Whoops I goofed! There I was reaching into my DBR (Dedicated Beer Refrigerator) for a bottle of IPA as the first beer of the night, and what did I come up with? The Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial India Pale Ale. Now friends, you may be saying at this point, “But Bruguru, The Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial India Pale Ale is an IPA, so what are you complaining about? “ And you’d be right, of course. It’s just that I don’t usually drink a beer so strong as my first beer, I generally like to start out with something lighter and work my way up.

Anyway, I certainly was happy with the beer when I poured it into my glass. This is the second beer that I’ve enjoyed from The Brew Kettle, after Dark Helmet Imperial Schwarzbier. Old 21 Imperial India Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 9% by volume, boasts 90 IBUS, and is hopped exclusively with Simcoes. Simcoes are notable for pine and citrus aromas and flavors and have a high alpha acid content for bittering.

From the label:

A big bold imperial IPA! The clean mal plays a supporting role to the straight up Simcoe hops through and through that give this varietal hop bomb its bang!

The Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial India Pale Ale pours to a bright orange color with a thick creamy head formation and a wonderfully bright and spicy nose of citrus, resin, and tropical fruit. Taking a sip, this one has some chewy caramel malt up front, but that doesn’t have long to leave an impression before the hops hit. Wave after wave of big citrusy grapefruit notes and then some piney resin assault the palate, all followed by a huge herbal and long dry bitterness. That bitterness really sticks around on the tongue.

Old 21 Imperial India Pale Ale doesn’t seem 9% at first, though the alcohol becomes a bit more apparent as the beer warms. Just a lovely beer, I really enjoyed the double-layered attack of Simcoe aroma and bitterness. One of the best Imperial India Pale Ales I’ve had in a long time! See? I’m glad that I grabbed this one after all……..

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