Description: Here is a beer that's little known outside its home country, Germany. Unfortunately, the same goes for the brewery that produced it, the Privat […]
Here is a beer that’s little known outside its home country, Germany. Unfortunately, the same goes for the brewery that produced it, the Privat Landbrauerei Schönram , founded in 1780, in Petting (Bavaria). I say unfortunately because all the beers that I have tasted from it have really won me over. (See “ German Gourmet Beer ” and “ Grünhopfenpils: A Role Model .”)
This India Pale Ale is brewed exclusively with German hops. No English or American hops for this style, which frankly is rare. This corresponds to a clear intention: to be an answer to the big IPAs of the New World, in the words of the brewery’s Web site.
So, in my opinion, what we have here is a Bavarian version of an Imperial IPA, with 8.0% ABV and 70 IBUs. Flavour is strong and complex: at first slightly sweet with caramel notes, it rapidly turns towards bitterness with a mix of exotic fruits (mango, passionfruit, lychee, mandarina); a lingering citrusy bitterness is well present in the aftertaste.