Spinnakers IPA

Brewed by Spinnakers Brewpub
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Victoria, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

22oz bottle from Brewery Creek in Vancouver. Maybe I got an off bottle of this. The aroma was slightly funky and mostly malt with the slightest hint of hops. On the tongue there were slightly roasted malts, fairly bready, and what tasted like British hops (subtle and not really interesting). The finish was a little sharp, metallic and stale. I would classify this as an inferior English style IPA, not a west coaster, and certainly not as good as many other locally made IPA’s. Disappointing.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub - Victoria BC
Hoppy with a nice malt backing this was a good IPA had the flavors and the grapefruit finish that I like.

Colour was a light amber with a creamy head that dropped off rather quickly. Aroma was somewhat hoppy, but also with more malt that I’d expected. Taste was more of the same, with some bite from the hops but more malt than I wanted in an IPA.

Verre, 5 onces, en fût, bue sur place, le 27 avril 2009; oeil : dorée, claire, très légère effervescence, petit anneau de mousse fauve; nez : houblon résineux, léger orange, léger pamplemousse, léger malt caramel; bouche : houblon résineux, léger orange, malt caramel, léger citrique, finale en malt caramel avec une bonne présence de houblon résineux, légère astringence, corps moyen, très légèrement amère, moyennement sucrée, coulante, légèrement granuleuse; en résumé : bien aimé mais perd de ses qualités lorsqu’elle se réchauffe ENGLISH Glass, 5-ounce, draught, on the premise on April 27 2009; eye: golden, clear, slight effervescence, tiny ring of tan head; nose: resinous hops, light orange, light grapefruit, light caramel malt; mouth: resinous hops, light orange, caramel malt, light citrusy, finale in caramel malt with good presence of resinous hops, light astringency, medium body, slightly bitter, mildly sweet, slick, lightly grainy; overall : quite likable but loses its qualities as it warms up

UPDATED: AUG 24, 2011
2011-08-16, draught at the brewpub, 7-4-7-4-14=36
Dark blond color. The aroma is nice, but full of cereals and grains. Good body strength; malt and toffee flavor, with moderate residual sweetness; good bitterness level, but not many hop qualities besides some obvious resins.
Pleasant bold, non-aromatic, IPA.

2008-08-08, bottle, 7-4-7-5-15=38
Hazy deep blond color. Surprisingly it has a very good malt aroma, like the best German Pilsners, full and leaning to the cereals side. Quite full body, very good malt flavor with very good hopping too, again like a German Pilsners but with a light fruity touch and less crispy and dry. Strange, but very good.

On tap at the brewpub, highly carbonated, with strong citrus flavors. Ordinary malt background, and mild bitterness but still a solid IPA. Different than the normal.

650 ml bomber bottle purchased at "The Strath" Ale, Wine and Spirit Merchants at the Strathcona Hotel in Victoria, BC. Pour is mostly clear, orange golden with a one inch white head. Aroma of muted resin, pine and fresh hoppiness. Taste is the pine and citrus, the malt is present, though also muted. Near the finish, a mineral flintiness appeared. This reminded me more of an English style IPA. Palate was a bit on the thin side. Overall, not a bad IPA, just a bit boring.

slightly orange-tinited golden colour, big rocky white head. Tangerine and caramel aroma. Sweet entry giving way to floral and citrus hoppiness, mildly bitter finish. This is certainly not the Cascade hop monster that many American IPAs are, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it should be re-classed as an American pale ale.