Cape Cod IPA

Brewed by Cape Cod Beer
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Hyannis, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Growler from Grain & Vine in pint glass. Copper with nice head and lace. Fresh caramel and hop aroma. Toast caramel and fresh hoppiness with lotsa nuts. Pretty good.

Was looking for something local to the Cape while visitting. Mos tof the microbrews in the area seem to be quite bland, and I have to say this is the exception. Maybe it’s due to the blandness of the others, but I thought this IPA was quite good. Definitely a standard IPA--tastes like a Pacific Northwest style hoppy variety. I liked it a good bit.

A decent IPA. It’s dry, and that saved it from total low scores. I saw it advertised in the best read guide to Cape cod. I tried it, and I somewhat liked it.

Had it on draft at the Yardarm in Orleans. A decent beer, but very ordinary. Nothing to really set it apart, and not all that hoppy.

Draught glass at Sweet Tomato, Falmouth on 9/3/07
Very dark IPA, obviously an East Coast rendition. Large, rather dense, light-beige head is very well-retained and provides moderate lacing. A slight chill haze is found in the dark honey colored liquid (auburn tinted).
Earthy, crusty medium malts and a very clean, but obviously unpasteurized, unfiltered yeastiness overlay the aroma, as bitter, leafy and citric hops break through. Not your typical fruity/resinous West Coast display, but much more focused and bitter, cutting through nearly all of the malt sweetness (caramel, pale malts) and lingering on the finish. Not overly complex, and the low alpha hops that seem to be in here are dominated by the alpha hop bitterness (lots of sharp lemon and white grapefruit). Medium strength of aroma, no flaws or alcohol.
As expected, it’s got a very, very dry body thanks to the somewhat scratchy/bready toasted malts, though enough light caramel notes are able to break through the dryness and hoppiness to provide some balance. Furthermore, the mouthfeel is unfiltered and supple, without any suggestions of hardness brought on by overuse of crystal malt or excess filtration. Light fruitiness, mostly tons of bitter lemon/lime and grapefruit. Floral aromatics and flavors open up somewhat with warming, though the acute perfuminess does nothing to ameliorate the already acute citric bitterness. Still, it’s very well-made, and flawless.

On tap at British Beer Company. Pours a clear bright copper with a thin white head. A bit of citrus and pine in the nose, but there is not a big aroma. Medium body and carbonation. Taste of marmalade and toast with a bit of pine around the edges. Crisp finish.

On tap at a small place in Brewster, MA. Slightly hazy light amber pour supporting a thin off-white head. Mild but somewhat musty aroma of pine resin and citrus. Mismatch citrusy flavors with a decidedly stale hoppy note (though the beer itself tasted fresh otherwise). Somewhat thin mouthfeel and a short clean finish. Not enough balance.

Very nicely balanced IPA. Received a growler as a gift. Not certain if available in other forms, as this is a very small brewer.