Jack’s Abby trIPL

In the early days of “craft beer” (I know, I said I was going to avoid that term, but there is no good way to differentiate the ground-breaking breweries of the 80’s and 90’s with the macro beers that dominated the market at the time) many of the iconic beers and brewers got started with brewpubs, restaurants that served beer brewed onsite. There are pros and cons to the brewpub, running a restaurant is a ton of work and a tough business, but it brings in people who can try your beers, plus I imagine you save a little cash brewing your own. As these small breweries gained a following many moved away from the brewpub model and focused on selling their beer on draft at bars, in bottles or in growlers. Many new breweries didn’t even have a physical brewery, they would contract brew. Recently, with the explosion in popularity of quality beer, many drinkers want to hang out at a brewery and sample all of their wares. This has led some breweries to turn their physical space into full service bars where their customers can drink and the brewers can host special events and limited releases.

Now that many breweries have become popular local hangouts, and having food available to their customers is a big advantage. Food service keeps customers around longer and good food can bring people into the brewery on it’s own. Some breweries have partnered with local food trucks, especially on busy weekend days. Jack’s Abby has taken this to a new level, closing their small tasting room to open a full service beer hall and restaurant in Framingham. The restaurant features a full menu of entrées and pizza, plus an enormous selection of Jack’s Abby brews on draft. One of the releases you can grab right now is trIPL, their “triple” India Pale Lager. Jack’s Abby brews trIPL with Columbus, Chinook and Citra hops. It is available on draft and in bottles on a rotating basis during the year.

Jack's Abby trIPLJack’s Abby trIPL pours a clear deep orange with a minimal off-white head. The scent is a huge burst of hops dominated by citrus and tropical fruit. The taste is led by the New World hop flavors that make so many of Jack’s Abby’s hop-forward beers so delicious. I get notes of papaya, mango, grapefruit and orange along with a solid but not overwhelming hit of bitterness. There is some malt flavor for balance, touches of caramel, fresh baked bread and honey along with just a hint of boozy sweetness. The beer is incredibly easy to drink for 10% ABV, it’s almost dangerous how quickly you can drink this if you aren’t paying attention. Jack’s Abby trIPL has the crisp and clean finish of a lager with a little lingering hop flavor and bitterness. So many big hoppy beers are way overdone, even the huge hop flavors can’t mask all of the booze. This beer is an exception, tons of hops and high ABV, but still drinkable and delicious. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5

Previous Jack’s Abby Reviews:

Jack’s Abby/Otter Creek Joint CustodyBREWERY OVERVIEW, Jack’s Abby Maibock Hurts Like HellesJack’s Abby Hoponius UnionJack’s Abby Barrel-Aged FraminghammerJack’s Abby Bride MakerJack’s Abby Brewery/Hopstitution BAMJack’s Abby Copper LegendJack’s Abby Session Rye IPL, Jack’s Abby Mass RisingJack’s Abby/Evil Twin Jack’s Evil BrewJack’s Abby Wet Hop LagerJack’s Abby Pro-Am Pilsner

Leave a comment