East Coast IPA      Silver - Overall Winner Norfolk CAMRA Bottled Beer Competition 2017

American IPA
Bottle conditioned, in 660 ml bottles, crown capped.
First release date April 2014.

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First brewed on: 21.2.2014 Bottled: 22.2.2014

Designed as a challenge to brew a champion celebration ale for the Tenth Anniversary of The Real Ale Shop on Branthill Farm, Wells next the Sea in Norfolk. The East Coast title is a double entende on the American East Coast IPA style, which tends to feature the malt over hops (cf. West Coast which is the other way round) and hopefully this fits the bill for the anniversary competition. To brew this ale I loaded up the mash tun to capacity with Teddy Maufe' premium coastal Maris Otter malted barley. I used a fairly warm mash temperature to give body and some residual sweetness in order to showcase the malt. Then a calculated bitterness of 100 IBUs was generated from Columbus, Centennial, Summit and a touch of Motueka hops. It was finished with another dose of Columbus dry hops in secondary. In the end the bitterness is actually rather well balanced but definitely big on that resinous and woody Columbus hop.

This beer has stolen the hearts of the drinking public and has sold really well. A cask went into Cambridge Ber Festival and another is going to the Peterborough Beer Festival.

The brew of 8 September 2015 was a deliberate change to bring down the strength and to change the hop profile to create a sweeter, aromatic IPA in contrast to the Rhino Rye IPA of 2015 that had sort of occupied that slot. The hops were Summit, Columbus in the boil and a touch of Simcoe at 10 minutes and then a good dose of Summit, Columbus and Mosaic at the end of the boil (and even continuing to add Amarillo well after switch-off).

Awards

Real Ale Shop Tenth Anniversary Competition 2014: joint winner

Norwich and Norfolk CAMRA 2016 Bottled Beer of the Year Competition: silver

What the customers say about East Coast IPA

"Martin - I am sitting in the sun overlooking the sparkling blue sea, sipping your magnificent new East Coast Ale in between mouthfuls of new season Cromer Crab made up with rocket on Cromer bread. How could I conceive of a better lunch anywhere?" Prof. D.H., Cromer & Leicester

"Hello Martin. Just had your East Coast IPA. I've had some big IPA's lately, from some quality brewers, and had to text you to say, yours is easily up there with the best of them. Lovely beer. I'll look forward to the rest I picked up! Cheers." Gary in Sheffield.

"I bought an East Coast IPA off you today at the Holkham Fair. I love IPAs, and American reds. The best IPA I had tasted until today is the Thornbridge Jaipur from Bakewell. Your East Coast blows the Jaipur out of the water with its intense bitterness and floral nose. Keep the good work going - your IPA has lifted my spirits after a busy week. The next time I am up in Cromer I will drop by and purchase more." Hywel

Port barrel-aged East Coast IPA

Here is a little experiment with a 30 litre cask that I purchased from Noble Ales. This is a 'new' cask that has been made from the staves of old port wine barrels in Oporto, Portgual. Into this went the East Coast India Pale Ale that was brewed on 9 January 2015. The hops have quietened down considerably and the residual sugars have been gobbled up by the cells of saison yeast remaining from the previous use (Je Suis Charlie) so it is now very dry and the alcohol content has risen to 8.8%. But the important thing is the fruity port flavour that the beer has acquired from the wood.

What the Customers say about Port Barrel-aged East Coast IPA

Campaign for Really Good Beer

"Man alive, this little bottle of beer - one of only 100 made - is a beast. A big beautiful beast, but a beast nonetheless. Pouring an innocent looking pale gold, the aroma is stewed strawberries, jelly sweets and boozy honey. There's a round chewy Maris Otter malt that's full of gloopy caramel and shortcake biscuits forming the body of the beer and over it there's a resinous piney hop that's sharp with grapefruit and mandarin zest. And enveloping all of this is a wonderfully damp woody fruitiness from the barrel ageing. You find a hint of mushroom and a warm leaf litter earthiness that’s fired by a good alcohol heat which leaves a tannin dry plum and date finish. As I said, a big and beautiful, if dangerous, beast." Simon Williams

Brewing history

First brewed 21.2.2014 Bottled 22.2.2014

Rebrewed 21.5.2014 Bottled June 2014. Casks at Cambridge and Peterborough Beer Festivals

Rebrewed 4.8.2014 Bottled 21-28.6.2014. Not dry hopped on this occasion; still brilliant. Casks for Norwich and Nottingham Beer Festivals.

Rebrewed 9.1.2015 Bottled February-March 2015 and 30 litres casked in a 'new' port barrel(see above).

Rebrewed 8.9.2015

Rebrewed 22.3.2016 abv lowered to 6%; late hopping increased and CONTAINS GLUTEN

Free-from

This beer is produced without the use of any finings, filtering or pasteurisation, so all the flavours of the ingredients are preserved for your enjoyment. Until 2016 it was gluten-free (<20ppm) but since the brew of 22.3.2016 it contains gluten (change of policy).

Martin Warren, The Poppyland Brewer