What makes an IPA...an IPA?

So…. What is an IPA???

I’m going to make an assumption here, you’ve probably had an IPA… you’ve probably had several… in fact, you’ve most likely had quite a few variations of said IPA, but at what point does an IPA stop being an IPA?

Is this an IPA?

There are so many versions of ale or beer that are labelled as an IPA that have such different tastes, textures, aromas that it is becoming increasingly difficult to truly define the style.

Broadly speaking, in craft terms, an IPA can be defined as a pale coloured beer that has a heavy hop profile and a thin-medium mouthfeel. However, within the term there are now other offshoots. In the US there is a clear line between the more traditional, hoppy and resinous West Coast IPA’s and the thick, juicy, hazy East Coast (New England) IPA’s. This extends now into a newer definition, the Milkshake IPA… a beer brewed with an increasing amount of oats and lactose sugar for a thick, fruity, almost sweet taste.

Or is this an IPA?

Back in Blighty, the IPA has traditionally been of a real ale version. Flavour profiles tend to be much more malty, and can be darker in colour than the current trend of IPA’s but these are closer in style to the original Pale Ale’s that were first brewed to cater for the tastes of wealthy land owners and had a higher malt profile.

Unlike the current trends with IPA’s, the original India pale ale was developed as a beer that was brewed explicitly to age during the long voyage to India, where the strong hoppy flavours were in demand. (It was common for brewers to specifically age their pale ales for up to two years before selling, or drinking themselves).

These days of course, freshness is key and most brewers of more modern craft IPA’s (and double/triple IPA’s) would even have a consume by date on the can/bottle and even a few weeks can make all the difference to the flavour profile.

So, with such a variety of styles, flavours and textures all encompassed under the generic IPA label, is it not time perhaps for a little reclassification….. should these new Milkshake IPA’s not be called OPA’s (Oat Pale Ale) or MPA’s (Milk Pale ale, similar to the way we have Milk Stouts)

Should the hopped-up pale ales from the US all be encompassed as APA’s (American Pale Ales)

However they are presented, it is safe to say that the definition of an IPA will be forever as murky as a freshly brewed NE DIPA

An exploration of Bristol… through beer of course

As opposed to singling out one brewer for this instalment, I’ve decided to focus on the brewery rich area of Bristol after having the pleasure of spending a day bar, bottle shop and brewery hopping around this great city

The original idea for this adventure came off the back of an invitation to visit one of my favourite up and coming breweries, Lost andGrounded, and that was my first port of call.

Located in the middle of an industrial estate about a 10-minute drive from the centre, Lost and Grounded’s journey began in 2015 with their first beers underway in 2016. They take their inspiration from the precise nature of German and Belgian brewing and add their own twist. I have already covered these guys in a previous blog post so please check it out for more details.

On this particular day, I had the honour of being shown around the facility by Head brewer Alex who took me through the process and equipment and was everything I would expect from a man who loves beer and the process of brewing beer. I couldn’t help but pick up his infectious enthusiasm, especially as I was given a special sampling of their new double IPA, Keeping up with the Joneses. Definitely keep an eye out for this one!!

Moving on from Lost and Grounded, I headed to the city centre to explore some of the amazing craft beer bars and bottle shops that Bristol had to offer.

My first stop was Brewdog Bristol on Baldwin Street, right next to the river. The bar itself, much like other Brewdog bars, is very bohemian in nature, with an offbeat, yet homely feel.

With such a huge abundance of beer available it was a little difficult to settle on what to drink so, after a few samples kindly provided by the incredibly knowledgable staff, I decided on a 4-way flight. Consisting of elvis Juice, a personal BD fave of mine, The physics amber ale, the latest Born to Die which was a real hoppy wonder, and their newest NE style Vermont IPA that was above and beyond the best of the style I have had, this perfectly set my mood for the next leg of my adventure.

Now time for a little shopping and luckily, in the vicinity of Brewdog there are a couple of good bottle shops.

First up, Brew Bristol on St. Nicholas Street. Not only a bottle shop but purveyors of home brewing supplies as well. Expecting to find some hidden gems from local breweries I was left a little disappointed to find just core beers from the likes of Northern monk, Magic Rock and Beavertown and a smattering of local brews from Moor Beer (‘Moor’ on them later) and Wiper and true. A good selection for when you want some fridge fillers but its plain to see their focus is on brewing supplies. So many choices of grains and hops one can’t help but think of the delicious concoctions one could brew up with such choice!

Leaving empty handed, I then headed south to King St. and to The Beer Emporium, a bottle shop on top of a cellar bar. This was more like it! Greeted by a wall of beer as I entered I just wasn’t sure where to look first, amongst some of the usual fair, there was a good range of local beers and some hard to find foreign offerings.

After a quick browse I decided to check out the bar down below and was struck by just how much like a prohibition era speak easy this looked, subtle lighting emphasising the curve of the ceiling and ambience you could cut with a knife. There was a huge array of different beers on tap, both local and from further afield but I settled on a half of Wiper and True Quintet IPA and got comfy.

On my way out, I couldn’t help but pick up a couple of tasty offerings from local brewers Left Handed Giant and Good chemistry and off I went again.

As the evening drew in, there was one more brewery I just had to visit, Moor Beer Co. on the edge of Barton and Lawrence Hill.

Moor Beer has been on my bucket list to visit for some time as I’d heard that their tap room was a pretty cool place to sink a few, and that’s just what I did whilst waxing lyrical with the staff about the current state of the craft industry and beer in general.

Beer wise, I knew I was in for some real treats so I started off light and worked my way up to the real beasts.

So’hop was first off the tap, a citrus pale ale brewed exclusively with southern hemisphere hops that whet the appetite for what was to come.

Next on the list was PMA – Positive Mental Attitude, a hoppy pale ale brewed with oats for a luscious mouthfeel. As well as being a delicious beer, a portion of the profits from this go to the charity Hardcore Hits Cancer! A truly worthy cause!!

Return of the Empire was up next, a modern English IPA brewed with a new, experimental hop variety called Jester. This beer is defined by its intensely hoppy, resinous flavour…. Oh, and it was bloody good!

I finished up with something special, their 2016 vintage Fusion, an 8% old ale aged in somerset cider barrels. The flavours here are intense, rich dark malts, chocolate and caramel, some sweet fruits and a thick, full body.

Alas, it was getting late, and night was closing in (as was my head at this point) so I headed back to my hotel with a generous takeout from Moor and a cool new T-shirt to boot.

My day hopping around Bristol took me to some very good, innovative breweries, some awesome bars and decent bottle shops however, the final gem of my trip was on the way out of Bristol on Brislington Hill, Love toBrew home brew supplies and off license. This small shop (and online store) was in an unassuming row of shops set back off the road that, if you didn’t know was there, you would easily miss. However, they had possibly the best selection of newly released bottles and cans and easily the best selection of local brews than any of the centrally located shops. Needless to say, after a good chat with the owner, Simon, and plenty of browsing, I left with a good box full of beer to take home.

Despite my many great stops, this was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Bristol’s craft beer scene. I didn’t get a chance to visit such great breweries as Wiper and True, Left handed giant, Goodchemistry, Bristol Beer Factory, Crane beer, Arbor or New Bristol brewery which only means I’m gonna have to go back and do this all over again……..

Us Brits… all we do is talk about the (Wild) weather….

Come rain or shine, there’s only one weather I want to talk about… hold on to your hats as it’s gonna get wild!!

Based in Silchester, just outside Reading, Wild Weather ales is now in its fifth year producing excellent beer. Named as such by owner Mike Tempest, as a play on his surname, Wild Weather ales draws its inspiration from new world hops, German malts and all manner of styles from all over the globe.

A quick look at their current line-up will show just how many different influences there are in their brewing. From their Earl grey IPA, ‘Storm in a teacup’, to two awesome sours, ‘Damn Dead Strawberry’ and ‘Peach of a Weekend’, and to the frankly absurd yet equally brilliant collaboration with Weird Beard brew co., ‘Such a Bohr’, a kaffir lime saison/coconut stout blend.

The first thing you will notice about a Wild weather beer is the eye-catching label on the can. All the work of a local artist and punk musician known to the brewery called Mark Bell. His artwork really makes the cans stand out on the shelf and adds a touch of irreverence and fun.

Not content with producing their own stand out brews, they have branched out and collaborated with some of the UK’s other fine breweries, including the aforementioned Weird Beard Brew Co, Elusive Brewing and Bad SeedBrewery. Such collaborations have only helped Wild Weather to grow as a brewery, expand their knowledge and allowed them to experiment with new techniques and flavour combinations that might not seem so obvious.

For Wild Weather, the future is certainly bright. Expanding their brewing capacity as and when it’s needed and putting plans in place to hit the export market can only mean more great beer being available to more people… and that’s really the end game of every brewery.

Now, on to some reviews… As I’ve had the fortune to sample a good number of the current line up I’ll stick to the brews that have really stood out for me.

Such a Bohr is a kaffir lime saison coconut stout blend brewed in collaboration with Weird Beard Brew Co. and is as awesome as it sounds. This pours a thick, gooey black with a fair bit of carbonation and has so much aroma it's ridiculous, big hits of lime and coconut on the nose with some dark chocolate. The taste is incredibly complex, it starts with a citrusy bite from the lime and follows to a smooth chocolate-coconut blend with some bready malt at the back. If this had been a little less carbonated it would have been almost perfect. Even so, for a weird concept this is incredibly good!

The great beer dad rating - 8.5/10

When you need some funk in your life I can't recommend this Kwantum State kaffir lime saison enough. Another collaboration with Weird Beard Brew Co., this pours a clear golden colour with a good amount of sweetness floral notes and funk on the nose. Taste is medium sweet, quite bitter at the back with a little zestiness. Finishes with a doughy malt taste and more floral notes. I was expecting more of a citrusy vibe but the balance here is pretty spot on 

The great beer dad rating - 8/10

Damn Dead Strawberry, their strawberry lactose sour was the first of Wild Weather’s sours I had (Followed shortly by Peach of a weekend, their peach sour) and it was damn dead delicious!! First off, and the Brits among us will know, it has the aroma of a strawberry mivvi ice lolly, so much strawberry going on! Taste is as you'd expect.... strawberry but it's the very soon following sourness that really makes this. After that initial sweetness the gentle sourness just takes over and really lingers! Fantastic!!

The great beer dad rating - 8/10

Storm in a teacup earl grey IPA. This was the genesis for me, the first Wild Weather ale I had and the one that made me stand up and take notice. This Pours a deliciously hazy golden colour, aroma is full of tropical fruits and citrus. Taste is orange and lemon with just a hint of the earl grey which isn't overpowering as it can, and has been. Very nice indeed

The great beer dad rating – 9/10