The People’s Pint Pied Piper IPA

There are so many breweries in New England that it can be hard to keep track of them all. I have been tasting any craft beer I can get my hands on for many years now, but there are still a few local breweries that I have yet to try. While many of these breweries are brand new and have limited/no distribution, occasionally I come across an established brewery that has slipped through the cracks. On a recent visit to Craft Beer Cellar-Newton I saw a number of beers from The People’s Pint, a brewpub in Greenfield MA, and realized I hadn’t had the pleasure of sampling any of their offerings (at least that I can remember). This happens on occasion, but I was a little surpised considering that they are a MA brewery that has been open since 1997. The People’s Pint makes a variety of craft ales served at their pub and bottled for distribution. I grabbed a 22 oz. of their Pied Piper IPA.

Peoples Pint Pied Piper IPAThe People’s Pint Pied Piper IPA pours a deep amber red, slightly cloudy with a monstrous khaki-colored head. The smell is solidly hoppy, led by earthy and foresty scents. There is strong hop flavor too, pine, mulch, grass and a little lemon. The bitterness is substantial, but not overwhelming. The hops are balanced by significant maltiness, caramel and whole grain bread. This is more of an English style IPA, hoppy but a lot of malt too, than the American style that focuses almost entirely on the hop flavor/smell. The beer is medium bodied and drinkable, not too boozy at 5.7% ABV. The finish is clean with a pleasant hop bite. This is a good example of the older/English style IPA. I enjoyed it, but I missed the pungent hoppiness that defines West Coast IPAs. Hoppy Boston score: 4.0/5.

 

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