Beer – #631 – House of Nicholas – Sarah
Sarah is an IPA. It’s fairly secretive about what it is, so I have Secret beer, a musics secret, secret numbers and a secret from a party.
A moderately strong British-style ale with a focus on the hoppy aroma and dry finish
500ml bottle, brewed by The House of Nicholas, in the style that is of English IPA, which I presume just to mean IPA, since they started in England and everywhere else has just taken a spin on it? I’m in a surly mood though. This is a collaboration beer between Luke Nicholas of Epic and Simon Nicholas of Hop Federation.
An uncommonly media shy and reluctant beer in a 500ml bottle that is beer of 30 IBU and 5.7% ABV, and it comes in at 2.2 standard drink units, and about 168 calories a serve.
Royal regal and ready to be drunk, the beer not me
First brewed for Craft Beer Capital’s Hopstock fresh hop beer festival, this beer celebrates a common ancestor between the two “Sarah” from around the time of the first IPA’s (1700’s).
The latest version is a 5.7% IPA brewed using traditional dry processed hop pellets as wet hops or “fresh hops” are only available during harvest in March
So what could possibly go wrong?
The aroma is of a beer that is very brightly hopped, no mistaking what leads here.
IF it was a beauty completion this would be a winner, it is as pretty as a picture and pours lovely more to pale orange with a lovely head that loses its persistence and settled to a thickish film.
Taste is interesting, it’s not overly bitter and then there seems to be a gap between the initial taste and the lovely finish. I’m trying that again.
This isn’t then a crashing explosion of over hopped beer, it is very measured and paced, delivering a lovely drink of some quality. Respect.
Aroma is a highlight, so is the easy mouthfeel, this is very drinkable, and moorish, has a lovely finish that is just a tough of bitter dry and a lovely lingering taste, but all very subtle.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing, it is very good. Lovely drinking, almost a session drinking beer, or perhaps it is a session beer and I don’t get out often enough, I think that if you like IPA in an original and genuine way then this is a brilliant start, it’s a marvellous take on a very common beer with uncommonly good results.
The double dip review
Am I enjoying it? Very much so.
Would I have another? I would indeed, this is quality.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I would because it has a back story, and is a genuine beer, nothing outrageous, extravagant, special or seasonal, it’s a good stock beer, a very good stock beer, from good stock. Huzzah!
Music for this, well local is as local does so Virginia Claire “Gin” Wigmore (born 6 June 1986) is a New Zealand singer, and she has new album ‘ Blood to the Bone ‘ I’m listening on Spotify
INDIA PALE ALE & IPA
India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.
A life just as ordinary 