McEwan's India Pale Ale
The Caledonian Brewing Company

 

Barely discernible from McEwans Export. Some caramel in the flavour, well rounded, perhaps a bit thin. Drinkable stuff that shouldn’t offend anyone. Rerate (can): I understand why this beer is classified as a Scottish Ale at RateBeer, instead of an IPA - hardly any hops are discernible at all. But the brewers insist on calling it an IPA, so I guess it should be rated as such.

 

Pours a Newcastle brown like appearance, so on one hand, a darker SRM than average for an ipa, but also it is noticeably more watery, lacking the heft typical of an ipa. Aroma isn't hoppy. More earthy than anything. Small 1/3" off white head.

Still comes off like a brown ale. I get the English IPA distinction, but that still doesn't seem to be an excuse for the lack of bitterness, hops and pale malts here. I used to drink a decent amount of these, they truly were one of my first ipa experiences.

At the end of the day (these days) this is just an expensive brown ale to me. Thanks for the memories, but I've moved on.

 

 

This is not an IPA in any respect. Visually and in taste it resembles a lager rather than an Ale. It has an unpleasant musty smell and is very thin in taste. Still struggle to find a core of good beers in Scotland from a nation that's makes the best malt whisky available.

 

 

 

A: Golden, almost straw, filtered with lots of fine carbonation, 4 fingers of whit foamy head.

S: Malt, lager, skunk (came in a clear bottle) a little fruity raspberry quality.

T: Malt, some good bitter hops just way too few of them, light bitterness, light citrus, light grapefruit.

M: Light watery body, little fine bubbled carbonation.


O: A lot of lager qualities in this one, light, crisp, etc. Sort of like a lager gone slightly ipa-ish. It does have some interesting fruity and hop qualities, just very light on them even for the style. Found and drank in Bangkok, March 1st, 2015.