Alcohol in the news; Got beerdom? a different type of beer for a different type of experience

from the buzz

Got beerdom? A different type of beer for a different type of experience

This is apparently the first beer style review by the buzz's new beer person. This one is about, IPA's.

India Pale Ales are a unique class of beers known for their high alcohol content and bitter, hoppy illustriousness. The name is interesting because the beer actually originated in England in the late 1700s, however, to make the long journey to India by way of the East India Company, it was beneficial to ship a beer that had a high hop content. The extra hoppy-ness acts as a natural preservative to endure the long journey. Another trick the brewers used was to reduce the soluble sugars in the yeast to prevent a variety of micro-organisms from attacking the greatness that is beer. This, in turn, produced a beer that is lighter in color, higher in alcohol, and very bitter compared to the darker porters of their day.

Mostly... myth.

To gain a grasp on IPAs that are relatively easy to find on the market or at one’s local market, I went ahead and created my own six-pack consisting of Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, New Belgium’s Ranger IPA, and Goose Island’s IPA.

If you read the article, you'll notice he talks about abv, and bitterness, along with some talk of sweetness. No mention of what style of bitter (pine, citrus, floral). Just that this was more bitter, less bitter, more sweet, less sweet.

The Torpedo was by far my more favorite of the three; the smell is subtle and a tad sweeter than the other two, and the taste had a lasting effect that didn’t bite at your taste buds too badly. It is also worth noting that the Torpedo has the highest alcohol content at 7.2% so if you’re looking for a good time with a classy beer, look no further.

Classy

The Goose Island IPA was definitely my second favorite. It certainly kept intact the idea that I was drinking an IPA with a good bite, but nothing too strong that a seasoned beer connoisseur couldn’t handle.

The term "bite" is used quite often.

And that is the truth about IPAs, most people at first glance claim the beer to be too bitter and hoppy for their taste but the fact of the matter is that most people don’t like beer in general at first taste; most things in life that are truly worth having are worth striving for and in this case the acquired taste of IPAs are certainly worth the training your taste buds will need to endure.

Alright Ramine, I invite you to go drink some tarts with me, my treat.