India Pale Ale
New Knoxville Brewing Company

India Pale AleIndia Pale Ale
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From:
New Knoxville Brewing Company
 
Tennessee, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
83
Avg:
3.6 | pDev: 15.56%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 07, 2007
Added:
Jul 27, 2001
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by mntlover:
Photo of mntlover
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee

3.56/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark hazy amber color with a one finger off white head that leaves some light lacing.
Aroma is deep caramel malt with some English grassy herbal hops not a very aromic nose on this one.
Taste is lots of malt with caramel even hints of some toffee flavors with grassy and herbal hops flavors showing up and some medium light herbal like bitterness. This IPA seems much more English in style then Americantoo me but it is good either way.
Mouthfeel is good right around medium not bad feeling beer.
Drinkability is good not a bad sessions IPA
Jan 17, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of dickroop
Reviewed by dickroop from Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a light copper color, hazy, with modest head and a very modest nose that included some caramel malt and the faintest of floral hops.

The taste was nice, very gentle, and balanced. The front palate has a bite of bitterness and tanginess. Hop flavor notes are floral, weak and undistinguished. The malt bill has more authority, which while not dark-toasted and not grainy, had a flavor that I associate more with barley and the flavor profile of an ESB than an IPA. The finish was dry. Mouthfeel was medium-bodied and a little chewey, with enjoyable carbonation. Overall, this adds up to a good drinkable brew. The flavor became easier to enjoy as the beer warmed, especially the blend and balance.

I picked up a six-pack of this on a recent trip to Oak Ridge, TN, found it in the Kroger at a reasonable price comparable to what is charged for craft brews in MD. Ah, the joys of being able to pick up beer right in the grocery store. I don't know if this ale is really true to the IPA style, the hopping seems weak and more what I'd expect in a regular PA than an IPA. I would like to sample this brew on tap and will look for an opportunity to vist the brewpub on Depot Street.
Jan 07, 2007
Photo of kimcgolf
Reviewed by kimcgolf from Georgia

3.52/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured to a hazy orange-red color, with off-white head that reduced to a foam cap for the entire drink, and left excellent lacing on the glass. Aroma of sour fruit, mostly citrus and apples. Taste was more of the same, although not real strong. Finish was fairly dry, but all and all, this was a pretty good beer.
Oct 07, 2006
Photo of BryanCarey
Reviewed by BryanCarey from Texas

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
New Knoxville India Pale Ale is a beer with attitude, even if it isn’t an attitude that is excessively abrasive. This beer pours to an orange/copper color and offers an interesting aroma, which is one of mild fruit. The foam is thick and rich, and it sticks around for a good long time.

This beer is most memorable for its malty, sweet taste and for its mild hop bitterness. The hops are definitely there, and they provide an earthy flavor that is light enough that the beer remains sweet. You will quickly notice a flavor that is fruity and malty, while also offering enough hops to taste like a real beer, yet not so many hops that the taste becomes too bitter or unacceptable.It is brewed in the English tradition so it isn't like most other American- brewed IPA.

This IPA in many ways tastes like a different style of beer. But one has to keep in mind that an IPA doesn't necessarily have to taste like the west coast IPA's, which are noted for their generous use of Cascade hops. The management team at New Knoxville Brewing company strives to creative a product that is complex without being too unusual: In other words, a product that is malty and tasty but without the extremes that IPA are known for. This beer might surprise some drinkers at first because it doesn't taste like a "typical" IPA. Once you get past the inevitiable tendency to compare it to other, hop infused IPA's, you will begin to appreciate this beer more fully. It is a tasty brew that quicky grows on you.
Sep 03, 2006
Photo of DarkerTheBetter
Reviewed by DarkerTheBetter from Minnesota

4.27/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer poured a honey amber with some cherry highlights. The head was a cream but uneven manila.

Smelled of woody metallic mushrooms with a little patchouli and pears. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it. There’s clearly a British bittering hop there, but there’s a lot here I’ve never encountered before. I love it!

Tastes of a metallic oak hops with some pale dry molasses that finishes with a creamy oak dryness.

The mouth feel is light to medium bodied with a huge swarm of welcome bubbles.

I’m really loving the oak in the finish. Over all, I liked the weird smell the most. This is definitely not an American IPA. Keep that in mind for sure. Just think “mushrooms and oak” and that’s what you’re essentially in for.
Jul 14, 2006
Photo of ElGordo
Reviewed by ElGordo from Oregon

2.99/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up on my cross-country trek while I was staying at a cabin in the Smokies. If nothing else, I can chalk up another state on my list, so I figured I'd try a sixer. Pours an orange-amber hue with almost no head or carbonation. Aroma is overly sweet, with some fruity hops mixed in with sweet caramel malt. Palate is fairly tasty, with a good balance between ample fruity hops and sweet yet mellow malt. Body is smooth, a bit creamy, and holds the flavor well, but the lack of carbonation is a bit strange. I recall the others in the sixer being tastier and better-carbonated, so I think the one I ended up reviewing was capped a little loosely. Regardless, it's a pretty drikable beer, although I have to agree with some other reviewers in that it may be better classified as an American pale ale.
Mar 27, 2006
Photo of jlh8643
Reviewed by jlh8643 from Indiana

3.13/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Recieved in trade from alaskaiscold. Poured into an Imperial pint glass. A hazy dark gold body topped by a fluffy, whitish taupe head that leaves good lace and a nice cap. Well carbonated by the amount of bubbles racing to the top. Not much in the way of hop aroma. Slightly floral/herbal with a little citrus but like I said not much in the aroma. The bitterness is grassy/herbal. Some toasted malts. A little bit of lemon rind on the back end. The mouthfeel is very light. Not much complexity. Overall it is an easy drinker but not much to rave about either.
Mar 09, 2006
Photo of AlexJ
Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

3.51/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Beautiful toasted orange color unleashes 3 full fingers of sudsy froth in my standard pint glass. As it gradually recedes, thickly splattered lace is left behind, encrusting the top portion of my glass. A steady stream of pinpoint bubbles feeds the head until the end, which is nice to see.

Not as much to say about the aroma, clean roasty malts, toast, and some faintly citrus and earthy floral hop twang.

Flavor is slightly more bold than the nose, a solid, crisp, light caramel malt presence throughout and a lightly fruity, orange peel and flowery tartness followed by herbal and light citrus in the finish. Finish has some puckery sour note, like a splash of OJ was added.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of the IPA spectrum, mouthfeel is slick with a flatish, almost watery texture. Drinkability is just fine, not a bad brew at all, just seems to be a little South of what I expect in an IPA. APA would be a more appropriate drsignation for this brew.

props to Alaskaiscold for the trade!
Mar 04, 2006
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.51/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Crazily bubbled kumquat. The frothysoft, pastel orange cap fills more of the glass after the pour than the beer does. Those proportions won't be reversed anytime soon due to the busy carbonation factory that is the bottom of the pint glass. The cap resembles a melted mesa and throws up a more than respectable amount of sea foam lace.

Both the English and American hops are appreciated in the nose, but Cascade wins the day. Having said that, the aroma is subdued overall and is barely APA-worthy, much less IPA-worthy. It's more generically fruity than it is grapefruity and is too mild-mannered.

The flavor is odd in that it starts out on the weak side and then builds steadily as the mouthful progresses. It never does reach the point of IPA respectability (speaking as a hophead), but I was glad to see some hoppiness when it appeared there was very little. Generally speaking, this is still a tame, balanced version of the style, with caramel malt riding shotgun from start to finish.

On the palate, the hop bill is at least as much herbal, lightly spicy Tettnang as it is grapefruity Cascade. The hoppy bitterness is definitely increasing as the ounces disappear; the finish is especially puckery and drying. I enjoy these 'cumulatively hoppy' beers, it's a nice surprise for the second half of the bottle.

Like the rest of the beer's attributes, the mouthfeel is on the light side. In fact, despite the increasing hoppiness, I have a hard time thinking of it as an IPA at all. A fine layer of hop scum (hop resins if you prefer) gives the flavor a permanence not usually found in such a light-bodied beer.

I can't help feeling that New Knoxville India Pale Ale is hurt by trying to pass itself off as an bona fide IPA. To me, it's much closer to a good, solid APA and is a highly drinkable one at that. My suggestion would be to give New Knoxville *Pale Ale* the boot, rechristen this beer as an APA and kick out the jams with a bigger, bolder, hoppier beer that could wear the IPA moniker with pride.
Feb 18, 2006
Photo of Tallboy
Reviewed by Tallboy from Antarctica

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A.Looks like a muddy pee yellow when poured from the bottle to a glass but with a nice white foam on top.

S. Surprisingly fruity/citrus first wiff with sum hops to back it up.

T. Decent and well rounded American version , but not my all time favorite IPA.

D.Pretty high do to the no aftertaste.

M. Crisp and clean.

O. Not to shabby for the price . I use to enjoy a few of theese with the Good Ole' boys at Fat Bear's Tavern outside of Laffollete,TN when I lived down there.
Feb 03, 2006
Photo of maddamish
Reviewed by maddamish from Tennessee

4.12/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this on tap at the New Knoxville Brewery and took a sixer to drink at home.

Where do i start? It is a tale of two beers. The beer that I had on tap was great. Lemon and hop notes were present. There was almost no head but the lacing was present throughout the drinking experience.

The smell was very hoppy but fresh. As a side note I must say there is nothing like a draft beer. The mouthfeel was full and smooth. I really had a great experience with this beer.

When I took the sixer back to Ohio, what I found was a muted version of the beer I had in knoxville. It had the same notes but found it to be a bit watery.

The score above is for the tap version and would hardly recommend this beer in that serving type.
Jan 13, 2006
Photo of Graebner
Reviewed by Graebner from Germany

4.07/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This beer pours with more head than expected for an IPA. There was one and a half to two inches of head even when trying to minimize it. The head laces a bit and then condenses to a very thick meringue-like consistency that remains til you finish the drink (you'll drink it pretty fast - it's quite good). Filtering? Who needs it? This beer is opaque and contains a fair amount of particulate.

On the nose I get predominantly hops and Macintosh apple with hints of rosewater and lime, occasionally even a bit of gin & tonic and some earthy potato-bin type smell.

The taste is slightly bitter for a split second, then sweetens up quickly to near Mackeson levels before a bite of carbonation and intense bitterness. Finishes with a very clean taste (fades within 10 seconds leaving only a trace of bitterness) and a slightly lingering, though certainly not unpleasant, mouthfeel.

The mouthfeel is consistent throughout and is slightly heavier than most IPA's I've tried, somewhere in the range of Newcastle Brown.

Overall this is an excellent beer and I will be buying it often. For those who love a good IPA, this one is an excellent choice.
Oct 24, 2005
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A really good beer. Enjoyed on tap at Barley's taproom, Knoxville. Smells floral, spicy, perfumey, pine-ey and grassy. Also shows a strong caramel malt backbone to round out the hops and gives a firm texture. Looks darker amber than most IPA's, but is a testiment to its high grain bill. The flavors are citrusy and malty, with that special little IPA kick. Alcohols are sweetly and warmly flavored, hidden in the malts and spicy hops. Finishes dry, modestly sweet, and heavily bitter. Easy to drink. I enjoyed this one.
Oct 17, 2005
Photo of kmpitz2
Reviewed by kmpitz2 from Tennessee

2.81/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to merlin48. It pours a slightly coppered orange color with a very small head that falls quickly to a slight ring over top. The nose is deep caramel with a slightly citrusy and dirty hop. Nothing really inspiring to me. The flavor is somewhat weak, but the bitter is a bit astringent on the sides of my tongue. A bit off-putting. The feel is thin, with a small carbonation. Overall, the brew just isn't doing it for me. Just beer.
May 25, 2005
Photo of merlin48
Reviewed by merlin48 from Kentucky

2.97/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Picked up a sixpack of these in Townsend, Tennessee, over the weekend while at a British Car Gathering there. This is my third sourcing of this American IPA, and from a store within a one hour drive from the brewery. This one pours flat, looks flat, and tastes flat. Completely devoid of carbonation. Hops have the limelight here, and are quite bitter and somewhat oppressive. Malt balance is just a faint echo.
Not very pleased with this batch. The small grocery where I bought this is usually a reliable site for well stored beer, so I'm of the opinion that this recently reincarnated brewery has some quality control issues.
May 18, 2005
Photo of John1985
Reviewed by John1985 from Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I was very devoted to this IPA at one time and was very pleased to see the brewery re-opened. However I must say that the IPA does not measure up to its predecessor. It has yeast in the bottle that definitely gives the ale a homebrew flavor. Yeasty malty flavor with a fresh hoppy (but yeasty!) aftertaste. This brewery will not last very long with this type of product. Disappointing but I will try in a couple of months to see if it improves.
May 01, 2005
Photo of niknar
Reviewed by niknar from Tennessee

2.52/5  rDev -30%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1
I was so excited to try a new local brew (only 45 minutes away from me), and we don't have many breweries in this area. Unfortunately, I seem to have purchased a six-pack from the same batch as the previous two reviews (counting the edit).

While I respect the "craft brewery" aspect of this beer, the bottles look like my personal homebrew attempts. One bottle in the six-pack was completely unlabeled, with remnants of an old label still present. I feel like I purchased someone's homebrew...not something from a professional brewery, regardless of size.

This beer poured out completely flat. Not a trace of carbonation. Obviously no head or lacing. Color was a dark, hazy, coppery, brown. No discernable aroma. Taste was actually pretty good considering. Good hop development with some nice malty notes in the finish. Mouthfeel was decent, but not wonderful due to the complete flatness of the beer. Drinkability is fairly poor.

Surely something went wrong...bad wrong...as I can't imagine someone selling this on purpose.

Update - 10/6/05. I decided to give this local offering another chance, but this time the quality was off to the complete opposite side. Nothing but carbonation. Could not even pour a single bottle in the six-pack into a glass...nothing but head. Very bitter and right up my alley for taste, but I could not in good conscience recommend this beer to anyone. Scores adjusted downward accordingly.
Dec 16, 2004
Photo of cerevisiaephilus
Reviewed by cerevisiaephilus from Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Well...had two bottles of this and both were completely flat. Zero carbonation. Don't know if they just forgot to add yeast or priming sugar or maybe they force carbonate and something was amiss there...but these were flat. So...I'm trying to ignore that and imagine how they would be with gas.

Nice deep copper and red color.

Nice hop nose. Reminds me of 60 minute. Maybe this has some of those new fangled low cohumulone hops in it?

Really a tasty IPA. Beautifully balanced! Nice malty, nutty flavors balanced by an assertive but not overpowering bitterness. Definately more bitter than malty...but just right. Nice floral hop flavors too. Finishes really well. Not sweet or too bitter. Very clean.

Mouthfeel is very nice. Wish there was carbonation.

Really a very drinkable IPA. A nice session ale for sure!
Dec 14, 2004
Photo of KroMagnon
Reviewed by KroMagnon from Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer produced a good head, tan and rocky but it diminished kind of quick. There was particulate in the beer which may have been yeast but it didn't look like it - it wasn't powdery, it tended to clump a bit. Not sure what it was, but it was a little distracting. There was not a note on the bottle about it being bottle conditioned. Nevertheless, I pressed on as I'm sure not afraid of unfiltered beer or bottle conditioned brews. The aroma was a bit scant, but what I did pick up was slightly floral with a hint of juicy fruit esters. The flavor was the saving grace - crisp, tending to dry with a dose of maltiness, and a pleasing blend of hop flavor and bitterness at the end. This isn't a big IPA for sure, and it seems to be much tamer than the previous incarnations of NKBC IPA, but its a pleasant beer in its own right and tasty. I look forward to having it on tap as well, and I'm glad someone is back brewing NKBC beers.

[edited December 6 2004] I bought a 6-pack and sent 2 to a fellow BA. Then when I got home I opened one. Unfortunately the beer is FLAT AS A BOARD (all 4 remaining bottles.) Its tasty otherwise but this is a real quality control issue. Very disappointing. I am not editing the score for now but I'm very upset.
Nov 12, 2004
Photo of John
Rated by John from New York

4.4/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this on tap at Barley's in Asheville, NC (neat little town). Excellent.
Oct 23, 2001
India Pale Ale from New Knoxville Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 21 ratings