1839
East India Pale Ale
This is not your fathers IPA. This is your grand-grand-grand-fathers IPA. Brewed like it was done at the beginning of the 19th century - with burtonised water and bucketfuls of East Kent Golding hops.
We didn’t ship the beer all around Africa, but we pushed the oak barrels out of brewery doors to the blazing heatwave of 2018 and cool autumn nights of Estonia. We added a dash of bettanomyces claussenii, to stay true to the good old times.
The result is nothing like the fruity-citrusy hop soup you are enjoying today. But times are different. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were not much of the smartphones, Internet or social drinking apps around. Don’t even get me started on electricity.
Experience: Once you have manhandled the muselet and the cork you can fill your glass with dark golden, almost reddish nectar. Thin bright white head disappears quickly.
In the aroma, there is prominent brett. No, no, not your horse blanket or barnhouse brett. It’s good old Brettanomyces claussenii from foggy Albion. Elegant fruits, white currant berriness, freshly ground spices. Here and there vanilla notes from oak barrels are breaking through.
First sip. Time and oak barrels have been hard at work rounding out all the rough edges of this IPA. Fruity bitterness from brett and malty sweetness are ready in the dancefloor for a waltz. First restrained steps quickly develop into bold whirls and end in a spicy passionate embrace.
The endspiel. Yes, this is IPA, slowly but steadily all the kilos of East Kent Golding will stack on your tongue in complex, multilayered bitterness. If you got the patience to wait a few minutes for another sip, you could enjoy all the shades of bitterness, playing like northern lights in the night sky.
Just facts
ABV: 9.5% OG: 19.6P FG: 2.6P IBU: 80 EBC: 9
