Worthington's White Shield - Museum Brewing Company / White Shield Brewery

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From the 25 fl. oz. bottle stamped 06 Mar 14-06. Sampled on November 19, 2012.

The pour is a cloudy, murky looking copper-amber with a moderate head.

The aroma has a pleasant malt beginning with a more laid back hop tone. Some IPA's can be so floral or so piney but this one is more mellow.

The body is about medium with a nice creaminess.

The taste starts sweet and ends a little more hoppy than the aroma might lead one to believe. The hop bitterness is moderate and lingers for a moment.

Their description says they are using the same recipe since 1830 when IPA's were transported to the Far East. To me, this is the way a British IPA should be. The hops do not cause me to pucker up but they keep the overall sweet malty flavor alive. I bet the British Colonies in Burma loved this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 21:07:17 | More by puboflyons

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle into a tulip glass. Best by March 6th, 2014

Pours a darker copper color with a 2 inch thick lingering white head. Malty, bready, bitter aroma. Not like an american IPA. Smooth taste. Slightly bitter, nothing like west coast hop bombs. Balanced. Though a bit more bitter than other english IPAs ive had in the past (good thing.) Malts are distinct and bready, with a slight caramel and toffee aftertaste. Drinkability is this beers friend. Incredibly easy to drink because of the balance and flavor. Goes down so fast. Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall a very good representation of the class British IPA with an insanely high level of drinkability. These are on sale for $1.99 / 500ml bottle and i think i might pick up an entire case. I prefer the american style, but this is one is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 00:08:33 | More by Axnjxn

vinicole

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

06-15-2013 20:44:05 | More by vinicole

acevenom

Louisiana

4.59/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a glass mug. The beer pours deep, hazy copper with a thick, creamy off-white head that retreats very slowly and retains well throughout consumption. There are lots of visible tiny bubbles rising in this beer. Some lacing is left behind on the glass during consumption. There are aromas of brown bread and toffee. I also detect some floral and citrus notes along with the English yeast. The first sip brings that brown bread and toffee, but the toffee notes aren't too sweet. I get the citrus and some nice back end hop bitterness that isn't too bitter and the English yeast comes through pretty well. It has that unmistakable Burton ale flavor with a good mineral quality. The long lasting head actually adds a bit of creaminess that I'm just not used to when I take a sip of this beer. The flavors are wonderfully well-balanced. The mouthfeel is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is dry and smooth. This is a highly drinkable beer. This is an excellent beer that I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 18:34:38 | More by acevenom

HoistinBrews

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-27-2013 02:51:57 | More by HoistinBrews

Oldkentman

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.5%

05-19-2013 23:15:46 | More by Oldkentman

nickfl

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

05-18-2013 20:49:17 | More by nickfl

beepill

California

4/5  rDev +5.5%

05-18-2013 00:32:00 | More by beepill

kylehay2004

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

05-18-2013 00:11:52 | More by kylehay2004

WhitmansNiece

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

05-17-2013 23:45:46 | More by WhitmansNiece

Liquoric3

Germany

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

05-14-2013 18:09:25 | More by Liquoric3

Ego

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

I hope I feel like sacking jerusalem after having this...

eyes...
golden brown with a furious torrent of bubble action, the head is massive to start, cuts itself in half in a minute but then maintains, a beautiful cascade of perfectly cloned microbubbles on the sides with a mushroom of marshmellow in the middle floating like some sort of quasi-island, clear on this pour throughout in terms of clarity, pretty nice lookin' lot

nose...
musty green hops, some tangy yeast, slight bits of lemon, an almost sea breeze quality to it, pretty straight forward and such

taste etc...
musty dry brit hops, almost has a dusty stale taste (but not unpleasant), when taking a nice swig with the fresh head this is much more appealing, it gives it more mouthfeel that way, the hops are not very bitter, the malts are the right sweetness... but nothing really is satisfying me here to any great length. this is not crap or anything, it is just pretty standard fare, the carbonation is very good though, it seems to really fit the bill for a nice pint at the bar.

verdict?
no wonder the french killed the order... this beer is OK, nothing special, nothing bad, I wouldn't turn it down on tap but I certainly will not be launching 3 journeys into enemy lands for it...

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:19:36 | More by Ego

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: clear, light copper color, poured with a rocky, creamy, big head, tan-off-white colored head
S: mild nose, light biscuity malt with good earthy hop finish
T: a classic British IPA, well-rounded, full-bodied, and well-balanced with surprisingly bitter hop finish for a British IPA
M: well-balanced and refreshing

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:12:22 | More by wisrarebeer

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%

04-26-2013 09:06:34 | More by mick303

MacStinson

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

04-22-2013 00:44:36 | More by MacStinson

CoryR

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-16-2013 00:17:59 | More by CoryR

gritz147

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-13-2013 02:58:30 | More by gritz147

Chrysostom

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

As always, I review (mostly) to style (ala BJCP), modified (a bit, not too much) by personal taste (contra BJCP), or else certain beers, which are excellent exemplars of styles I do not prefer (like this IPA), would receive consistently lower marks than beers which are poor exemplars of my favourite styles.

As always, I review live, and not from notes.

This is a re-review of Worthington's White Shield from a new bottle. My current impressions are largely consistent with my first - an excellent, stand-out IPA, one of the best of its style.

Presentation: 22 fl oz bomber, $3.99 certified "real ale" by CAMRA. Poured in to a Stone Brewing pint glass at 40ºF and warming as I write. Brewed by Coors.

A: Crystal-clear amber colour. "Amber" was invented to describe the shade of this beer. Lively carbonation, three-finger head, excellent retention and lacing.

S: Excellent for a "Coors" beer. Subdued tropical and citrus fruits, with a little bit of funkiness/wet rag reminiscent of a Belgian - still a defect for the style, maybe due to the long Atlantic voyage.

T: This is my kind of IPA. Some citrus fruits, a strong, toasty breadiness, a strong malt backbone tempered by some good, but very well-balanced, hopping, with a long, dry, astringent finish. Notes of cereal, pine needles, juniper berries, and an odd kind of hops, which I take to be an English variety I am unaccustomed to. This is how an IPA should be. If you like IPA, but find the American styles too reminiscent of marijuana in the flavour, and of bitter-ass denatured alcohol in the hop bite, this is the beer for you. Far more taste than the low ABV (5.6%) foretells.

M: Light and spritzy, full and bitter, smooth and mellow. Higher carbonation than American IPAs, and, frankly, better.

D: High.

O: Try this beer. The quintessential "session beer". The best IPA I've ever had. Second best is Commodore Perry, an English-style American IPA. The Brits know how to brew their India Pale Ales - they should, they ruled the subcontinent for a century. Try this beer.

If you like American IPA, the hops may be underwhelming - the hop characteristic is more in-line with an American Pale Ale.

To style (English IPA): 95/100
To style (IPA): 82/100
To taste: 88/100

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 21:25:57 | More by Chrysostom

MCain04

Illinois

3/5  rDev -20.8%

04-01-2013 23:58:15 | More by MCain04

bostonryan

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -20.8%

04-01-2013 14:26:24 | More by bostonryan

heygeebee

Australia

3.16/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

From Vintage Cellars. BB Apr 14.

A somewhat unremarkable India pale ale overall. True to style with English style malts, moderate hops.

Notable is this instance is the godalmighty fizz that comes out of the bottle when poured. A good two finger head a la Hefe takes a while to subside, and the mouthfeel is too fizzy and spritzy.

Apart from that, solid.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 09:57:56 | More by heygeebee

Bookseeb

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance has a mid orange amber color supporting a nice lasting head leaving small lace. Smell is clean with light cereal notes and english hops. Taste of the cereal grain, english yeast with fruit notes and a balance of hops throughout. Mouthfeel is medium with a higher carbonation associated with this English style.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:19:35 | More by Bookseeb

JimmyCop

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-14-2013 00:50:03 | More by JimmyCop

Dave_Treat

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -27.4%

03-09-2013 02:39:37 | More by Dave_Treat

FLima

Brazil

4.14/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Clear amber copper color with tons of thick head and leaving laces.
Aroma of earthy and piney hops. Mild when compared to the American counterparties.
Perfect balanced beer, optimum level of slightly toasted malt sweetness (meaning not sweet) and a decent amount of earthy hops. Notes of pine, orange peel, caramel, guaraná and licorice.
Dry and bitter aftertaste. Light body with medium carbonation and tiny bubbles with an effervescent sensation.
What a pleasant beer to drink, this must be the reason to be almost 300 years old in business. Glad to see that still to be now owned by a global major company they are truly faithful to the style, actually it is claimed to be the oldest surviving IPA. Very hoppy for English beers, but not overwhelming as some American IPAs can be (ps. anyway not to a hop head like this one).

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:51:25 | More by FLima