Beer of the Weekend #368: White Hawk Select IPA

Here is an interesting piece of history: 95 years ago today, Aqaba was captured by Arab Revolt forces led by T.E. Lawrence and Auda ibu Tayi. The only reason I know about it is because it is a key event in Lawrence of Arabia, a stellar piece of cinema.

AQABA!

The beer this weekend is another brew from the brewery Joe Hotek aptly called, “The Millstream of California”: White Hawk Select IPA, brewed by the Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, California.



Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a very clean and clear light copper. Two fingers of thick, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly.

Smell: A little malt heavy for an IPA, but this is supposedly a British-style IPA. It definitely smells British. Caramel, toffee, honey, some citrus (mostly orange and lemon), and smooth grassy hops.

Taste: The flavors are a bit subdued compared to the smell, but it does offer a pleasant taste. Caramel, toffee, honey. The hops offer a nice bite and impart a little lemon; they are mostly grassy, though. It has a buttery and smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Though I have yet to have an authentic British beer (en Angleterre), I think this is a pretty solid interpretation. However, how would I know?

Fun facts about WHSIPA:

-Style: Mendocino calls it “English-Style India Pale Ale” and BA classifies it as “American IPA” — totally different ends of the IPA spectrum.

-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 7 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: BA recommends curried and Thai cuisine; peppery, sharp, and pungent cheeses; poultry, fish, shellfish, and salmon.

-Nerdiness form the website:

White Hawk Select IPA is a traditional India Pale Ale. We’ve blended American West Coast Cascade Hops with a very generous dose of English Fuggle Hops. This combination makes for a very aromatic character, as well as a truly authentic English flavor which you must taste to believe. “Hopheads” will love this brew!

-The Mendocino Brewing Company is owned by the United Brewers (UB) Group. UB Group owns Kingfisher and Kingfisher Airlines (an airline named after a beer!). Its chairman is Vijay Mallya, a two-time member of the Indian Parliament.

-According to the brewery’s Wikipedia page, Mendocino is the official sponsor of the Mendocino Steam Donkeys Rugby Football Club, a men’s Division III rugby team. Rugby, huh? Go figure.

-According to Google Maps, the Mendocino Brewery is located next to the Ukiah airport. How fitting (and ironic?) given the brewery’s obsession with birds.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B.

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