Green Man IPA   

Review Date 5/24/2016   Last Updated 8/5/2018   By John Staradumsky

These days, when beer geeks talk about “old school India Pale Ale”, it’s often American IPA, once known as West Coast IPA they’re referring to. Those are the caramel malty IPAs that we still see today, loaded with resiny pine and citrus grapefruit notes. Time was, though, when those were the newfangled arrivals on the scene, and “old school India Pale Ale” was really old school: classic English style IPA.

A good example of same brewed right here in the US of A is Green Man IPA. Like most British IPAs I’ve tried, Green Man IPA is a little less malty and hoppy than the old American IPAs I referenced above, though definitely more malty than many of the modern fruit-loopy thin malty IPAs. It features English malts and hops, too, with the latter providing a much different flavor profile.

From the label:

Green Man India Pale Ale is delectably hoppy with a properly balanced body. Generous hop additions give it a wonderful bitterness and pleasant floral nose, while our combination of traditional British malts creates a rich, satisfying flavor and alluring copper color. This authentic English-style IPA is our flagship ale.

Green Man IPA has an alcohol content of 6.2% by volume with 63 IBUs. It was running $9.99 a six-pack when I bought mine.

Green Man IPA pours to a bright orange color with a medium-sized head of creamy foam and a light aroma of earthy English hops. Taking a sip, the beer has just the right amount of caramel malt up front for an English IPA, perhaps even a little toasty malt too. The hops emerge ever so slightly citric but quickly more herbal and grassy, flowery and at the last punctuated with a lingering dry bitterness. Fuggles and Goldings perhaps?

All in all, Green Man IPA is a breath of fresh air, a true English-style IPA (although at that hoppier and stronger than most English IPAs that make it to the states). Asheville, North Carolina’s Green man calls this their flagship beer. One sip and you’ll see why.

Update 8/6/2018: Green Man IPA draft at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Sublime in its wonderful imbalance of full bodied malt totally overwhelmed by an inexorable assault of bitter grassy hops. $4.67 for a pint.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

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