Arbor Sacred Cow IPA
Our traditional small batch IPA is cask conditioned, dry hopped, hand pulled, and served at cellar temperature (55°). Coppery-gold hue with a full floral cascade hop aroma. Rich bready malts lay a perfect foundation for the profusion of tangy, citrusy hops that infuse this beer with a distinct ruby-red grapefruit quality that starts on the palate and lingers through a long satisfying finish.
3.4
234 reviews
Ann Arbor, United States
Community reviews
Tasted from a 12oz. bottle. It poured an unclear amber with an off-white head and plentiful lacing. Contained some sediment which may be an indication of an older bottle. A very subtle aroma of lemon zest. Well hopped taste with a bitter finish.
Thick cream colored head and lacing. Very little carbonation but hoppy flavor and aroma still present. Solid IPA.
Nice head. Light floral aroma. Kind of tastes like cleaning product. interesting taste.
12oz bottle in a tulip. Pours hazy amber/copper with an off-white head. Aroma of floral hops, some pale and caramel malts, and some tin. Flavor the same. Average texture. Not good.
Bottle, pours cloudy orange with white head. Aroma of pine and citrus with floral notes. Flavor is fairly standard for an IPA. Grapefruity, some malt backbone. Fairly decent. Slightly bitter. Not bad, not great. I think I’m underwhelmed.
Cask - Light orange and earthy hops. Cloudy gold with a nice white head. Nice orange and earthy flavors, balanced caramel sweetness and a slight bitter finish. Nice.
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, floral, grass, light pine, caramel, honey, bread, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; with solid strength. Taste of grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, floral, grass, light pine, caramel, honey, biscuit, and floral/toasted earthiness. Fair amount of pine/grassy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, apricot, lemon/orange zest, light pine, caramel, honey, biscuit, and floral/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity and robustness of citrus hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with smooth, moderately creamy, and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice IPA. Good complexity and robustness of citrus hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Pour out of 12.oz bottle, hazy orange red pour with white head, aroma brought pine, grass, some bread, caramel, hints of orange as well. Taste is a mix of orange, caramel, toffee, hints of pine, grass, finishing bitter. Eh.
From a 12 oz bottle. Pours a clear dark copper with a bubbly off white head. Fruity nose. Flavors of resin with lots of malt showing through. Smooth, slightly bitter finish.
Had a glass on firkin at the brewpub. This tasted a little green to me, but this is solid.
Aroma is mostly soured bread with some herbal notes. Color is a hazy amber with a thick white head that leaves decent lacing. Taste is predominately bready with sour dough, butter, and toffee. It has very little hop character subtle notes of grapefruit low bitterness. I had to recheck label to remind myself it was an IPA. It certainly does not feel or taste like an IPA. It leaves an oily film on the palate that reminds me of the way hairspray tastes. I cannot finish a whole pint....not good.
12 oz bottle. This one sea a little different off the bat. It's got a reddish gold color with a thick lingering head. The lace is nice, and the fogginess of the beer really let's you see the suspended yeast and malt. The aroma is pretty bland, with a little hoppiness, and some fruitiness, maybe a tiny bit of grassy note. The flavor is also pretty bland. The hoppiness comes through a little more and the malt feeds through. There isn't a whole lot of carbonation as the size of the head would dictate, and the finish is a tad dry, like you'd expect, but it just lacks the crispness and complexities that I'd like to see in a good IPA.
Very light on hops or bitterness for an IPA. Not much of an aroma or flavor. Very disappointing based on its IBUs.
12oz bottle could have some age on it. Smell grapefruit, caramel malts, and resinous hops. Taste follows with the caramel, citrus, and bitter finish.
On tap at brewery. Mild hops, yeastiness. Opaque gold. Best thing about this beer is the creamy mouthfeel.
bottle. golden with small head. big hops with good balance of citrus and piney. aboverage ipa.
Tap: Golden-amber body, with a cloudiness that looks more robust than just a regular chill haze. Solid, clumpy and clunky off-white head that has good retention and leaves back some nice lacing. Aroma has good notes of citrus, oranges, grapefruit rinds, hop oils, some faint caramel malt, sweet toasted bread, and some light white pepper in the finish. Taste is similar, leading the way with a strong, toasted break & cracker malt backbone; orange zest, leafy hop oils, citrus peels, a bit herbal. Bitter, but not much... Could pass for a pale ale, even. Nothing extraordinary, just a decent IPA all around.
Bottle at Yespr’s - Thanks. Clear orange - white head. Ok bitterness, herbal, toasted, knækbrød, sharpness, orange notes, sweetness, caramel, peppery notes.
Bottle at yespr.
Hazy golden coloured with a small off-white head.
Fruity aroma of caramel, bread and hops.
Sweet and fruity flavour of grass and grapefruits.
Dry hoppy finish.
Bottle at Yespr. Pours a clear golden with a small off-white head and lacings. Bitter with aromas of plant sap and some malt aromas. Hints of gun smoke. Medium bodied. Soft carbonation. Bitter finish.
Bottled. Amber coloured. Unclear. Dense light beige head. Aroma. Light herbs, some caramel, some grains, Flavour. caramel, herbs, grains, medium bodied. Ends quite astringent bitter.
Bottled. An unclear amber beer with a lazing beige head. The aroma has notes of citrusy hops, malt, and straw. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, straw, and citrusy hops, leading to a bitter finish.
12 fl oz bottle. Pours cloudy orange with a small white head. Aroma is peachy, mild grapefruity. Bitter, fruity, crisp hoppy and lingering citrusy. Smooth fruity, light bitter and medium dry finish.
This is a very solid IPA. The hops and malt flavors are well balanced and don’t overpower each other. Good stuff.
Appearance: A solid looking amber color. I was working outside so I didn’t pay much attention, but I did notice the massive head when I was pouring -- off-white, creamy. I had more head than beer when I first poured... don’t be too aggressive with it. Not very much lacing despite the head.
Smell: Quite floral. Malty. Somewhat sweet. Nothing too memorable, but it definitely smells like an IPA.
Taste: Floral hops. Resinous. Somewhat dry. Mildly soapy. Drinks very easily. It’s a pretty ordinary IPA, but it’s a fair price, it’s local, and there’s nothing bad about it. It’s pretty hoppy on the front, but balanced nicely, so it’s not too assertive. I enjoy it.
A respectable beer. My first from Arbor, and it’s good enough that I’d be more than willing to have another or try some of their other brews.
Not my favorite IPA, but tasty enough to drink and pass the time. It’s very carbonated almost to the point of being out of place. Aroma or bitterness isn’t going to blow anyone away.
Draft at Reno's East. Deep gold with a white head. Smooth, slightly bitter and malty.
Draught at Arbor. Sweet hoppy aroma. Smooth simple well made IPA. Cask shows.
Hoppy piney aroma. Orange amber with good head retention. Clean bitter finish.
Poured from bottle tulip glass. Cloudy orange pour with fluffy head. Sweet citrus aroma. Taste is bitter and fruity with a slight malt backbone. Decent IPA but not one I’d seek out