Cambridge Brewing Company - The Audacity of Hops

Cambridge Brewing Company may not be the best known brewery in Boston, but the general consensus seems to be that it's among the best that Boston has. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to make it to the brewery on this trip (next time, Cambridge, next time) but I was able to find a bottle of their Belgian Double IPA, The Audacity of Hops, at a liquor stone in downtown Boston.

The Audacity of Hops (fantastic name, by the way) pours a hazy golden color with a one-finger cream colored head that leaves some spotty lacing down the glass. The smell wasn't massive, but I was able to pick out a musty pine hop note and a touch of the Belgian yeast.

I was a little worried about how this was going to taste when I got home from the trip and noticed that the bottling date was December, 2011. A 5 month old IPA? That couldn't still be good, right? Luckily, I was very wrong. The taste opens with a huge medley of pine and citrus hops. A hint of Belgian yeast shows up in the middle before some more pine hops and cracked black pepper show up on the finish. The finish is dry, bitter and delicious. If you don't love hops, this probably isn't for you, but if you do, this is a beer you absolutely have to seek out. If it tasted this good at 5 months old, I can't even begin to fathom how good this would taste fresh. I'll have to find out on my next trip.

Final Grade: A


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