Green Flash Brewing Co's Imperial IPA is a perfect example of the California IPA. This monster comes in at 9.5% alcohol and hits you with the flowery hop aroma as soon as you open the bottle. It is followed by the super bitter flavor of the Summit and Nugget hops. It is a fantastic beer with a very simple malt build that allows the hops to shine. If you see it definitely pick it up.
Well, it's Jan. 6 already and I have not started most of the things I said would start in 2010. I have made it to the gym a few times but that is about it. After much consideration (and an evil eye from Alisa) I have decided that an IPA a day is a bit ambitious. With my schedule it is just not realistic that I will have the time to drink an IPA every day much less write about it. (Well, look at that I am doing something on my list for 2010: lowering expectations) So I won't be bringing you an IPA a day. I will be bringing you an IPA review whenever I have one. Probably once a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. With that in mind I bring you the 1st IPA of the year. Santa Cruz Ale Works India Pale Ale is mild by West Coast standards. It is sweeter than most IPAs which I would contribute to a big malt base. It clocks in at 6.5% ABV which is right in the wheel house of the IPA but it lacks any real character. I get no distinct hop aroma and the bitterness in the body is mild. Although it does hearken back to the English IPA it lacks the complexity of those IPAs. Overall I would say that given the opportunity to drink it again that I would pass.
I was off to such a good start. Well, today I had to take a day off the IPA. I am right on the edge of getting sick. I was supposed to go to the Barrel Aged Beer Festival today but I decided against it. I briefly considered trying to "tough it out". But I have a scratchy throat and bit of a cough. I decided that it was not worth it. I have a big week at work before Thanksgiving break. I don't want to be sick for either one.
Instead I will take it easy today and rest. Still have a full day tomorrow with the Happening meeting. (Church youth retreat planning) And then I need to keg to batches of home brew.
With enough rest and Vitamin C I hope to be back on track in no time.
Today I expanded the IPA samples to Europe. Belhaven is the oldest independent brewery in Scotland. Their Twisted Thistle IPA is a traditional English IPA. Much milder hop flavor than the American IPAs. The ride across the pond may have contributed to the hop aroma loss. But this beer has very little hop aroma. It has a nice bitter flavor but it is very mild in comparison to American IPAs. It is enjoyable but compares more to American Pale Ale than an IPA.
As a friend of mine pointed out I did not plan the launch of my quest very well. My refrigerator is empty and I started with one of the easiest IPAs to find in the Bay Area. (Hence, I had a Lagunitas IPA on tap at the 49ers game but it did not count) Instead I had to stop at the local market and choose from their selection. Fortunately one of my all time favorite beers is made just north of here in Healdsburg. Racer 5 is made by Bear Republic Brewing Company. For a west coast IPA I think it is perfect. It starts with a nice Hop Aroma full of the taste that it is to come. The taste is bitter with just enough malt to take the edge off. It is not as balanced as other IPAs but that is what I love about it. It has an excellent Hop flavor all the way through.
That is what it says on the side of the Lagunitas IPA bottle. So it is that I embark on the different IPA a day quest until I run out of IPAs. (IPA is a style of beer that is usually included in the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 18th century. Today, IPA is a popular style of beer among American craft brewers.) Living on the West Coast (home to many of the best IPAs inthe world) made it difficult to choose where to start. In the end it came down to what was available at the corner market. Lagunitas IPA is brewed nearby in Petaluma. It has become popular and considered by many to be the "standard" IPA. It starts with a nice hoppy flower aroma followed by a bitter bite supported by a sweet malt back bone. For an IPA it is quite balanced. For my taste it is not hoppy enough but it is still a nice beer and often the only IPA available in smaller bars. The refrigerator is empty so tomorrow's IPA will be a surprise.
