Red Squirrel IPA in the USA

Brewed by Red Squirrel
Style: Bitter
Hemel Hempstead, England

Serve in English pint

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Bottle from Kris Wines, London. Shared with Slothez. Darkish amber pour with minimal head. Aroma didn’t offer a great deal, no real pungent resinous hoppage as you might hope to find in a stateside ipa, just some vague fruity notes, all slightly muted. The hops come through a bit more in the flavour with some citrus notes, but it never quite gets off the ground. Finish was dryish and gently lingering. Quite enjoyable in its own right, and certainly drinkable, but not too similar to the hop laden US IPAs that this is supposed to replicate.

Pig’s Ear beer festival, labelled American IPA. Lovely hoppy ale, nice malt and a flowery finish. Grass, pine, resin. No carbonation to speak of.

A Mes rate: Cask at a JDW. This was labelled as the Colorado IPA but I’m sure it is the same thing. Yeasty aroma with that slight eggy hint you get sometimes and is never too great. Appearance is clean golden ale with a reasonable head for what it is and lots of lace. Strong grapefruit and generally citric notes in the flavour but not with the floral character you would expect to follow. But wait there it is. It all comes through for the finish which is brief but crisp, clean and quite satisfying. Drinkable session beer. PS: Well said Chris_O. I seem to have discovered that middle ground too!

Cask Stillage at the Memorial Hall, Northwich 18/09/2004 Amber golden coloured with acidic taste. Slightly dry lasting finish.

Cask (gravity dispense), St Albans Beer Festival 2005. Don’t know where the commercial description came from - presumably a quote from the brewer lifted from somewhere or other. He might think there’s no middle ground with this beer but, frankly my dear, there most certainly is, and my view sits right in it. Copper colour. There’s a fair hop presence and, whilst there are some US style resinous notes, its really more grassy and herbaceous. Hopping levels certainly aren’t up to the US norm. Doesn’t have the punch that US IPAs have and any of our transatlantic chums who might get to try this are bound to point that out in no uncertain terms. More sharp than hop bitter. Don’t get me wrong, this is a decent beer, but the US IPA hullabaloo is over the top and just asking for trouble.

Toffee and amber coloured. Aromas are kiwi, strawberry and pine. Flavours are fruity and very floral in its hoppiness - almost parma violets. Spicy on the finish, Ethereal and hard to get your teeth around. Not bitter nor malty enough. Its an odd beer.

Gravity at the Birmingham Beer Festival. Rusty yellow, no head and a vinegar aroma. Standard but strange pale ale. No hoppiness per se, just an overblown organic grape flavour. Some ribena, quite tart, smoothish. Not brilliant.