Grant's India Pale Ale

Review Date 10/4/2002 By John Staradumsky

  Style: India Pale Ale   Brewery: Grant's   Country: USA   State: Oregon   $ Per OZ: $.15   ABV: 4.2%

I remember the first time I tasted a Grant’s India Pale Ale. It was many years ago (close to ten I suspect) and I was beside myself with glee when I heard that Grant’s brews were being sold in the Ocean State. Back then, we didn’t see a lot of beers from the Pacific Northwest region being imported to New England, so I didn’t bat an eye at the $11 a six pack these beers sold for. I just bought them and enjoyed the heck out of them.

Today, Bert Grant the man is no longer with us, though fortunately his beers live on. A true legend in the beer world, Grant had a huge part in the craft brew renaissance we beer lovers enjoy today. His brewery lives on under new ownership, and his line of beers has expanded. Grant’s touts its beers as being big and bold, and while that’s true for the most part they do seem to have lost a bit of the character they displayed when Bert was at the helm.

One of my favorite Grant’s beers is the hearty India Pale Ale. I recall a unique floral character and toasty maltiness in this beer when I first tasted it so many moons ago. To be sure, it still possesses those qualities, but in altogether different proportions. Here’s what Grant’s tells you about the beer on the bottle:

British servicemen in 19th century India slaked their thirst with highly hopped pale ales sent from their homeland. Generous hopping helped stabilize the brews during shipping and also made them particularly refreshing in India's hot climate. Grant's recreates these medium-bodied India Pale Ales with Yakima-grown Galena and Cascade hops. India Pale Ale is a hop lovers dream, with a blend of butterscotch and caramel aromas and a crisp finish..

There are different ideas about India Pale Ale as it first appeared in 19th century England. As Grant’s describes it, the beers were highly hopped to survive the long ocean voyage. Undoubtedly, some of that hop character would have mellowed by the time the beer reached India. Still, the brew would have maintained much of its bitterness and spiciness. There are reports too that it may have been watered down at times before serving.

It is also probable that some of the beer got diverted to the home market, though how much may never be known. Perhaps some of those who tried it enjoyed the lively, extremely vibrant hop flavors of the beer. Combined with the demand for very hoppy brews returning troops must have created in the home market, a taste for a new style was born: India Pale Ale.

Most of the English India Pale Ales I have tasted lean toward the milder side, probably even less hoppy than what the troops got in India. On the other hand, many brewers in the United States today produce super-hoppy IPAs that would lean closer to the raw, young brews as they might have tasted before shipping. Then too, many domestic brewers use new hop varieties that give their beer entirely new aspects.

Bert Grant’s India Pale Ale falls somewhere in between the two. It is certainly a deliciously hoppy brew, hoppier than some, less hoppy than others. The beer pours to a bright golden color with a lively, foamy head formation and a spicy hop nose. A beautiful Brussels lace follows the beer down the glass. The palate is medium in body and lightly malty with a slightly toasty, lightly buttery flavor. Grapefruit-like hop notes develop just before a very impressive bitterness builds into the finish, where it lingers on the tongue after sipping.

This is a rather complex and very enjoyable India Pale Ale. I enjoy it as an aperitif before dinner, but it is also a good companion to fresh salads and spicy foods.