Cluster's Last Stand
Smuttynose Brewing Company in Hampton, New Hampshire, United States 🇺🇸
Collab with: Stone BrewingIPA Regular
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Score
7.19
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Post- Prohibition Ballantine IPA recipe recreation using period-correct hops varieties. Brewed in collaboration with Stone Brewing Co.
Old, new? It’s all the same, really. Cluster’s Last Stand defies the commonly accepted notion that strong, hoppy beers are recent arrivals on the US beer landscape. Smuttynose has teamed up with Stone Brewing Company to recreate the original, post-Prohibition Ballantine IPA recipe. That’s right; strong, 60 IBU beer was brewed in the 30’s. How do we know? We read it in Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele’s excellent and well-researched book, “IPA, Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale.” The only difference between this beer and more contemporary IPAs are the hop varieties: Cluster, Brewers Gold, Bullion and East Kent Goldings. None of these are trendy and we were a little surprised to find out that all four were readily available. The result is a rich, copper-colored ale with a strong, refined hop profile of spiciness with a hint of grapefruit.
Old, new? It’s all the same, really. Cluster’s Last Stand defies the commonly accepted notion that strong, hoppy beers are recent arrivals on the US beer landscape. Smuttynose has teamed up with Stone Brewing Company to recreate the original, post-Prohibition Ballantine IPA recipe. That’s right; strong, 60 IBU beer was brewed in the 30’s. How do we know? We read it in Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele’s excellent and well-researched book, “IPA, Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale.” The only difference between this beer and more contemporary IPAs are the hop varieties: Cluster, Brewers Gold, Bullion and East Kent Goldings. None of these are trendy and we were a little surprised to find out that all four were readily available. The result is a rich, copper-colored ale with a strong, refined hop profile of spiciness with a hint of grapefruit.
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6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Tap at Rattle part of my New Year’s Day walk a bout. Golden pour small head that quickly leaves without a trace. Nose is faint toffee and honey. Tastes if honey, toffee, biscuits, some pine sol, and herbal and perfumy. Sticky palate lingering caramel finish.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Jan 2015
at 15:12
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
650ml bottle from Mikkeller webshop. Orange amber colour, foam white head leaving lacing and aroma of caramel, hoppy tangerine citrus. Taste is malt caramel, sweetish with juicy orange, grapefruit and pine bitterness. Slightly oily mouthfeel, medium bodied, soft to medium carbonation, dry tangy bitter finish. Very drinkable IPA.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Dec 2014
at 15:55
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
(650ml bottle from Systembolaget) Pours a nearly clear dark orangish gold, with a big foamy white head with lots of lace. Aroma of caramel and bread malts, orange rind, some light grapefruit and peach, florals and just a bit of oniony undertone. On the palate, fairly sweet but complex malt core with caramel, cereals, but kept in check with hops that give orange and florals and resins that are softly medicinal. Fairly bitter from the middle on, oily and resinous, but the malt core sticks around and means it isn’t too mouth-stripping. Aftertaste is quite astringent and a bit medicinal, with light pine and floral hops. Medium full body with fairly high carb and a touch of alcohol heat. An interesting beer in a historical context, replicating the old Ballantine recipe (though without the wood aging I guess?). It actually drinks pretty well too, with big complex malts and hops that are less fruity but not really less beefy than many contemporary IPAs. I think I’d like to have this fresh and see how punchy the nose gets.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Dec 2014
at 15:40
8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle 65 cl. Pours a clear, deep golden with an off-white head. Very perfumy hop aroma. Rich malty body, loads of sweetness but everything kept in check by the solid if somewhat perfumy hops. A Double IPA to be honest - and a very delicious one. 181214
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Dec 2014
at 07:29
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
6th December 2014
Lightly hazy amber - gold beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Palate is minerally crisp. Sweet malts, trace of cream. Hops are mildly skunky followed by a cooling minty pine. Bitter floralness. Just a whisper of hop fruits. Quite a bitter piney floral finish with a little mango coming to the fore. Tasty.
Lightly hazy amber - gold beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Palate is minerally crisp. Sweet malts, trace of cream. Hops are mildly skunky followed by a cooling minty pine. Bitter floralness. Just a whisper of hop fruits. Quite a bitter piney floral finish with a little mango coming to the fore. Tasty.
Tried
on 07 Dec 2014
at 09:28
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
On tap at Macche in Rome-ITALY. Pours orange-golden color hazy with a tan head. Nose: medium caramel notes and lemon. Mouth: Amber malts, hint of syrup and citrus. Peculiar East Coast IPA. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Tried
from Draft
on 06 Dec 2014
at 11:48