Roosters Brewery IPA

I was pleasantly surprised by a visit to the Roosters Brewery yesterday. They're a small brew pub in Hawke's Bay, slightly off the beaten track, and in wine country; and the pub doesn't draw the typical NZ craft beer crowd. This works well, because they don't brew the typical NZ craft beer.

Their IPA is a great example of this. A traditional English style IPA, pouring much darker than your typical modern IPA, and good srong British style malts coming through, and even a hint of a Burton style ale yeastiness. That said, they use Nelson Sauvin, Chinook, Citra, Cascade and Kohatu - a good variety of NZ, US and British style hops to give a bit of a modern NZ craft beer hop aroma kick, but a good strong hop bitterness that so many modern IPAs have turned away from. A perfect way to bring a slight bit of modern to a classic style, but in the way quite different to most craft IPAs of today. 

I really enjoy this, mainly because I think it's a more classic type IPA, which is really a bit of a rarity now. Most of the other Roosters beers were surprisingly good in a similar way - nothing screamed massive NZ/US hops aroma, but all were good solid beers, and all nice classic examples of their styles.

ABV: 5.5%
Brewery: Roosters Brewery
Region: Hawke's Bay
Style: IPA
Wife check: "Mmm, that goes down quite well. I like when a beer has a whole lot of flavour that stays in your mouth well after you swallow, and doesn't just disappear."