Sing with me:

“Oh, the big ship sails on the alley, alley’o,
The alley, alley’o, the alley, alley’o
The big ship sails on the alley, alley’o,
With kegs of India Pale Alee’O!”*

I’d sing that Nursery Rhyme any day.

India Pale Ale (IPA) was first brewed back in the late 18th Century as a way to deliver ales to the far reaches of the British Empire. It gets its name as ale bound for India. The long voyage (of six months or more) demanded ale that could withstand the rigors of the sea to the thirsty colonists. So, a brewer (George Hodgson) devised something with a huge amount of hops to make the trip. It was the first real ale to go, so to speak. [See The Good Beer Book, by Timothy Harper and Garret Oliver, pages 38-39 for more information on the origins of the IPA.]

One IPA that I fully enjoy and don’t necessarily share with visitors, is Wolaver’s India Pale Ale, a certified organic offering from Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury, Vermont.

[Wolaver’s Brewing Company is more of what it used to be (it started as a contract-brewed organic brand for Otter Creek Brewing and later wound up buying Otter Creek in 2002). It now exists as a niche organic brand of Otter Creek, stilled brewed in Middlebury, Vermont. The Wolaver’s side of the business offers 3 year-round offerings and 2 specialty seasonals. The Otter Creek side offers 4 year-round, 4 seasonals, and 7 specialty releases.]

Wolaver’s IPA is 98% organic made from water, yeast, and organic barley, and Hallertauer, Magnum, and Crystal hops; the company is committed to supporting the small family farmer. It’s certainly one of the better offerings on the East Coast and New England areas. It is USDA certified organic.

And, it’s an ale that may make it good to turn green from time to time. Porcelain Bus not included. Al Gore would be so proud of you for drinking it. Green beer can be good for you and the environment. That’s the point.

Politics aside, organic ale does make sense. It’s fresher, it has no chemical additives, and it tastes better. Any beer without adjuncts or ingredient substitutes (rice, corn) is worth looking into from my perspective. I like a beer cooler full of opportunities, and my own beer fridge reflects that desire. My review is based on a six-pack of WIPA that was bottled on 3/29/06.

Wolaver’s India Pale Ale pours to a golden amber color with a full head of beer lace, and strong hints of the floral and grassy.

The taste is a very subtle mix of the dry and sweet with a nice dryness at the finish at the back of the throat. Though dry, it is not harshly so. The bursts of hop tartness are softened with some underlying sweetness from the malts.

It has a pleasant citrus bite to go along with the sweet and dry tones and it’s somewhat tangy in the mouth feel. As it warms up, it gets a bit more tangy. The dry tones hang around throughout the session.

Wolaver’s doesn’t include its alcohol by volume (ABV) rating, but to be an IPA it would have to be over 6 percent. (The Good Beer Book rates the IPA style at between 6.5 and 7.5 percent ABV, page 39.) Wolaver’s does give its original gravity (OG) rating at 1064, which is the percentage of sugars in the wort (the liquid beer base) prior to fermentation. The higher the OG, the higher the alcohol content (see The Good Beer Book, pages 214-216 for a Glossary of beer terms). I think the Wolaver’s is over the 6.5 percent threshold, if not a tad below it.

Wolaver’s India Pale Ale is priced at $7.99 in my neck of the woods which makes it competitive with other microbrews. And, to get an organic at that price is reasonable in my mind and beer wallet.

Many people think of IPAs as a warm weather drinker, but actually, they go a long way when drinking when it’s colder outside. The higher alcohol content gives IPAs a nice winter warmer effect. They can be drunk the year round. All in all, this is well done IPA, perhaps not in the perfect style, but certainly within the traditional framework (four stars).

Sources
www.wolavers.com
*Wiggle Waggle Fun: Stories and Rhymes for the Very Very Young by Margaret Mayo.
Harper, Timothy, and Garret Oliver. The Good Beer Book New York: Berkley Books, 1997


Recommended: Yes