Traditional English IPAs rediscovered
Modern India Pale Ale is like a beam of light shot through a prism and refracted into a rainbow of colours. There’s Red IPA, Black IPA, White IPA, Hazy IPA, Brut IPA, even New Zealand IPA. And with this IPA spectrum you can easily forget the original source: English IPA.
Once, there was just one IPA – the type popularised in England in the 18th century, thanks to the needs-must experimentation that created a strong hoppy pale ale capable of surviving a sea voyage to India.
Since the Americans reinvented IPA in the 1990s, it’s become harder to find a traditional IPA. As drinkers demand everything new and bold, brewers are reluctant to revert to something ‘‘old’’.
Lately though, there’s been a renewed appreciation for source style, such as Altitude Brewing’s Mischievous Kea or Epic’s Edwin Fox. And now Zeelandt, one of the more established craft brewers in the booming Hawke’s Bay, has released two English-inspired IPAs.
Finders Keepers is known as Smash (single malt and single hop). It’s a clever beer that grows on you because of its simplicity.
Most IPAs use two or three or more malts to create mouthfeel and sweetness. With just one type of malt, there’s not much wiggle room on the background flavour. But that also allows other ingredients to shine: East Kent Golding hops and a fruity English yeast.
Lemon citrus on the nose gives way to a subtle fruit and floral palate and a refreshing bitterness. It’s a great beer for rediscovering the charming yet solid beauty of classic English IPA. Whether this is the way IPA actually tasted 200 years ago is a moot point, but it showcases traditional English ingredients in a very drinkable fashion, so much so, it’s easy to forget this is a 7.5 per cent bomb.
If Finders Keepers is old-school, End of Empire is British modern, thanks to some new English hops.
In an era where American and New Zealand hops accent tropical fruit, bright citrus and sweaty dankness, English hops have long been regarded as earthy, woody, floral, restrained. As UK producers catch up with the world, their new hop breeds are quite a revelation.
End of Empire uses a more complex malt profile than Finders Keepers, so there’s more caramel sweetness to it, but the hops define this beer. I got a compelling sweet berry aroma – think blackberries or ripe strawberries. An underlying fruit character and oily mouthfeel made this one to savour compared with the more refreshing notes of Finders Keepers.
It’s an interesting experiment from Zeelandt owner-brewer Chris Barber, who’s built a reputation for doing modern takes on classical styles.
If you don’t happen to find either of these short-run seasonal releases, I can recommend the Guv’nor ESB – one of the best of that style I’ve tried this year – while the Jerry Rig Helles is a smooth and mellow traditional German-style lager. beernation.co.nz