come in big in the flavor, pine, some dry malt. Soft body, medium-sized, palatable. Pretty good. Not sure how it’s rated so highly on BA.

Tasted from growler at RBSG. I’ve been somewhat eager to try this, as it is highly rated (top20?) on BA, but I’ve wondered why it is only ranked 215 on RB. It’s a nice very hoppy IPA. A little bitter. Doesn’t really come close to great San Diego IPAs, like Hop15. Am I spoiled by great San Diego brewers, or are IPAs much better fresh? I lean toward the great San Diego brewers. There’s no malty sweet melanoidin backbone that I like, or the over-the-top hop aroma.

[Tap] Pours a clear burnt caramel with a little ruby and a smallish off white head. Aroma is initially citric and floral hops. Caramel malts bring it up the rear and round it out nicely. Flavor is initially quite hoppy, with the caramel/toffee rounding it off nicely. A nice, moderate bitterness hangs on after the last sip.

Good IPA, not the best I’ve had but since it has those hops in it, I’m sold on it. Aroma is hops with hints of barley, malts and citrus. Appearance is dark golden, copper with off white head. Flavor is hoppy with caramel and some lime in there. Palate is good but didn’t have that awesome balance of bitterness and feel I look for in IPAs. Overall, a good one but their new Double Dry took the show for the hops.

Growler from Santa. Thanks Santa! Pours amber color with a thick off white head. Has little aroma for a IPA. Has a lighter mouthfeel than most and has little hop character to it. I taste mostly malt. Not what I expected from a top IPA. Will re-rate if I try again with different results.

Growler, shared by somebody at the Shenandoah Beer Throwdown, thanks someone! Pours amber/copper, with a medium white head and nice lacing. Aroma is hops and caramel. Flavor similar, grapefruit, pine, good maltiness for a well balanced taste.