And I thought their Pale Ale was hoppy: Wolaver's Organic India Pale Ale
Sep 20 '01
The Bottom Line Do you have what it takes to be a capitalist revisioning of an imperialist dog?
PRO: A nicely hopped American-style IPA.
CON: Too hoppy for some occasions.
Rating: 4 Stars
India Pale Ales (IPA) are strong and strongly hopped. This style of beer originated in the British Empire, as beers which were brewed to be sent to the troops in India had to be especially robust and keep from going bad. Alcohol and hops both help retard bacterial growth. When the casks arrived in India, they were watered back down to normal beer rations strength (no Europeans drank unsafe, unsanitary water back before germ theory). Some lucky officers on those ships were able to sample the beer on board the ship during transport, lucky devils.
IPA's not only are a part of history, but Wolaver's Organic India Pale Ale allows us to imagine that we're imperialistic dogs bent upon beating the world into subservience AND know that what we're doing is good for the environment.
Head
The head on this beer is a little on the light side.
Color
Pale amber and clear. Just a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny bit more red than the Pale Ale.
Aroma
A heavy flowery, "green" hop aroma, a touch of citrus. The Pale is only moderate.
Flavor, Body, Finish, Aftertaste
Starts malty sweet for a couple milliseconds, then the hops pop up to say "Argh", just like a pirate. And when hops do that, you've got yourself a mighty hoppy IPA. Bitter even at the front of the tongue, and just more as you swallow. The finish has a citrus-towards-metalic taste to it which blends to the aftertaste, which is strong and long lasting. This is a tongue numbing IPA, not extreme, but numb none-the-less. I don't know that I'd go so far as to claim that this artfully balances a complex malt character with generous amounts of fresh hop cones for a full, distinctive taste and a clean, crisp finish like they do on their website, though. This is definitely an American IPO which really pushes the hops way out there. The Pale Ale from Wolaver's is more of your non-American IPA strength and is more full and round malt to balance it out, the IPA is much more strongly hopped and not as well balanced. Though they don't advertise the alcohol content, it isn't too hard to tell that the IPA is also a touch more strong than the Pale.
Warm
This brew also gets just a touch of what I can only think of as oaky when it warms up. The hops jump out more and malt also sweetens a bit, but the body sort of falls apart. Eventually the hop bite becomes something more like an innertube taste. Cellar temperature at the least to keep this knavish sailor in line.
Propaganda
Brewed with organically grown barley and hops, Wolaver's isn't ashamed of contract brewing out their beers, in fact, they advertise it as one of the Good Things that they do. By drinking Wolaver's, you're not only an eco-terrorist, but you're supporting a localish microbrewery.
"Partnership Breweries" AKA contract breweries for Wollaver's line are:
Pacific West North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, CA
Northeast Otter Creek Brewing Company, Middlebury, VT
Great Lakes Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, IL
Florida Ybor City Brewing Company, Tampa, FL
Southwest Rockies Brewing Company, Boulder, CO
You can also learn about who organic farming is better than strip-mining at www.wolavers.com .
Conclusion
I poured this in the glass, wondering what the heck this company was doing producing both an India Pale Ale and a Pale Ale, but really, these two beers are great to illustrate how much you can do within a single style. They both have the same Wolaver's taste to them (obviously they use the same yeast strain, and probably nearly identical brewing procedures) but they also are qutie far apart in taste. The IPA is great for those times I want an extra hoppy blast, the Pale Ale is a little more sedate and refreshing. I think Wolaver's is going to become a regular in my fridge. (Pookie would still rather get SweetWater 420 from Atlanta, Georgia, and I admit that I too miss it, but hey, with Wolaver's Organic I know that every purchase supports a healthier environment for us all.™)
the other Wolaver's brews
Wolaver's Brown Ale: http://www.epinions.com/content_1843241092
Wolaver's Pale Ale: http://www.epinions.com/content_1296736388
Quick Stats
Original Gravity: -?-
Final Gravity: -?-
Alcohol by Volume: -?-
Color in Lovibond: -?-
Bittering Units: -?-
Malts: Munich and Caramel
Hops: Magnum, Crystal, Hallertauer
Bottles: Twist-off. (In the NorthEast, at least.)
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Epinions.com ID:
roymeo
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Location: SF, CA
Reviews written: 79
Trusted by: 105 members
About Me:
pseudo-intellectual altie-poser taken to self-deprecation
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