Deuchars IPA - The Caledonian Brewing Company

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

500 mL w freshness date. Poured into a pint glass, produced a nice huge white head, good retention and really solid lacing. Colour is a bright amber gold, slight carbonation. Really good looking beer.

Smell is a pleasantly sweet maltiness, combined with a slightly herbal hoppiness. Some grapefruity citrus and mineral notes. There is quite a bit of underlying complexity, but you have to work at it, doesn't jump out of the glass.

Taste is an initial mineraly hoppyiness with a bit of an underlying floral note. Some sweet citrus, malt is pretty tired and in the background. Roast bread. Maybe a light floral aspect, pretty good at constraining the sweetness. Some interesting flavours develop. Finishes quite full, subtle citrus pine, more malty.

Mouthfeel at first feels overly light, but has a nice light sweet body, a bit sticky on the finish but altogether crisp. Quite refreshing and highly drinkable.

This develops interesting, wasn't thrilling initially, but afterwards it has much more richness and more complexity going on. Really nice to drink though, good session ale. A nice example of an english IPA that has some cool things going on.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 22:13:51 | More by mick303

Tone

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, copper color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of earthy malt, slight sweet malt, hint of yeast, and citrus hops. Fits the style of an English IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with low carbonation. Tastes of earthy malt, slight pale malt, hint of sweet malt, and citrus hops. Overall, good appearance, feel, and blend.

Serving type: cask

09-27-2012 13:20:57 | More by Tone

ccrida

Oregon

2.83/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On cask at the Thirsty Bear in London, Deuchars IPA is dark gold with a small bubbled head leaving no lace.
Smell is earthy, and sweet fruit, lychee.
Taste is odd, there is a strong, over-ripe fruit, a strong after taste of what I assume are esters, with a firmy bitter aftertaste. A touch metallic too, gives it an unpleasantly sharp finish.
Mouthfeel is light, slick.
Drinkability isn't too high for me with the aftertaste. A below average English IPA.

Serving type: cask

09-26-2012 22:06:29 | More by ccrida

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Two hand pulled pints in the excellent 'Queens Head' a small locals pub very close to Gretna Green in Scotland (9th June 2012).

Fresh and well kept: pale with a good full, staying head.

The aroma was all about hops and their smells: piney, citrusy, this was a fine smelling beer if you like your hops.

The taste also had a hop front, side and back: not overly so, but it just seems right. A lovely couple of pints and although I've not rated/reviewed this in cask form before it is in fact a beer I often drink when in the UK, be it in England or Scotland.

Serving type: cask

06-11-2012 20:40:59 | More by BlackHaddock

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed several pints of this on cask at Ye Olde Mitre Pub in London. What a wonderful beer on cask.

The bartender would top off each glass which reduced the head since they would let it settle as they hand pulled each pint. The beer was a slightly lighter orange/amber color with excellent clarity. The glass was essentially covered with lace as the glass emptied.

Aroma was smooth with notes of fruit, some light hop notes and some light grain. Definitely an English IPA vs. American. Still a very nice aroma.

Flavor was excellent. A perfect balance of fruit, bread and hop bitterness. Nothing overwhelmed and it all melded in a great flavor. Cask was clearly fresh and well tended.

So silky smooth it was crazy.

While I am a certified American Hop head and love the likes of Sculpin, Pliny and the American hop bombs, it was a real treat to try an English IPA as it was meant to taste. Just fantastic.

Serving type: cask

04-23-2012 22:15:08 | More by Reagan1984

Dave1999

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The apperance was a pale golden yellow color with a thin foamy head. Bubbles rising to the top of the glass.

Smells of yeast and bready with faint hops.

The taste is big on the malts and coffee with mild hops.A little bit bitter.

The mouth feel feels smooth with just just little carbonation.

A decent english ipa, much less hops and alcohol than the american versions. It was OK, I wanted to like it more as I'm from
Edinburgh. But I must admit I find the americas ipas much better. I probably will buy it again though as it is very reasonably priced compared to lower quality beers in Edinburgh and easily available.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 12:00:29 | More by Dave1999

racer2k

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured beer into a pint glass

A - Golden copper color which yields a very clear beer. Small head of foam on the pour with very little retention around the glass.

S - Mild but sweet malt and some earthy citrus hops in the background.

T - An initial bready yeast flavor with a mild hop taste. There is plenty of back end grain flavor with a toasted mailt finish. The hops are quite mild compared to north american craft beers but this is a nice english version of the IPA.

M - Medium body with very little carbonation and a dry finish.

D - Drinkable session IPA with very little alcohol volume. Not my favorite but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 00:10:12 | More by racer2k

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2012.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear golden colour with medium carbonation. Forms a decent head of white foam that lasts for a few minutes before disappearing. Aroma of light malt with notes dry yeast and subtle flowery hops; perhaps a hint of citrus.

Tastes of light malt with a dry finish. Notes of earthy yeast and flowery aromatic hops, with some leafy stewed hops upon swallowing. Not much bitterness to speak of. Mouthfeel is smooth and dry; coats the palate. Slightly astringent, with an aftertaste of yeasty malt.

A decent pale ale - it goes down easily and I rather like it. Not an IPA in the modern sense; the hops are very restrained. The aroma could be more distinctive, but the flavour is nice and distinctly yeasty. It's better on cask than from the bottle, but worth trying if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:36:46 | More by jazzyjeff13

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bit of an oddity.

A really good beer, great actually.
Lively, refreshing and easy drinking, a real session ale.

As much as I love beer I don't really like it to wash down a meal, Deuchars however I would make an exception for.

A cask beer that goes down well on hot days, the cellar must have been a showcase example.

All thumbs up apart from, well it's not really an IPA
not being bitter tasting, missing the classic aftertaste and much lower gravity than usual.

I have a couple of bottles and they are alright, not quite as bright as the cask.

Serving type: cask

09-26-2011 00:15:39 | More by EmperorBevis

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Impressively looking beer--thick, tight head that lasted throughout the tasting, leaving a blanket of lace as well as a chunkier ring after each sip. The beer is a deep gold color and is clear.

Creamy aroma of soft, pale grain. For the style, I felt the hop was far too mild.

Before I knew the style, I wrote "this beer seems to be a British Bitter". It is NOT an IPA. The hop is far too muted to qualify and the advertised abv of 3.8% is far too low. Still, I would say it is a good bitter--full bodied with a low carbonation.

Serving type: cask

09-04-2011 17:37:19 | More by smcolw

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Medium light yellow, there is a pleasant yeasty quality to the nose and a soft body. A nice gentile yeastily bready soft zing in the mouth throughout as well.
Not much head or beading.
In general light throughout and a gently trqce of lemon comes and goes and the beer diappears from the glass.
I like it and should probably rate it higher but I remember what it once was and it seems to have lost those IPA qualities.. Just re-insert all that stuffing and we'd be back in action.

Serving type: cask

08-28-2011 18:35:25 | More by Zimbo

stcules

Italy

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Yellow orange color, classic foam.
In the smell a carpet of malt, where you can find some fresh and pleasant hop.
Same freshness note in the taste, with camomile, a light peppery note, and citrus.
The beer is everywhere (in Scotland), but anyway, a pleasant and drinkable one.

Serving type: cask

06-21-2011 20:13:22 | More by stcules

kojevergas

California

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Reviewed from notes. Served on draught in Glasgow, Scotland.

A: Crazy cloudy, like a swarm of locusts in the middle of the beer. Pale gold colour. Appealing. Thick head.

Sm: Bitter hops. Malt. Standard IPA scent.

T: Clean barley open, hoppy simple body, fresh finish - almost citric.

Mf: Something's off. More dense than it ought to be. Sme nice coarseness at times, but overall too smooth - especially for the style.

Dr: IPA fanatics might love it, but the mouthfeel brings this beer down severely. Doesn't hide its abv (which is quite modest in fairness) well at all. Not a good session beer. Move right past this one, lads, and grab something more worthwhile.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 23:47:06 | More by kojevergas

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Rating the Cask version this time.

Light amber in appearance with a thinnish lacing around the top that stays throughout the pint. Nice but the lack of a good head was slightly disappointing.

Very similar in smell to the cask version of Abbots Ale with a blend of fruity, spiciness and hints of caramel.

Somewhat simliar to the aroma with a fruity, caramel taste and a mildly bitter aftertaste that os quite pleasant. A nice warm tang of a finish. Again simliar to Abbots Ale but a lot lighter with a more smooth taste & less bitter finish

A very smooth ale with a medium body & crisp finish. Very easy to drink and quite warm in the finish.

Very drinkable and not too heavy. Not my usual style of drink but very much one I would buy again although it wasn't as good as the bottled version.

Serving type: cask

03-01-2011 20:56:01 | More by flyingpig

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint from "spoons" Copper colour,clear, no bubbles. It had a small head. Could detect a faint hoppy fruity smell. Tasted like slightly off pears and apples. Lots of hops. Quite bitter. Not much fiz. Decent IPA but i've had better. Could be one to session

Serving type: cask

12-11-2010 22:42:16 | More by jonb5

megahurts4

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at 53 degrees Fahrenheit

Appearance: Amber with a large initial head that dissipates and leaves minor lacing on the glass

Smell: minor apple and honey smell alongside the hops

Taste: citrus flavors, slight honey flavor, apples, and of course the flowery hops

Mouthfeel: smooth, slightly malty, medium-full bodied with the finish of hops

Definitely something to try if you like Sierra Nevada or Rogue Dead Guy Pale Ale. It is very smooth and flavorful. I am unsure where this is sold (or if it is) in the USA. This bottle was brought to me from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 04:57:45 | More by megahurts4

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Duke of Kent in Toronto. Poured a golden colour with thin white head. Good head retention down the glass with some lacing. Lots of bready malt in the smell with some herbal/floral hops. Taste has mild bitterness with lots of the bready sweet malt. Carbonation level was nice. Easy to finish off the pint of this. I preferred this on cask in England, but still a nice find on tap in Toronto.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2010 02:31:33 | More by kwjd

newk340

California

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from a cask in Deacon Brodie's Tavern on High Street in Edinburgh.

A: a hazy golden orange that is topped off by a full, but quickly dissipating, head. leaves a decent lacing despite the short lasting foam.

S: plenty of citrus evident as well as wheats and grasses. smells like fields in the countryside of Scotland.

T: while the traditional bitterness of an IPA is not entirely present, there are plenty of wheat, citrus, and hop flavors to go around. some malt flavors round out the taste after each swallow.

MF/D: a warm, full feel fills the mouth with each sip. very low carbonation leaves the mouth wanting more.

Serving type: cask

08-07-2010 10:23:14 | More by newk340

nickfl

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - A copper-gold body with good clarity, topped by a white head of foam. The head exhibits poor retention, but leaves decent lace.

S - An aroma of bready malt with light caramel. Some herbal hops in the background with a hint a fruity yeast.

T - Bready malt up front with a light, herbal hop note. More toasted grain character in the middle with more musty hops. Finishes with light malt and a moderate hop flavor with fairly strong, mineral bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderately low carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - A nice IPA with a more herbal that musty character. There is a nice mineral quality to the bitterness that reinforces the hop qualities and works nicely with the malt. Not too bad for a relatively inexpensive, canned IPA.

Serving type: can

06-26-2010 06:02:59 | More by nickfl

champ103

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden orange color. A one finger white head forms. The foam recedes in a minute, sticky lace is left all the way down the glass.
S: Light hop oils up front. Plenty of citrus, floral, and grassy hops. Ripe fruits of green apples. A sweet malty, toffee aroma lingers.
T: This is excellent. Plenty of hop flavors to go around. Citrus, floral, and grassy. A huge ripe and tart green apple flavor that I can not get enough of. A light toffee sweetness in the finish.
M/D: A light to medium body. Dry, crisp and smooth. Really easy to drink. A great session beer (3.8 ABV on cask). All day long with this one.

An excellent beer on cask. Caledonian really impresses me. Probably the best Englsih IPA I have tried. The hops are present and strong, but the tart apple is what puts this over the top. Excellent, and highly recommended.

Serving type: cask

06-15-2010 21:57:01 | More by champ103

benclimbs

California

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3.8% version on cask in Glasgow

pours clearish golden once it settles out with a thick white head and ridiculous amounts of lacing

smell is a bit off sour, but still has some citrus hops and a bit of malt, smells slightly off or just dull - certainly not a bad smelling ale though

taste is blonde like at the front round and marshmallow, light toffee like - then kicks in with a pleasant hop kick at the end...not an IPA by ANY stretch of the imagination either in british or american terms...but still a damn good brew.

Serving type: cask

03-19-2010 20:10:04 | More by benclimbs

Trizzle

United Kingdom (England)

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours with a thick dense creamy 1" head with good retention and great lacing. Clear yellow Amber with some bubbles rising through it.

Cut grass and hop oils in the nose, some sweetish biscuit notes too.

Fresh, Floral and lightly bitter hops decorate a light smooth and biscuity malt body. Finishes biscuity and just bitter. Drinks as easy as you like. Fresh and delicious. A top ale.

Serving type: cask

02-23-2010 15:46:38 | More by Trizzle

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served with a small off white head that mostly faded and no lace. Color is medium amber. Aroma is malt, toffee, British hop. flavor's about the same. Very good balance. Tad thin but good carbonation. Great finish. Easy drinking. Definitely a session.

Serving type: cask

01-15-2010 22:27:52 | More by drpimento

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Light golden amber with a thin white head. Half decent head retention.

S: Mild sweet caramel, musty fruit esters, leafy hops.

T: Tastes like piney tangerines in a biscuity malt, some Earthy undertones, overall grassy, slightly herbal hops with a mildly bitter, chalky finish. Not bad, but not overly interesting.

M: Medium to light with good carbonation.

D: It's more of an English Pale Ale than an IPA for me and pretty average for either. I only really drank the whole thing to finish it, not because I wanted more.

Serving type: can

10-06-2009 01:16:45 | More by MeisterBurger

ecoastman

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drinkability - A good beer. I could have a couple of these but the earthy/grassy hops are not my personal favorite style.

Appearance - Clear amber, some lacing.

Smell - malty sweet butterscotch and grassy hops.

Taste - like the smell and fits the style. The grassy and earthy hops are more pronounced in the taste. A mild bitterness in the slightly dry finish. Some lingering tea-like tannin notes along with the light citrus.

Mouthfeel - very smooth, watery with good carbonation. A little diactyl slickness.

Serving type: can

09-26-2009 03:39:42 | More by ecoastman