Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Magpie British Hopped Magpie Blonde IPA, Nottingham, UK

Date:  March 24, 2019

The Story—  The British invented the IPA, of course, but what that meant — even in the united Kingdom– has changed dramatically over the years. There’s good evidence that among the first pale ales sent to India were enormously hopped and quite strong.  The British in India said the poured — and even tasted– like champagne.

During World War I, however, virtually all British styles took a huge step back due to wartime rationing of grain.  A new taxation system levied not only the final alcohol, but the amount of fermentables in the beer from the outset.  Brewers lowered the original gravity and the ending alcohol dropped like a stone.   IPAs went with the herd and often settled in below 5% ABV.   That’s changed significantly because of the influence of American IPAs, but you can still fine plenty of the low test IPAs in cask.

Nottingham isn’t on the top list of beers cities in the UK, but it has a thriving brewery and pub scene that makes it a hidden gem for beer seekers.  Magpie Brewery is one of the earlier modern craft breweries in the UK and produces a wide range of exceptional beers.   We tasted this at the Crafty Crow, which is Magpie’s taphouse.   In you’re in Nottingham, it’s a must — the food is original and good, much of it cooked with beer.

This blonde IPA isn’t one of the low gravity UK IPAs – it’s closer to a universal standard of 6+ ABV and a boatload of hops, but it was a standout IPA on our last trip to England.

The Beer— Intensely flavorful but remarkably balanced true IPA.   Grassy fresh picked flowers with a clean biscuity (floor malted?) flavor.  Big time moor-ishness.

Value — Good.  Close to eight bucks for a UK (20 ounce) pint.  But no beer is cheap in the UK, so you might as well spend your pounds on good ales.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Dartmoor IPA, Dartmoor, UK

Date:  March 23, 2019

The Story—  We’ll have more to say about why so many “India Pale Ales” in England are low in alcohol and less abrasively hoppy than their American cousins.  The short story is that tax laws depressed alcohol levels in most British ales in the 20th century and only recently have new craft breweries pushed the traditional British beer drinkers into realizing that what they grew up with was not their great grandfather’s beer.

The Beer—  A long walk from India but a decent sweet UKIPA.  Some tobacco and brown sugar.  Floral and herbal hops do last.

Value — Good.  We paid three bucks of a third-pint pour at the Plymouth Beer Festival.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century. Quattro Goomba’s IMA7, Aldie, Va.

Date:  March 22, 2019

The Story— Yesterday we featured an experimental hop.  Today’s IPA features an experimental hop that’s gone viral – for so many good reasons.

Quattro Goomba’s — sort of “four goofy guys” brewery in rural Virginia has produced good beers for its several years — they spent enough money on their brewery to brew well.  But they’ve really come into their own since the kettles have been commanded by the first class brewer Chris Jacques (pronounced “Jakes”).   He’s been a magician of malt and hops since we first encountered him in Connecticut working in a thankless position in a John Harvard brew pub that was, perhaps, the gem of the chain due to his contributions.

On to Ornery for Chris — where he produced superb beers and left a legacy by training Fernando Macadoo to continue to produce exceptional Ornery Ales.   A brief sojourn elsewhere brought him to Quatro Goombas.  We’ve loved the QG people since our first visit, but couldn’t understand how they lured this top tier brewer to, umm, low tier Aldie until we visited the brewery recently.   A sparking brew house has given Chris plenty of room to play and produce one of the widest ranges of beers in the Loudoun county hotbed of brewing.

Like Hamilton, he has not wasted his shot.   You could, in Michael Jackson’s words, “bathe in” many of his creations, but the IMA7, featuring the Idaho 7, one of our favorite hops, blew me away and didn’t leave Ellie far behind.     The Idaho 7 was recently an experimental hops — hence the number– but it’s proved so rich, spicy and dank it’s become a a go to hop for it’s dank, fruity and herbal complexity.  So many breweries now feature it in their names and labels that we’re pretty sure it’s stuck with its experimental name.

The Beer—  Big full body – clean pale malt and lots of it, yet it strains to hold the hop rush.  Big and Dank!  Some resin with late spice that includes some black pepper.  Pine, spice, dark fruit oh my!  Ellie found it “totally imbalanced but so professional” and if you’re not familiar with this blog –or with her– that’s very high praise..

Value — Very good to excellent.  Go there, drink there. Uber somewhere back to a hotel.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century.Stone Berlin Groundbreaking Collaborating #3 Stone BrewDog Super Bashah.  Belgian Black Double IPA.

Date:  March 21, 2019

The Story— When Stone opened their groundbreaking new brewery in Europe they produced and appropriately named a “Groundbreaking Collaboration” series of 14 magnum bottles that retained in the US at $60 each.  We ran into them at Julio’s in Westboro, Mass., one of the premier beers stores in the US.   The Black Hog rep and I were trying to figure out what they’d charge for the boxes of magnums they were trotting out to an end cap display.  We figured fifty to sixty bucks would be about right.  I tried to figure how many Ellie was going to let me bring home– options were one or two.   When the $20 price went up I grabbed every one they had — a half dozen plus an extra one for some occasion (Blue-Gray event in Virginia.)  Ellie was aghast.  I’m only sorry I didn’t fill the car with more of them.  They’re still on shelves all over the east at their original $60 tag.

The beers are intended to age for years.  We didn’t have the patience, though if I had thought more deeply (and hadn’t already committed to more than 100 new tasting beers for us at … OUCH.. prices) I would have purchased a one now, one later for each of them.   But who could guess they’d be this good at a year out.

In this series we’ll show off a Belgian IPA, a Double IPA and a Black IPA, but this is the only Belgian Black Double IPA you’ll find anytime soon.

The Beer— Huge, chewy and rich.  Creamy, with apricots and orange in addition to the intrinsic dark cherry and fig.  Tons of dark fruit – cherry and figs.  Hops sing a soft chorus behind.  Some of the fruit in the aroma softens to herbal in the taste with chocolate bringing up the rear.

Part Russian Imperial Stout and part Belgian Abbey Ale and all IPA — Black Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale.  (“Style” my unsteady foot).  It’s based on a 2009 collaboration.  After two years the hops have stepped aside to a allow the Belgian funk and dark fruity malt to take center stage.

Value — AT $20 it’s a steal, at the list $60, it’s at least fair and maybe good — you won’t find this beer at your local nano.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Far From India: India Pale Ales in the 21st Century.  Sierra Nevada Experimental Hop IPA  (2018), Chico, California

Date:  March 20, 2019

The Story—  Although we love focusing on small independent breweries, sometimes a tip of the hat has to go to big independent breweries.   Craft beer wouldn’t be what it is today without the icebreaker ship that Sierra Nevada was in the 1980s.   It began as a “micro” then, we’d call it a “nano” now, but the oh so common today “a couple of guys with a dream” was almost un-dream able back then.  God bless them.

Sierra Nevada went through decades almost without a misstep.  The “whatcha got new?” market has forced them to be more aggressive, more adventurous, and somewhat less consistent, but they’re still one of the few breweries that we’ll pick up a 12 pack in order to get four new beers and know without doubt we’ll be glad for the extra cans.

They also have the spirit and resources to be one of the leaders in showcasing experimental new hops.   Years in the making, new hops bring all sorts of flavors of fruits and spices and dankness and hit the market now with such frequency that they’re frequently just given a number until they prove their market value.

According to their website, this beer features the native-grown FZMR2 hop varietal, known for its mango-forward flavors, as well as HBC598, 438, and NeoMexicanus. The result is a danky, juicy, citrusy IPA with big flavor and aroma and low bitterness.

We were slow to find and drink this series and tasted it 11 months after its brew date.   That long should have produced a sharp drop in hop quality and — if there’s even the slightest contamination– some off flavors.  Neither was evident, and that’s a reason we buy Sierra Nevada beers with no regrets other than the implied loss to something more local.

We should note we’re not huge fans of the New England big-hop-low-bitter trend.  I’ve paid for those hops, dang it, and I want their full potential, and Ellie’s become quite the hop head over time.   But done right, a low bitter beer with hop flavors can still intrigue and beg for continence over an evenings encounter.

The Beer—  Very gentle IPA – Soft grapefruit, some prunes with herbal in the finish with a gentle lingering fruit late.  Even pale malt with orange, cherry as it drinks and quite nice for almost a year out.  — shows what quality control can do – 11 months from brewing and still very moreish

Value — Very good to excellent.  about fifteen bucks for a twelve pack.  Sorry, but the ecomomies of scale of a brewery like Sierra Nevada means they can still hone to their commitment of “craft” at far less cost than they guys you love down the street.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

In mid-March we’re taking a look at the incredible variety of IPAs.   The style is by far the biggest seller among craft beers in the US and probably in Europe as well.   Even century-old breweries in Reinheitsgebot-narrowed Germany are brewing IPAs (if the brewer calls it “ale” it doesn’t have to conform to the strict purity law).   But you have to ask these days: What is an IPA”?  We’ll take a look at almost a dozen recognized and semi-recognized styles of IPAs in the next couple of weeks.

 We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers,   and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”