Name: Newcastle Winter IPA
Brewer: The Caledonian Brewery Co. LTD (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Brewed in Newcastle, England
Classification: English IPA
Alcohol: ?
Thoughts: Newcastle's Winter IPA is the other sample I was sent. If you notice the picture about is not a real photo. That is because this brew has yet to be released on the world. You may have also noticed that this is a Winter IPA. Usually IPAs are summery and the complete opposite of what you would want in a winter beer. However, the English live in England, where it is rainy, cold and the food sucks. So beer is made weather appropriate. Which means it is rich, flavorful and will keep you warm through out the season. Does this Winter IPA match up? Let's see. It pours a lucid brown with a two-finger white head. The smell is very traditional for an IPA with hops, caramel, and malty undertones. This brew feels smooth, yet powerful. The taste seems familiar, almost nostalgic. It tastes mostly like sweet malts, with hops trying to get in on the show but falling short of overcoming the dominant malt character, which fades into alcoholic notes. Don't think that last sentence means this brew falls short of being good. No, not at all. The taste is quite special. It is like a an old friend pulling a knife on you and yelling, "How you like me now?", exciting and dangerous but safe and comfortable. I rather like this beer. But does it fit the label of being a Winter IPA. In one word, Yes. It is rich, it is flavorful and I feel like it warms my body as it goes down my throat. A feeling that is even better during the cold season than it does now at the end of the summer. But let me be honest. It works pretty well now too.
Rating: 85/100
Did you drink the beer before writing this? Because it tastes like someone decided that burnt coffee mixed with alcohol equals beer.
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