Adnams American Style IPA
Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

 

Tasted by a pint at JDW Andover branch, during the chain's Autumn beer festival 2011; served by a non-sparkler hand-pull. Note: this cask conditioned version comes at only 4.8%abv.

A: bright dark amber with fine fizz & a thick creamy off-beige head.
S: lightly sweet maltiness balanced with yellow-grapefruit+peachy hop aroma, with a floral whiff lagging behind. Clean & hoppy.
T: initially floral & semi-grainy malty, the flavour turns grapefruit-tannic hoppy & slightly sour-fruity in the mid-taste, followed by a good amount of hop bitterness to linger. Not very complex yet still well-structured, balanced and clean.
M&D: softly carbonated, the mouthfeel is smooth & the body remains medium to medium+ for 4.8%abv. Overall this American-hops-dominated ale is in fact very balanced, tasty & reasonably bitter to be a thirst-quenching session beer. Not so much of an IPA, much less an American IPA (IMO) though.

*Please note, the website lists this beer as 4.8% but this review is the bottle version.

I vaguely remember that singer from green day saying he was a yank trying to sound like a brit trying to sound like a yank.. Or something like that.. I guess this beer is the same.. But in reverse..

Pours a lovely golden body with a good 5mm head that retains well and some good lace. Looks the part.

Instant US hops on the nose, grapefruit and grass. Lightish sweet malts, and a hint of some dry wheat notes.

Sweet medium bodied malt full of biscuit with a good, but definitely not big, hit of US hops in the form of light peppery bitterness and grapefruit. The flavour dries out and dissapears very quickly. Strange. Not a lot happening, but still quite tasty.

Medium bodied weith good levels of carbonation.

V. drinkable. Even at 6.8%.

A good beer. I good IPA. A much more subdued version of a US IPA, but still distinct from the Brit version. Like a good US IPA turned back to about 7.