INNOVATION IN A BOTTLE!
Born out of a desire to produce something truly unique....
There are certain words in the English language that on definition carry with them some heavy expectations and ' Innovation ' must be one of them!
It is a tall order for any brewer to be asked to produce a beer that fulfils this request , but that was the gauntlet thrown down to the Head Brewer at Adnams Brewery in Southwold in 2008. The criteria was to produce a limited edition celebratory brew truly unique in character, which has since gone on to become a regular part of their portfolio.
it was originally brewed to celebrate the opening of the new brew house which had incorporated the latest state of the art technology in making the brewery not just more efficient, but environment friendly also. This all being done within the original Victorian façade .
The brewery describes the beer as being in the ' American IPA style ' which is what they wanted to replicate. The use of Columbus hops certainly gives the beer a New World angle, and hints at the way in which other British brewers are experimenting with these hops to add a new dimension on flavour ( especially amongst micro-brewers ) .
But, is it truly in the American IPA style ? The beer is a curiosity on tasting almost a beer of two halves, with one foot in the past and the other in the present. You sense that the beer (rightly) reflects Adnams ale heritage, not just by its strength and fruity top fermented 'ale ' overtones , but also reflects the changing tastes of today with the emergence of the ' golden ale ' style. This can be seen especially in the choice of hops and the beers deep golden colour. So it seems to be a slightly contradictory beer, but does it work ?
The aroma is a complex mix with a malt depth combined with deep ' pine ' note resins. On the palate it's strength adds a silky smooth body with citrus zest and notes of orange peel and marmalade fruit. There are subtle but peppery hop flavours on the finish which gives the beer further complexity and a long warming finish.
The beer does then set out to do what it intended in being something quite different on several levels. Whether it is close to an American IPA is open to debate as they tend to be more hop driven and assertive in style. The Adnams beer is a very good beer in it's own right, cleverly combining flavours to produce something very different and thought provoking.
And on this level as a beer that challenges not just convention, but wishes to push the boundaries and be truly ' Innovative ' it certainly works!
------------------------------------------
Although the beer is part of the Adnams bottled range it is not on general release but can be purchased either direct from the brewery at: www.adnams.co.uk or at one of their Cellar & Kitchen shops by the bottlle.
TO RETURN TO ARCHIVE CLICK ON ARROW TOP OF PAGE
