Ripon Jewel Ale
Daleside Brewery

Ripon Jewel AleRipon Jewel Ale
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From:
Daleside Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Strong Ale
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 10.3%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
40
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 16, 2021
Added:
Apr 01, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Rated: 4.33 by Daneve76 from Australia

Sep 16, 2021
Photo of Andrewharemza
Reviewed by Andrewharemza from Australia

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From bottle, pours hazey orange copper with large white head. Aromas of orange, apricots, caramel. Taste I get that orange, apricot flavours with a hint of toffee. I really like this.
Oct 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by endless1408 from England

Jun 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by LJWalker from Indiana

May 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

May 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by pin from Australia

May 22, 2013
Photo of Freggs
Reviewed by Freggs from New York

3.26/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I came across this beer at the Ithaca Beverage Center (Ithaca, NY). It was on their discount shelf. Sometimes I'll buy the odd-ball cheap import just to try it out. (from the discount shelf) I had never heard of Daleside Brewery or any of their products before this purchase.

Served out of a brown, 500ml brown bottle. The art work is cool, showing reliefs inspired by cathedral stained glass windows.

Smells of oily almonds, a bit of toffee in the nose as well. There is also a faint butterscotch scent too. As the glass emptied the smell sickened a bit. There was a sour, bog-like character to the nose as the beer warmed to 55-60 degrees.

Taste - Initially the beer had a bit of sour tinge to it, fading to a nice raisin-like alcohol mouthful. Defined banana-bread and strong wheat-like flavors came through in the following sips. This beer appears unfiltered. However, the aftertaste, which is initially malty, displays virtually no hop taste or complexity. I've had better "English strong ales."

Mouthfeel - see above.

Overall - Not a bad beer for $2.00. However, it didn't leave me wanting another. Isn't that the sign of a good beer, you can't wait to crack open the next one? This isn't that, I'm just trying to decide who to pawn my other one off to. I think the prevailing sourness in the mouth the the loss of head after a few seconds diminished the beer's complexity. Also, I have no idea how long it was shelved before finding its way to the discount rack. Perhaps fresher ones are a completely different story.
Nov 07, 2012
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Reviewed by fx20736 from New York

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Nonic, served a little warmerr than fridge temp.

appearance: coppery sunset amber with 2 fingers of Manila head that leaves minimal lacing. There is an abundance of suspended sediment in the glass.

smell; not much there, a light apricot fruitiness and some pale malt.

mouthfeel; on the soft side.

taste; oak, vanilla, a little smoke and alcohol. A walnut like bitterness on the finish.

notes; interesting and flavorful but not all that enjoyable. The beer seems a little 'dirty' to me
Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Drewrd1988 from Massachusetts

May 03, 2012
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Reviewed by Francepants06 from Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a light brown to dark brown in color beer with large white head
it smelled of hints of caramel, brown sugar,medium malt.
it tasted of toffee, sugar cane, some fruitiness, english style hops.
The mouthfeel is medium to full body. very easy drinking but you must eat something.
Overall, it is a good english amber, but you need food thought.
Sep 27, 2011
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Brown 500ml bottle, best before the end of June 2010, drank a week too late then!

Poured into an 'Old Speckled Hen' vase shapped pint glass: Lovely true amber body with an off-white coloured creamy head. Plenty of lacing as the beer receded down the glass.

The aroma was mostly of malts, with some hop undertones.

The taste was a good blend of malts and hops, malts foremost, with a hop bitterness appearing later in the mouthfeel.

A word I rarely use in beer terms, 'smooth' finish and a polished, well produced beer.
Jul 09, 2010
Photo of Parrotbeak
Reviewed by Parrotbeak from Minnesota

3.77/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Cloudy, light amber with a thin white head that fades quickly, leaving a bubbly ring around the perimeter.
Smell is spicey sweet malts, with some faint cinnamon and caramel, and some more buttery malts afterwards.
Taste is buttery, slightly toasted malts. Some slight toffee and bready malts follow. Finish is some faint, creamy malts.
Mouthfeel is slightly crisp yet smooth. Medium-light body with a soft finish.
Drinkability is good. Decent beer overall that drinks easily.
Apr 08, 2010
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clear, amberesque body with a frothy, cheerfully bubbly, ivory-colored head.

Smell: Initial notes of swiftly toasted, sparsely buttered biscuits with a hint of sweet, crisp toffee following close behind. Lastly, the spicy-scented hops and a tinge of fruit reach my aged nostrils.

Taste: Toasty biscuit malt tones with lightly sweet touches of toffee and brown sugar. Slight estery fruitiness. Little muttering of buttery diacetyl. Seemingly and assumed English hops with a light spiciness and harmonizing bitterness. Ripon Jewel Ale becomes a tad minerally on the sweetish, soft finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation. Smooth, soft mouthfeel.

Drinkability: A very graceful, well-balanced, tasty beverage. I dug it, maybe you will, too.
Nov 27, 2009
Photo of BedetheVenerable
Reviewed by BedetheVenerable from Missouri

3.31/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Presentation: Cool 16.9oz brown bottle with a story about the beer on it (I picked it up because I fondly remember visiting Ripon Cathedral when we were in Yorkshire)...from the lack of freshness date and the thick layer of dust on the bottle I fear this might be a tad old

Appearance: A healthy pour produces a slightly hazed orange/copper beer with an ivory cap with good retention...nice lace

Smell: Mild caramel malt, dash of earthy hop, but mostly what I smell are fruity aromas; this is somewhat crisp/sour and apple-cider like...not entirely sure I'm down with that

Taste: Not nearly as fruity as the aroma...there are mild toasty bread malts, a bit of sweet caramel, earthy hop bitterness on the finish, and just a bit of apple as well...alcohol is just barely perceived on the finish and is somewhat sweet, pungent, and fruity

Mouthfeel: Slick and low carbonation

Drinkability: Meh

Conclusion: If I was a betting man, I'd say this has probably been sitting around for quite some time. Nevertheless, I can only rate it as I'm tasting it. There's nothing really "wrong" with it, it's just a rather boring ale in that nothing stands out and the fruitiness is a bit much for me.
Jun 27, 2009
Photo of nick76
Reviewed by nick76 from Florida

3.07/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
The aroma is nice, it's sweet and malty with caramel, flowers, and fruit. The appearance is amber with a small head. The flavor is like the aroma but acidic and papery. The palate is thin. Overall it's nothing special. I would probably pass if offered another.
Apr 10, 2009
Photo of droomyster
Reviewed by droomyster from Virginia

3.97/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear copper with a small tan head. The nose promises plenty of big malts to come, along with citrusy hops. Love the taste: semi-sweet malts that are almost spicy, with a light hoppiness that keeps the attention on the toasty and biscuity qualities of the malts. Medium bodied, very drinkable as a session ale. Well worth the $3.50 I paid for the bottle.
Feb 13, 2009
Photo of tmitch75
Reviewed by tmitch75 from Illinois

3.94/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
It was in a brown bottle thank god, unlike the photo. Pours clear bright amber color, almost reddish with a fluffy white head and sticky lacing.

Subtle smell is pretty typical of English ales, sweet and slightly buttery with notes of cinnamon toast and herbs.

Caramel malt flavor with a nice nutty note, hops are herbal in flavor with minimal bitterness. Nice body, full and smooth.

A solid but subtle English ale to be sure, surprised it's considered "strong" at 5.8%, I found it to be quite sessionable.

Tasted on 7/27/08.
Nov 30, 2008
Photo of MrHurmateeowish
Reviewed by MrHurmateeowish from Maine

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml brown bottle from The Lighthouse in Manchester. Pours a translucent lighter amber body with virtually no head to speak of. Smells malty with a strong herbal hop presence. Tastes sweet and malty, with caramel, nut, and roast playing parts, with a good portion of herbal English hops, especially in the finish. An easy drinker for sure - light on the palate with a small amount of carbonation. Tasty and refreshing. Subtle flavors and qualities contributing their part in perfect portion. Everything I'd expect from a well-crafted English ale. At 5$ per bottle, this would not be an everyday treat for me. Nonetheless, it's by far the finest English beer I've had in some time, and I find nothing wrong with it.
Mar 02, 2008
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a frothy head that leaves a few squiggles of lace

Smell: Caramel and buttery diacetyl, with a hint of bitter herbal elements and banana

Taste: Opens with a bitter butterscotch flavor with a developing tea-like hoppy element so typical of English pale ales; quite fruity as well, with peach and pear predominating; after the swallow, the earthy-fruity hop flavor develops a bit of a mineral tone

Mouthfeel: Medium body and low carbonation; a touch watery

Drinkability: A decent enough English strong but there are other examples of the style I would prefer; too much mineral content and diacetyl for my tastebuds
Feb 09, 2008
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

3.32/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This is a very standard, typical, and average British pale ale. The beer pours with practically no head, no fizz, no retention, and forget about lacing. The smell is hoppy grass, some bready malts, some lagerish malty smells as well. Nothing great. The consistency is quite watery, quite thin, a bit tart and bitter, not much body at all. The taste is well balanced, but just a bit too tart, a bit too biting, not quite dry enough to make it interesting, and just too awfully thin. If you're hankering for a British ale, keeping searching and you will do better than this mediocre brew. There is a sourishness to this beer that may be a product of being too long on the shelf.

Re-review June 2009: The beer is thin, a bit tart from some leafy hop notes, a tad lemony, a little sourish, and all of the above are true, but the beer deserves better than a C. I'm going to up the taste and nose of the beer which has a touch of diacetyl and toffee notes. The beer is just okay, but I'm a little more generous after trying it again.
Dec 21, 2007
Ripon Jewel Ale from Daleside Brewery
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 40 ratings