Tag Archives: IPA

Beer, Canadian, IPA, Would Drink Again

Murasaki Dragon by Alley Kat Brewing Co.

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Dear @alleykatbeer, please never stop making this beer. #yegbeer #drinkagain (via Untappd)

I posted that in all seriousness. I want to support Alley Kat more than I do, but to date the only beer I’ve wanted to pursue was the extremely limited run of Fresh Hop Full Moon Pale Ale. If my appreciation for hops wasn’t apparent to you before,  it should be now.

One of my favorite beers from the last few years is Sorachi Ace from Brooklyn Brewery. That beer introduced me to the hop that Alley Kat used in Murasaki Dragon. The biggest difference between these two beers would probably be aggression. Brooklyn brewed a Saison, while Alley Kat produced a double IPA (or DIPA) with somewhere north of 75 IBU. This beer has what most of Alley Kat’s lineup is missing in my opinion, which is some teeth.

This means that in Murasaki Dragon you’ll get all the good stuff you’re looking to find in an IPA. It smells piney and lemony. The colour is gorgeous. And while the hops are obvious when it first hits your palette, you can catch up with some malt in the middle and there is enough fruity sweetness to carry it through to a nice but dry finish.

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Alley Kat has this listed as a limited run beer, but I’m willing to start a petition and possibly even chain a close friend to some sort of barrier in protest if they don’t find a way to continue production of this beer. I believe that it stands head and shoulders above any other beer being brewed in Edmonton currently.

After that initial post on Untapped, I made sure I would drink this again. I bought a case of it. Alley Kat, if you keep making it, I’ll keep buying it and drinking it. Again and again.

Beer, Dutch, IPA, Would Drink Again

De Molen, Lentehop

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Lentehop is an American style IPA, from a Dutch brouwerij (brewery) called De Molen. Like many great beers from that part of the world, it’s brewed in an old mill a mere 171 years older than Canada. Unlike many of those beers, it’s own history spans a little over a single decade. While it’s housings might give it instant credibility I’m inclined to criticize, brewers here in Canada should take note. Specifically Molson, who sold Molson House, a 50 year old fort near my house in Edmonton rather than making use of it in what would have easily been the most interesting place to drink in Alberta. But I digress.

Lentehop. It pours cloudy and golden, with a fairly substantial head. There is very little nose, just a hint of hops. I taste hops, certainly, but also some light citrus and pine. This IPA is surprisingly refreshing and fairly crisp.

I probably won’t go hunting specifically for it, but I would drink Lentehop from De Molen again.

 

Beer, IPA, Review, Wouldn't Drink Again

Garrison Imperial IPA

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As you can see from the Garrison Brewing site itself, this IPA has won Beer of the Year twice at the Canadian Brewing Awards. If you check other beer review sites, you’ll see some decent ratings. All of this leads up to a really nice review here. Or at least it should. Besides, shouldn’t I be pro Canadian beer?

I fancy myself an IPA lover. I’m always eager to try a new one. The Garrison Imperial just didn’t measure up for me. I didn’t even find it overly hoppy. While some great IPAs come across as complex, this just came across as confused.

My advice would be to check out something from Brew Dog like their Hardcore IPA, or even track down the Jockamo we reviewed here in October 2011.

As for the Garrison Imperial IPA, I probably won’t drink it again. Especially with so many great IPA’s popping up all over the place these days.

Ale, IPA, Review, Would Drink Again

Abita Jockamo IPA

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Let me begin with a general note about beer. I came by this beer under the best circumstances possible. It was gifted me by a good friend who brought it back from lands far south of us. The only proper thing to do at that point is to share it, which I didn’t do then so that I could share this with you now.

This is a pretty clean and well balanced IPA. It pours smoothly with very little head,  and the colour is an impressive copper.

I taste both the malt and the hops here, the former presenting with some caramel and coffee leaning towards a roasted flavor while the later lends some spice and a bit of resin. The are some subtle fruit tones that I really appreciate as well. It finished with slight bitterness that I like in an IPA. Again, I need to mention how well balanced this beer is.

I would gladly drink this again, given the opportunity. It’s not often I get my hands on a craft beer from Louisiana up here in Canada.