Barebottle Brew Co. 'Unicorn Dust' New England IPA. 6.7% abv. 30 IBU. Hazy pale yellow. Finger of white soapy Head. Excellent retention, superb lace. Nose of grapefruit, lemon rind, bright herbal spice, mild vanilla. Spicy complex mosaic hop bouquet blooms greatly as temp rises.

Front taste of juicy grapefruit, cloves, fresh ground allspice. Aftertaste is all mosaic, with abundant bright herbal-floral hops mingling with bittersweet citrus. Dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool, round, resiny, carby.

This is a wonderful IPA, one that more than delivers on the promise of a myriad of colorful flavors. The big mosaic hop bill is a perfect compliment to the hazy, unfiltered wort that makes a New England IPA. Citrus notes pop, layered in a juicy grapefruit-lemon foundation, with ample spice throughout. This is the best N.E. IPA I’ve had yet. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"It's said that Unicorns had special powers to make water drinkable -- and we absolutely agree, Unicorn Dust is unconscionably smooth. Brewed with rainbow Mosaic hops giving notes of peach, blueberry, tangerine, and papaya."
[source: barebottle.com]

"Magically smooth ale with an explosion of rainbow mosaic hops aroma."
[source: bottle]

Evil Twin Brewing 'The Only Thing I Know is That I Know Nothing' New England IPA. 6.5% abv. 68 IBU. Pale yellow color, like egg yolk. Dense hazy. Finger of white soapy head. Moderate retention, superb lacing. Nose of light fruit pastry, juicy grapefruit, floral and citrus hops. 

Front taste is bright citrus rind, notes of pepper and cloves, wide spice expression on the back end. Spice builds as the temp rises to room. Aftertaste is abundant bitter fruity hops, grapefruit pulp, white bread. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, round, foamy, clingy.

This is an excellent beer, a more aggressive version of a New England IPA. It's a cloudy, pungent, bitter fruity beer that blasts you with hops and tall spice throughout. The notes of pepper, cloves, and citrus rind build as the beer warms, resulting in an almost over-the-cliff flavor profile, giving you much more of what you sampled at first sip. Aroma follows suit, growing in intensity with time.


The relatively new category of N.E. IPA is growing exponentially in popularity, and I admit that I have not had many as of this writing. I'm still developing a palate for them, as well as sours, seemingly their second-cousins. However, I'm quickly learning to love them, and this is one of the first to truly grab my attention and make me remember it. Well recommended, particularly if you love bitter hop bite in your brew.

(No brewing description found)

Greene King 'Olde Suffolk' English Ale. 6% abv. Dark brown, red hues when held to light. Finger of foamy small-bead beige head. Good retention and lacing. Nose of caramel, sweet dark fruit. Front taste is heavy malt, toffee, toasted oak, sweet spice on the back end. Aftertaste of bittersweet stone fruit, notes of wood and spice, slightly toasty sustain. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, carby, with a sweet finish.

This is an excellent beer, one that is decedent, malty, and rich. The aroma suggests think ribbons of caramel and fruit tones, and the taste surely delivers, offering some spice and oak underneath. My only nitpick is that I would have liked more of the oak aging to come through. I realize this is a blend, but I still kept looking for more wood in the flavor profile. A minor criticism for an otherwise worldly beer.

I first had Olde Suffolk many years ago, before barrel aging became big in America, and although it is thin compared to other barrel beers today, it still holds up. And although it is a blend and not entirely barrel aged, it has that full body and creamy mouthfeel I've come to expect from a good wood-aged brew. A classic. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"A blend of classic ales, one aged in oak for two years. Brew in limited quantities. This vintage ale is dark and intense, almost ruby in colour with an appetising spicy, fruitcake aroma. This full-bodies ale combines flavours of oak, caramel and burnt toffee that will march across the palate. This award winning beer is both satisfying and rewarding and can also be the ideal accompaniment to mature English cheese."

[source: bottle]