A few years ago, IPAs (India Pale Ales) were a rarity this
side of the Atlantic but now we almost expect to see them on the bar of any
decent real ale pub. Traditionally, you can expect the ABV of an IPA to be near to 6% (or higher) and this
does put off some of the more `mild` ale enthusiasts. However, the numbers that favour
this style is clearly on the up. A fair amount of credit for this trend ought to be credited
to Thornbridge, Bakewell`s best brewers. Jaipur was, in its time, a seminal
ale and some even reckon it was at worst `very influential` in the creation of
Brew Dog`s infamous Punk IPA. However, times have changed, and both are now available in major supermarkets and
many run-of-the-mill tied houses too. Thankfully, we sampled these new ales at the more amenable surroundings of The Coach and Horses, Dronfield and at The Cross Scythes, Derbyshire Lane, two of the very best Thornbridge boozers.
Thornbridge 2013 produce a lot of really good ales in an wide array
of styles (see earlier twobeergeeks blog entries!) but many do still associate them with strong hoppy beers, and their latest releases do little to dispel this opinion but are these two tributes actually any good?
Otters Tears was brewed in conjunction with the Indy Man
Beer Con experts and weighs in at a hefty 6%. It is a tasty drop without being
remarkable and is dedicated to famed scooper Simon Johnson. Hoppy, pale, fairly citrus but nowt `standout`. Not a classic and a league or two below the likes of Kipling.
Danny`s Score - 7
Mike`s Score - 7
We were both excited by the prospect of Ryan`s Roar which
proclaims itself as a "hugely flavoured New Zealand Pale Ale with
passion fruit, mango and lychee tropical fruit aroma which give way to a dry
bitter citrus and grapefruit created by the use of New Zealand hops Nelson
Sauvin and Motueka" and is a tribute to Patrick Ryan, who was the father
of Kelly Ryan, former brewer at Bakewell. The Thornbridge blurb is brave but we were undecided. Solid and drinkable
but no bold flavours but easy quaffing tasting more 3.8% than 5.8%. The
reassuring familiarity ensured that it was unlikely to offend the geek palate
but not the banger of a beer that Jaipur was when it first started appearing at
The Coach and Horses (back in the days when IPAs were more hen`s teeth than
Speckled Hen). At least Ryan`s Roar is punctuated correctly if not
exactly a `punk` ale.......!
Danny`s Score - 7.5
Mike`s Score - 6.5
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