Buxton Axe Edge

Brewed by Buxton
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Buxton, England

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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UPDATED: APR 3, 2012 Beer from the Great Grog, Edinburgh
Deep orange amber, slightly hazy, frothy white head, good lacing
Aroma of citrus hops, juicy fruits, tropical fruits, some orange, bit of grapefruit, sweet juicy malts, smooth juicy aroma, nothing astringent, great aroma and quite complex
Taste of sweet juicy citrus fruity hops, light grassy bitter hop just in the background, soft orange zest, orange, some grapefruit, tangerine, soft sweet malts, great balance of hops flavours, WOW, complex,alcohol so well hidden - until bottom of glass, dangerously drinkable
Palate - soft carb, medium body, lovely juicy fruit palate, smooth, just the right bittersweet zest balance for me. Finish - as main flavour..smooth..cleans off palate gently...super palate
Overall - A wonderful strong IPA, not sure it’s a DIPA but I don’t care. This is world-class stuff. I must must try this on cask.

Bottle from the Offie, Leicester. Smells rather restrained, but floral hops are certainly there. Appearance is cloudy yellow, with a big crusty head and firm dappled lacing. Mouthfeel is soft, with very pleasant flowery and slight orange hops. Souring finish, where some alc appears. Otherwise doesn’t drink it’s strength. Very nice - like a hop bodywash.

Cask at Euston Tap, London. A hazy, amber/orange coloured pour with a medium white head on top. Really good hoppy, tropical fruit aroma. Tastes hoppy, tropical fruit, banana, malty, sweet, some bitterness. Really good stuff from Buxton.

Bottle from Euston Tap. Pours cloudy orange with a medium head. Complex fruity hop nose, oriental fruits and citrus in the lead. Refreshingly bitter, yet strangely balanced, lots of tropical fruits. Very nice.

Trying to draw the line as to where a single IPA ends and the double IPA begins is a bit of a nerdy, arbitrary matter. Buxton Axe Edge claims to be a double IPA, but drinks like an American single IPA. Whatever it may be, the fact remains it’s a tasty, drinkable beer.

I received a 500ml bottle from Buxton Brewery (thanks, Mike!). I poured it into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Light orange/dark gold hue. Slight cloudiness but otherwise transparent with some carbonation visible. Forms a large, white, frothy head which retains and laces very well.

Smell: Pretty much all orange, but more like an orange candy than the actual orange fruit. Definite light sweetness of a name brand sucker candy rather than anything resinous or syrupy.

Taste: I have to admit I scoffed a bit at the label for declaring itself a double IPA at only 6.8% ABV, but one swig into Buxton Axe Edge Double IPA and I understood why they classify it as such. Very strong hop bitterness right up front which lasts throughout the entire palate. It’s sharp and dry but not overbearing.

The label indicates this is brewed with hops from Europe, North America and New Zealand but the palate seems fairly direct in its flavor profile of pretty much all orange. Tang, Sweet Tarts candy and orange sherbet ice cream are the prominent flavors found here. It’s a nice light sweetness that is complemented by the dry bitterness quite well. It’s pretty tasty to be sure, definitely satisfying, but nothing mind-blowing.

Drinkability: With a mouthfeel a little thin for the style, but enough raw energy to give it some weight, Buxton Axe Edge Double IPA is an interesting beer to drink. Full-bodied for sure, but nice and crisp instead of being sticky, sappy, or juicy. While this beer is not really refreshing, it does have a smooth finish, but with a noticeably dry (but tolerable) aftertaste. Enough bitterness to act as a palate cleanser and enough taste to enjoy the beer in and of itself it’s certainly versatile.

Orange gold with nice white head. Aroma of malt, peach, grapefruit and alcohol. Initial taste very nice, tropical fruits, grass, peach. Bitterness not overwhelming. Malt lingers on the aftertaste and is a bit unpleasant.

Bottle, Chester Beer & Wine. Hazy amber pour with a thinnish off white head. Lovely aroma of grapefruit, tropical fruits and resinous hop that promised good things. The flavour delivered in spades, shining hop presence alongside some juicy fruit. Cracking balance and really tasty stuff. Long lingering bitter finish. A truly excellent IPA which more than punches its weight and sits comfortably amongst the finest English offerings out there.

Bottle at home, 4th February 2012. Been looking forward to this one. Intense hoppy aroma, grapefruit, pine, flavour is amazingly intense, smacks you round the face, delicious complex taste, pine, resin, bitter grapefruit pithe. Lovely, best get some more in, one thing, I would describe this as an IPA, not a double IPA, does not hold the ABV for a DIPA

Bottle. Orange with white head. A formidably hoppy beer. Zesty hop flavour. Some pine. Quite intense. A totally delicious IPA.

500ml Bottle - Amber in colour. Grapefruit, pine and orange in the aroma. Hoppy, bitter and slightly sweet taste with notes of grapefruit, toffee and peach. Enjoyable.