Jack's Abby Mass Rising
1 log on Brewskipotatoes
Tasting Notes
Mass Rising pours with the assertive hop character you'd expect from an IPA — think piney, resinous, and citrus-forward aromas — but the lager fermentation keeps everything cleaner and crisper than an ale would deliver. The flavor leads with bold hop bitterness and tropical fruit notes before the cold-lagered base pulls it toward a drier, crisper finish. At 8%, the alcohol has presence but doesn't dominate. The body is medium, smooth without the fruity ester complexity that ale yeast would add.
About the Brewery
Jack's Abby is a lager-focused craft brewery based in Framingham, Massachusetts, founded in 2011 by the Hendler brothers. They've built their reputation almost entirely around lagers at a time when the craft beer world was dominated by ales, which made them genuinely distinctive in the New England scene. Their lineup ranges from approachable helles and märzens to boundary-pushing hop-forward lagers like this one, consistently demonstrating what lager yeast can do across a wide range of styles.
Food Pairings
The bold hop bitterness and dry finish work well with spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes because the bitterness echoes and tempers the heat without clashing. Grilled chicken with citrus or herb marinades mirrors the beer's tropical and resinous hop notes. A sharp aged cheddar or hard cheese holds its own against the aggressive hopping. Fish tacos with a tangy slaw benefit from the beer's dry finish cutting through the richness of fried fish.
Style Guide
An India Pale Lager takes the aggressive hop profile associated with an IPA — prominent bitterness, citrus, tropical, or resinous aromatics — and applies it to a lager fermented with cold-conditioning yeast rather than ale yeast. The result is a cleaner, crisper backbone without the fruity esters that define most IPAs. The style sits in a relatively modern, hybrid category that gained traction in the 2010s as craft brewers experimented with lager techniques. What separates it from a standard IPL is the absence of that ale-derived complexity, making the hops the unambiguous star.