Dark Isle India Pale Ale

A very disappointing beer. It looked very good but smelt and tasted sour and watery It had a fizzy tingling quality that just seemed to reinforce the sourness

This was the hardest craft brewer to find while I was in Tasmania. I’d ask about it everywhere I went, but more then half of people hadn’t even heard of it! Finally a helpful publican pointed me in the right direction, and I was able to purchase the second-last mixed sixpack of Dark Isle brews from a 9-11 bottleshop on Davey Street in Hobart. This one was surprisingly similar to the pale ale, and poured a hazy deep golden colour with a large bubbly white head. Aroma is of citrus fruitiness and resin, again with a faint woody/earthy element that was present in the pale ale as well. Not nearly as agressively hopped as the American IPAs, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing here. Still, even as an English style IPA this fails to impress on any level. It is worth stating that I have no idea how fresh this sample is as there was no best-before date on the bottle or the carton.

Aroma: funky cane sugery with some off orval notes and toilet freshener. Aroma eventually shows some maltiness. Apperance: hazy orange brown with a huge off white head made from larger bubbles. Flavour: citrus pith bitterness. Palate: bubbly and thin with lingering bitterness.

Sorry but I dissagree with Vanvenlo and Mullet about this beer. I think it a’nt so bad. Sweet hop malt aroma with flowers. Clear amber colour with crasy overprimed head. Sweet floral flavour with hops and malt. Fizzy palate.

19 Nov 05 - Light malt aroma. Cloudy amber colour, over primed head and suds lacing. Huge unpleasant metallic hop flavour. Awful bitter hop finish that lingers. The funny metallic bitterness puts me off this beer.