Samuel Smith's India Ale - IPA - UK

I imagine this is as close to an original IPA as you are likely to taste. Brewed at a very traditional Yorkshire brewery (est 1758), using traditional techniques and ingredients (they even use well water from the original brewery well). Samuel Smith's brews this beer using traditional "Yorkshire stone squares" top fermented with the same yeast strain the brewery has used since the 19th century.

The original IPA's were brewed at only a slightly higher alcohol content than traditional ales in the UK and this one at 5% alcohol matches that. Traditionally these ales were "generously hopped" to provide the flavour that made these ales so popular in the nineteenth century. By the standards applying in the nineteenth century today's modern IPA's, especially those. craft brewed in the USA, are massively hopped.

This IPA pours a lovely copper colour with a medium creamy head with a continuous medium lacing. Aroma is malty with some floral hop. Subtle flavouring with ever present malt, fruit hop and very slight bitter finish. This does not have the hop hit you get from a modern IPA but is nevertheless a very good traditional ale.

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