I am researching a new article on my favorite NEIPAs in every state in New England (the “research” is pretty tough, find and drink a bunch of new-to-me beers). I am overflowing with ideas from some states, especially Massachusetts and Maine, but I am struggling a little with a few of the states that I visit infrequently. So many NEIPAs have limited distribution and short shelf lives, so you need to directly visit the brewery to get them. The state that I have been struggling the most with is New Hampshire, so I have been searching for any IPAs from the Granite State that have distribution in Massachusetts. One brewery that has recently established a substantial presence in Mass is Moat Mountain out of North Conway NH. One of Moat Mountain’s rotating releases is Call it a Day, a big double IPA brewed in the New England style. Moat Mountain Call it a Day is available on a rotating basis on draft and in 16 oz cans.
Moat Mountain Call it a Day DIPA pours slightly hazy light orange with a massive white head. The aroma is a solid hit of fruity and floral hops. The flavor is also very hop forward, notes of grapefruit, pine, orange rind and mango along with a little bitter bite. Call it a Day is a hybrid of east and west coast IPA styles, not assertively bitter but not straight juice either. The hops are balanced by a solid malt backbone, touches of whole grain bread and crackers. It has a medium body and drinks pretty easy for a beer with 8% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering malt flavor and bitterness. Overall this is a nice DIPA, plenty of hop flavor and good drinkability. I’ll need to check out more Moat Mountain releases in the near future. Hoppy Boston score: 4.0/5.
Previous Moat Mountain Reviews:
Moat Mountain East Intervale pours deep gold with a solid off-white head. The scent is solidly hoppy, aromas of resin and citrus. The flavor is remarkably balanced for a session IPA, so many tend towards hop flavored water but this beer has some substantial malt flavor and body. The hops are at the forefront, notes of grass, herbs and orange along with a little bitter bite. This is nicely balanced by the malts, hints of toast and honey along with solid body for a session beer. East Interlude is medium bodied and easy to drink, clearly a session beer at 4.5% ABV. The finish is crisp with a bit of lingering hop flavor. Moat Mountain East Intervale is a quality beer, plenty of flavor and more balance than most session IPAs, but still very drinkable. I look forward to trying more of their offerings and maybe checking out the smokehouse in the near future! Hoppy Boston score: 4.0/5.