Proper Job - St. Austell Brewery

dwren89

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance:straw gold color, pours a 1 finger head, little head retention, bubbly, prickly head

Aroma: citrus aroma, mild in aroma strength,

Taste: balanced leaning towards hops, about what I expected from an English IPA that’s labeled as “powerfully hopped,” pale malt background with citrus flavors doing the heavy load of taste. Bitterness subdued by grainy, slightly bready pale malt background as you would expect from an English IPA.

Mouthfeel: prickly mouthfeel (as anticipated from the looks of the head), biting finish-- leaves the jaw bone tingling, quite refreshing and drinkable mouthfeel, but finish leaves the mouth tingling

Overall Impression: Average English IPA, certainly more hopped than average in this style, and at 5.5% ABV it packs a punch. Sessionable taste (for an American, at least), with slightly higher than sessionable ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 19:52:10 | More by dwren89

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.81/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A 500ml bottle with a BB of July 2013. Picked up a while back in Sheffield. Described on the label as powerfully hopped, resulting in a 'proper' IPA. We'll see.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. Bottle conditioned. A golden-amber hue with faint haze and medium carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a while before subsiding. Aroma of leafy hops with notes of citrus, white grape and faint melon, underpinned by grainy malt and mild earthy yeast. A subtle whiff of alcohol in the background.

Tastes of fruity aroma hops and caramel malt with a distinct bitter finish. Notes of grapefruit, citrus, grass, mild white grape/melon, caramel, faint grain, earthy yeast esters and stewed hops. Quite dry. A leafy bitterness upon swallowing, with a hint of booze in the background. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly, spicy and dry, with decent body and nice carbonation. Rather astringent, with an aftertaste of grassy aroma hops and bitter stewed leaves.

A tasty brew - hits the spot. Solid hop character (for an English IPA), with plenty of fruity notes coming through and decent bitterness. Nicely balanced, with a good malt presence. Looks the part, and the mouthfeel is lovely. St. Austell have done a fine job - if this was regularly available near me I'd consider making it a staple in my fridge. Worth sampling if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 23:58:11 | More by jazzyjeff13

Jetulio

Spain

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle poured into a Pint glass

Aroma... lemon, herbs,grass,
Appearance... hazy yellow colour, with a big head not too much lasting
Taste... lightly citrus but inmediatly with bitterness end , long aftertaste
Palate....medium body an light/medium carbonation
Overall... well balanced ale. Not extremely hopped but well hopped, nice in mouth. One to revisit

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 19:27:37 | More by Jetulio

FLima

Brazil

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pale gold color, it made a 2 finger head with long retention that is constantly fed by upstream bubbles. Some floating particles are present as some in the bottom of the bottle.
Aroma of sweet malts with touches of fruits and pine.
Sweet malts balanced with a hoppy and bitter taste, though not harsh, leaning towards grass and fruits, a bit citric. Aftertaste is also hoppy, making it bitter and dry.
Medium body with ok carbonation with small bubbles, the English way.
Decent beer, well balanced, with its own personality and no bad flaws.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 21:13:03 | More by FLima

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Golden colour, clear, small head which was quick to disappear. Aroma was pine , citrus and very prominent Cascade hop. Tasted lemon, Maris Otter malt and some apple, finish was long, wheaty and bitter. Crisp texture, fairly light body, some carbonation. Overall it was very well balanced and had no weaknesses.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 11:33:29 | More by jonb5

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Powerfully Hopped"? Maybe for a British beer...

This one looked great in a glass, good tight head indicative of the added hop presence.
Smell was pleasantly hoppy, malty, but nothing outstanding.
The taste was awesome, however. A fine amount of hop flavor and bitterness. This ain't no "Hop Stoopid", or other brands of that ilk; this was a well balanced very drinkable brew.
I would gladly buy another of these.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 15:58:17 | More by MAB

tenesmus

United Kingdom (England)

2.78/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle poured into a straight pint glass.

Golden appearance with a thin off-white head and moderate carbonation. Decent enough lacing down the glass. Looks nice overall.

Aroma is flowery, a hint of rose and elderflower, laced with some tropical fruits, pineapple and kiwi.

Taste up front is bitter hops, slightly harsh and lacking in complexity but certainly not overwhelming. Touch of grapefuit and bitter lemon, an enticing hint of cardamon and something herbal, possibly from the Willamette? Anyway, midpalate some sweetness but a lack of structure from the malts and a metallic tinge that becomes more prominant in the after taste.

Mouthfeel is a little thin and not helped by a spritzy soda taste from the carbonation.

Overall pretty disappointed - the bottle states 'powerfully hopped', well they need to back this up, theres little indication of Cascade aroma or flavour, nothing is in your face and it all lacks depth and seems a little one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 20:04:08 | More by tenesmus

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - clear and very bubbly golden, two fingers of white head with large bubbles, retained well, not much in the way of lacing
S - fresh cut grass, mild floral, toasted grain and some metallic
T - grassy and citrus hop notes, toasty grains, finishing with a light herbal and mineral aftertaste
M - light with medium carbonation, a little watery, finishes pretty tame
O - generally mild hop flavours, so not sure where they 'powerfully hopped' claim on the label comes from, an easy drinking IPA, worth a try but will not be a repeat purchase for me

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:23:39 | More by joemcgrath27

bark

Sweden

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The colour is pale gold (7 EBC), the liquid is clear. The large creamy head is compact and off-white. It sinks very slowly leaving lots of lacing.

The rather strong smell is bitter, hoppy and fruity (kiwi, bitter oranges, apricots, lemons, green bananas). Malty flavours – caramel, sweet bread, roasted nuts – creates the balance. Hints of dough and yeast in the background. And maybe a hint of breath mint?

The smooth medium bodied taste is hoppy without any harshness. Sweet fruits like ripe apples and plums, hints of mint and French loaf. The bitterness is smooth and elegant. The aftertaste is sweet and malty with even more fruits and a hint of butterscotch. The finish got some light green hints and a long lasting bitter note.

The carbonation is medium strong; the small bubbles medium strong. The liquid is very smooth, almost a bit sticky.

A very malty and luxurious English IPA: It focuses on the hoppy flavours, not a harsh bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 18:15:10 | More by bark

Eramen

Ireland

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A pale golden-orange, topped with a sizable one finger head which keeps great staying power. It lasted right until the end.

S - The hops, possibly cascade, clementines, and a hint of lemon.

T - A delicious and very orange-tasting body of liquid enters the mouth, and as it swirls over the palate there is what tastes like concentrated marmalade, and citrus aftershocks. Thereupon comes in the pineapple, cane sugar, and a lemon tang. It's all extremely fruity and HOPPY; the hops keeping in with the main flavor for a sublime bittering effect. Very tasty.

MF - Noticeable carbonation, yet it doesn't go overboard, medium body which suits this beer admirably.

O - Quite a delicious IPA, I was expecting it to be more hoppy from the brewery's proclamation on the label "powerfully hopped", but I'm glad this does not take away from this highly enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 17:38:32 | More by Eramen

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a light golden hue with a 3-finger white head that slowly dissipates leaving a great trail down the glass and ending in a solid lace.

S: Good hop aroma with hints of fruits including pineapple and melon.

T: Similar to the smell hops dominate this beer with a good fruity mixture backbone. Decent malt background and finishes slightly dry.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Good IPA – enjoyed drinking this one and would grab it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 04:00:11 | More by ckollias

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a pale amber colour with a nice head that remains for absolutely ages as half a finger of creamy foam.

Smells quite fruity and very fresh, definitely hoppy.

Tastes very refreshing and hoppy (English hops so fruity, sweet and tangy) but at the same time very well balanced and drinkable.

Overall quite a lovely beer and a great example of this particular style.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 08:49:10 | More by CwrwAmByth

Augustiner719

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a .5l mug.

Pours a nice colden amber brass color with perfect clarity and a huge foamy and lasting white head. Huge bubbles in the head with decent lacing down the glass as each sip is taken. The head sticks around for a long time. Nice honey colored body and cabonation is actively bubbling from the bottom of the glass.

The aroma is of slight lemon acidity mixed with a touch of green fresh cut grass. Nice balance of sweetness and hop on the aroma. There is an evident sweet sticky almost resin like characteristic that is mildly pronounced but definately makes its presence known.

The taste is sweet and a touch sticky. Has a nice crisp acidic hit that helps balance out the sweetness of this beer but overall the sweetness from the malts takes dominance on the finish. There is caramel like note on the back end that prevails on the finish that kind of throws me off as this should have a dry, hoppy finish, hence the label. Nothing spectacular, hops are evident and this is no typical british beer, but "powerfully hopped" is misleading to those who have had american IPA's.

Mouthfeel is just as expected. Nicely carbonated, fits the style, nothing crazy. THe finish is sweet, where I prefer dry on these types of beers. The high level of carbonation is working well for this beer as it is on the sweet side and the carbonation makes the beer more drinkable.

Overall this is worth trying if it is on tap or available. Definately nothing to go running for or searching high and low for but a good alternative to your basic english pale ale or bitter that is on tap.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 17:16:00 | More by Augustiner719

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a clear pale gold with a finger width of foamy white head.

Smell - Citrus, sweet malts, very sweet aromas overall.

Taste - Mildly hopped flavour with a hint of citrus, grassiness and sweetness. Expected more hops flavour, especially when the bottle label says "powerfully hopped".

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Crisp dry finish.

Overall - A respectable brew by St. Austell. A bit confused with the labeling of the product, so I was expecting something completely different than what I tasted and I was left a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 03:21:17 | More by leaddog

rgf001

Germany

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought in Munich at Kaufhof Altstadt. This is my fourth bottle. Like it and went for more. Not cheap but being not many IPA choices in Munich, they can charge what they want. Poured in a pint glass. Color is pale hazy gold, similar to a hefeweizen but a bit less hazy. White foam head that disappears rather quickly. Ring stays througout however. Smells citrusy, grapefruit or tangerine may be. On taste, it is carbonated right, sufficient but not suffocating bittering hops with an aftertaste that lingers. Disagree with other reviews. Not tipically British. Tastes more like an American IPA. Would have never guessed British...
It's low alcohol content (for an IPA), makes it a great drinking beer. Overall, a great beer (or is it that I miss IPAs... here in Munich?)

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 16:17:11 | More by rgf001

MrKennedy

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml.bottle, thanks to bluebetty for picking this up from the International Beer Shop. Poured into an Amager tulip.

Pours a hazy golden colour with decent carbonation. Small head of white foam that fades quickly.

Grapefruit mixed with marmalade and bready malt are the three smells on offer. A seeming mix of County Kent meeting Washington State that works quite well. The smell lingers on throughout.

Tastes of grapefruit and bready malt, reinforcing what came out in the smell. Very well done. Sessionable but plenty there.

Full mouthfeel, nice bitterness imparted throughout and leaves you with a reminder of what was there and a reason to go back.

Doesn't put a foot wrong. Flavoursome, consistent, sessionable. Cornwall and Devon have some good brewers down there and this is another reminder not to forget St. Austell.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 09:28:52 | More by MrKennedy

sasky7777

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

To me this beer was a trans-atlantic IPA. It seemed to have a malt profile that fits and English IPA, but with the citrusy hop notes of an American IPA. A good all-round beer, it doesn't hit you in the face with hop bitterness, but has great aroma and balance.

I really enjoyed this beer, it wasn't extreme and I would recommend it to any IPA fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 04:04:11 | More by sasky7777

dirtyskunk

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nice looking beer. Real clear golden color, maybe a finger of creamy looking head that disappears pretty quickly. Beautiful lacing, rings all the way down.

A very American hop profile in the nose, this doesn't smell like a British IPA, and indeed the bottle says it's got Wllamette, Chinook, and Cascade hops. I get a very fruity, floral aroma. Strawberries, tangerines, and some good clean hop resin smell. Pretty nice.

Very nice malt background, I like the Maris Otter they used. It's got a slightly sweet, grainy kind of taste like brioche. The hops are pretty basic but nicely balanced and definitely dominate the beer. Grapefruit and pine are the forward flavors, with some earthy and floral notes in back. Bitterness sticks around in the back of the mouth for a little afterwards.

Great mouthfeel. Light and creamy at the same time. Just a little oily around the edges and a dry powdery finish. Spot on for an IPA of this size.

Very good American style IPA from an Englsih Brewery. Pretty prototypical though, this could be the standard IPA at any random Brewery in the states.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 16:25:52 | More by dirtyskunk

prosper

Alberta (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle. Pours clear, but obviously not filtered. A thin skim of well-compacted yeast on the bottom of the bottle. Thin white head.

Smell - it doesn't have a strong aroma. Sticky sweet malts, some alcohol, and some candy-like citrus, a combination of yeastiness and the hopping.

Taste - wow. Great balance - not overly bitter, but definitely a strong hop presence. Not really an 'english' character to the hops, either - I could totally believe this was a Rogue product, or other american micro.

Mouthfeel is not heavy and thick, but also not thin and watery. About right.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 01:53:26 | More by prosper

crusian

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nothing like going to Hong Kong and getting a British beer I have never had. best by march 2012. At the globe using their wifi on my phone. Not on the menu, but have had everything on it, so they started pulling out new stuff they got.
Pours a slightly dark golden color with a tiny bit of head. Lacing clings like mad.
Bottle says intensely hopped, but nose doesn't have much, though the British style rarest has aroma hops.
Taste is surprising... almost an American ipa by damn. A lot of citrus on the front, followed by a more traditional British bitter. This is quite a nice blend, I would be curious what hops are in this. Mouthfeel is medium for the style, well carbed and bottle conditioned to boot. A decent beer in Hong Hong I must say, easily the best I have had here.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 10:33:18 | More by crusian

stcules

Italy

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep golden color, almost honeyed. White foam, cramy and compact as properly.
The smell is quite mild (maybe too), with slight malty notes and delicate white flowers. Even the flavor is light, always with a moderate malt aroma and with earthy hop (light) and grapefruit - Citrus (light).
The aftertaste turns out to be more intense, more bitter, make it possible to drink in large quantities.
It lacks a little of the fullness of a typical American Pale Ale (even if the brewery defines it as a IPA!).
In retrospect, we read that is used the Cascade and Chinook hops, which frankly speaking, we have not felt particularly. Indeed, to be honest to be an APA we expected much more.

Serving type: cask

10-06-2011 20:22:07 | More by stcules

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle condition, poured into a UK pint sleeve without any sediment leaving the bottle.

Good, clear mid-golden colour, full head of white foam. The head sadly fell away very swiftly, leaving just a weak wispy covering along with a thin collar around the glass.

The aroma is mostly of hops (label claims it is "Powerfully Hopped"), however there is also a semi-sweet malty smell just below the grapefruit type citrusy hops.

The taste is mini hop bitterness (those grapfruits again), with a healthy malt undertone present from start to finish.

This is almost sweet, it is sweet for an IPA, yet there are plenty of hop notes to let you know it's an IPA: very well made and lovely to drink. The alcohol is well hidden by the blend of ingrediants, I had to check the bottle to see if mine was really 5.5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:43:02 | More by BlackHaddock

StJamesGate

New York

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Corn silk blonde with piles of lumpy shaving cream white head. Flinty fresh grain, lemon hard candy, pizza crust and musty grapefruit nose.
Lemon preserves and golden crunch biscuit up front with hints of nectarine then Lemonheads, cedar oil, and smoky spiced candle hops with sprinkling of white pepper.
Lemon Starburst and white grapefruit finish and light resin linger. Creamy, some chew, light to medium, crisp.

Williamette, Chinook and Cascade.

Not as punishing as Kipling. Unmistakably English - definite Maris Otter presence, and I get as much wood spice Willamette (descended from Fuggles) as I do Cascade citrus. Direct hit for the style, but nothing bigger - this is 5.5, not 7%, so that should tell ya.

Actually more English and less drinkable than their contract-brewed Cornish IPA, which is a little star of an APA.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 20:42:03 | More by StJamesGate

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle.

This beer pours a clear medium golden yellow hue, with one flabby finger of soapy off-white head, which dissipates hastily, leaving still a consistent wall of sea-shore profile lace around the glass. It smells of sharp sour bread, lemon juice, and musty leafy hops. The taste is mildly bitter leafy hops, a bit of lemon, some mustiness, all supported by an equally up for it bready biscuit malt. The carbonation is staid, the body medium weight, and generally quite smooth. It finishes off-dry, a musty graininess most prevalent.

I just wish they hadn't proclaimed a grapefruit character so fervently on the label, backed up by the American hops on the ingredient list. The flavour just doesn't bear that out, but, overall, decent for an English version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 23:41:15 | More by biboergosum

danieelol

Australia

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: yellow pour with OK head and lacing.

S: OK the smell is very subtle. Faint grain and citrus. There's also some caramel taste drawn out when it warms. Pleasant.

T: More of the same really. Strong on bitterness.

M: thin with moderately high levels of carbonation. Small bubbles.

O: A well-made beer

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 13:07:21 | More by danieelol