IPG'Day
Russell Brewing Company

 

Russell Brewing "IPG'Day 19th Anniversary Ale" @ 6.5% , served from a 650 ml bottle purchased for $6
A-pour is a dark gold from the bottle to an amber in the glass with a medium size white head leaving a streaky lace along the pint
S-hint's of Australia , definate southern hempshire hops
T-ok tasting , bit dissapointing for an anniversary ale
MF-mild carbonation , big medium body
Ov-just an ok beer , need to step it up for the 20th anniversary
prost LampertLand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

650ml bottle, Russell's 19th anniversary brew, made with Aussie-bred Galaxy, Ella, and Topaz hops, hence the clever-ish name, a Commonwealth reunion, of sorts.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium bronzed amber hue, with three feisty fingers of puffy, rocky, and somewhat creamy off-white head, which leaves a band of cobwebbed lace around the glass as it gently subsides.

It smells quite strongly of sweet tropical fruit (kiwi, passionfruit, and gooseberries), a bit of more domestic blended orchard pit fruit, doughy caramel malt, perfumed floral notes, and some easy-going pine resin. The taste is grainy, crackery caramel malt, more peach/apricot sugary fleshiness, a now muddled tropical fruitiness, followed by even more leafy, piney hops.

The carbonation is average in its fizzy bearing, but duly supportive all the same, the body a sturdy middleweight, and generally smooth, the various Down Unda hops stopping by to say g'day once in a while. It finishes off-dry, the hops still reveling in their splendiferous bitter fruitiness.

Calling this an 'American' IPA when it's made in Canada with Australian hops seems a little disingenuous, but it's what we gotta do, I suppose. Anyhow, this is one tasty, well-hopped IPA, the south-seas fruit character representing well, and the bitterness kept in check. An interesting and enjoyable offering, for an anniversary that most would seem satisfied to just plain ignore - oh, right, I get it now - the drinking age in BC is 19 - duh.