Butterscotch plus IPA, what the...?
Written: Oct 12 '08 (Updated Oct 17 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: sweet, butterscotch-like taste; smooth
Cons: Borderline sour, not bitter enough; very heavy
The Bottom Line: Would you prefer the safety of traditional taste or take a chance on a unique flavor?
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| Chad9976's Full Review: Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale |
Is there a difference between regular IPAs and East IPAs? I’ve seen a few beers with the “East” notation in the title but have not tried one until Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale. IPAs are usually bitter and tart, but this one was actually sour and sugary. I wasn’t a big fan, but at least I can’t accuse of being unoriginal.
POUR, COLOR AND AROMA
India Pale Ales, aside from being extremely tasty, are often beautiful to look at. Sea Dog isn’t quite as attractive as others of the type, though. It pours very smoothly to a cloudy copper color. There are no pulp bits noticeable but it is surprisingly blurry and seemingly low in carbonation.
The aroma is a mixture of organic sweet smells: maple syrup, butterscotch and brown sugar. In fact, I detected a scent somewhat similar to liquor, especially rum. I was very curious to see how this would beer would taste.
TASTE
In my experience with IPAs I’ve found them to be some of the most bitter and, paradoxically, most sweet beers. I was taken aback upon my first taste of Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale. Much like its aroma, this beer has a strong taste of butterscotch and syrup.
Now, I have nothing against sweet, malty beers, but they should have a taste appeal. In the case of Sea Dog it’s like drinking a very thin, alcoholic syrup. It also has a sour component reminiscent of pomegranate or cranberry juice. Where is the hop taste?
FINISH
Beers with strong flavors aren’t known for their smooth finish, but Sea Dog’s flavor, although strong, doesn’t make it difficult to drink. Since it’s so rich and malty it finishes pretty smooth. If it didn’t have a sour aftertaste it probably would have been even smoother, but that’s expected of an IPA.
BODY
Since this beer can be easily compared to syrup, do you really think it’s going to be a lightweight beer? Not hardly at 6.2% ABV. I definitely noticed its potency only halfway through my first bottle, which might explain the rum-like aroma. I wasn’t able to find out how many calories it contains but I’d guess about 200, which could easily be considered too heavy for a beer of this type.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m not sure how to react to Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale. Yes it was sweet and remotely easy to drink, but there just isn’t a lot of appeal to it. I found the butterscotch taste to be original, but not tasty enough to really savor and appreciate.
NOTE: Watch the VIDEO version of this review at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iDLRcHIVDg
OTHER INDIA PALE ALES:
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (4)
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (3)
Harpoon India Pale Ale (3)
JW Dundee's India Pale Ale (5)
Magic Hat Lucky Kat (5)
Saranac India Pale Ale (4)
Smuttynose India Pale Ale (4)
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Chad9976
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Member: Chad Polenz
Location: Albany, New York
Reviews written: 659
Trusted by: 147 members
About Me:Check out Chad'z Beer Reviews on YouTube
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