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.