Church-Key West Coast IPA

Brewed by Church-Key Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Pethericks Corners, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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UPDATED: AUG 20, 2007 RE-RATE: Bottle courtesy of tupalev. This beer has improved a fair bit since last year, so I thought it deserved a re-rate. The hops have been upped considerably, especially in the flavour, giving it a great grapefruity finish. The body is also crisper than I remember the original version being, making it a very refreshing quaff. I really wish it was available in bottles locally, as I’d have it in my fridge constantly. As it stands, I’ll have to settle for occasional pints out, and a six pack or two each time my pal tupalev heads out that way to visit his folks.

ORIGINAL RATING: Draught sample at Bar Towel pre-tasting for C’est What Spring ’06 Festival. Golden amber colour with a small head. Aroma is mild - earthy/organic with grassy hops, it was almost pils-like on the nose. Body is soft, nice. Flavour is milder than I’d hoped, reminding me a lot of Church Key Northumberland with a bit more hop presence in the finish. It’s not bad, but it seems subdued to me. A bit more oomph in both the malt and hops would improve it, I think. [7/4/6/3/12 - 3.2]

On tap. Orange pour, foamy off white head. Aroma is yeasty, a bit peppery, booze, citrus and pine. Sticky mouthfeel. A lot of bready, caramel malt. Finishes long and citrus bitter with a bit of minerality. Balance wasnt quite there, but I like the malty character and not shy with the hops. Still not quite west coast. Pretty drinkable.

To label this a West Coast IPA is adventurous at best. Pours a clear gold with a big frothy white top. Aroma is very malty, grass with some earthy hop. Taste is almost a toffee bitterness with good malt profile but missing the resinous hop flavouring and bitterness.

Pretty generic hoppy IPA. Nothing offensive about it, but not a lot of depth. Typical rubber-band bitterness with notes of pine. Nothing else of note for me. Medium to high carbonation and medium in the mouth.

on tap in the Manx, ottawa. pleasant enough but not something i’d bracket as an IPA. not even sure where the "west coast IPA" pigeon hole sits. If i had to i’d call it an american pale. Not excessively carbontaed which was a bonus, light fruitiness on the nose gentle hops and citrus flavour. Good to try as i’d heard it was one to sample but i moved on to other options after the first one.

On tap at barVolo with JoeMcPhee. Pleasant aroma of resin and caramel malt. A touch resinous. Some burgundy wine notes in the finish, but this is mainly pine. A bit one-dimensional and mild for me.

Was told it was a pale ale and it’s good for that but seems too light on the hops if it’s an IPA. Still a definite hoppy presence, pleasant bitter without being over the top

On tap at the Manx. Slightly hazed copper with a small white head. Aroma has very little hop activity, some caramalt and that’s really it. Flavour again has little hop presence apart from some decent bitterness underneath the tasty malt body. No booze, but the carbonation was a little excessive which made it harder to drink than I would have liked. Much better than the other offerings I’ve had from this brewer but this is not an IPA, though I believe it’s just advertised as a ’West Coast Pale Ale’ now.

UPDATED: MAY 6, 2012 En fût au Manx. Couleur ambrée claire, mousse blanche. En bouche, douce, un peu de sucre, houblon floral, malt. En finale amère mais pas trop. Très bonne. Pas trop IPA par contre...plus American Pale Ale.

Fairly light in hops for an IPA, it pours a thick head, tastes of light malts as well, light in colour, good offering would have again

On tap at the wooly. Pours light copper in colour, lots of white lacey head. Not a ton of aroma, but nice caramel malt and floral hops! Good.