Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (bottle)
Brooklyn, NY
6.8% ABV
Will this leave up to my last English IPA? I love Brooklyn beers, but that Meantime IPA is quite a tough act to follow....
Pours dingy yellow/orange with a moderate white head that dissipates pretty quickly. Slightly hazy, but mostly clear. Slight citrus aroma, nice crisp white hops, somewhat yeasty. Flavor is similar, lots of citrusy hoppiness and a slight yeasty finish. Somewhat drying on the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is moderate-to-thick with a nice dose of hops and some carbonation.
Overall this is probably most notable for how well-executed it is and yet how almost totally unremarkable it is. English beers in general tend to be more subtle and subdued than their American counterparts, and this IPA would probably fit in quite well in the English beer scene. It doesn't quite measure up to the Meantime, but it's a nice beer all on its own.
My overall BA rating: 3.7/5
Showing posts with label English IPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English IPA. Show all posts
24 January 2010
02 December 2009
Meantime India Pale Ale
Meantime India Pale Ale
London, England
7.5% ABV
What is it with corked beers always trying to cover me with foam? I admittedly have to store them on their sides in the fridge as the shelves aren't quite high enough to allow a bomber or 750mL bottle to sit upright, but lately it seems that every corked beer I open wants to jump out of the bottle. I've come to the point of making sure I have my glass very close just in case of inadvertent foam explosion.
Anyway. Because I'm a Stupid American Beer Drinker, English IPAs tend not to be among my favorite of beers. I've just become accustomed to the brilliance of their American cousins, and my palate is attuned to the beautiful allure of hops, hops, hops. Which isn't to say that I'm a complete lover of hop-bombs -- far from it, for I love a nice balance of malt and hop to form a complete whole. But by American standards most English IPAs are really just Pale Ales, which fits into a whole other category altogether....
So when I bought this bottle on our trip to the South this summer, it was really more for completeness' sake than out of a genuine desire to try the beer. "Hey, look," I said to myself, "a beer that I haven't tried that I can't get in Michigan. Let's get a bottle so I can try it." But just one bottle, you know, no need to buy more when my budget could easily cover an extra bottle or two of Stone or some other beer.
Drinking this one, I'm thinking that was a mistake. Meantime IPA is an amazing beer, with a near-perfect malt/hop balance. Grapefruit sweetness dominates the malt, with a crisp Kent Goldings hoppiness on the finish. I can't find any reference to it on the bottle or the brewery's website, but I swear I get faint but persistent notes of oakiness in the finish, enough to give a nice tannin complexity, but nowhere near overpowering of the bitter finish. Even as I get near the bottom of the bottle, the foam leaves significant and pleasing lacing on the inside of my pint glass. Is this the best EIPA ever? I'll have to wait until that hypothetical trip to the pubs of London to really put that to the test, but for now this is a damn close approximation of what it must be like.
My overall BA rating: 4.5/5
London, England
7.5% ABV
What is it with corked beers always trying to cover me with foam? I admittedly have to store them on their sides in the fridge as the shelves aren't quite high enough to allow a bomber or 750mL bottle to sit upright, but lately it seems that every corked beer I open wants to jump out of the bottle. I've come to the point of making sure I have my glass very close just in case of inadvertent foam explosion.
Anyway. Because I'm a Stupid American Beer Drinker, English IPAs tend not to be among my favorite of beers. I've just become accustomed to the brilliance of their American cousins, and my palate is attuned to the beautiful allure of hops, hops, hops. Which isn't to say that I'm a complete lover of hop-bombs -- far from it, for I love a nice balance of malt and hop to form a complete whole. But by American standards most English IPAs are really just Pale Ales, which fits into a whole other category altogether....
So when I bought this bottle on our trip to the South this summer, it was really more for completeness' sake than out of a genuine desire to try the beer. "Hey, look," I said to myself, "a beer that I haven't tried that I can't get in Michigan. Let's get a bottle so I can try it." But just one bottle, you know, no need to buy more when my budget could easily cover an extra bottle or two of Stone or some other beer.
Drinking this one, I'm thinking that was a mistake. Meantime IPA is an amazing beer, with a near-perfect malt/hop balance. Grapefruit sweetness dominates the malt, with a crisp Kent Goldings hoppiness on the finish. I can't find any reference to it on the bottle or the brewery's website, but I swear I get faint but persistent notes of oakiness in the finish, enough to give a nice tannin complexity, but nowhere near overpowering of the bitter finish. Even as I get near the bottom of the bottle, the foam leaves significant and pleasing lacing on the inside of my pint glass. Is this the best EIPA ever? I'll have to wait until that hypothetical trip to the pubs of London to really put that to the test, but for now this is a damn close approximation of what it must be like.
My overall BA rating: 4.5/5
15 August 2009
Beer Review, Cold Hop British-Style Ale
Boulder Beer Company Cold Hop British-Style Ale
Boulder, CO
6.5% ABV
Appearance: Dingy red body, very hazy with suspended yeast, with a thin head that dissipates quickly. 4.0/5
Smell: Very malty, serious grains, with a very aromatic hop bite. Strong with caramel. 4.5/5
Taste: Very bready, grainy. Slightly sweet, hints of apples and with a dry finish. 4.0/5
Mouthfeel: Thick and malty, moderate-to-heavy carbonation. 4.0/5
Drinkability: A good beer, solid and easy to drink, but doesn't really overwhelm the senses. 4.0/5
Overall: 4.1/5
Boulder, CO
6.5% ABV
Appearance: Dingy red body, very hazy with suspended yeast, with a thin head that dissipates quickly. 4.0/5
Smell: Very malty, serious grains, with a very aromatic hop bite. Strong with caramel. 4.5/5
Taste: Very bready, grainy. Slightly sweet, hints of apples and with a dry finish. 4.0/5
Mouthfeel: Thick and malty, moderate-to-heavy carbonation. 4.0/5
Drinkability: A good beer, solid and easy to drink, but doesn't really overwhelm the senses. 4.0/5
Overall: 4.1/5
14 January 2009
Beer Review, Arcadia IPA
Arcadia IPA
Battle Creek, MI
5.9% ABV
Appearance: Orangish-yellow, very hazy, with a thin white head that sticks around. Pretty much perfect for the English IPA style. 4.5/5
Smell: Crisp white hops with a slight citrus underneath. Strong notes of grapefruit and hints of lemon. 4.5/5
Taste: Strong lemon flavor up front, followed by a crisp hoppiness. Finishes dry but also sweet. As with a lot of English IPAs, it's very slightly cloying. 4.0/5
Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, high hops. Thickness moderate. 4.0/5
Drinkability: A very nice English IPA. Love to try it on-tap at some point. 4.0/5
Overall: 4.2/5
Battle Creek, MI
5.9% ABV
Appearance: Orangish-yellow, very hazy, with a thin white head that sticks around. Pretty much perfect for the English IPA style. 4.5/5
Smell: Crisp white hops with a slight citrus underneath. Strong notes of grapefruit and hints of lemon. 4.5/5
Taste: Strong lemon flavor up front, followed by a crisp hoppiness. Finishes dry but also sweet. As with a lot of English IPAs, it's very slightly cloying. 4.0/5
Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, high hops. Thickness moderate. 4.0/5
Drinkability: A very nice English IPA. Love to try it on-tap at some point. 4.0/5
Overall: 4.2/5
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