Sail & Anchor IPA

Brewed by Sail & Anchor Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Fremantle, Australia

[On-tap at Sail & Anchor] Pours deep amber with a small white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma is very subdued--doesn’t help that it is served in a chilled glass. Some light hops and malt. Taste is very biscuity, mild bitterness. Really unusual, and not very good for an IPA. Decent mouthfeel, average length finish. I have had some pretty good hoppy beers since I have been here, but this is certainly not one of them. Hops are way too restrained, leaving just the malt to show through (which doesn’t really work with it).

on tap, brewtopia06. decent amber colour with a pale head. aroma of caramel and hazelnut. faintly citric but spoilt by a harsh pride of ringwood kick

12 May 2006 (AIBA 2006-Rating 25) - Big hop, light fruit malt aroma. Light cloudy amber colour, good head and lacing. Big hoppy light malt flavour. Pleasant hoppy nice balanced beer.

I really hope that the Aussie brewers get this style right one day. This pours well with a good amber/brown colour that looks like a JS IPA. The aroma is a bit muted as it is serves too cold, but upon warming it mellows out with a fruitiness and syrupy flavour. There isn’t that real IPA hit but there is promise, shame we don’t rate on potential though.

Amber in colour with an orange hue. Short lasted off white head. Metallic aroma with some earthy dusty notes. Flavour isn’t much better, bland fruity notes with an earthy hop finish. Thin in body. Really dissapointing. I remember S&A beers being so much better.

On tap as the "Brewers Choice" feature at the Sail & Anchor pub in Freo. Fantastic appearance-- brilliant crystal orange (and I mean orange, not amber in any way!), nice head, good lace. Lots of aromas here: big citrus and flowery hops, a little vanilla too. Full flavoured palate, zesty hop presence, balanced bitter finish. I thought this an excellent IPA, contrary to the majority of reviews.

Looking over the few ratings for this beer and the time in between tastings, the beer has certainly changed a lot. In ’02 Ol_juntan’s review commented on the fullness of the body and the malt in the mouth. In ’03 it seemed to have hop character and as I downed a pint on a Sunday afternoon fresh from the tap at the Sail & anchor Brewpub in Fremantle, I can’t help but think I tasted the wrong IPA. Pours a brilliant deep gold with the trademark S&A fluffy white head. Very feint almost non existent citric hop aroma and a little dank liquor (may be the keg lines, I’ve had this problem before). In the mouth, H2O came to mind, with a watery thin, highly carbonated beer that had Pale Aussie Lager written all over it. Dry and bitter in the back, I dare say the hops used were high alpha Tasmanian varieties, as they lacked all character bar some bitter grassyness. Towards the end of the pint and as the beer warmed, the littlest hint of sweet malt and floral citric hops came through. It may have been the sample and the time of day, but it did nothing for me and seemed one more suited to the ’Lager Louts’ than the seasoned drinkers. Disappointed!!!

Felt this beer could have been alot better. Agree with the comments made by sirob in regards to the hops.