Burton Bridge Empire India Pale Ale - Burton Bridge Brewery

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours hazy orange with a huge cream colored head. Some light floaters at the end of the bottle.

Big floral and fermented fruit nose. Pineapple. Spicy and different.

Very different for an EIPA. Toasted malt and fruit, with clean bitterness. Lots of age, some woodiness as well, like something soaked into a wooden keg. Good lingering bitter finish.

Medium to fuller bodied.

Very different and tasty. Loved this one, and worth finding. Very non-traditional, or at least based upon what we've been conditioned to drink as IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 12:24:11 | More by OtherShoe2

Shaken9

North Carolina

2.17/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Paid $6.99 for a 500ml bottle.

Was expecting an English IPA, got a hoppy, sour mess that smelled of apples and pears.

Poured into a 22oz Pilsner glass, hazy golden amber color. Not unexpected for a bottle conditioned beer. Huge foamy head that persisted throughout.

Smelled EXACTLY like young cider, then after it had warmed a bit, like very citrusy hops (Sorachi Ace comes to mind) very lemony with apple and pear notes in the finish, some Brett sourness, funky sour aroma.

The flavor of this beer was... harsh with a side of sour bitterness. I LOVE sour beers and I love bitter hop bombs, but this was medicinal, bitter and sour at the same time. There is some funkiness, which I can only assume is Brettanomyces given the dirt, barnyard funky sourness to it. The malt hardly enters into the taste given the amount of hops and sourness.

Mouthfeel is a tiny bit thin for an IPA, even an English IPA, but the carbonation was good.

I can *KIND OF* understand what they were going for here, old English beers were supposed to have a little funk over time, but this is really not balanced and the sour and bitter really fought against each other. I was expecting an English IPA with lots of East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Challenger hoppiness but got a big, bitter, lemony Sorachi Ace type flavor. Was not pleasant, even when I tried to consider it a Belgian sour or saison. Just unbalanced, I'm not interested in trying this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 23:33:23 | More by Shaken9

nicnut45

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a gusher. Couldnt pour it all at once. A slighlty hazy yellow orange color. The smell is a perfect mix of vanilla malt shake and green olives with some blue cheese as well. The taste is interesting to say the least. There is some nice vanilla whiskey like notes, no doubt from the oak. Bitterness seems to come more from the alcohol then the hops. This actually reminds me of a bourbon. more then likely because of the woody/oak like notes. Has a strange green olive like taste as well. Mouthfeel is light and highly carbonated. A strange beer, but the taste is intriguing and I find myself taking more sips. Not because it is good, just interesting. All in all im glad this style today isnt reminiscent of the past.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 22:38:57 | More by nicnut45

claspada

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aromas of bready/biscuity malts and earthy/herbal hops; something is adding a slight sour characteristic.
The taste follows the nose pretty much exactly. Begins with full flavor bready maltiness and transitions to the bitterness characterized by orange marmalade and earthy/slightly floral notes. Still something sour, maybe infection or oxidation, can't be sure.
Mouthfeel is lightly spritzy and carbonation is appropriate. Overall a decent beer, probably amazing on cask in England but average here and now because the freshness is clearly a factor.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 16:40:16 | More by claspada

nickd717

California

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle from K&L.

Pours a slightly hazed reddish-amber color with a huge, lasting, foamy white head.

The aroma is...brett? Really? Didn't expect that. Besides that, there are floral hop notes and sweet hints of malt.

The flavor is definitely bretty and funky, slightly sour. Not sure whether that was intended or not. Besides that, there is caramel malt and a considerable hop bite that is herbal and ESB-like with some floral and grapefruit notes. Alcohol is a little more assertive than it probably should be at 7.5%. The finish is earthy and ever so slightly metallic.

Medium-bodied with some acidity on the palate and high carbonation from the infection and/or intentional addition of brett.

This is a decent brett IPA overall, although I'm not sure whether they were intending it to be one or not. I think I'm going to file this one in the "WTF" file for now. I'm not going to lie though - it kept me drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 04:01:53 | More by nickd717

biga7346

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Thin copper to metallic orange hue, very thick, rich creamy head that rises to the rim and takes a while to dissipate while leaving creamy lacing on the side of the glass. Reminds me of a Sam Smiths pour, and I'm guessing creamy full heads are helped by Burton-On-Trent mineral rich water.

N: Fresh, tart peaches, red wine and some lambic mustiness, moss. A spritzy and alive smell coupled with musty hop aroma - very nice and enticing.

D/M: A velvety and firm mouthfeel gets you up front with notes of grapefruit, kiwi, red wine and a smattering of floral hops in the finish. This is a great example of hoppy English session beers although the ABV has risen over the years to a stout 7.5 percent. I would enjoy this with corned beef and tart English cheddar.

Very drinkable, look forward to coming back for more, however, reading some of the low reviews it seems like this beer has a storage and travel problem as the bad reviews almost certainly had an outdated bottle from what they are describing. Definitely a beer that I believe would be amazing really fresh I'm pretty sure I got a good bottle from one of my local haunts although I did not see a date or batch number anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 18:32:28 | More by biga7346

theghost3

Louisiana

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, deep copper with a 3-finger, yellow frothy head.

The smell is cloves and floral, slightly citrus hops. The taste is cloves, floral and slight grapefruit hops with an aftertaste somewhere between medicinal and peppery. The mouthfeel is rather carbonated at first, champagne-like, but it settles into a crisp, medium-bodied feel.

This is OK in the drinkability area, but the taste is all over the place--I did not expect the strong clove and herbal flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 04:02:58 | More by theghost3

Manxguy

Isle of Man

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this beer at 10C to a Pint (20oz) Glass, noting that it is bottle conditioned and contains yeast (I left a few drops in the bottom to avoid pouring the yeast into the glass).

A - Bright deep gold, good level of carbonation for an ale.Good lacey head.

S - strong hop aroma, slightly floral with a good citrus note.

T - Nice amount of malt and hops initialy, with a slight citrusy hop zing and a clean finish - not overly bitter for the style.

M - Very drinkable, not too heavy not too light.

A very drinkable beer, but too strong for a session ale. Two or three bottles are plenty!

A good beer that I would buy again. Of the few I've tried now, I'd say it s better served at around 8-12C
Remember if you like your beer bright, pour carefully leaving the yeast in the bottle!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 15:24:24 | More by Manxguy

DerBayer

Germany

4.15/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ich bin sehr impressed Herr von Burton. This much fruitier and way less herbal/edicinal than most IPAs.

I cannot really pin down the fruit - it s grapefruit and is it peach? - nay! orange? nay! whatever it is very pleasant! There is also a wheaty graininess... The whole thing is really more akin of a Weizen plus X.

The body is full drinkability is high - what can I say?

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 21:11:29 | More by DerBayer

avalon07

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, bright white, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Aroma of hops, fruit (citrus especially) and some malt. Very subtle, but nice.

T: Tasted of hops, though not overwhelmingly, citrus (grapefruit, I think), and malt in the finish. Very well rounded and surprisingly vibrant for an English IPA.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a dry finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

D: Although I'm not the biggest fan of English IPAs, this one is excellent. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2010 13:04:10 | More by avalon07

titosupertramp

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy gold with 2-3 fingers of thick, white head.

S: Huge nose on this one when you open the bottle. Fruit, malt, alcohol.

T: Follows the nose. The alcohol might be a little dominate for only being 7.5%, but not too bad. Hops are certainly present, but well balanced with the malt..just the right amount of bitterness on the back of the tongue. There's almost a barrel aged taste about this beer. It's hard for me to place. Also, if you allow this to get almost to room temp(mid 60s) and take a few minutes between sips, you might pick up a cherry after taste.

M: Medium body, but gets a little thicker as it warms. Also, slight alcohol burn which I enjoy.

D: This is a delightfully easy drinking beer which I'm glad I tried. It's one that I think BAs could use to convert BMC drinkers. If you're looking for a more flavorful alternative to Sam Smith's Pale Ale, look no further.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 01:00:49 | More by titosupertramp

markbatonrouge

Louisiana

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The cloudy yellow/gold appearance is nice. The aroma is a bit sweet, a bit citrusy -- a lot of alcohol. The alcohol comes through in the taste as well. The taste also echos the sweet aromas, though there is a nice lingering bitterness.

I liked this beer well enough, and would happily drink another, but for the gravity in it (7.5% abv), there are a lot of other much better beers with more complex and richer malts.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 14:58:12 | More by markbatonrouge

teovaldi

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very hazy orange with a huge 3 finger head that leaves beautiful lacing.

Smells of hops and a slight whiff of alcohol and fruits.

The taste starts out dominated by the hops followed by the fruits picked up from the nose. One the end there's a slight sweetness and a hint of alcohol. You can tell this spent some time in the cask and it adds another depth to the already great taste.

Moderate/light bodied and low carbonation.

I could easily drink a few of these despite the higher ABV.

This beer was a big surprise for me as I picked it up out of the reduced section at my local store. Was on sale for 1/2 off so I figured why not and was very happy I did as this is one of the better EIPA's I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 14:19:48 | More by teovaldi

bob3701

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Sam Adams glass. Poured a hazy straw amber with suspended particals with a huge fluffy head that hangs around a long time with excellent lacing. Big bannana aroma. Great balance between sweet and bitter. Really easy going down with an alcohol burn. An excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 22:31:57 | More by bob3701

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A huge rising 4 finger head that takes up 50% of my SA pint glass rises up quickly and fades almost as fast, imploding on itself as the big bubbles pop. It has a hazy bright pale orange color.

N: A little disappointing at first. It has some British hops, but not much. Some pale aromas, a little spicy hop quality, that strange pungent fruit hop aroma you get from UK hops. Some creamy malt aromas round it off. It also has a little of that fresh wort aroma like the beer had just finished brewing and hadn't fermented yet. Some light woody esthers.

T: Pretty similar to the aroma. Some floral, grassy, herbal hop qualities. It does get pretty pale, similar to an English bitter but more bitter. This is pale bitterness, pretty distinct English Bitter type. A little creamy flavor, light malts, and just that overall pungent fruity hop flavor. Hides the 7.5% very well. A little bit of fresh raw woody esthers as well. It started off a little watery and unpleasant bitterness, but as it warmed and the more I drank it started to open and taste much better. Then I noticed this was pulled from a cask and should be drunk at about room temperature. Too cold just ruins this beer. It is a perfect beer for Real Ale cask type.

M: Lighter body at first, then gets a little thicker as it warms, with decent carbonation.

F: Pretty bitter, a very slight diacetyl, some creamy and woody esthers, a slight unpleasant bitterness on the finish that gets better as it warms. Semi dry as well. At first I wasn't a big fan of this beer, in fact I was pretty disappointed. But the more I drank this and the more it warmed from fridge temps, the more I enjoyed it and the more it opened up. This is really a Real Ale like beer that needs to be more warm and open up, and is a cask beer. It should even be poured from the cask, not bottle, but that's the only way I can get it. I'll look forward to trying this at NERAX sometime.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 02:27:23 | More by jlindros

rye726

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Vintage '05

Pours an orangish brown with a beige head. Nice retention and light lace.

Nose has bready malts, nuts, caramel, herbal hops and a subtle mossy funk aroma.

Taste also has a bit of must funk which pairs quite well with the floral hops and sweet doughy malts.

Medium body is well carbonated. Nice finish. Really cool beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 18:48:47 | More by rye726

checkfeet

Korea (South)

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a more interesting interpretation of the IPA than many of its British counterparts. This is a favorite.

It is a great orangey-peach color, lightening around the edges of the glass. The nose is a crisp mix of tangerines and cloves. It tastes. Perfectly balanced bitterness, citrusy fruit and and good resiny mouthfeel. High alcohol content nicely masked by everything else going on.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 00:03:04 | More by checkfeet

timtim

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

hazy dark amber with an off-white head that holds very well and leaves very pretty lace. nose is very perfumy floral hoppiness up front followed by a touch of orange jam and some biscuity malt as well as a good amount of minerality which expresses itself as a rustic, kind of earthy cellarish smell. taste is proper english hop with only a hint of malt shining through. nice, bitter finish and a real sense of terroir from the quality english ingredients familiar to their part of the world. medium-full body that is very soft and slick at the same time. very nice, proper english ipa. my only advice on this one is to make sure it is as fresh as possible and coming from a reputable source that handles it well. reading some of the other reviews, it sounds like quite a few mishandled bottles have made their way to people's mugs. cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 20:51:31 | More by timtim

OttoBomb

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml, 1 Pint/ 19 fl. oz. (bottle is labeled as such, even though these measurement aren't equivelent) bomber poured into a 16 oz. pint glass (September 7, 2009).

Eyes: Mid-color, significant head for an IPA. Strong lacing and head retention.

Nose: Strong grassy hops, slight malt, a mild hint of the alcohol.

Tongue: Nice grassy hops up front, yeast & wood is present also. Well balanced, somewhat spicy, metallic, quite a good example of the style in my opinion.

Mouth: Good creamy feel, perhaps a bit thin.

Libation: Over all really quite good. The carbonation is a bit heavy, it's just best to wait for it to settle and warm anyways. It's good to have a quality version of the classic English IPA, I'll be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 06:53:58 | More by OttoBomb

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy light amber color with a two finger light tan head that is very fluffy and leaves behind a ton of fluffy lacing.

S: The smell is mostly floral hops with a subtle hint of some fruity esters. A bit of ethanol and some biscuity malt shine through after the hops.

T: Nice fruitiness up front with apples and pears being dominant. Some biscuit and bready notes fill the middle among the fruit. A little bit of ethanol comes through at the end along with some more dry biscuit.

M: Dry, well carbonated, a bit of heat from the alcohol, medium bodied.

D: Not a bad English IPA, probably the strongest I've had, but one of the tastiest.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 00:24:47 | More by Patrick

allboutbierge

Austria

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The label gives the impression that this is THE historical example of the IPA style...even has a CAMRA endorsement neck hanger proclaiming "CAMRA says this is REAL ALE".

Appearance is an extremely attractive burnt orange deep amber with loosely formed and long lasting off white head. Lots of big bubbles formed in the foam. Most of the yeast remains stuck in the bottom of the bottle. Lack retention is spectacular. Nose is almost dead to other IPAs I have had (mostly, admittedly, of the AIPA genre) and even in comparison to many top Pilsners I have had. Some extremely light floral notes due come through, but Im not sure if they are only figures of my imagination.

Flavor is hot...not much holding back the alcohol. Hoppy notes of more of the floral variety...minimal citrus character. No heavy puckering to the bitterness. Formidable malt backbone overcomes the bitterness in the aftertaste. Forefront: floral bitterness...Finish: malt monster.

Carbonation is extremely pleasant and elegant on the tongue. Body full with a very unadulterated fill on the palate.

A gentleman of an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 18:01:33 | More by allboutbierge

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a cloudy yellow-orange color. The head is an inch in height, and recedes very slowly into thick lacing. This is one nice looking IPA. The aroma is of lemon, orange, flowers, and a nice wood character. I really like how the woods is there, but does not by an means overpower or distract from the rest of the aroma. The taste has the same lemon, orange and flower characteristics of the aroma. The wood is there too, but it is cut through by the a sharp piercing bitterness. This beer has got to be on the high end of bitterness for an English IPA, but it works. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lively carbonation, and a smooth texture. Overall, this is one fine IPA that I would love to see in six pack form, but I am sure I would drink it again nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 18:29:22 | More by KarlHungus

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy amber with a finger-wide head that slowly settles. Carbonation is subtle, but still present.

S: Wood is dominant on the nose, with toasty malt and a fruity hop character lingering behind. Overall not very powerful.

T: Malt hangs in the foreground, with a sweet, bready character. The wood is there but less prominent than on the nose. The finish is dry and fruity, with a nice hop profile, followed by more of the wood.

M: This is a full-bodied IPA, and the cask aging adds to the body. It's viscosity coats the palate and flavors linger for a good amount of time.

D: This is truly what British IPA should taste like. Something about it just says "traditional." It's good, but I wouldn't have more than one in a session.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 02:30:15 | More by WYVYRN527

sgoodship

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My wife picked me up a 500ml bottle form Whole Foods.

A: 2 finger bubbly off-white head with very little effort. Dissipates to a bubbly ring. Hazy coppery color - like a murky raw cider. Color becomes more amber toward the bottom. Yeast sediment visible from second pour.

S: A hint of citrus and fruity hop but plenty of sweet malt coming through the nose. A hint of mineral and metal.

T: Sour fruit taste in the apricot area rather than citrus. Diacetyl comes through loud and clear with a hint of alcohol. This is followed by some bready malt. It ends dry and with a bitterness - not that aggressive which is usual for the style.

M: Light body with a medium carbonation that is tingly in the mouth. Pretty clean and refreshing.

D: Not a fan of the sour/tart fruit. Good balance as per the style and interesting complexity for an IPA. Way too much diacetyl for my liking, especially toward the end.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 01:52:42 | More by sgoodship

donmonkey1

Tennessee

1.15/5  rDev -68.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Appearance: Dark orange with a very large white head, decent lacing. I can't tell if the beer is dark orange or cloudy. I'm skeptical with the orange color.

Smell: Mild skunk. No date on bottle.

Taste: Average or above average hop bite and skunk.

Mouthfeel: water with a touch of stinginess.

Drinkability: This beer should be called Shitty Shitty Bang Bang.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 22:46:42 | More by donmonkey1