Jaw Gate Buxton Brewery

#204 Jaw Gate


Buxton Brewery

Buxton, England, United Kingdom
Independent
American Pale Ale
5.6 % ABV 500 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$5.45 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @buxtonbrewery

A first offering from the British Microbrewery in Buxton, England. There isn't much on the bottle to go by except that it was inspired by a recent altercation (That's British for fist fight I imagine). This is the first time I have seen a British brewery do a take on the American Pale Ale style, which in itself is a take on the British India Pale Ale style. What's the difference you might ask? Well, both beers fall into the Pale Ale category of beers, IPA's were brewed with extra added hops, as the brewers found that the hops would help preserve the beer on the long ship voyage to India (where it was given to British soldiers as part of their rations) hence the India part in India Pale Ale. APAs on the other hand, are meant to show off... hops that is. Many varieties of American hops have intense floral and fruit characteristics, so the beer became a "delivery device...' so to speak, of these intense flavours. There are not a lot of hard and fast rules that state, this beer must be an APA, yet, it is mostly up to the brewer. I would expect as the category grows, clearer lines will be drawn to further delineate the beer style.

Enough with the technicalities... onto the beer.

Pours a clear gold with a fluffy off-white head made of tiny bubbles. Aroma is light citrus and tropical fruit light hints of sweet caramel malt. First sip is tart pineapple and grapefruit with some grainy sweet malt. Body is very light. Some honey and floral notes, orange and peach, with a touch of earthiness. Aeration brings out an herbal hoppiness. Finish has a slight ashen quality to it.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS




Final Thoughts:

Over all, not a bad beer but nothing about it says American pale Ale the way we have come to know them. I think it is just a tad too subtle (a very British problem). While the fruity hops are there, they are not bold like most APAs. While I would not discourage you from trying it, if you are expecting an "in your face' APA this beer is not it. Try it with a nice curry though... the fruitiness and the refreshing qualities would mesh nicely with Britain's favourite snack.

Cheers
CJT


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