India Pale Ale for Everyone

If you were to poll craft beer drinkers across this country, what style do you think would reign supreme in the good old US of A? My bet would be on American IPA. A type of beer so synonymous with the craft beer movement that one would not be amiss in thinking that America’s main entry to the world of beer is its version of India Pale Ale.
So, being completely honest, there’s little need to promote IPA to American craft beer drinkers, much less suggest that they drink more of the stuff. Yet, craftbeer.com did just that last week with itswith its 3^rd annual IPA Day on Thursday, Aug. 1.
As told by craftbeer.com, “At the 2012 Great American Beer Festival, the most entered style category was the American-Style India Pale Ale with 203 entries. The second most entered category was its close cousin, the Imperial India Pale Ale (128 entries). Its popularity and accessibility makes the IPA the most inclusive style for brewers, retailers and consumers to collectively celebrate.” Of course, there is one style missing from this discussion.
Of the three subtypes of the India Pale Ale (IPA) style of beer, there is the aforementioned American IPA, the spawn thereof, Imperial IPA, and the least hoppy, most malty of the three, English IPA. And the story, or bastardized version, of this style of beer is legendary.
Although beer was being exported to the colonies in India and farther, it was just before 1800 that English pale ale began being exported to India. George Hodgson’s brewery was doing just that, and the popular pale ale sold in India was eventually sold in the UK as East India Pale Ale.
A version of this ‘pale ale,’ stronger in alcohol and hop flavor, began being brewed with the high mineral waters in ‘Burton-on-Trent’ giving the ale a lighter and effervescent character. Bass Brewers mass produced and distributed this beer, a refreshing drink in the tropics, but the name IPA wouldn’t come for decades. Even before that, the style fell into decline with the rise of pilsner.
Yet today, the lineage of English IPA can be found in numerous examples of the style. Often overlooked by the dozens of American IPAs available, a classic is highly recommended. Although I prefer Jaipur from Thornbridge Brewery, a widely available UK classic is Sam Smith’s India Ale English IPA.
Ranging between 5-7.5% ABV for the style, India Ale sits right at the bottom with 5.0%. Most will be amber or lighter, this example is an off orange color with a creamy head. The nose is earthy and floral, mild citrus or apricot appears, but much more caramel malt than with American IPAs. The flavor profile is similar to the aroma, with English hops present first, all grassy and slightly citrus and herbal, and caramel toffee malt keeping the balance. I almost get an orange spice tea feel and taste with this beer, which I dig. As with the style, only medium body and moderate carbonation make this a much more creamy beer compared with American IPAs. A fine beer, and a wonderful style of IPA if you appreciate the nuance and intermingled flavors of this old world style. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
 
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net