Country of Origin: Great Britain
Price comparison: About three times the price of everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 6%.
Cute bottle/label? 25 ounce capsule shaped brown glass bottle; blue-toned label depicting sailing ships and a navigator's globe. I freely admit to having selected this ale based solely on an attraction to the label art.
Appearance: Hazy orange, thin head with some lace on the surface.
Scent: Orange and lemon zest with some flowery hops.
Flavor: Bitter and peppery with an earthy, herbal finish.
Impressions: Again, I'm noticing that the British IPAs are more of a cross between bitter and IPA than the American versions. This is nicely dry and versatile, but doesn't seem as well balanced as a domestic IPA.
Will I buy this beer again? There are other bitters and other IPAs that I like better than this and are more reasonably priced. This is good and I wouldn't turn it down, but I won't be buying it regularly, no matter how pretty the label is.
Rating:
3 out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: January 2, 2004
