Dragonmead Crown Jewels India Pale Ale

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

Date: 06/02/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip

dark clear red, whispy off white head, touch of lace, sweet carmel malt aroma with big grapefruit, creamy body, nice grapefruit flavor, good carmel sweetness, lasting mellow bitter finish, a great creamy session IPA without being over the top

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

(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.

On tap at the Dragonmead Brew Pub. Poured a medium amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of citrus, earthy, and with some caramel. Tastes of the same citrus, earthiness, and toasted caramel. Not really bitter and definitely a British Style IPA.

Pours a dark copper amber with a thin-lacing, coating of frothy tan head. Aroma of sweet earthy caramel and a touch of piny English hoppiness. First sip is of nice, fairly full-bodied, sweet dark caramel malt giving way to a balanced fresh resiny hoppy bitterness before a bittersweet, slightly warming finish. A pretty good IPA, but could use more aroma hops.

Draft... Clear, deep copper ale with a small, creamy, white head. Grapefruit and floral notes in the nose. The flavor is of a solid, caramel malt backbone with sufficient grapefruit rind and piney hops to tilt things onto the bitter side of balance. Full-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Lengthy, bitter finish.

Bottle courtesy of dmschefke. Pours copper and cloudy with a thin white head. Smells of earth, light citrus, herbal. Tastes resiny with some caramel sweetness and a spicy finish.

This pours out a deep amber/copper with some red highlights and a modest pale beige head. It smells of fruity malts, caramel, grapefruit, and a bit of pine. The hops aren’t as strong as I would like in the flavor, the ale being overly balanced to the caramel and toffee tastes in my opinion. It finishes on a lingering, mildly bitter citric note.

<font size=-4>Thanks to my The LoSBD colleague <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=2 for the bottle.<font size=-1>

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.