Watch City Hops Explosion IPA

Brewed by Watch City Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Waltham, Massachusetts USA

On cask: Pours a cloudy pale orange color leaving a thick frothy white lace that sticks to the glass. The smell is orange, peach, grapefruit, sun ripened fruit bouquet, delicious nose. The taste starts smooth slightly hoppy followed by a bitter grapefruit nudge but not overpowering sort of mellow to compliment all the flavors in the beer. The sweetness of fruit really balances this beer. The finish is again smooth, mellow fruity esters, with one last helping of citrus rind to leave you with a bite in the back of the throat.

Light amber 1/8" head with nice lacing. stick nicely to the sides Hops, hops, hops, earthy, citrusy, just smells delicious My god this beer is very very hoppy. As a hop head I can only commend the brewer for an excellent beer. It’s biscuity and hoppy and slightly orange and a nice sweetness not normal for this hoppy of an IPA. Medium body, lightly carbonated If you’re a hop head, this is pretty close to heaven.I mean this is more of a double IPA than an IPA.

Draught sample at the brewpub. Pours copper/gold with a nice white head. Aroma and flavor is bitter, citrussy, pineapple, resiny, spicy. Enjoyable.

on tap-pours a creamy white head that laces with hazy gold color. Aroma is hops. Taste is grapefruit. Good biting, mild hops that carries to a long aftertaste. Good carbonation.

2/23/02 pint at the brewpub: I'm totally replacing the numbers from my old rating. (+1.0) Hazy orange with nice lacing. Huge citrus hops with some pine in there. Full bodied and big, starts very bitter and is only pretty bitter by the end. A very nice east coast IPA. Old rating: Boston Beer Summit '02: Almost a brown color and a watery palate. I couldn't disagree with the brewers description more. The British have made hoppier beers to survive the trip to Ireland.

January 2005 draught at the brewery. Bright golden-yellow, with some copper and very light amber hues playing about. Firm, medium white head that lasts. Aroma of spicy hops, light citrus fruits mixed with soft caramel and honey. Flavor strikes possibly the truest hops note I have ever experienced. Pure hops. Not overly bitter, not overly dry, just juicy, flavorful and wonderful. Moderate caramel malt keeps the hops honest and adds just the right amount of balance. For someone who dosent care for hoppy beers, this is fanatastic. Phenomenally balanced and easygoing, but ever so flavorful. Boring, if you are a hophead, but if you support brewers not overusing hops, this is a prime example of hops used right.
On cask, 6/29/2005 Having this really affirms my rating above. This IS an awesome IPA. Incredible on cask, as well. The beer has dropped bright, which is good to see that it is in good condition. No oxidation, plenty of white, thick head, with sheets of lacing and wonderful retention. The aroma smells of fresh citrus, and hints of pineapple, pine and mangoes. Must be cascades and then also perhaps Amarillo? Not sure but damned if it dosent smell wonderfully hoppy. This style of American IPA has the really fruity, juicy American hops up front, with a lighter pale malt, but a very good backbone of it. I think I like that more than the thicker, caramelier versions. I don’t mind when the focus is on the hops, when it’s the hops flavor that is focused on and not the bitterness. Lightly oily mouthfeel, very low carbonation, moderately creamy as well, on the end. Tasty, very tasty!

Medium amber in color, small white head, diminishing to a long lasting, clingy lace. Aroma is floral, citrus, pine - all about the hops. Initially has a small malt sweetness, followed by a good and long last hoppy attack.

Tap@Watch City Brewing, Waltham, Ma. Now this i like, well balanced hoppy IPA. A good malt backbone, toasty, with touches of caramel. Finish is medium bitter, with some juicy grapefruity hops. Nice citrusy, piney finish. Gotta love it!