Cousin Ben shared his latest IPA with me when we were at his Mom's house for Christmas dinner. (Hi Aunt Jan - Great food last night) I'm going to do a short review of it.
For those who want the review - skip a bit - this is a brief lesson. IPA stands for India Pale Ale and it is a style that was developed for transport across the ocean to India by the British. To survive such a trip this ale was heavily hopped. The hops act like a bit of a preservative, especially in the days before refrigeration. With the large amount of hops, IPA's have a very distinct taste predominated by the flavor of the hops. It tends to be very bitter.
For people that consider themselves hop heads, it tends to be the epitome of what they look for in a beer. Clear, refreshing and a nice bite to counteract all the sweetness from the grains in which the beer was brewed. For those of us who aren't into bitter, the hop aroma can be wonderful, but it might be hard to enjoy. (Particularly if you've been drinking a stupidly sweet pumpkin ale minutes before)
Review - Ben's IPA
This is a wonderful example of the classic IPA style. The aroma of the galaxy hops was just amazing and I spent at least three minutes smelling and being captivated by the aroma. The galaxy hops are floral and spicy at the same time. Just simply a wonderful captivating aroma that I find more inviting than any potpourri that I have ever experienced. The flavor of the ale was crisp and the malt tones were very mild as they should be in this type of beer. After about half a second here come the hops. Wow!When the hops hit, they hit and they stay. If you enjoy the bitter bite of hops, this is a wonderful thing. However, it's a bit much for me and my sweet tooth. If you're an IPA fan, ask cousin Ben for a sample, I don't think you'll be disappointed. He's pretty good about sharing.
Notes - I'm going to procure some Galaxy hops for brewing. I haven't brewed anything yet that would highlight their characteristics, but the aroma is so amazing, I'm going to find something.
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