Greene King's Very Special India Pale Ale has been on offer recently at Waitrose. This 7.5% beer comes in a clear glass 355ml bottle and is said to be "brewed to emulate the early india pale ales that were shipped during the 18th Century".
That's quite a reputation to live up to, especially as we don't really know what such beers actually tasted like. However, 7.5% is a good strength for such a beer and it tasted pleasant enough. Unfortunately it didn't really deliver much else; certainly nothing like what I was expecting. For a start a clear glass bottle is a bad move in my book. Brewers have not been bottling their beers in brown, or green glass bottles these past 200 years or so without good reason! Second, the beer just wasn't hoppy enough for my liking, although I have to say it did deliver in terms of juicy maltiness.
If it is still on offer this weekend, I'll buy another bottle and give it a second try. It's a beer that ought to succeed, but which may need a bit more in the way of adjustment.
5 comments:
Have to agree - I found this rather underwhelming and really too sweet and malty. It's like a stronger version of the equally disappointing Abbot Reserve.
I quite enjoyed it, though you're right it could do with more hops.
I found this undrinkable. As have two mates who also tried it. We all threw it away. Save your money and buy something else instead!
I too was very disappointed with Abbot Reserve. It was the bottled version that I tried, as I seem to keep missing the draught one.
i actually rather liked this beer. and being someone who doesn’t like most of green kings efforts, its kind of a surprise. I’ve been drinking a lot of strong, double American IPA'S recently so i found it to be quite a refreshing change
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