Beer Review: Sea Hag IPA

New England Brewing Company Sea Hag IPA

This is my first brew from the New England Brewing Company. I found it at the Whole Foods on Bowery in NYC. That place is fantastic for beer lovers. They sell growlers even! I love a good IPA and I try to support any brewery that uses cans. I think they are great packaging and I want to make sure every brewery that uses them has a fair shot at success. I don't buy that whole metallic taste argument. If it tastes metallic its from the brewing process, not the can. This India pours the normal dark copper color with a decent head and good lacing. All signs of a solid IPA. The hop aroma is actually exceptional. I get lots of floral hop aroma from this, much more rich than your standard brew.

The malt quality is where this one stands out. They must have used quite a bit of crystal malt because the mouthfeel is extraordinary. Its rich and thick. They didn't forget balance. Honestly, the hop flavor leaves a little something to be desired. They are definitely there and noticeable but if I was looking to get a severe hop fix out of this I would be disappointed. I do enjoy this beer very much, but it just doesn't taste like an IPA to me. I would call this a pale ale.

If you want a lot of hops (which is probably why you picked up an IPA) you should go elsewhere. The malt character is rich and tasty but only serves to further offset the lack of hops. Give this a try if you always want more malt in your IPAs but beware. The Hag doesn't have a green thumb.

Final Score: 83% (Not Quite So India)