The Bottom Line
The innovative brewers over at BrewDog in Scotland decided to try their hand at reproducing the IPA experience. Instead of just brewing a hoppy beer with a bit more alcohol in it, they put their ale in casks, loaded it on a boat and shipped it across the Atlantic. Just to see what would happen. (Here's a video of their adventure.) Now the journey is done. The beer is bottled and available in very limited quantities in Autumn of 2009. Try to grab one for yourself before they run out; this is definitely a unique beer.
Pros
- Complex
- Flavorful and well blended
Cons
- Isn't "IPA Ale" redundant?
Description
- Definitely not the typical modern IPA
- Funky, sour, oaky...yum
- Very limited release
Guide Review - Tasting Notes and Review of BrewDog's Atlantic IPA Ale
The Atlantic IPA Ale pours with an average white head that doesn't hang around for very long. The body is a hazy amber but one hardly notices any of this for the riot of aromas that jump from the bottle and the glass. Dirty notes of sour beer, overripe apples and oak slosh around in the nose promising a challenging beer.
With the first sip it is obvious that this beer will take a while to drink. While the flavors are nicely blended it's very dirty, almost funky. It is less carbonated than the typical commercial IPA and has a slightly silky mouthfeel. The first impression of the flavor is of a sour beer that has been filtered through sodden leaves. A bitterness then rises that reminds one this isn't some Belgian farmhouse ale but an IPA. This is followed by a sensation almost like the acid from grapefruits that pricks the tongue. The bitterness and something like an apply sweetness lingers on the tongue long after the drink is swallowed.
One more thing about Atlantic IPA Ale: I don't often focus on labels but I'm quite taken with this one. It's not very clear in the picture of the bottle on this page so here's a closer look. Very stylish.
With the first sip it is obvious that this beer will take a while to drink. While the flavors are nicely blended it's very dirty, almost funky. It is less carbonated than the typical commercial IPA and has a slightly silky mouthfeel. The first impression of the flavor is of a sour beer that has been filtered through sodden leaves. A bitterness then rises that reminds one this isn't some Belgian farmhouse ale but an IPA. This is followed by a sensation almost like the acid from grapefruits that pricks the tongue. The bitterness and something like an apply sweetness lingers on the tongue long after the drink is swallowed.
One more thing about Atlantic IPA Ale: I don't often focus on labels but I'm quite taken with this one. It's not very clear in the picture of the bottle on this page so here's a closer look. Very stylish.
