Dragonmead Crown Jewels India Pale Ale

Brewed by Dragonmead Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Warren, Michigan USA

nice and dark IPA color. im kind of surprised to see it at 7% because i never would’ve known it by the taste. very nice scent as soon as it gets in the glass. kind of a weaker IPA, which means another easy 6-pack. could’ve been more bitter, i think that the Sierra Nevada i had 2 nights ago would almost give this one a run for IBU’s, which is what I look for in IPA’s.

12oz bottle. Aroma is fantastic but a little weak. Moderate amounts of caramel malt. Moderate amount of flowery hopps with notes of orange, lemon, white wine, and honey. Large frothy light tan head that fully lasted and left a fair lace. Body is normally clear with a medium amber hue. Flavor was such a let down. Starts lightly sweet and bitter and ends the same with an average finish. Palate was also a let down. Light to medium body and watery flat. Too bad, I really wanted to like this brew. The smell was fantastic and it looked the part but the flavor was weak and bland. Very macro like in it’s generic sweet/bitter bland swill. Palate was also a let down with a MGD lingering film on the back of my tongue. Just a sad, sad, state of affairs.

(12oz bottle) Medium beige head atop clear, dark amber body. Nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit/pine, resin, caramel, some peach. Taste is moderately sweet, grapefruit, pine, caramel, some peach, hop oil sharpness. Resinous medium body.

12oz - Aroma of cardboard, caramel malts and earthy hops. Pours dark copper with a medium head and great lacing. Flavor is caramel malt with just a touch of hop bitterness. Palate is thin and maybe a little sticky but way too late. Unfortunately for Dragonmead, they do not date their bottles, so I do not know the age. I did buy it from a cooler so I’m assuming it has been refrigerated most of it’s life. I expect more hop bitterness from an IPA.

Clear amber with a small, off-white head. The aroma is light, some toffee and citrus. The flavor is caramel, grapefruit and doughy. Medium body is soft with light carbonation.

Bottle. Fairly dark pour for an IPA... almost a brown color with a massive bubbly head that has required multiple passes to empty the bottle completely into the glass. Aromas are of caramel malts and citrus hops... grapefruit. Flavor is OK... there is definitely a hops driven lead, but the malt is strong enough to support it and it balances out fairly nicely. That said, the flavor could be a little fuller and more beefy. I won’t say it is watery, but it’s not as full as it should be. Fairly refreshing.

Bottle from Bello Vino, MI. Poured hazy brown color with a large frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate sour citrus hoppy aroma. Medium body with a slick texture. Medium citrus bitter and a medium smooth bitter finish of moderate duration. Solid drinkable beer.

Dragonmead Crown Jewels India Pale Ale 12 oz bottle Recent brewing, plundered 03/07 Moderate pour in a tulip glass. Poured a slightly hazy amber brown with a moderate frothy somewhat lasting head. Smelt of strong grapefruit, dried fruit, sweet barley sugar, moderate pine and sweat. Taste was upfront moderate to strong roasted barley and pine and grapefruit with sweet dried fruit tones followed by a moderate to strong bitter sweaty and moderate fruity sweetness on an average length finish. Palate was medium bodied, creamy, velvety, caressing and soft, lively carbonated and moderately astringent. Overall, an IPA that feels like an american strong ale or a weak barleywine. Flavors are very nice though. Softest palate on a beer that I’ve seen yet.