To begin, I would like to wish one our engineers, Alan, a speedy recovery. Alan is an avid cyclist and was in an accident last week and broke his collarbone. He will be out of commission for a while as he recovers. We all hope he heals quickly and gets back to work, since the rest of us our pulling up the slack!
Club Reviews: Arnold - "Bland." Trish - "Bitter. There is no goodness at all." Troy - "It smells good, but it doesn't have as much bite as most IPAs." Mike - "IPA stands for icky piece of artichoke."
The beer club this week continued our on-going battle over India Pale Ales (IPAs). As we each popped the top of our bottle of Mystic Bridge IPA by Cottrell Brewing Co., it became immediately obvious who liked it and who did not. Of course, one among us refused to subject his refined taste buds to even a drop of the offending IPA and brought his own selection. According to Wikipedia, “India Pale Ale, abbreviated IPA, is a type of ale that is light amber to copper in colour, medium to medium-high alcohol by volume, with hoppy, bitter and sometimes malty flavour.”
This week’s selection, Mystic Bridge, is described by World Beer Direct as having a “slight sharpness results from the union of high alpha acid hops and alcohol … Full of rich caramel and over ripened red apple flavors, some floral aromatics and sharp, bitter citrusy notes as the hops flex their muscle.” Half of the group would agree with the bitter part of this description as they winced with each sip. Now, for some of us, we enjoyed the flavor. I guess IPAs are an acquired taste, but for some it’s a taste they will stay away from if at all possible. Although Mystic Bridge was not one of my favorite IPAs, I did enjoy the crisp hops taste with a hint of honey that mellows it out, giving it a nice balance. The people who don’t like a strong IPA will probably like this beer.
On a scale of one to five, Mystic Bridge received several 3’s, one 2, a one, and a zero. IPA — like it, or not?
