Brewdog Old World India Pale Ale

Brewdog Old World India Pale Ale

Style: IPA

Alcohol Content: 7.5%

From: Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Purchased From: Beer Boutique, Putney
http://www.brewdog.com/

Sorry, its been awhile. My real job seems to be monopolising my life at the moment.

Brewdog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. The brewery at the Kessock Industrial Estate in Fraserburgh produced its first brew in April 2007. It claims to be Scotland's largest independently owned brewery producing about 120,000 bottles per month for export all over the world. The company moved premises to nearby Ellon in the Autumn of 2012, however it has been announced that the Fraserburgh site will be used as a brewing laboratory for experimental beers.

Brewdog's provocative marketing has been a key aspect of the business, and has gained them substantial international coverage.

In late 2013 Brewdog decided to revisit the Old World, by producing two beers based on a bygone era. These being a Old World Imperial Stout and the subject of this review, an Old World India Pale Ale. Both of these beers have beautifully hand drawn labels by Johanna Basford which intricately depict the story and heritage of each beer style.

Beautiful label

Colour: Pours a light chestnut with a slight warming orange hue. A small sprinkling of foam is present in the glass but this dissipates down to nothing as fast as you can say IPA. For me this is most disappointing, as I love a dense head on my IPA's. A sizeable head helps to provided a perfumed nose, which in turn helps to enhance the drinking experience. As the drink warms, the chestnut colour starts to deepen into a rich mahogany.

Aroma: As mentioned above, the lack of a head on this beer leads to a very faint aroma profile. The slight hints of the roasted malts create a sensation of brown bread, whilst the English hops help to provide a faint floral note in the background.

Body: First thing you will notice is the this beer is slightly denser than most IPA's on the market. The mouthfeel is very reminiscent of a Green King IPA, slightly thick and malty. The soft carbonation helps to add to this dense texture and the English hops help to create a mild clogging on the back of the throat. Very easy to drink and the perfect match for a roast beef supper.

Taste: Notes of roasted malts dominate the palate right from the get go. The bread like sensation is quickly cleansed away by a soft, almost delicate hoppy bitterness that is not unpleasant at all. To me the drink tastes rather bland and reminds me more of a mass produced bitter than an IPA. In my opinion, the beer's one redeeming feature really comes to the fore as it warms in the glass. Sweet notes of heather honey appear to add a pleasurable depth of sweetness. So my advice to you all would be to serve this beer at room temperature, rather than straight from the refrigerator. Once again it seems that my love/hate relationship with Brewdog beers is set to continue. For all their pomp and marketing, I find some of their beer extremely uninspiring. Unfortunately, their Old World India Pale Ale falls into this category.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/emelisse-blond.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/mikkeller-koppi.html

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