India Pale Ale
Dark Star Brewing Company Limited

 

 

Had a half pint of the Dark Star IPA at the Rake near the Borough Market in London. It was a very juicy beer with big apricot fruit, orange, and guava that led into a dry, earthy hop aftertaste. Interesting for the pairing of a juicy flavor with a dry finish. My only complaint is that this beer is not nearly bitter enough - otherwise very tasty though.

Tasted recently by half of a pint at the Evening Star, Brighton. Served on a handpump w/o a sparkler.

A: golden in colour, coming with no beer head and very low carbonation.
S: the aroma is more restrained than my previous experience with this beer, with candy-sugary malts and a rather settled, orangey-zest fruitiness of hops; a mild lychee fruitiness stays behind. The nose features mostly English hops, smelling quite focused, but not as aromatic as other pale ales by Dark Star.
T: semi-sweet pale malts and a little hint of caramelised sugar upfront, followed by slowly intensifying citric-fruity hops; the lingering fruity hop aroma sustains on top of dryish bitterness and a tangy palate (as from dry hops), while the bitter hoppyness cuts down the palate in the long finish.
M&D: the texture is refreshing due to plentiful microscopic fizziness that soothes the palate; this is a med-bodied, old-fashioned English IPA that hides alc. really well and hence quite quffable. But this half-pint shows a "less colourful" profile than my previous encounters with this beer (at the same pub) - maybe the cask is not that fresh after all? Well worth a try, though.

Sampled at the White Horse in London, England.

Apparently this beer won an award a few days prior to my visit which is why it was on cask at the bar.

Golden.

Distinctively English in its aroma. Whiffs of lemon, herbs, caramel and flowers.

Medicinal throughout, dry and a lovely fruitiness all the way through. Notes of cherries, candy, bay leaves, lemon and herbs. Nice hop flavor. I enjoyed this one a lot.