Alnwick IPA
Alnwick Brewery

 

 

Pours orange to golden amber from a bottle into a half pint tulip. Two finger high, off-white head is quick to dissapate leaving a clear, moderately carbonated beer. Minimal lacing.

Although the aroma is subtle, one immediately becomes aware of citrus, weak sweet malt, and a hint of cream. Floral notes comes through in the back of the nose as well as a slight bitterness.

Taste is very much like the nose, creamy sweet malt is first to arrive with flashes of citrus - mainly lemon and grapefruit - and then onto hops, and a slight bitterness towards the end, although not as bitter as I'd thought. Carbonation is more pronounced than I'd expected giving a tangy harshness to the sip, like drinking ginger, that lingers in the mouth throughout, and warms the throat. A slight peatiness comes through on the aftertaste, but it's fleeting.

In the mouth it feels light but noticeably carbonated. The alcohol comes through more than perhaps it should for a 4.5% giving this beer a slight dry quality on the swallow.

Overall an average bitter IPA. Nothing stands out to my notice making it a safe choice.

Says on the bottle that it's based on the original Alnwick IPA.

A: Orange gold body, white head with great lacing.

T: Floral hops, although the flowers are suggested more than anything. Not half as bitter as I was expecting but it's bitter enough. Tangy with that classic English prickly ginger quality and green tea leaves.

O: A straight down the middle English bitter, not one of them re-defined modern IPAs. Enjoyed it very much with a ploughmans at Banburgh Castle.

A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2012. Picked up a while ago from a supermarket in Hartlepool. Described on the label as a traditional IPA from the 1800s; a re-creation of a recipe from the original Alnwick brewery (now destroyed). Contract-brewed by the Daleside brewery in Harrogate.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A golden-amber hue with medium carbonation and light floating sediment. Forms a decent head of white foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding. Aroma of caramel malt, stewed hops, a hint of staleness and faint overtones of citrus.

Tastes of caramel malt with a dry finish. Notes of stewed hops, a faint hint of citrus and a mild harshness in the background, along with stale cardboard. Slightly bitter upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, but a tad thin and quite dry. Somewhat astringent. Aftertaste of harsh stewed hops.

Rather so-so. A 'traditional' IPA in the British sense - in other words the hops take a back seat. Not much in the way of hop aroma or serious bitterness; in fact this comes across as a standard English bitter. I don't like to dump on the efforts of a small brewery, but this is pretty dull. No need to seek it out.