A couple of big American IPAs for you today. First up, Black Diamond Jagged Edge. It's quite innocently pale without a whole lot going on in the aroma department. All the action is in the flavour, with a big marmalade kick delivered up front and given extra momentum by a heavy 7.3% ABV body. It doesn't do much else though, and I might have got bored had I not been drinking it next to some spicy Singapore noodles, to which it stood up rather well. Still, I reckoned it didn't have enough to it to justify a standalone blog post, so I went looking for something else to fill out another paragraph.
The result was Odell IPA, one I'd heard good things about from bloggers and Twitterers near and far. It's similarly strong at 7% ABV and feels much lighter and better balanced. I'd be interested to compare it directly with Goose Island IPA as they both have the same sweet mandarin-and-biscuit aroma and foretaste, finishing gently but firmly bitter. I'd say this has a little more bite to it, the mandarins turning to jaffas just on the end, but it's still beautifully balanced.I'd been a bit sceptical about the whole Odell thingy, having been unimpressed by St Lupulin. The rest of the range are now on my to-buy list.
Serious question: Are these cloudy because you poured the sediment in, or are they just cloudy? Or because they are very hoppy and very cold?
ReplyDeleteI have never liked the American tendency to opalescence.
I find if a beer is strong enough and has sufficient up-front C-hop character, it doesn't matter whether it has yeast suspended or not. That's my home beer-making secret anyway.
ReplyDeleteThey both would have come out of my beer fridge at about 10° so I don't think that's chill haze. A combination of the first and second options is your answer, I'd say.
Really like the Odell range of beers, have tried the above along with the St lupulin and liked them both. Their 90 Shilling ale is a really solid amber ale and the cutthroat porter is very good. I have yet to try the IPA, but I have that in the fridge ready to go this week.
ReplyDeleteLove Odell IPA, there is yeast in Odell beers
ReplyDeleteGoose Island IPA.... mmmmmm
ReplyDeletesorry, in dream land for a bit there