All About Beer Magazine » India Pale Ale https://allaboutbeer.net Celebrating the World of Beer Culture Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:52:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Sun King Brewing Co. Grapefruit Jungle https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/beer-of-the-week/2011/09/sun-king-brewing-co-grapefruit-jungle/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/beer-of-the-week/2011/09/sun-king-brewing-co-grapefruit-jungle/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:47:34 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=22453 It’s always a good day when a package shows up on my desk from Sun King Brewing Co. Especially when it is a Friday and the day the beer is being release. Huzzah! Grapefruit Jungle pours amber with a thick white head (from a 16 oz tallboy can cuz we’re talking Sun King). As the head quickly dissipates, huge citrusy notes rush into your nostrils. Mouthfeel is of the resinous and squeaky teeth variety with a dry, crisp finish and a liquid Claritin-coated crostini fade. Plenty for hopheads to enjoy here but not so aggressive as to disappoint pale ale fans.

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Epic Brewing Co. Releases Hop Zombie https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/07/epic-brewing-co-releases-hop-zombie/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/07/epic-brewing-co-releases-hop-zombie/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:47:13 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=21488 This just in from New Zealand: To satisfy the taste buds of hop-lovers nationwide, another batch of Epic Brewing Co.’s Hop Zombie is on its way to bars, liquor outlets and supermarkets. The first batch was exceptionally popular due to Hop Zombie’s luscious taste and a rock star launch tour by Epic’s Luke Nicholas and Kelly Ryan. Events in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton were immensely successful, with patrons vanquishing kegs at a record-setting rate. But Melbourne fans were even quicker – at a Good Beer Week event in Cookie Bar, patrons slaughtered their keg of Hop Zombie in just forty minutes! That’s 100 pints, selling at a pint every 24 seconds. The stock in the warehouse didn’t last long either, as retailers around the country snapped up the tasty brew.

Why the huge popularity? Hop Zombie is a big, tasty IPA that people love. Praise includes “Quenching, satisfying and ultimately delicious” and “Devilishly drinkable.” The huge taste is delivered by Epic’s use of hop flowers. While most beer in New Zealand uses the equivalent of less than one hop flower per bottle, Hop Zombie crams in more than fifty. Hop flowers give beer flavor and aroma, with different hop varieties giving many different flavors, from resiny pine to floral citrus and tropical fruits. Luke and Kelly used four varieties of hops, two from New Zealand and two from the US, to create Hop Zombie. These varieties, chosen for their intensity and ability to deliver a soft bitterness, make Hop Zombie very aromatic, smelling of mango, guava, and a hint of ripe raspberry, with lots of tropical fruit and malt sweetness in the mouth.

Be in quick to get your hands on some of this amazing beer – it won’t last long and once this batch’s gone, there won’t be anymore until after the next hop harvest in spring.

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Full Sail Brewing Releases Elevation Imperial IPA https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/05/full-sail-brewing-releases-elevation-imperial-ipa/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/05/full-sail-brewing-releases-elevation-imperial-ipa/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 13:10:44 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=20953 Full Sail Brewing has announced the release of Elevation Imperial IPA., the newest beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line. The beer has a malty body and generous amounts of Citra, Chinook, Columbus, Cascade and Centennial hops. It has an ABV of 7.5 percent and available in 22 oz bottles and on draft from June to September.

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Henry Weinhard’s To Add IPA To Beer Line-up https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/03/henry-weinhards-to-add-ipa-to-beer-line-up/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2011/03/henry-weinhards-to-add-ipa-to-beer-line-up/#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:28:19 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=20236 Henry Weinhard’s has announced they will add an IPA to its family of beers. The beer will be available year-round starting April 1st. It is made from a blend of two-row and Cramel malts and three hops from the Pacific Northwest (Galena, Cascade, Citra). It is 6 percent ABV and will be sold in 6- and 12-packs where Weinhard’s beer is available. It will be available on draft in May.

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Full Sail Brewing Releases Wreck The Halls https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2010/11/full-sail-brewing-releases-wreck-the-halls/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2010/11/full-sail-brewing-releases-wreck-the-halls/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:16:21 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=18517 Full Sail Brewing out of Hood River, OR, has announced the release of their winter seasonal Wreck The Halls. The beer is a hybrid of an American style IPA and a winter warmer style strong ale. It features a blend of Centennial hops with a rich, caramel malt body. It is also dry hopped and features a 6.5 percent ABV. It is available in draught and 22 oz bottles from early November through December. It is the last beer in their 2010 Brewmasters Reserve series.

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Tallgrass Brewing Co. IPA https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/reviews/staff-reviews/2010/10/tallgrass-brewing-co-ipa/ https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/reviews/staff-reviews/2010/10/tallgrass-brewing-co-ipa/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:08:49 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=18378 I poured this beer – brewed in Kansas by Tallgrass Brewing Co. – from a 16 oz can. It had a very little grassy nose (if any) for a IPA. It possessed a nice foamy head that had some retention as well as a fair amount of sticky lacing. Oftentimes, a heavy nose defines the mouthfeel but with this IPA it was just the opposite. That lack of nose makes the spicy, citrus punch of the hops that much more unexpected yet welcomed. A nice sweet malty backbone keeps this hoppy beer from blowing out your palate in the name of bitterness; it is not as gooey and viscous as IPAs can be. It’s a very quaffable beer and a good way to get the pedestrian beer drinker to bridge the gap from commercial IPAs to bottleshop ones.

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Rogue Ales Announces The Return OF Yellow Snow IPA https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2010/09/rogue-ales-announces-the-return-of-yellow-snow-ipa/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/new-on-the-shelves/2010/09/rogue-ales-announces-the-return-of-yellow-snow-ipa/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:08:23 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=18167 Rogue Ales has announced the return of their fall seasonal beer, Yellow Snow IPA. It’s a hoppy, fruity brew which won a Gold Medal at the 2009 World Beer Championships and also comes in a 5 liter can so you can share it with your hot tubbin’ friends.

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Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/beer-of-the-week/2010/07/bells-brewery-two-hearted-ale/ https://allaboutbeer.net/daily-pint/beer-of-the-week/2010/07/bells-brewery-two-hearted-ale/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:59:14 +0000 Greg Barbera https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=16889 Recently named the second best commercial beer in America by the readers of Zymurgy Magazine, Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s Brewery in Michigan has been a staple in my diet for the last several years. I sampled batch 9704 which according to the web site was packaged in April of 2010. This IPA pours orange yet is hazy much like fresh apple juice. A tiny head sports little retention and there’s some basic lacing. Floral and citrus hops supplant a smooth, crisp mouthfeel. Centennial is the hop in question here: A Pacific Northwest-bred strain from Washington State that was almost eradicated due to lack of interest. I know, hard to believe as popular as the hops are today. A pleasant, sweet malty backbone keeps the beer from being overly bitter. Honestly, I’ve tried to stray from this beer under the guise of expanding my horizons but I never seem to tire of it.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. Lake Erie Monster Imperial India Pale Ale https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/reviews/staff-reviews/2010/06/great-lakes-brewing-co-lake-erie-monster-imperial-india-pale-ale/ https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/reviews/staff-reviews/2010/06/great-lakes-brewing-co-lake-erie-monster-imperial-india-pale-ale/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:41:33 +0000 Steve Winegar https://allaboutbeer.net/?p=16307 My brother Paul and my brother-in-law Rick Deakins are really great guys – I can count on both of them to bring along beers from Great Lakes Brewing Co., a home town favorite of mine, every time they come to visit me in North Carolina. Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s beer are currently not available in the Triangle, so it is a real treat to have them delivered to me. Rick arrived for the recent Memorial Day holiday with a nice selection, including a couple of seasonal beers that I had never tried. I was excited to see the Lake Erie Monster Imperial Pale Ale in the mix. On a very hot summer-like day (90 plus degrees!), I grabbed myself one. It poured a slightly hazy, golden color – this is an unfiltered ale after all – and had a cream-colored head with plenty of retention. Very hoppy aroma. This beer is a hop monster! It has a dry mouthfeel with a hop character that tends toward the citrus rather than floral, and more orange than grapefruit. Nicely balanced with some notes of dried fruit buried in there. It’s a big beer (9.1 percent ABV) that doesn’t drink like one. Overall, this beer is really awesome… but having a great family is even awesomer!

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Mythbusting the IPA https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/history/2009/11/mythbusting-the-ipa/ https://allaboutbeer.net/learn-beer/history/2009/11/mythbusting-the-ipa/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:19:24 +0000 Pete Brown http://aab.bradfordonbeer.com/?p=11203 Most people would call it crazy, but the crazies call it ‘living archeology’: if material remains of our past no longer exist, we have to recreate past times as best we can in order to figure out the truth of how people lived back then. It drives some to live as bronze-age villagers, others to dress up as Roman legionnaires and go ten rounds with Gaulish barbarians. It drove me to recreate the greatest journey beer has ever made, an 18,000 mile sea journey that hasn’t existed for 140 years.

It began with a question that seemed obvious in retrospect: every brewer of an ‘authentic’ India Pale Ale claimed this was a beer that matured and developed on a long, tumultuous sea voyage from England to India. Yet no modern brewer had sent their beer on this journey. So how did they know if it was authentic or not? Who knew what a ‘real’ IPA tasted like?  I didn’t think anyone did, not really.  And as soon as this occurred to me, I realized I was going to change that.  Whatever it took.

It’s funny how in what you might later describe as a ‘moment of madness,’ you feel saner than at any other time in your life. The brain clears of all its usual clutter, and the one insane thought that occupies it sits there shining and elegant, obvious and all embracing. When the idea of brewing a nineteenth century India Pale Ale and carrying it on its legendary journey first occurred to me, it seemed like the most obvious, sensible thing in the whole world.

It seemed less obvious―and certainly less sensible―over the ensuing six months, when people who know best about this kind of thing told me it couldn’t be done; when I discovered that no ship in the world stops in South Africa en route to India; when I had to apply for visas to enter India and Iran; and particularly when the Iranians refused my visa. Eventually, via a combination of cruise liner, sailing boat and cargo ship, I managed to piece together an approximation of the route. But it cost me dearly, and not just in monetary terms. Time and again I asked myself why I was doing this. Each time, I came back to the same point.

IPA is my favorite beer style, and my favorite beer story. The trouble with beer stories is that they tend to get told the way all good stories are―from mouth to mouth, from pub to pub. The edges are worn away. Details are misremembered. And a dramatic flourish some guy added in a moment of inspiration becomes a core ‘fact’ two tellings down the line.

I wanted to write the definitive history of IPA. Beer history is a vast and sprawling thing, full of holes and traps. But I figured I had chosen a narrow enough field to be able dig deeper than anyone before. Two and a half years later, after sifting through frustratingly incomplete brewery archives, panning for gold in the East India Company’s records and handling newspapers in which the French Revolution was reported as breaking news, I’d say I have the dubious honor of knowing more about the history of IPA than any other living soul. I’m not sure if that’s something I should be proud of, or bring up with my analyst.

I started off by gathering everything written about IPA in beer books and journals and on websites, everything in historical tomes and style guides. Most of it pointed back to two books: one published in 1853, the other in 1870. Each of these, in its own way, is somewhat unreliable. Consequently, many myths have grown up around IPA, as passionate fans attempt to discover more about the beer it and its origins. Here are ten of the biggest myths around this fascinating legend―some wholly inaccurate―others merely misunderstood.

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