I've been to Bristol today for a work meeting. I'm a trainee manager at Sainsbury's and we popped into a nearby branch for some food after. Naturally, I checked out the beer offerings to see if there was anything different to what we sell up in the Midlands. Top shelf, I spyed a Meantime London Porter and IPA. read a bit about these and had some other Meantime beers in the past, so they were duly bought.
Sharon, the ladyfriend, is on the way back from seeing her sisters with Chinese. One of my flatmates, Porter, is downstairs obsessively playing COD2. QI is on the telly. I've cracked open the IPA while I'm waiting for my food. I'm starving.
It pours a lovely golden colour, with a ruby tinge to it. There's a lot of carbonation and a really big head, which went quickly. I stuck my nose in and there is malt in there and also apples, a slight touch of cider. Slightly sweet, as well.
Start drinking and it goes down really easily. There isn't much on the initial taste, but going over the tongue I have the apples again and there is a nice warming alcohol on the aftertaste, showing off the 7.5% strength of this beer. There are some hops but nowhere near the bitterness I was expecting.
So, overall, would I buy it again? I definitely enjoyed it but there are plenty other IPAs that give me the hoppy, bitter kick that I want and crave. Also, at £4 a bottle, even after staff discount, it was a bit more expensive then over offerings. Granted, you're getting 750ml for your money, but there are other IPAs that I hold in higher regard, that are better value for money.
