Searching For a Glass of Fine Beer: Greene King IPA Ale

If someone asked me to name my two favourite IPAs I’d say, at the present time and knowing there are likely others out there in the real world I’ll enjoy just as much when I get there, Rogue Yellow Snow and Greene King.

Not because I’ve enjoyed them both during Shed Nights while sitting in a comfortable chair and talking with friends, even though everything tastes better in the shed, i.e., my workshop.


["Shed Night: A good beer and a sip of whisky": photos GAH]

Not because the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team was leading Switzerland 1 - 0 last Thursday night while sipping Greene King.

But because the fine brewers of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, make an IPA (“brewed to a stronger 5%, to recreate the original IPA taste and strength that characterised the beer that was shipped to the Indian Raj in the 1800s”) that smells and tastes really good.


["Chilled to perfection on the basement floor, and in a glass that shows off the colour and is wide enough to accept my nose"]

To my nose the beer is pleasantly hoppy and malty with sweet honey notes. To my tongue it is smooth, full of delicious flavours. To my throat it is all balance and harmony, which is the opposite of what anyone would say while listening to an orchestra that included me on first - even second - violin.

Though the 500 ml bottle costs $3.40 at local LCBOs, a pretty penny in my book, to the fine men of Bury I say, I dig your work.

I find the reddish-brown colour appealing, would happily recommend it to all those who have their own shed, wherever it may be, and will buy it again.

Two special notes follow:

Firstly, on the back label I see that Greene King IPA won the Silver Award at The British Bottlers’ Institute 2006 Competition.

I ask myself, who won gold?

Well, with the help of Google I discovered that in CLASS C (Ales 5.0 – 5.9%) the Gold Award went to The Chiltern Brewery Aylesbury 300’s Old Ale.

Well, the search begins.



["A glass for beer, a boot for whisky"]

Secondly, while sipping the Silver Award winner last Thursday evening, I was told Vancouver’s Olympic Committee shipped a working ice-resurfacing machine (improperly called a Zamboni at times) over the Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver, by helicopter, in order to repair the ice for Olympic speed skaters. (No word if the driver was strapped to the fender during transit).

At the time, while raising a glass of Greene King high, all I could say was, I love this country!

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Please click here to link to my last beer review: John By Imperial Stout

You can find more Searching For a Glass of Fine Beer reviews farther down in the right hand margin.

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