Empire Strikes Back

Burton Bridge Empire pale ale is an IPA. In case you have ever wondered, IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It doesn’t originate from India, and is not Indian Pale Ale but I believe has its roots in sending British beers overseas. To endure the journey, they were brewed stronger than your average beer, and that should still be the same today.

You see a lot of beers boasting the title “IPA” these days but I’m not always convinced they are true IPAs. In my book, two things are true about a proper IPA. 1) They are pale and 2) they are brewed strong (perhaps to the 6%+ range but certainly 5.5%). You see plenty of examples in the supermarkets and elsewhere of ale that are dark and weak, and yet still claim to be IPAs. Not so in my humble opinion!

The Burton Bridge Empire pale ale is both strong and pale, and an excellent example of what I think of when I hear the term “IPA”.

About the beer

Burton Bridge Empire pale ale – my fourth beer on the 300 list and is classed as an IPA – you may have guessed.

It is pale and golden, and if I had to sum it up in one single word, that would be “rich”. This is truly a “rich” beer, and its sumptuous taste doesn’t disappear as soon as you swallow it. You don’t get punched with bitterness, as some IPAs can, but rather the richness of the malt and hops fades leaving a lingering bitterness on the tongue. It really is a splendid beer!

Referring to my previous post about not wasting your units; this is furthest from doing so. A pint or bottle of this beer could last you a fair while if you savour it. At a hefty ABV too, you won’t need too many before you reach the recommended daily alcohol limit!

Alcohol: 7.5% (that’s 3.75 units for the 500ml bottle and above the daily intake recommended by the new guidelines)

My rating: 7/10

 

This is a great beer, and one I’ve not had before. If you get a chance to try it, I’d recommend you do so. It’s brewed by Burton Bridge brewery, in Burton-on-Trent and if you can get to their brewery tap and try it, you won’t regret it. For those of us who don’t live in the area, you may find it harder to come by.

Where did I get mine? Believe it or not, I bought it from Amazon! They don’t just stock CDs, books and the like these days, and actually have a fair few brews to choose from. You have to watch the delivery prices, as they can really sting you if you’re not careful, but a pack of six Empire ales was a little more than £20 delivered. That may seem quite expensive, but don’t forget how strong this beer is and you won’t find it on 4 bottles for a fiver in your local Asda!

More on where to get your beer in a future blog I suspect!

A final word about bottle-conditioned beers. Empire ale is an example of a beer that is bottle-conditioned and what this means is that there is live yeast in the bottle and it will therefore have sediment in it. If you don’t pour it carefully, you will get a cloudy beer. This is worsened by buying online, as it will only get shaken up and disturbed on route to your home.

Again, more on bottle conditioning in a future blog. But for now, if you procure one, just make sure you pour it slowly and carefully, and where you can see the beer clearly. Stop pouring if you see the sediment coming out! It won’t hurt you, but could affect the taste of your beer.