Beer Alphabet Week 5 - E

Another week, another two beers. And as I settle into my new job, I find that this week hasn't allowed me a great deal of time to sit down and enjoy nice beer (night shifts), hence the Sunday posting. So, a quiet night with a couple of E's...

Brooklyn East India Pale, a classic in every sense - something Brooklyn seem to be excellent at. It's not the hugest of beers, but the earthy, caramel aromas are enticing. Similar on the palate, the mouthfeel is a little light for a 6.8% but there is a nice maltiness with some hoppy fruits and caramel coming through. Lovely beer and a true stalwart; there are bigger, more hop-forward Americans out there, but sometimes you just need a break, right?

Next up, Burton Bridge Empire IPA. I was highly disappointed with their Porter, but this was a beer I'd heard good things about. Interesting, to say the least. Very zesty aroma with a hint of banana, some lemon sherbet and a piney spiciness. Not what I expected on the palate - a huge initial juiciness makes way for a slight acidic, almost Belgian tripel style yeasty quality. All I can say is zest zest zest! A decent beer, not at all expected and quite a unique take on an IPA but I've had more enjoyable drinking experiences. After such confusion, it was interesting to scour Beer advocate for other people's opinions; I deduce that others were similarly perplexed.