Smuttynose Brewing Co. Big A IPA

IPAs (India Pale Ale) are all very popular with most craft beer drinkers, and IPAs come in various different styles. But today I’m focusing on double or imperial IPAs. This is a bigger style than a regular IPA. Double/imperial IPA’s have bigger hop flavors and higher ABVs. Here we have an example from Smuttynose Brewing company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Big A IPA 9.7% ABV & 120 IBU (International Bittering Unit). Big A pours a copper orange color with a three finger white head that stick around for a few minutes, and leaves behind some sticky white lacing. I found there to be very little light coming through with and very little carbonation due to the deep murky like color. The aroma on Big A IPA is big with hops/hop oils, grassy earth notes and a dank resin aroma. The taste has a big slap of hoppy bitterness that washes over your taste buds and leaves a little bitter stickiness in your mouth. There are some earthy grass/piney notes with nice pineapple and a little faint citrus orange note. The mouth feel is big and hoppy and has a sticky grassy hoppy bitter finish that leaves an earthy, piney, hop bitter, citrus after taste that lingers around for a while. I do not recommend that you have this first before having other beers, Big A IPA really gives you taste buds a big wallop, make other beer taste a bit off. But I am not say that you shouldn’t drink Smuttynose Big A IPA, unless you don not like IPAs at all. Anyhow, I would say that Smuttynose Big A IPA is a B- beer. I am not the biggest hop/IPA fan, but I did enjoy Smuttynose Big A IPA. It wasn’t SO over the top hop forward and bitter, it was just enjoy letting you know, ‘hey I am a double IPA and I am HOPPY’. This beer has good flavor that all work well together and making this a balanced double IPA. I think this could have used a pinch more malt to make it into a higher grade.  If you like hops that sure I would recommend Smuttynose Big A IPA, but if you don’t then I don’t recommend this at all.  So go out and try Smuttynose Big A IPA and see what you think of it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!