Belhaven - Twisted Thistle Style: English IPA ABV: 6.1% Origin: Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland A refreshing example of an India Pale Ale from the master brewers at Belhaven. The blend of Cascade and Challenger hops combine to produce an abundance of fresh hop aroma that preludes a bitter-dry taste explosion. Crafted from nearly three centuries of brewing heritage at Scotland's oldest independent brewery, this ale from Belhaven will have your taste buds tingling. Read more at my Scotland page. |
0 Comments
Samuel Smith - India Ale Style: English India Pale Ale ABV: 5.0% Origin: Tadcaster, England Poured a deep golden color with a white, foamy head. Aromas of English malts, cereal grains and spicy hops. Sweet, ripe, dark fruits up front with more citrus-like flavors coming through later. Bitter finish, but not too dry. Carbonation just right. Hops are bitter, but not as piney or grapefruity as most American IPAs, and more complex. Still, not one of my favorite styles. Read more about this beer at my England page. Burton - Empire India Pale Ale Style: English IPA ABV: 7.5% Origin: Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, England Poured into a 16 oz. goblet. Pours a vey cloudy golden-amber color with a one-finger off-white head. Smells of fresh cut hay with some cherry and orange aromas. A slightly sour smell. Taste is strong with hops right from the start with a very sour flavor while on the tongue. The aftertaste yields some fruity malt flavors, but still dominated by an awful, grapefruit-like sourness. Hop bitterness is not backed up with enough malt to balance. As the beer warms, I'm picking up more yeast flavors, but still horribly sour and bitter. Not a good bitter. It's starting to taste like Alka Seltzer. Mouthfeel is harsh, astringent and dry with too much carbonation. Overall, too much like a grapefruity, American IPA and a total waste of $7. Barely able to finish this one. Newcastle - Winter IPA Style: English India Pale Ale ABV: 5.2% Origin: Edinburgh, Scotland Poured into a 16 oz. goblet. Pours a dark amber color; looks a lot like strong tea. A two-finger off-white head with lots of sticky lacing. Smells of caramel, cherries and other ripe fruity aromas. Some nice, earthy hop aromas in there, too. Taste is malty, fruity and sweet up front with a smooth transition into a herbal, hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is just a little on the thin side, but carbonation level is low. No alcohol warmth or dryness detected. Overall, probably the best English IPA I’ve ever had. This beer gets a lot of bad reviews, I think because so many people expect an English IPA to taste like the pine sappy, grapefruity American IPAs that are so popular these days. This, however, is a nicely balanced and complex beer that I hate to see called a "Limited Edition." SO much better than Newcastle’s flagship Brown Ale. Hopefully, it will become a yearly, seasonal brew. |
About the authorI am a multi-instrumentalist living and "working" in Branson, Missouri. The purpose of this site is to share my passion for great European beer by providing information, links, images, videos, discussions and a few of my own reviews of the greatest beers in the world! Categories
All
Archives
August 2015
|