Punk IPA

Origin: Scotland

Type: IPA

Color: Golden blond

Alcohol content: 5.6%

Recommended serving temperature: 7ºC/45ºF

Brewery: Brew Dog

Webpage: http://www.brewdog.com/product/punk-ipa

I have decided to dedicate today's post to another great Scottish beer. This time however it is not from Williams Brothers, it is brewed by Brew Dog.

Brew Dog is rapidly gaining fame for several reasons. The first one is their marketing approach, very outspoken and direct, with evocative and unconventional descriptions of their beers such as “as it trickles down your throat this wolf in sheep’s clothing begins to grow teeth”, and unabashed plans for a craft beer revolution and world domination. Most of us keep our own plans for world domination concealed, I know I do (even though I am afraid I might just have blown my cover), and not many companies include it in their corporate purpose.

The second reason for their increasing popularity is their innovative approach to finance the growth of the brewery. They have done so by issuing shares which could be acquired on-line on their webpage, in an FSA accredited scheme which has much to do with crowdfunding. The scheme has been a huge success and has literally helped them to raise millions, giving their shareholders some neat additional perks, such as exclusive merchandise, discounts, the chance to participate in brewing shareholder specific beers, and the right to attend annual shareholder meetings which resemble more a craft beer party than a real corporate event.

Of course, these things are all fine and dandy, but you do not keep people talking about you if you do not step up to the plate with your beers, and that is precisely what they have done. The third and most important reason why there is such a hype going with this brewery, the reason that has made them the biggest independent brewery in Scotland, is indeed their spectacular brews.

They have caused quite a stir by topping the list of beers with the highest ABV several times with such creations as the Tactical Nuclear Penguin, Sink the Bismarck or the End of History, which boast 32%, 41% and 55% respectively (all of which I am waiting to try when I become a shareholder and benefit from their discount), but without having to hit such extremes, their more “normal” beers have also made quite an impact. Among them, the Punk IPA has become their flagship.

The Punk IPA, as its name gives away is of course an IPA. It is golden blond in color, slightly clearer than your average IPA, and with a slight hazyness. It develops a big head of soapy foam which reduces pretty fast but keeps a thin constant layer throughout.

The head smells slightly fruity sweet, in fact it is to me the part that gives out the sweetest smells in this beer, but mainly citrusy and hoppy. The beer itself is also quite fruity, with tones of citrus and tropical fruit, quite intriguing in a British IPA. The more traditional smells of British IPAs are not absent nevertheless, as herby bitter aromas soon come to mix with the fruits initially noticeable.

The same flavors are more or less appreciable in the mouth. Once again, the beer starts off with a soft fruitiness, tropical in the beginning but soon becoming citrusy as the bitterness becomes more and more evident. As the bitterness takes over completely, the taste loses most of its fruitiness and becomes more earthy or woodsy, giving out flavors which remind of herbs and resin, making the taste go drier and less refreshing than at the beginning, but adding some definite character and body to this beer.

This makes for a pretty thick beer, something which may be surprising judging from its appearance, as it does not really show a lot of carbonation and the body is therefore not attributable to its gas.

The end result is an IPA which you cannot really attempt to categorize, equidistant as it is from the British traditional IPAs as it is from its US sisters, both in the East and in the West, with both fruity tones and woody, herby ones, balanced in some moments, but decidedly bitter all the time. A good way to explain this is the description Brew Dog itself provides for it: a postmodern classic pale ale. A classic British style with a postmodern twist deriving from the fruity flavors added by the original hop selection.

In keeping with such proposal, a safe pairing would maybe come from post-modern pub food, i.e. anything that you can order in a pub but would not necessarily be the traditional option. In that vein, maybe some spicy beef skewers would probably stand up to this beer and bring the eclectic touch to match. At least in terms of eclecticism, because they would have to be some incredible skewers to match this beer in terms of deliciousness.